Paying For a Type Rating
 

I would be very interested to hear from anyone that has paid for their own entry level rating. Such as SD360 or Bandit. Have you done the rating and are still waiting for a job or have you been successful? :eek:

Offered a type rating course
 

A well established air feight company has offered me the chance to undergo a type rating course, obviously at a not inconsequential price, with regards possible evaluation for recruitment. Is this a god idea, can I afford it, and what are the chances of them offering me a job. I've always done well, first time passes in everything, 1000hrs+, and if there is a job I can afford it, if you know what I mean. Any relevant advice appreciated

Kougar,

Just received the same letter for a SD-360 course starting in February 2002.

If it is the same company, I had a jump seat ride with them in December 2000. Flew with a training captain who took my CV and recommended me to the chief pilot. So far, it hasn't got me anywhere.
I've got similar experience, 1000+ hours, current IR, etc. and I live within 45 minutes of one of the company's bases.

I don't think I will be taking them up on their generous offer. Although I have indicated that I would be prepared to contribute to my type rating if they took me on. The type rating is not worth much if you do not get a job with them as the limited hours gained on the aircraft and the training may not be attractive to another operator.

Among their requirements for acceptance on the course is a CRM certificate. I thought MCC covered that requirement. Perhaps someone could clarify the situation.

I would be interested to hear from any other potential candidates. No doubt there will be some with ten grand + VAT burning a hole in their pocket prepared to take a chance.

In the current climate, with your kind of hours I think you would be mad to shell out on a type rating course with only the 'possibility' of an interview at the end of it. There are hundreds of experienced pilots on the market at present and this company (if it's the one I think it is) have been offering this for a number of years with very few people actually securing employment with them.

Search for previous threads on the same subject and also consider applying to the ATP Academy.

Good Luck

PP

please guys be very very careful accepting this offer, there are not many shed operators left in the UK and if you do not get the job at the end of the training this could be more money down the drain. In the last recession friends of mine did a similar thing with British Midland, very few got jobs but most got very big debts!

[ 22 December 2001: Message edited by: driver1 ]</p>

I really boils my blood to think that I could not be in a more shark infested Industry!

Smells a little fishy to me...
Don't know what they charged,but you might be better off spending it on some more quality-time,
50-100hrs turbine somewhere..(USA?)

Don't do it.

I agree wholeheartedly with Pilot Pete on this one. Keep your money in the Bank.

p.s. Pete, did my first ever go around for real in the airplane on Christmas day........entertaining. Handled beautifully by yours truly of course......ha ha.

£20,000 for Type Rating/Hour Building/Aircraft Share?
 

Things are definitely not going according to plan for me, due to recent events!

Aged 35 with a frozen ATPL, Perf A, MCC and 400 hours (120 of them multi piston) - there are no job offers.

In the current environment, what would the more experienced ppruners do with £20,000, if they aspired to flying a glass cockpit jet transport (anywhere in the world)? :-

1. Go on holiday until things improve!!?. .2. Get a jet type rating from GECAT (or similar organisation)?. .3. Do one of those "First Officer hour building programs" in the USA?. .4. Buy a share in a light (IFR) aircraft and fly a few hundred hours?. .5. Get an Instructor rating and any of the above!?

Would just like to move forward a bit! Your comments and advice are really appreciated.

Thanks and cheers,. .WCB

Get yourself a job as an instructor / taxi -flight / areal fotography / etc... Get as much good experience as you can and be keen.

Use a part of your 20K on stamps and phone-bills to get this "dream" job.

With the right attitude you'll get there. Plus a lot of companies and interviewers like it much better this way.

Good luck !

