Good time to start training?
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Good time to start training?
hello friends:
up until now age used to be the factor - i am almost 28 and have always wanted to be a commercial pilot. I finally decided to go for it - and wanted to start sometime in January and get my PPL thru CPL. i have a bachelors degree in softwre engineering
but looking at the economy and the way the market stands - esp in my home country of india.. am scared to go ahead.
what do u guys think? is this a good time to get started? or just sit by and wait. or just totally forget the idea and be happy with IT?
cheers
up until now age used to be the factor - i am almost 28 and have always wanted to be a commercial pilot. I finally decided to go for it - and wanted to start sometime in January and get my PPL thru CPL. i have a bachelors degree in softwre engineering
but looking at the economy and the way the market stands - esp in my home country of india.. am scared to go ahead.
what do u guys think? is this a good time to get started? or just sit by and wait. or just totally forget the idea and be happy with IT?
cheers
Hovering AND talking
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Assuming you're thinking of the modular (and it sounds as if you are), then it's not so much when you start but when you finish that matters as far as the economy and job market go!
PPL, hour building and exams all take time and I would suggest you do these at a leisurely pace whilst still working and saving!
Cheers
Whirls
PPL, hour building and exams all take time and I would suggest you do these at a leisurely pace whilst still working and saving!
Cheers
Whirls
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as i have already mentioned tonight;
I think the best advice is to time it that you START training when you can actually see things recovering; ie fATPL getting jobs. Its not like in one day we go from no jobs to flood gates open. It takes around 2yrs from the first trickle of fATPLs into airlines to full on recruitment. In those 2 yrs you could quite happily get the training done.
Starting when things look grim is STUPID. Whats to say they still look grim for when you finish, or for the many months/yrs after you finish...
I think the best advice is to time it that you START training when you can actually see things recovering; ie fATPL getting jobs. Its not like in one day we go from no jobs to flood gates open. It takes around 2yrs from the first trickle of fATPLs into airlines to full on recruitment. In those 2 yrs you could quite happily get the training done.
Starting when things look grim is STUPID. Whats to say they still look grim for when you finish, or for the many months/yrs after you finish...
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Nothing stopping you from getting your PPL now but I'd hold off on starting your ATPL Ground School exams until we start seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.
Like you I am in the IT sector and the longer I keep my head down in the office the more I earn. I have an interview coming up soon which will take me into contracting and earning more than a Turbo Prop Captain (if I get the job).
As soon as you start your ATPL GS you have 18 months to complete all 14 exams. After completing your last ATPL exam the clock will be ticking (36 months) for you to complete your CPL and IR giving you a fATPL.
So by enrolling on an ATPL GS course in Jan '09 you WILL have to complete all training by June 2013. Or run the risk of having to pay and sit your ATPL GS exams again and then your IR or CPL ... or both. Keep in mind you need to keep your IR current too, if it's a ME-IR than that will not come cheap.
... Fingers crossed everything will be ok in the aviation world in 2013 but if it's not then there will be a huge number of ex-airline pilots on the dole waiting at the front of the queue, pilots with x000hrs just behind them followed my middle age IT people like you and myself with a couple of hundred hours in the log book.
PPL, leisurely hour building X country and maybe some light reading through some ATPL GS material is about as far as I'd go for the moment.
Good luck.
Like you I am in the IT sector and the longer I keep my head down in the office the more I earn. I have an interview coming up soon which will take me into contracting and earning more than a Turbo Prop Captain (if I get the job).
As soon as you start your ATPL GS you have 18 months to complete all 14 exams. After completing your last ATPL exam the clock will be ticking (36 months) for you to complete your CPL and IR giving you a fATPL.
So by enrolling on an ATPL GS course in Jan '09 you WILL have to complete all training by June 2013. Or run the risk of having to pay and sit your ATPL GS exams again and then your IR or CPL ... or both. Keep in mind you need to keep your IR current too, if it's a ME-IR than that will not come cheap.
... Fingers crossed everything will be ok in the aviation world in 2013 but if it's not then there will be a huge number of ex-airline pilots on the dole waiting at the front of the queue, pilots with x000hrs just behind them followed my middle age IT people like you and myself with a couple of hundred hours in the log book.
PPL, leisurely hour building X country and maybe some light reading through some ATPL GS material is about as far as I'd go for the moment.
Good luck.
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They always say that "theres no time like the present." A lot of things in life are a gamble and training to be a pilot seems to be one of them but if you dont take them chances you may never get where you want to be. No one knew on september 10th 2001 that the following day the air transport industry was going to change forever, just the same as no one knows what will happen tomorrow! Go for it!
... Dare I say it but the advise above is not the route you'd want to take, I wouldn't want to be on the AC when willisstorm4 is at the controls, "Hmmm all airliners are pretty much grounded due to bad weather at LGW - But I think I'll take my chance and get this baby off the ground ... I'm sure when I'm in the air everybody else will follow me" The saying springs to mind about Old pilots and Bold pilots
Weigh up the odds of getting a job after blowing £50k on training, lost earnings whilst training amongst all that hard work studying for ATPL when you could be studying for IT (giving you better earning potential) and make your choice.
