In the grand scheme of things it's not a lot of money.
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In the grand scheme of things it's not a lot of money.
This is going to get me lynched but here we go...
As time progresses the value of money diminishes, decade upon decade a pound has been worth less and less money and it's buying power is next to nothing as time goes on. In the 60's the cost of a car bought you a motorbike in the 70's, in the new millenium it became a big night out, of course I mean a big night out.
100k 15-20 years ago was a massive amount of money which bought a house in central London, now it's not enough for a deposit for a flat in some places.
Flight training is expensive and add in a type rating, yes you're talking about 100k. However over the course of a decade or more importantly over maybe three or four decades during a career it's going to rapidly become chump change.
If you go to law school in America you're going to end up with at least 150k in student loans to be paid back with just as little chance of finding well paid jobs. Yes, I know a with the exchange rate it's cheap going to America from Britain at times but when you're working in the same economy as your spending, it takes as much work to earn a dollar as a pound.
Another angle, look how long it takes to become a doctor and after you're qualified you have to mad hours for next to no money in casualty. We can go from zero to hero in a year and a half if we get on with it.
To sum up, yes it hurts now to shell out the money but give it a couple of years and it will be a good worth while investment to do something for a living you will hopefully revel in and give you war stories for the pub that will make you the envy of dull suit clad office dwellers. Better that than doing a job it took you a week to train for or less!
As time progresses the value of money diminishes, decade upon decade a pound has been worth less and less money and it's buying power is next to nothing as time goes on. In the 60's the cost of a car bought you a motorbike in the 70's, in the new millenium it became a big night out, of course I mean a big night out.
100k 15-20 years ago was a massive amount of money which bought a house in central London, now it's not enough for a deposit for a flat in some places.
Flight training is expensive and add in a type rating, yes you're talking about 100k. However over the course of a decade or more importantly over maybe three or four decades during a career it's going to rapidly become chump change.
If you go to law school in America you're going to end up with at least 150k in student loans to be paid back with just as little chance of finding well paid jobs. Yes, I know a with the exchange rate it's cheap going to America from Britain at times but when you're working in the same economy as your spending, it takes as much work to earn a dollar as a pound.
Another angle, look how long it takes to become a doctor and after you're qualified you have to mad hours for next to no money in casualty. We can go from zero to hero in a year and a half if we get on with it.
To sum up, yes it hurts now to shell out the money but give it a couple of years and it will be a good worth while investment to do something for a living you will hopefully revel in and give you war stories for the pub that will make you the envy of dull suit clad office dwellers. Better that than doing a job it took you a week to train for or less!
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A good post - I've always told people that if you think a flying apprenticeship is bad, you should try being a junior lawyer! 
To put things into perspective, the truck that a self-employed truck driver in Canada has to buy to make a living with costs waaay more than a little bit of paper called a CPL(H).
phil
To put things into perspective, the truck that a self-employed truck driver in Canada has to buy to make a living with costs waaay more than a little bit of paper called a CPL(H).
phil
Last edited by paco; 27th Mar 2010 at 06:10.
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Indeed; but it's not the CPL H that costs the money though is it. It tends to be the Helicopter IR that "stings" the pocket.
At least the helicopter chances of employment are better than fixed wing however. Not to mention better paid on the North Sea if what I'm told is true. £80-100K to work half a year + pension + benefits!!!!
Is this true Paco?
At least the helicopter chances of employment are better than fixed wing however. Not to mention better paid on the North Sea if what I'm told is true. £80-100K to work half a year + pension + benefits!!!!
Is this true Paco?
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A senior captain might get that, but it's in the 50-60 range for a cojo. But then, I don't work there so I'm not really sure. I do think that the future job prospects are better in helicopters though. There are already machines on the ground in S America needing pilots.
Granted, the basic licence is not enough, but a mountain/slinging course, or an IR is still within the cost of a large truck.
Phil
Granted, the basic licence is not enough, but a mountain/slinging course, or an IR is still within the cost of a large truck.
Phil
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£50-60K for a Co Pilot is some distance from the Pay to Fly nonsense in Fixed Wing.
The new ec225's look pretty amazing too. It's basically an airbus cockpit as far as I can tell!
Thanks for the info.
Clive
The new ec225's look pretty amazing too. It's basically an airbus cockpit as far as I can tell!
Thanks for the info.
Clive
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Comparing 100K now to 15/20 years ago makes no sense. There is a certain inflation adjusted amount that equates to what 100K in todays money would have gotten you back then.
And the 100K you borrow now does not "de-value" with time. Interest rates take care of that.
And the 100K you borrow now does not "de-value" with time. Interest rates take care of that.
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It depends on your circumstances.
£100k = £150-£200k to be made pre-tax, which I find a huge amount.
The issue I have with all of this is that flying is rapidly becoming the preserve of those with more money than sense. You can't get past the first hurdle if you don't have the cash for OAA/ TR/ etc., and ultimately this will translate into poorer piloting skills, and it shows how little airlines value flightcrew.
£100k = £150-£200k to be made pre-tax, which I find a huge amount.
The issue I have with all of this is that flying is rapidly becoming the preserve of those with more money than sense. You can't get past the first hurdle if you don't have the cash for OAA/ TR/ etc., and ultimately this will translate into poorer piloting skills, and it shows how little airlines value flightcrew.
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We can go from zero to hero in a year and a half if we get on with it.
to do something for a living you will hopefully revel in and give you war stories for the pub that will make you the envy of dull suit clad office dwellers.
It's idiots like you that have seen Top Gun too many times that are ruining this profession for the professionals. The best Captains I fly with are some of the most humble unassuming characters that I hope it is your pleasure never to meet.
You're stupid if you think a £100k GBP investment will ever pay you back when you have P2F. And even when you don't, medium weight (>B737) FO's are earning less than £30k in the UK at the moment. Before tax.
You also seem to have conveniently neglected to point out that over the same period you quote, pilot wages have at best been static, but overall reduced massively.
Work out your interest payments on £100k. Work out your take home after tax from £30k. You might have the money, but in my opinion, you don't have the decision making skills.
Suicidal. Just suicidal.
Last edited by dwshimoda; 28th Mar 2010 at 20:42.
At least the helicopter chances of employment are better than fixed wing however. Not to mention better paid on the North Sea if what I'm told is true. £80-100K to work half a year + pension + benefits!!
As for Muddy Boots, he's either
A/. deluded or
B/. a Troll.