As above but keep the ifr bit active, whether its Elite and all the PC bells and whistles or blocks of cheap frasca twin sim time, whatever it takes.. .If you get a sniff of a job there will be a sim check. Its all down to your scan. It gets rusty alarmingly quickly where jets are concerned.. .Maybe do a trip out to the US and do a Cpl IR out there. Cheap prices and a different slant on your UK experiences. No eurocontrol or landing fees!!. .Combine it with the holiday you were going to take.. .UK instructor rating is about 5 grand for a single engine basic without the multi add on/Ifr/whatever else.. .For 10 grand you could go right now to the us and get a CPL/multi/IR with Flight instructor and Multi engine plus instructor.. .At a guess it would take you around 2/3 months or maybe less. If you get the right school they will take you on and you will fly far more hours than you ever would in the UK.. .You will rack up 60 to 80 hours just doing all the instruction for the ratings.. .Let alone what you get to fly afterwards.. .BTW, a type rating might be OK on a 737, but your prospective employer might still want you to do it all again anyway!!

type rating in Czech Republic
 

Hello,. .. .I'd like to take my 737 type rating at CSA, does anyone know how's the pilot job situation in Czech Republic?

What type of licence have you got?

Do you speak fluently czech ? It is required by CSA to speak the language.

Acutally I don't speak Czech, in the CSA website I didn't read anything about being able to speak Czech.

Type rating - B737 and/or A320. Where, who, and why?
 

Hello everybody,. .I would like to receive your advices about this question I´m going to do:. .I actually have 550 TT and I am planning to pay for a B737-800 Jaa type rating + 250-400 fligh hours.Would you do that or would you use the amount of money that the type rating cost(aprox.45000 USD)to build more flight time in USA?I have been told that a B737-800 type rating + 250-400 hours open you a lot of doors.Is it true?. .Tnank you very much

Eagle Jet offers good deals. Go for it.

Charlitos,. .. .Your plan sounds good. Which program in Europe provides a type rating on the 737-800 AND 200-400 hours of flight time in the aircraft? Is there such a program - flying for which airline?. .. .Another question - why does your post on the General Questions Forum state that you have 350 hours total vs. the 550 hours you mention on this forum?. .. .Good luck either way!

Eagle Jet offers a JAA program on the 737-800 with 250 hours on type for 45000 USD.. .Who can afford to pay for such a program?

I made a mistake.Actually I have 350 TT.So you think that it is better to do the type rating instead of building about 1000-1500 TT in piston planes.Don´t you?I´m thinking in doing the Type Rating because it would probably help me more to get an airline job.

Hi Charlitos,. .I think that if you can expend this amount of money in that, do it.But wouldn´t it be better to do the course that ASG-Jet offer?Does anybody know anything aboyt it?I have heard that they are not bad.

Let's say that you pass the Ryanair interview and go for the training. What is the likelihood that you will actually get hired on to Ryanair on the 737-800? In other words, if you pass the interview and the 737-800 training, will you get an automatic position with Ryanair? . .. .If so, take it and run! Ryanair may eventually become the largest and most financially profitable airline in Europe in the future... Heck, the opportunity to fly a brand new aircraft all around Europe for a growing airline wouldn't be too bad - even if they do work you like DOGS!!!!!. .. .Has anyone out there done this - had this type of success with Ryanair? Do you like flying the 737-800 on the line?. .. .Cheers

Sounds good value.. .. .Have you really got $45000 dollars just to burn?!

I also have that amount of money to burn, well let's say to spend, but the chance of getting hired on the -800 after getting the type rating and the 250 hours is not sure. I could also go to the casino and bet a similar sum of money on red or black!

I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me that the 737-800 NG program with Eagle jet send paying pilots to fly for Ryannair.. .But then again, once you finish your 250 hours will they hire you !!!?

In my opinion a pilot that has about 600 TT including 400 hours on a B737-800 and a type rating on it plus a university degree(I know that Charlitos has a uni degree) is the type of pilot that the airlines are looking for.. .If he finally does the type rating + line experience he will has two very good points:. . - A B737-800 type rating + 400 hours on type. . - A University degree.

