PPL prior to undertaking Integrated ATPL?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: S.A.E
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
PPL prior to undertaking Integrated ATPL?
Ok so the Integrated courses cost a bomb but I was thinking it may be a good idea to obtain a PPL (through OFT- any thoughts?) before committing to an Integrated course?
To date I have only had a 1hr trial flight, which I found amazing fun, and I'm fairly sure it's something I can pick up and enjoy as a career. I'm primarily interested in an aviation career due to the high earning potential and environment (i.e not stuck in an office working 9-5!) and coming from a massive petrol head flying made driving seem boring!
Would it be sensible to make sure flying is the career for me before attending an integrated FTO? I'm thinking it will also give me a little head start with regards to the training also which could relieve some of the pressure. End of the day a PPL is pocket change in comparison to an Integrated ATPL course!
Please no modular recommendations but any other thoughts, comments etc appreciated.
Cheers
To date I have only had a 1hr trial flight, which I found amazing fun, and I'm fairly sure it's something I can pick up and enjoy as a career. I'm primarily interested in an aviation career due to the high earning potential and environment (i.e not stuck in an office working 9-5!) and coming from a massive petrol head flying made driving seem boring!
Would it be sensible to make sure flying is the career for me before attending an integrated FTO? I'm thinking it will also give me a little head start with regards to the training also which could relieve some of the pressure. End of the day a PPL is pocket change in comparison to an Integrated ATPL course!
Please no modular recommendations but any other thoughts, comments etc appreciated.
Cheers
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Chorley, UK
Age: 38
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi 350Z,
It all depends on how soon you want to start an integrated course.Obviously doing some further flight training is helpful with both any integrated course assessments as well seeing whether you enjoy/ have the basic ability to fly.
Im off to NZ with CTC shortly and have had a PPL for 4 years. The PPL has been brilliant fun and helped massively with the interview stage for CTC (proving my determination etc), but quite simply its down to you and your current situation and isnt particularly neccessary
It all depends on how soon you want to start an integrated course.Obviously doing some further flight training is helpful with both any integrated course assessments as well seeing whether you enjoy/ have the basic ability to fly.
Im off to NZ with CTC shortly and have had a PPL for 4 years. The PPL has been brilliant fun and helped massively with the interview stage for CTC (proving my determination etc), but quite simply its down to you and your current situation and isnt particularly neccessary
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: S.A.E
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Matt, thanks for your comments! I think it will put me in good stead for integrated trainging- I went for OAA assessment and they asked if I had flying experience, interestingly everyone else there did!
I'm in no real rush to begin training, considering the current economic climate, however my parents are keen for me to start as I am currently unemployed! Congrats and good luck with your training with CTC!
Decisions decisions! Any opinions on where best to undertake PPL?
I'm in no real rush to begin training, considering the current economic climate, however my parents are keen for me to start as I am currently unemployed! Congrats and good luck with your training with CTC!
Decisions decisions! Any opinions on where best to undertake PPL?
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BAFC
I am currently undertaking my PPL training at British Airways flying club in High Wycombe. Would recommend it 100%. Great instructors and aircraft that are very highly maintained. Do not assume that joining the flying club will get you a job at BA like most people do though! I am also planning on going to do an intergrated course next year and was told by a few friends that doing the PPL first was a good option to see if you enjoy it and more importantly are any good at it! Hope that helps. 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hello,
Im currently at oxford doing the intergrated, i have 30 hours on a PA28, has helped me great amount with knowing simple things like circuits and what happens when you put in a stage of flap. Questions are sometimes based as if you already have knowledge of flying, for example some of the guys in my class have no experience and found it hard to grasp what the questions was asking. Basicly it definetly wouldnt hurt to do some hours but maybe nt a full ppl, theories you get tought may not be the way oxford want to teach you and so you are left having to relearn, that goes for both planning and mapping flights, to your training in good year!
Good luck with it all, dont hesitate to message me if you have any questions, just finishing phase 2, jaas next week, then...... PHOENIX!!
Safe flying!