Last edited by AlphaMale; 20th Oct 2008 at 00:13.
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A lot of things in life are a gamble and training to be a pilot seems to be one of them but if you dont take them chances you may never get where you want to be.
You'll never find an entrepreneur taking a risk without weighing up the chances of success and failure even though they are spending a considerably less amount of money.
Look at what's happening in the market, (news headline this morning that the UK is already in recession) and weigh up your chances of getting that dream job. You may think it's worth the risk and if you do, go for it however if your head is giving you warning signs; maybe it's something you should be listening to.
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Alphamale
Just a query on your post above... does the clock start ticking from when you sign on the dotted line with the GS provider or from when you take the first examination - akin to the PPL exams?
RudeNot2
Just a query on your post above... does the clock start ticking from when you sign on the dotted line with the GS provider or from when you take the first examination - akin to the PPL exams?
RudeNot2
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Summary of the requirements for examination:
- 14 Exam papers - to be passed within 18 months of the first pass.
- Maximum of 6 sittings.
- No more than 4 attempts at any one subject.
Hovering AND talking
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You'll need to check with the ground school as to whether they have a time limit. What usually happens is that you pay upfront (i.e. £1,500 to £2,000 ish) for the complete course which will include brush-up classroom courses as and when you sit the exams. Some schools (due to course material going out of date) may have a limit of two or three years from originally signing up with them.
Cheers
Whirls
Cheers
Whirls
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Having originally got my fATPL in about 1991 I kenw about 15 aerodrome bums - all trying to get hours/work. By 1996 all but but one had landed airline jobs.
Interestingly the only one who still has a real buring desire for flying is the one who rebuked the airline route and works as a flying instructor.
The job market ebbs and flows it will come good again.
In my opionion the only thing that stops you making the grade is ill health and a lack of determination.
Interestingly the only one who still has a real buring desire for flying is the one who rebuked the airline route and works as a flying instructor.
The job market ebbs and flows it will come good again.
In my opionion the only thing that stops you making the grade is ill health and a lack of determination.
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Having originally got my fATPL in about 1991 I kenw about 15 aerodrome bums - all trying to get hours/work. By 1996 all but but one had landed airline jobs.
I'm counting for 1:20-1:50 ratio of getting a job. That is only 1 of 20-50 that will get a job. And that is during good times (~year 2004).
Eikido
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Forget world economic's and remember that everyone needs to get from A to B, the way I look at it is over 200 years ago the steam train was invented and look at what has happened to the world over 200 years, as far as aviation goes we are still in the steam age and things will change dramatically in the years to come, even the great depression of the 20s didn't stop the transportation industry from declining, aviation will go from strenght to strenght so long as people demand more out of life as they will, if you are young imagine the world in fifty years without air travel, it will not happen!! unless we blow the planet up before hand 
get in now!
get in now!
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MerlinV8
I dont think anyone is trying to say that planes will stop flying alltogether, Its just that the economy is slowing down dramatically!!!! They are expecting that the consumers will not spend nearly haf as much this christmas..
of course the industry will rise again, it always does, but just because it gets better which it will do (how far of no one knows), if people stuggle to heat their homes this winter I reckon the last thing they will be wanting is a flight!!!!! It will eb a few years yet before this picks up!!!! foolish to start training now!!!!!
REMEMBER the aviation industry is cyclical!!!!!
I dont think anyone is trying to say that planes will stop flying alltogether, Its just that the economy is slowing down dramatically!!!! They are expecting that the consumers will not spend nearly haf as much this christmas..
of course the industry will rise again, it always does, but just because it gets better which it will do (how far of no one knows), if people stuggle to heat their homes this winter I reckon the last thing they will be wanting is a flight!!!!! It will eb a few years yet before this picks up!!!! foolish to start training now!!!!!
REMEMBER the aviation industry is cyclical!!!!!
Last edited by Celtic Pilot; 20th Oct 2008 at 15:44.
Cylindrical eh?
Aer Arran are laying off staff as they are reducing their fleet from 12 to 9 aircraft.
Those pilots will all have at least 1,000hrs multi engine turboprop experience. You don't. Shuffle back.
WWW
Aer Arran are laying off staff as they are reducing their fleet from 12 to 9 aircraft.
Those pilots will all have at least 1,000hrs multi engine turboprop experience. You don't. Shuffle back.
WWW
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www...
I know it has been a few weeks now but have you forgoten about xl and zoom pilots too???????????????????????????????????
they'll not be the last ones either!!!!!
what can i say its a monday afternoon and its pissin down outside!!!!!
I know it has been a few weeks now but have you forgoten about xl and zoom pilots too???????????????????????????????????
they'll not be the last ones either!!!!!
what can i say its a monday afternoon and its pissin down outside!!!!!