A320,. .. .I fly the A320 for one of the larger carriers in the UK and know lots of unemployed jet (737/319/320) type rated pilots who have several thousand hours on type, who can't get a job washing an aircraft never mind flying one. To advise a low time pilot to spend 45,000 usd on a type rating and a couple of hundred hours flying is just stupid in this current climate. He should, for instance, buy some cheap multi time in the states and build some hours and experience - or do an instructor rating. There is no quick fix or easy way to get a job at the moment.. .. .A320 how do you know what the airlines are looking for ?

onemorehold. .Charlitos. .. .your advice to Charlitos is very good. I hope he is sensible and will wait until he is absolutely 100% certain that an investment in a type rating and hours will pay off. Never mind all the disputes about PFT. The market is improving for us, but it will still take a while. I have thousands of hours, a JAA ATPL, flying an EFIS aircraft on a permanent contract, but I also do not fly the aircraft I would really like to. I have the money to buy any type rating I want, and hours on top of it, but unless it will guarantee me a job on that particular aircraft, I think it's an extremely risky investment.. .. .Good luck Charlitos!

No Autoland,. .. .At least you are still flying - that is a positive! Now that you have hooked us in, what type do you fly now and what type would you RATHER be flying? . .. .Best of luck

Beware Charlitos!. .. .A 45000 USD for showing up to work for few hours doesn´t sound sensible to me. But anyway, typerating without line training and few hundred hours on the aircraft is useless. Build up multitime and get your MCC for less money. Wasting 45000 USD in the current climate is crazy, unless you have plenty of $$$.

wow, 45,000 to burn into aviation. must be a nice situation.. .. .can't say that i would put it into aviation based upon what i have seen in the last 10 years of the industry.. .. .especially on a type rating. quite a gamble, not to mention your medical possibilities.. .. .with that kind of money, you should ask a financial advisor who is not addicted to airplanes for a second opinion.

Type Rating ... Worth It ???
 

Just wondering if anyone had any advice or ideas to give over the worth of a type rating.

How much do they cost ?

Where is the best place to do them ?

Which aircraft would be best to get rated on ?

Will this really help me in getting a job ?

Thanks,

GECAT at Gatwick are probably the best place to go for a type rating if you are self-sponsoring it. I believe a B737 or A320 type rating comes in at around £14000 plus about an extra £3000 for base training with an actual airline (no job at the end of said base training, mind).

However, there is not much point in spending thousands and thousands of pounds on a type rating at the moment (as I'm sure you will already know) as the industry is flooded with the reminants of Sabena, Swissair, etc.

The best thing to do with regards to type rating would be to apply for the ATP acadamy (there are numerous threads about this place in these pages) as you only have to cough up £6000 while some airline pays the rest and you are guaranteed a trial period with them at the end of it. I know that easyJet and JMC took on many people from here, but as above, places are scarce due to the masses of type rated people already on the market.

Thanks for the advice, I will consider my options.
What about a rating on a King Air or a Lear Jet, would that be a good idea ???

Not unless you've passed all your exams first mate!

I discussed doing a type rating with a rep. from Balpa a while ago. He suggested that the idea of doing a self funded type rating came out in a previous aviation recession, and provided an opportunity for redundant pilots to get a rating on an aircraft which had better employment prospects.

In my own un-qualified opinion getting a type rating without having any previous heavy aircraft experience is a waste of money unless you have an agreement with a potential employer before hand.

Perhaps someone can prove me wrong?

TTFN

A type rating, with just the obligatory one hour on type, really is not worth the money that you will have to part with. I agree with the other posts on this thread: there are far to many type rated, and the important bit - commercially experienced - guys out there.

I know that it's frustrating & you just want to do anything to get that job, but it would be a damn sight more frustrating if you were still in the same situation but minus £12 - £15k.

Valid MEP rating for jet type rating?
 

I appreciate that a MEP rating relates to piston aircraft, however since there is no jet equivelant, does the MEP rating need to be valid before undertaking a type conversion? I'm guessing that a specific type rating on say a 737/A320 includes the ME part anyway.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Ivan

According to the IAA (which is now JAA compliant and thus presumably quoting the JAR), a valid MEIR is a requirement for undertaking a type-rating in a ME aircraft.

I take your question to referring to a ME class-rating. Not so sure about the specific requirement to have this, but pocession of an MEIR would mean a valid MEP class rating too? Could be wrong about the last part and would also like to know the definitive answer.

Type Rating
 

Hi, I have another question. In Type Rating schools,some of them have computer based ground school, some have traditional ground school.Which one is good?In training, would this make any difference?
Thank You for your answer............