Im currently at oxford doing the intergrated, i have 30 hours on a PA28, has helped me great amount with knowing simple things like circuits and what happens when you put in a stage of flap. Questions are sometimes based as if you already have knowledge of flying, for example some of the guys in my class have no experience and found it hard to grasp what the questions was asking. Basicly it definetly wouldnt hurt to do some hours but maybe nt a full ppl, theories you get tought may not be the way oxford want to teach you and so you are left having to relearn, that goes for both planning and mapping flights, to your training in good year!
Good luck with it all, dont hesitate to message me if you have any questions, just finishing phase 2, jaas next week, then...... PHOENIX!!
Safe flying!
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Definately a good idea to get some hours done before signing up for a flying career. You might hate it in the end. It is however going to cost another 5 or 6k to get a ppl, on top of the 70 - 80k for an inetgrated course.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: On the ground
Age: 38
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In the same position myself, will likely begin my PPL next week then apply to OAA or Jerez after. Regarding the extra 5 or 6K on top of the integrated cost, most schools offer a discount of around £5k for PPL holders as far as I am aware.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: g1000ville
Age: 50
Posts: 232
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
starrzo.... definitely NO discount at oxford for PPL holders on the integrated course, a few years back i think they gave you a 10 hours dispensation, but now you get nowt i'm afraid.
Also TommyG is correct, I know of a couple of former APP students who had PPL's and had to unlearn some "bad" habits as it wasn't the oxford way, then relearn them again after what was then Scottsdale because the "bad" habits was exactly how their airlines wanted them to fly in the first place!
I'm also finishing phase 2 jaa's next week but no Phoenix for me!!! the glamour of wolverhampton beckons!!!!!! at least i'll be rid of oxford though.
Also TommyG is correct, I know of a couple of former APP students who had PPL's and had to unlearn some "bad" habits as it wasn't the oxford way, then relearn them again after what was then Scottsdale because the "bad" habits was exactly how their airlines wanted them to fly in the first place!
I'm also finishing phase 2 jaa's next week but no Phoenix for me!!! the glamour of wolverhampton beckons!!!!!! at least i'll be rid of oxford though.
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: FL410
Posts: 383
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did a PPL some years before starting the integrated course at Oxford. I'd say it helped quite a bit. However the cost of it will add to what is already a very expensive course. So I would recommend just doing enough lessons at a flying club to go solo. That way you can see if you really like it.
Unbelievably there are people who start integrated training without ever having been in a light aircraft. I know more than one person who was chucked off the course. Everyone I know who has failed the course failed in the very early pre-solo stage. So if you can get that squared away before you commit to the ATPL, I'd really recommend it.
Unbelievably there are people who start integrated training without ever having been in a light aircraft. I know more than one person who was chucked off the course. Everyone I know who has failed the course failed in the very early pre-solo stage. So if you can get that squared away before you commit to the ATPL, I'd really recommend it.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
bajadj!!!
That must be the beckoning call of a washed up dj from the modular course!!!! LOL only joking fella, next time i see you in the corridoor i ll give you a kick or somethink!! Hows the bristol getting on!!! Upps, i just swore!!!
That must be the beckoning call of a washed up dj from the modular course!!!! LOL only joking fella, next time i see you in the corridoor i ll give you a kick or somethink!! Hows the bristol getting on!!! Upps, i just swore!!!
I seem to recall that doing the Integrated course gives you an fATPL but no PPL, so you can't even fly for fun once you have spent all that money! Crazy, if true. 
But, if you've got £75,000 for an Integrated course, why not get a £7,000 PPL beforehand? It's only money....
But don't fret because although when you finish the course you will have far fewer hours Total Time than a modular student, your FTO will presumably get you a job with one of its 'client airlines', so your relative lack of flying experience will be no hindrance...and you can then fly for fun in your spare time!
But, if you've got £75,000 for an Integrated course, why not get a £7,000 PPL beforehand? It's only money....
But don't fret because although when you finish the course you will have far fewer hours Total Time than a modular student, your FTO will presumably get you a job with one of its 'client airlines', so your relative lack of flying experience will be no hindrance...and you can then fly for fun in your spare time!
