Why choose MPL over CPL route ?

[dxb777]

So it has come to my knowledge that even with the pandemic going on and aviation still not up to its former glory, there are people paying almost 200K USD to get a MPL.

Now in certain cadet programs it is financed by the airlines, with job guarantee at the end, so i understand. But what I want to know is why would someone choose to go with a self financed MPL program with everything that's going on ?! If you compare the traditional CPL route to MPL and how much it costs, it would be a no-brainer for me to choose CPL even pre-pandemic. I can go on with the pros and cons but I'd love to hear where most people stand on this.

[ced0802]

As you mentioned, if it is financed by the company, therefore it can be a really nice opportunity.
However, a self financed one can be very risky during the tough time we are all going through. If the company goes bankrupt the MPL has no value anymore. Nowadays, choosing for a training program or for a flight school requires some research before potentially wasting lots of money.

[V_2]

A real MPL scheme is always tagged to an airline (at least in EASA), so there is some realistic expectation of getting a job at the end of it. and if not you have already passed some sort of airline selection process rather than going in blindly self sponsored to a flight school and hoping the airlines will like you at the end. So it’s less risky in that perspective.

Furthermore the aircraft type rating is part of the MPL training, so at least if the airline turns around and says no there’s no jobs anymore you have a type rating on your licence which other airlines may recruit for, or at least shows you can pass an airline run sim course as opposed to just flight school flying exams and multiple choice questions that are all online. Once the MPL course is complete you can switch to any other airline.

[pug]

I thought it was the case that MPL students are trained type specific and to the company SOP’s that they’re tagged to - they couldn’t even go and rent a Cessna from a local flying club! Therefore they would need to be taken on by another airline operating the same type to continue their training as an MPL student. Not sure what happened to those easyJet ones last year that we’re getting dropped right at the end of their course? My understanding is that after 1500 hours the student can then apply for an ATPL like everyone else who went down the traditional route, but they need to get those hours first otherwise it’s a worthless licence.

A reasonable scheme in good times, where the risk of getting binned off may be low - unless the airline is paying for it in which case it’s a no brainer, but wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole right now if self funding..

[portsharbourflyer]

A MPL qualified pilot can still apply to other airlines operating that same type. It is individual airlines policy as to if they accept MPL qualified pilots not a regulatory bar. I believe airlines do need to ammend the relevant section of the ops manual to cover mpl entrant. As MPLs hold a MPA type rating there is no reason another type rating cant be added, again it is down to individual airlines accepting the mpl qualification. While it is true a mpl is only qualified to operate as a FO on the type the course was based, they can still add the SEP rating to the MPL with the gap training and skill test. All mpl courses are different in content but most include single engine training equivalent to a ppl/sep.

Most mpl courses were self funded but tagged by the associated airlines. The mpls at CAE are in a 2 year hold pool with Easyjet.

[pug]

Interesting, have there been any cases of MPL students having been taken on by airlines other than the one they were trained for before they had completed line training?

It’s a route I looked seriously at many years ago, prior to the cost becoming prohibitive. I seem to recall the total hours in a real SEP was around 50 hours, 5 in MEP and 5 UPRT. The cost alone makes me hope that those easyJet guys get taken back on sooner rather than later to recoup their investment, wouldn’t want to be trying to pay off those loans whilst working at Tesco.

[dxb777]

I feel bad for those MPL students who got dropped right before their line training, from what i know MPL is pretty much useless without the 1500 hrs. Meaning you can't even go for FI rating or any other single pilot gig. Also i doubt any airline would accept MPLs without a complete unfrozen ATPL, some smaller airline even require you to present a CPL.

like pug, even I looked into MPL to start my career, but decided not to. Looking back now, I am so happy to have avoided all the hassle they're going through and saved more than 100K on my training !

[portsharbourflyer]

Pug,

One of the first MPL courses at Sterling Airlines in Danemark went bankrupt before the MPL candidates finished line training, not sure but I believe those did get taken on by other 737 operators. Other than that to my knowledge covid is the first time the MPL to the partner Airline flow has been interupted, so this situation hasn't happened before where MPLs need to seek alternative employment away from the original partner airline; so what I say is from a regulatory perspective not what has necessariy happened in practice.

The Easyjet MPL had 70 hours of SEP time, however the latter part of that which is the introductory IF phase is still done as "pseudo" multi crew.

[larki]

Being the Father of one of the students from CAE and whom is tagged to Easyjet , he came to the end of his training and was ready to be taken on with base training to get his licence only to have his contract terminated and put in the "holding" pool until next March when his two years are up. Luckily CAE managed to arrange base training on the A320 in Barcelona between shutdowns, so he has his licence and thats as far as it has got. CAE are holding his bond until he is employed by the airline and I am in communication with CAE asking will Easyjet extend the deadline on the holding pool and if not what happens to the bond and his prospects with very minimum flying hours logged.
regards anxious funding parent

[pug]

Very reassuring to hear that CAE are holding the bond, I felt very sorry for all those in your sons position, so it’s good to hear that they haven’t had to start paying their fees back on top of all this uncertainty just yet. I hope there is greater movement by next year and your son can start his line training with easyJet in the coming months.

[portsharbourflyer]

Could you clarify the bond? My understanding was the MPLs paid for the entire course themselves, Easyjet merely provided the job at the end? I wasnt aware of a bond?

[larki]

Hi There
As I understand the "bond" is a payment which is part of the overall cost of the course and is handed over to in this case, Easyjet who pay it back to the student in amounts over the length of employment with them. It is forfeited if you leave the company through misconduct etc. I see it as a retainer to hold you to that airline due to their investment in you (unless someone knows differently)

[cadet7000]

The ‘bond’ was essentially a form of tax avoidance wherein part of the course fee was paid back to the cadet tax free. However it also came with a salary reduction the value of which was equal to the bond repaid.

Interesting that CAE cadets are being held in a hold pool as from my understanding all of the tagged MPL and ATPL easyJet cadets at L3 were let go with no intention of taking them on… I guess with CAE taking over as the sole training provider for eJ it would have become extremely hard to sell a £100k MPL course in the future where the previous cadets had been left with nothing.

[portsharbourflyer]

Last September all tagged and MPL cadets at CAE were told they had lost their contracts. Later in the year all CAE tagged cadets /mpls were told they would be eligible to enter a two year hold pool from the point of finishing training.

[larki]

What I am trying to find out from CAE is what happens when the two year holding period is up, as in the case of my son next march ! so far no answer from them, and just in case people wonder why I am communicating with CAE it is because my wife and I re-mortgaged the house to fund the course....hindsight would have been a wonderful thing!

[Jaair]

dxb777

An MPL isn't entirely useless without the 1500 hrs. It seems like some airlines have started to recognise it as a valid license. For example, Eurowings, who are currently looking for FOs accept cadets with an MPL.

Also in the worst case you can convert an MPL to a Frozen ATPL by completing the remaining hours/ratings.

[portsharbourflyer]

Larki,

Afraid to say CAE have no obligation to you. The training contract will have been phrased to account for these scenarios to avoid any liability.
When the 2 year hold pool ends, simple no job with Easyjet.
CAE are far more worried about covering up other events than worrying about 1 of X amount of MPLs that are now left in limbo land.

My recommendation to your son (as hinted above) is to look at adding the "CPL" to his MPL, this will need probably a bit more P1 time and training as required and a test, but there are several schools that can do this. It can be done on a complex single no need to do it on a twin. The CPL will open up more opportunities when the market opens up, or more accurately more operators will consider if the CPL privilege is added.