Hours building/next step advice

[Evewidow]

Hi all.

I have had a read of the pinned threads but some of what i need to know i cant find or is quite old info so hoping for some help.

We are in the UK and my son wants to be a commercial pilot and has now started doing his PPL but still has a bit of time to go before he is old enough to get the license. As i understand it once he gets his PPL he wouldn't be able to get a commercial license until he was 21. So hoping you can help me with a few questions.

1) Is hours building now the best use of his time ( apart from working and saving up lots) while he waits to be old enough to commence the next stage ?

2) Is it worth him doing any of the other exams as soon as he has the PPL or is this better awaiting until he moves further along the process?

3) He wants to go out to the states when he is 18 at the end of his a levels for a break and was hoping to also do some hours building there. I am reading conflicting things about his ppl obtained in the uk allowing him to do this. Could someone please advise what he will need to have in order to get himself some hours there. He was looking at both Florida and Arizona.

Sorry if these are basic questions , ive been reading and reading but still unsure and appreciate the replies

[clarkeysntfc]

He can get a CPL at 18, he can't hold an ATPL until 21.

IMO, his best bet is to get the PPL and complete his education / A levels. Then do his ATPL theory via distance learning, and build hours alongside a job.

Then get his CPL ME IR (frozen ATPL) up to 36 months after the end of his ATPLs.

[rudestuff]

If I was young again, I'd go to the US at 18 and stay there for 2 years. Do all my flying there for half the price and come back with 1000 hours experience as a flight instructor and the EASA/CAA exams passed.

[Evewidow]

He would love to do that but will not have the funds and will need to work alongside the training .

[Evewidow]

Thanks this is good advice.

[rudestuff]

I've tried that and it's very hard to do, especially the hard part: studying for the exams. If money is an issue, then instead of working and flying - think about working then flying. IE spent a year working 2 or 3 jobs to get the money, then concentrate 100% on flying. Flying full time in a concentrated block uses fewer training hours. And did I mention? It's half the money in the US.

[deltahotel]

Has he got a Class 1 medical? I’m not sure of the minimum age for this but strongly recommend not to start spending big money on training without this.

[Duchess_Driver]

1) Is hours building now the best use of his time ( apart from working and saving up lots) while he waits to be old enough to commence the next stage ?

As has been said he can hold a CPL at the age of 18 but he would need to have 150hours before starting the flying side and most schools insist on have the theory done before the flying - that saves a student problems if they struggle with the exams!

You have three years from completing the ATPL theory to finish all the flying exams so a bit of time

2) Is it worth him doing any of the other exams as soon as he has the PPL or is this better awaiting until he moves further along the process?

See answer to 1)

3) He wants to go out to the states when he is 18 at the end of his a levels for a break and was his ppl obtained in the uk allowing him to do this. Could someone please advise what he will need to have in order to get himself some hours there. He was looking at both Florida and Arizona.

Hour building int he US if fun and if done correctly, rewarding and profitable but not without its pitfalls. Firstly you need either a “piggy back” licence off your existing PPL or to complete a stand-alone PPL. You’ll need TSA approval prior to undertaking any training/test in the US and usually this is quite quick but can, on occasion, drag on.

Be careful that any training done in the US is logged appropriately as some EASA (and the U.K. used to be an offender) disagree with the FAA on their definition of P1 hours.

[selfin]

The TSA approval, security threat assessment, isn't required for practical tests in the US.

[Richard Dangle]

Both on this thread and on the one you ran earlier in "Private Flying" some posters have mentioned the need for your son to have a medical assessment before investing either money or his dreams in a career which may not be obtainable. It might be an idea to post your intention in respect of this, or well-intentioned folk will keep bringing it up, as they should. Many of the posters here will have direct experience of seeing young peoples dreams dashed in the docs surgery

Re age: from the CAA website...

Assessment of children for aviation medical certification[/h2]There is no minimum age for application for an EASA medical certificate (Class 1, 2 or Light Aircraft Pilot’s Licence (LAPL)). FCL.020 states the following minimum ages for solo flight: 14 for sailplanes and balloons and 16 for aeroplanes, helicopters and airships.

There is no statutory legislation governing consent in children under the age of 16 years but there is clear case law. AMEs should follow the guidance on obtaining appropriate consent in:

1) Consent: Patients and doctors making decisions together, General Medical Council 2008
and

2) 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors, General Medical Council 2007, particularly the section Making Decisions (paragraphs 22-41).

Although there is no legal requirement for written consent, the AME may wish to obtain written consent from a parent or guardian before assessing and/or examining a child under the age of 16.

[Evewidow]

He has a class 2 medical but has not done a class 1 as yet.