full-time diploma course or part-time?
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: sydney
full-time diploma course or part-time?
I am 25 years old, live in Sydney and recently started flying a couple of days a week to see how I enjoyed it. I love it and want to make a career out of it.
I am unsure whether to go for the more-expensive full-time diploma course with the works (instrument rating, ATPL theory etc.) or start doing 3 full flying days a week, every week. My instructor says I should get my commercial in 12 months doing it part-time. And then go for my instructor rating after that.
Unfortunately, I am not super-rich and working part-time while flying will give me alot more independence. The part-time course will also be alot cheaper. So I would prefer to do the part-time course.
However, I am worried that not having a diploma course will affect my chances of getting in with the airlines. I am also worried that perhaps I'll be too old for the airlines by the time I get my hours up if I carry on part-time. I am particularly interested in the British perspective in regard to these queries as I am planning on moving back to the UK to get that first airline job.
Hope you guys can help me as I am rather confused!
I am unsure whether to go for the more-expensive full-time diploma course with the works (instrument rating, ATPL theory etc.) or start doing 3 full flying days a week, every week. My instructor says I should get my commercial in 12 months doing it part-time. And then go for my instructor rating after that.
Unfortunately, I am not super-rich and working part-time while flying will give me alot more independence. The part-time course will also be alot cheaper. So I would prefer to do the part-time course.
However, I am worried that not having a diploma course will affect my chances of getting in with the airlines. I am also worried that perhaps I'll be too old for the airlines by the time I get my hours up if I carry on part-time. I am particularly interested in the British perspective in regard to these queries as I am planning on moving back to the UK to get that first airline job.
Hope you guys can help me as I am rather confused!
The Oracle
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,902
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From: Naples, Florida U.S.A.
Love Flying,
I wanted to comment on flight training. There is a major difference between people who train full time vs people who train part time. In the long run, part time training, especially in primary training, will cost you alot more time and money.
In Florida, I would like to give an example of a part time FAA student vs a full time FAA student. (The reason I am not comparing part and full time JAA students is we only get full time JAA students.)
The part time FAA student works full time and usually has a family too. They fly anywhere from once every two weeks to twice a week. About half of every flight lesson is spent re-learning what they forget from their last lesson. Most of the time, the student will arrive for his lesson unprepared, due to job or family reasons. They will not have done their homework they were assigned. The flight lesson for that day has to be canceled in order for the instructor to teach the lesson the student should have already read. At this pace, the average student will get a private in 1 to 2 years with an average flight time anywhere from 90 to 120 hours.
The full time student will usually be coming from some place else and be dedicating 4 to 5 weeks to one goal, their private license. They will fly two to three times a day and the rest of the time is spent studying the lessons they have been assigned. The average student finishes in 4 to 5 weeks with between 39 to 45 hours.
In this situation it is easy to figure out who saved the money in the long run. When you are working on a private license it is vital to train full time. You need to learn the skills and aeronautical knowledge in order to build the foundation for your flying ability.
As you advance to Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, and ATP, you will already have a foundation and basic skill in aviation, so flying full time is not as critical to reaching your goal.
There is one thing that will not change, the book work. When you are doing it part time, you will have other responsibilities that will cut into your study time. After a full day at work, and the family distractions in the evening, it will be very hard to pick up the books and study. I am not saying it is impossible to do, I have seen many people do it. They all have one thing in common. They all had an office at home or other secluded area where they were able to go and study. They all had a family rule being, while they were in that room, unless the house was burning, they were not to be disturbed.
I hope this helps a little with the confusion.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
I wanted to comment on flight training. There is a major difference between people who train full time vs people who train part time. In the long run, part time training, especially in primary training, will cost you alot more time and money.
In Florida, I would like to give an example of a part time FAA student vs a full time FAA student. (The reason I am not comparing part and full time JAA students is we only get full time JAA students.)
The part time FAA student works full time and usually has a family too. They fly anywhere from once every two weeks to twice a week. About half of every flight lesson is spent re-learning what they forget from their last lesson. Most of the time, the student will arrive for his lesson unprepared, due to job or family reasons. They will not have done their homework they were assigned. The flight lesson for that day has to be canceled in order for the instructor to teach the lesson the student should have already read. At this pace, the average student will get a private in 1 to 2 years with an average flight time anywhere from 90 to 120 hours.
The full time student will usually be coming from some place else and be dedicating 4 to 5 weeks to one goal, their private license. They will fly two to three times a day and the rest of the time is spent studying the lessons they have been assigned. The average student finishes in 4 to 5 weeks with between 39 to 45 hours.
In this situation it is easy to figure out who saved the money in the long run. When you are working on a private license it is vital to train full time. You need to learn the skills and aeronautical knowledge in order to build the foundation for your flying ability.
As you advance to Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, and ATP, you will already have a foundation and basic skill in aviation, so flying full time is not as critical to reaching your goal.
There is one thing that will not change, the book work. When you are doing it part time, you will have other responsibilities that will cut into your study time. After a full day at work, and the family distractions in the evening, it will be very hard to pick up the books and study. I am not saying it is impossible to do, I have seen many people do it. They all have one thing in common. They all had an office at home or other secluded area where they were able to go and study. They all had a family rule being, while they were in that room, unless the house was burning, they were not to be disturbed.
I hope this helps a little with the confusion.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 160
Likes: 0
From: on my boat in the Caribbean
Most airlines in the UK want to see continuity of training. If you take an extended period of time to get your licence this will, perhaps unfairly, count against you. As a number of low-time pilots are finding out at the moment, there is no substitute for either a full-time course at a recognised training centre, or around 1000 hours. People are also running into problems finding a job if their training has been very "bitty", i.e. PPL at one school, a long gap then ATPL ground exams at another, off to somewhere to build up hours cheaply, then back to a recognised training centre to finish off the flight tests.
Having recently seen (but not participated in) a selection process at first hand, I can tell you that your best bet if you want to return to fly in the UK would be to train in the UK, full time, at a "reputable" training establishment. I am not in any way denigrating the fine job that many smaller training establishments do, it's just that if there are too many (more than two I would suggest) places where you undertook professional training, with gaps in the training process, it will count against you when the job-hunting starts.
Good luck with whatever you decide, it's going to be expensive whichever route you choose, but think of it as investing in your future, go for long-term gain, not short-term "profit".
Having recently seen (but not participated in) a selection process at first hand, I can tell you that your best bet if you want to return to fly in the UK would be to train in the UK, full time, at a "reputable" training establishment. I am not in any way denigrating the fine job that many smaller training establishments do, it's just that if there are too many (more than two I would suggest) places where you undertook professional training, with gaps in the training process, it will count against you when the job-hunting starts.
Good luck with whatever you decide, it's going to be expensive whichever route you choose, but think of it as investing in your future, go for long-term gain, not short-term "profit".
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Well, well, well....I thought I was on my own out here
Do me one favour and browse pprune by all means, but don't take it all to heart
Drop me an email on
[email protected]