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mikehotel152,
When finished his frozen ATPL he will have a CPL. Thats is the licence. It supersedes a PPL. Attached to the CPL, he will have 'ratings' ie SEP or MEP or MEIR. He can excersise the privilages of flight in any aircraft he desires, as long as the 'ratings' for those aircraft are current.
When i passed my CPL/IR last year, my PPL became redundant. My ratings however(SEP and MEP) are current.
He can fly for fun no problem at all
When finished his frozen ATPL he will have a CPL. Thats is the licence. It supersedes a PPL. Attached to the CPL, he will have 'ratings' ie SEP or MEP or MEIR. He can excersise the privilages of flight in any aircraft he desires, as long as the 'ratings' for those aircraft are current.
When i passed my CPL/IR last year, my PPL became redundant. My ratings however(SEP and MEP) are current.
He can fly for fun no problem at all
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: g1000ville
Age: 50
Posts: 232
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Whirls, you're right, it does, although bizarrely enough the integrated oxford course doesn't give you an SEP rating.
Tommy, the bristol is doing doing my bloody head in, and gen nav is still a complete mystery to me!! just doing ops now and I really really don't care how many bloody fire extinguishers i have!!! I can remember that a fire axe is used to control unruly passengers from phase one though!
Tommy, the bristol is doing doing my bloody head in, and gen nav is still a complete mystery to me!! just doing ops now and I really really don't care how many bloody fire extinguishers i have!!! I can remember that a fire axe is used to control unruly passengers from phase one though!
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Stockholm
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't start anything until you've read this thread:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=311832
Your going to hate your lives if you cannot handle the truth
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=311832
Your going to hate your lives if you cannot handle the truth
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: S.A.E
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the input guys! I think I'm gonna take the advice and have a few lessons so that I am near pre solo phase! It's all good fun!
Eikido- yes yes yes the world is coming to an end I know but to be honest I have no other options- I was on the verge of moving to London and taking a job in the city but it's just not for me. It's flight training or sitting at home doing nothing really lol. To be honest I would rather try something and fail than try nothing and succeed so therefore I'm gonna be stubborn and just go all out for it!
Eikido- yes yes yes the world is coming to an end I know but to be honest I have no other options- I was on the verge of moving to London and taking a job in the city but it's just not for me. It's flight training or sitting at home doing nothing really lol. To be honest I would rather try something and fail than try nothing and succeed so therefore I'm gonna be stubborn and just go all out for it!
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Stockholm
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I love your tone
As long as your aware of it and not stubborn, i think you will end up fine. With or without a pilot job
Keep it up!
PS. I'm doing the same as you, but i'm not starting this year.
Eikido
As long as your aware of it and not stubborn, i think you will end up fine. With or without a pilot job
Keep it up!
PS. I'm doing the same as you, but i'm not starting this year.
Eikido
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Im with you Eikido, haing been applying for jobs for over year now, i know exactly what the job markets like. And its getting worse, RAPIDLY!!! Anyone thinking of doing ATPL training over the next 2 or 3 years needs to have their head examined!!
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: tahiti
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't quite follow your logic, I personally think that there's a missing link in your reasoning triangle.
Why start all over again when all you need is to complete IR, CPL and ATPL theory?
You are "hedging" yourself against the bad economic climate.
That hedging is going to cost you an additional 7K + the timeframe you'll lose while having fun with your PPL... conclusion: you're a bad hedger.
If you have money, why don't you head to integrated straight away or wait until the sun shines again?
Decision-making skills, capacity of analysis and intuition... the most required skills in a cockpit... and in life in general!
Why start all over again when all you need is to complete IR, CPL and ATPL theory?
You are "hedging" yourself against the bad economic climate.
That hedging is going to cost you an additional 7K + the timeframe you'll lose while having fun with your PPL... conclusion: you're a bad hedger.
If you have money, why don't you head to integrated straight away or wait until the sun shines again?
Decision-making skills, capacity of analysis and intuition... the most required skills in a cockpit... and in life in general!