What was your route?
 

Hi,

I'm interested in knowing people's routes into becoming an airline pilot? Such as did you go to University, if so what did you study. If not what did you do? When did you land your first big job and how?

As i'm currently 18 I don't have much of a story as far. At the moment i'm planning to go to Uni to study geography, get a job and start saving as hard as I can to go down the Modular route.

Any replies would be appreciated :)

Hi!

I did the modular course, part of it abroad, and part of it in my home country. I had my first job on the B1900, a friend of mine recommended to apply for it, so I did. I was flying the Beech for approximately 8 months, and now i'm flying the a320. Before I got my first job I was working mostly administrative jobs to be able to pay rent and living. By that time my training has already finished, so I was "just" looking for a flying job and renewed my licenses. I started to go university, but I couldn't finish it, because in the meantime I started flying, and it was very difficult to study unfortunately.

I consider myself extremely lucky, I needed to wait only 1 year after I finished my flight training until the first airline job.

Regards,

gerzson

What was your route?
 

I started off with a PPL with an aim of having a head start and something interesting when going into the Forces. That fell through, so took on work to pay for flight training the modular way.

No uni, just working and throwing the money at the courses, then taking a loan to concentrate full time on the ATPL theories and CPL/IR. Got lucky and landed my first interview, flying DH8 but could have been on a jet type (CRJ or Fokker were also in the fleet) as long as it has wings...

While other people's journeys might be interesting (and indeed, many are) they may not necessarily be relevant to other people given different economic times and geographical locations.

For example, my journey cannot be replicated in Europe. It's also increasingly more difficult in Australia...

can you guys explain to me what "the modular way" entails please?

Born > wanted to be a pilot. Went to school, left school post 9/11. Realised flight training costs an arm and a leg. Went to university, got a degree. Left university, got a decent job. Saved my money. Got a PPL. Saved some more money along with a small loan. Then completed ATPLs, CPL/IR, MCC JOC modular full time.
License issued end of last month; looking for a job right now and working in my last career whilst I wait. Hope it doesn't take too long.......... its boring being on the ground

Old way vs new way
 

OLD WAY:
Air Cadets flying scholarship (PPL)
Sponsored by OATS (Oxford) for everything (I drove a truck during the night to fund the 150 hrs required for an assistant instructors rating, so I could apply for the OATS scheme).
Hamble was shut at the time and I didn't not want to sign up for 8 years minimum, so BA and the RAF were not options.
I survived 5 years instructing at Oxford and then left to be a flight test P2 for a new company.
The rest is history, BUT I never even thought of applying for a bank loan.

NEW WAY:
Read the flying mags and turn into a dreamer.
Then talk your parents into underwriting a massive loan, OR sign up as a cadet (Nearly as expensive) and then once you realise you don't like flying for peanuts, jump ship and declare yourself bankrupt after you default on the training bond.
Return home to find your parents have been given an eviction notice and one of them is planning to move into an old peoples home (The NHS will send you the bill), that they thought you would pay for!

PS: This stock market issue will effect the market for pilots and although the fuel will stay cheap, some of the airlines will go bust due to lack of passengers and cargo. Their pilots will then head for the EU and US, IF they can speak English, resulting in more P2F and P2type schemes!

I really thought the jobs situation was improving, but the recent stock slide will knock out a number of the less well financed airlines, just when things started looking up.

A Levels - Maths Physics English Business
Started Oxford Aviation Academy straight after
Over 2 years (and a lot of debt) later got A320
Loving it

good luck

I did it on an old route well trodden in the UK but a route now defunct

Play with and crash toy (sorry models) planes as teenager.
Forget about toy planes and try chasing girls
Realise marginally better with planes than chasing girls, go back to planes
PPL
Hours building for few years, glider towing etc.
Modular trained
Air taxi, survey flying
Turboprop
regional jet
Wide body freight jet

Hi guys,
I did high school then Uni.
Degree in Enlgish language ( 1st one being French)
PPL while at Uni.
joined CTC
came out with licences and around 200hrsTT and been looking for jobs for the last 3 months but nothing at all .. everyone require hours.
So I keep up for the time being ..
Any advise guys on the ''what to do now? '' Should I risk it on a TR without having hours behind ?
Should I go for CFI and start teaching people how to fly with only 200 hrs ?


My advise for you, start flying as soon as you can, just a backup in case you don't get hire straight after finishing your training. It helps if you got 350TT instead of 210TT to get a first job to build time.

Really nice thread! keep posting guys is always nice to hear stories of who has been there before me! :D

Where did you borrow the money from? Trying to raise finance atm for CPL(h)

OAA have a deal for a loan. Parents were my backers though... as they were for everyone on my course.

Hi mirovinchi,
How did you get in Africa ? I have sent so many Cvs but rarely got an answer .. I got 210TT at the moment but would like to do some bush flying .. but seems almost impossible ..
cheers

Hi Pacificsun
 

Sending CVs to African operators doesn't work, the only way to get into them is to spend a few months out there during the hiring season and meet the chief pilots face to face, hand in your CV and hope that they call you. Some people get lucky while some spend months out there and get nothing.

Left high school, went to a combined uni course and ATPL theory.
Ppl hour building in the states
Finished hour building and commercial training in Bournemouth (modular)
After training sent all the cvs waited...waited some more nothing.
Started in the industry as cabin crew for a low cost, got to network and get a better view in industry. Did this for two years along with some sim instructing (no tr required and great jet practice!)
After three years, just finished my 737 TR and look forward to taking to the skies.

Don't sit around waiting for the job, you need to NETWORK and go find it!

PPL through a Flying Scholarship, unable to join RAF as eye sight fell below requirements. IMC, night and FI, and then instructed part time whilst working in ops and crewing for a small cargo airline. IR financed on interest free loan from said airline, type rating on ancient twin turboprop (it had sisters in museums before I flew it) and then redundancy prior to flying. Joined the only other UK operator of the type intending to move on after a year, stayed for nearly 26 collecting another 3 type ratings and TRI/TRE on the way and now flying the 737.

I would probably do it all again, however I think that the industry has changed forever and would not encourage anyone to start down this career path now.

Left school with good grades, no college, worked/saved did PPL locally. Went to large FTO in UK to complete ATPL groundschool. Hour building in the states and back to the same UK FTO for ME CPL, MEIR, MCC and JOC. 8 months later started UK turboprop job, had a 2 year stint FO regional jet then a few years in the LHS turboprop. Now working for a loco on a shiny jet - miss my old turboprop job occasionally though. Times change though and I wouldn't necessarily do things the same way in 2015 as I did in 2005.

I combined my integrated ATPL with a Bachelor degree in Aviation Engineering. Hired as operation officer 6 months after end of flight training. Same company offered me to do a TQ (bonded, which is fair enough) after 2 years. Now flying charters on a regional jet.

My tip: make sure to have a plan B! Good luck.

What was your route?
 

Air cadet flying
Gliding - Bronze C
RAF Flying Scholarship
PPL
Glider towing (hr building)
CPL/IR/MCC
Para Dropping
Regional TP FO
Jet FO

Time from CPL issue to Jet job - 6 years. The UK route is not defunct just very much in small numbers but still possible. Get involved with gliding and skydiving early on to make contacts.