PPL ground school maybe, flight training - No! (although possible slight subsidy for some courses).

Since posting that last night I spent several hours looking into the "Ab-Initio ATPL" courses offered by companies like Cabair and Multiflight that seem to be well recommended on these boards.

I'm now very interested in just waiting for my current university course to end in 2009 and then jumping straight onto one of these training programs. The only issue is that it's obviously a lot of money to throw down and with my eyesight 'problem' it's going to be even harder to get a job at the end of it I imagine.

Yes, I'd be having the time of my life while doing the training, thinking every second how much it was worth the £60k asking price, but when the course comes to an end and I'm stuck waiting/hoping for a job things might seem a little bit different.

I'd just like to ask, what do other 'pilots to-be' with fATPLs do while waiting for their big chance - or is it basically just get the best paid desk-job you can for a while and wait for your opportunity in the airline industry?

Dan

Dan, there are a few options but it depends on the indevidual.

I'd expect you'll be in the same position as me, a BSc in IT that should easily give you a £20k/£25k pa job at a desk 9-5.

But with a fATPL or indeed just a CPL you can get paid to fly. Add a £7k Flying Instructor course to that and you can instruct for a living (albeit while waiting for a positive reply from the CV you sent to the airlines).

FI's pay isn't that good but it's not bad either. Consider you'll be flying as much as 800hrs a year doing something you love but only getting paid £18k / £20k (?) pa.

Some people can't instuct, don't want to instruct or don't have the £7k to do a FI course to instruct. So if they have experience/degree that can earn them £30k pa to keep a roof over their family's head I can't blame them for going back to the office job.

Others that have a big HSBC loan of say £50k around their neck will have £1k debited from their account every month for the next 6 years. I can't imagine a FI pay being enough to pay this loan and live?

Other jobs can be glider tug, banner towing or work with a skydiving school etc

Good luck :ok:

I think It is ultimatley a matter of choice. If you don't think a degree would help you in anyway then don't go for it.

I personally chose to do a degree, fully knowing that I did not need one to become a airline pilot. In all honesty though It's the most valuable life experience I have had! I'll be starting my CTC selection next week and I'm pretty certain with a degree behind me and more importantly the experience i have gained from uni behind me, I will have a much better chance of getting through than If i had of applied 3 years ago!

Dan,

If your eyesight is good enough to pass a class 1 medical than an airline won't look at you any differently than someone with 20/20 vision. They just want to make sure you hold a JAA class 1 medical.

Just thought I'd let you know

Katie

rleunqz, im in the same position as you pretty much :confused:


It was a really difficult decision. Always wanted to be a pilot and have got friends who are qualified/who are training, and we're all going about it different ways, modular/military/university. i decided to go with the "Back up plan" route tho. Im 20 and in my 3rd year of 4 year course at uni, living at home so saving my money up whilst still enjoying uni life. Then planning to properly step into flight training as soon as unis finished hopefully.

In my personal opinion I just thought it would be sensible not to do it this way realy, if pilot training flops or you get injured/ill like it has already been mentioned then i dont really fancy breaking my back 6 days a week in some dead end job trying to break even, hopefully my degree would help me through to a better job if it did go belly up.

Also Ive done some flying already and i've dicsovered theres no way i could concentrate on my exams at uni and fly at the same time its just too much to learn, i think i've got the flying "bug" that people keep talking about, if i started my flying atm, uni would go out the window, flyings certainly more interesting haha! It may seem a bit boring now doing it this way but im hoping it will pay off in later years, if not its another thing to have on your cv :ok:


Hope it all works out for you tho

Hi,

I'm in a similar position in that I have just finished university and looking to go into flying with a career loan of some sort.

Without my degree to fall back on I would not feel comfortable with the loan (+ my student loan debt).

If you choose flying over Uni and can finance yourself through the training without incurring a big debt I would personally recommend it - but only if you know it is something you want to do from the bottom of your heart. Plus it would be wise to sit down and work out the potential total costs from PPL to fATPL (inc. the 100 hours that is required between PPL and CPL) and ask yourself how you will fund this.

You mentioned you genuinely want to go to university - Uni is amazing - ive had the time of my life. There is nothing stopping you from joining the University Air Squadron (UAS) and gaining some experience there. Yes - you won't be able to walk into the UAS - there will be interviews etc but if you're good enough to complete PPL to ATPL training you're easily easily good enough to join the UAS.

Whatever you choose good luck.

P.s. my biggest regret at uni was to not join the UAS :ugh:

Some thoughts:

Maybe looking at a degree 'to fall back on' shows a lack of commitment, determination and confidence in your ability to succeed as a pilot. Most pilots I know 'always wanted to fly' to the exclusion of all else and did not see themselves in any other role. They did not consider failure as an option and would not understand the necessity of a 'fall back' qualification.

Okay, you might become ill and lose your medical but you can't go through life expecting to walk under a bus or suffer early illness at your age!

Remember, as a pilot you either fly aeroplanes or you're a window cleaner. No offence to window cleaners - it's just an aviation saying. In other words if things do go wrong you have few transferable skills.

A lot of pilots read for degrees that have a bearing on the job - aeronautical engineering for example. This not only adds to their knowledge of aviation, but also provides 'something to fall back on' by default if things go wrong. With a first degree you can always change direction and use that, non-cognate, degree to commence training in another field.

At 18 years of age, you have over 40 years of work ahead of you. You're only young once. Enjoy life, travel and being a 'student'!

Once you're trained as a pilot life will, by and large, be planned ahead - first officer, captain, training captain, manager, retire. Great for some, limiting for others. Flying is great, but the job is routine. Social life not always the best.

I know pilots who live for the job and would do nothing else - others who wished they could get out but have nothing to fall back on.

The choice is yours, but think carefully before giving up the 'student life' - it's part of growing up and provides friends and lasting memories which will augment your experience as a person before 'being an adult' and becoming a pilot.

Each to his own - only you know yourself.

KR

SITW :)

Hello people!

Long time no talk...Thank you for all your replies :)

Can anyone give me some information on the UAS?

Do they offer a PPL or hours towards it???

Ric

Take a look at http://www.universityairsquadrons.com/ alot of information on there.