Should I risk more to succeed?
 

Good afternoon, I´m a student pilot doing the theory of the ATPL at Oxford (distance learning) and was very satisfied with the quality of the instructors in my first brush up course. I recently tried to get a 30000 pounds secured loan from a Spanish bank to finish the rest of my modular training but got refused due to the current economic climate there.

We all know that BBVA provides secured loans to those integrated students from oaa, and they tend to find jobs more easily (or faster) than rest of the modular pilots.

Considering my personal situation, would you consider wise spending 100.000 pounds to get the integrated course in one of the best schools or should I continue my modular training, which without a loan might take me 3-5 years more to finish.

Best regards.

Mod training
 

As ever, each to their own opinion, this is what I've done. I'm sure others will give their own input too.

I considered doing CTC or OAA integrated so I had the same choice. I made the choice to do it whilst holding down a full-time job, just about to finish my last 3 ATPL's D/L and hopefully do my CPL/IR down at CTC.

For me, not wanting to have that burden of debt over my head convinced me to do it mod. I've spent 3 years saving up, travelling all over the place with work, flying at the weekends, completing my PPL, trips with friends, girlfriend and enjoying my flying, rather than being in crap loads of debt with no guarantee of a job and the stress that comes with it. Would I have gone integrated if I could have afforded it? Definitely, but I couldn't.

However, Now i'm in the position of having £50k in the bank, can finish my training, go back to my job after finishing the CPL/IR and if takes me 2 years to get a jet job, then so be it. I won't have any debt and will be able to potentially fund a type rating for a certain airline if I am given the opportunity.

Yes you'd prob get a job quicker through integrated, but what happens if you don't? That's what I thought, and I'm pleased with my decision.

Hi there,

Someone over here who has experience about getting your FAA PPL and directly 100hrs PIC in the USA? There are really a lot of schools who give this opportunity. Have talked with AAA, Chandler and Naples.

Which one did you go, or would you recommend?
What timeframe do I need to think of? The FAA PPL can be obtained in a timeframe of 6-8 weeks from what I've been advised, and getting the 100hrs done can be done in 20 days, but I will calculate it as 30 days (maintenance, bad weather etc). Is this realistic?
Is total price (housing/food/tickets from EU to US/medicals/tests/TSA/M1 etc) €25.000 realistic?

ATPL Theoretical Training - CBT or...?
 

Gents,

Since I am working full-time I would like to take the ATPL theoretical examinations following a CBT programme.
I have been exploring a number of FTO's, and besides what I found on their websites I could no retrieve useful information on reliability and quality of their training courses.

I would like to ask if anybody has performed on-line theoretical training and what are your recommendations, things to pay attention etc...
I quote here an email received from a Romanian FTO:

Modular or Integrated ATPL training?
 

Hey people. I am looking forward for my ATPL training but am confused whether i should go for modular or integrated. Modular is much more time consuming but I heard it has it's own benefits too.

Some folks are telling me to go for modular and some are telling me to go for Integrated.

PPRuNers your thoughts on this would help.

Thanks

Arpan

Regarding this and your other O-level post asking for assistance. I and others from the O-level post often reply with sensible answers to SPECIFIC questions asked by potential students. Your original request was not specific enough, then you didn't like some of the answers re UK. People will not help you after they have gone to the EFFORT to assist but you don't like their answer as it's not relevant to you.

The integrated modular debate has been flogged to death on this forum, try searching them. There is a sticky post near the top of the page, I suggest you start there.

You must learn to do some work and put some effort in yourself then you are likely to get some helpful replies. Best of luck, you are going to need it.

Modular or Integrated ATPL training?
 

Hello Richard

My intention was not to offend anyone. If you and others felt offended by my replies I apologise deeply.

And as far as I can recall I don't think I said anything about not liking anyone's answer. The wiggy said it I thought it was rude (my way of thinking) I never said that his answers were bad or I didn't like them.

Not modular vs integrated but modular vs modular
 

Ok, I am treading carefully with the old debates and I'll make this fast:

Nearly got PPL, I want to be in Spain preferably.
There are two schools I found: GAir Madrid (formerly Gestair) and FTE Jerez.

If you haven't heard of Gestair, I don't blame you. However their modular course is around the £30k mark (inc. ATPL theory, CPL, IR, Multi-Crew, Multi Engine). Not bad for the 9th best in Europe and 4th in Spain.

Jerez you may well have heard of. Huge campus and bill to match. I can't quite work out the modular price, they seem to like hiding individual course prices (God forbid someone get a calculator and ask where all that extra money for integrated courses goes...). But they do feed airlines, have that crucial connection to them and they seem to have a good careers service.

1.) Could I get a bunch of qualifications from Gestair (maybe my ATPL theory) and then do some at Jerez? And if so, would I still get that sparkle on my CV (so to speak) of having studied at Jerez, or does that only come with their integrated course?

2.) Is the type-rating that much of a holy Grail for airlines to employ you? Once I have my PPL, ATPL theory, Multi-Crew, Multi-Engine, CPL, Instrument Rating, night rating, around 200 or so hours and that darned type rating - is it interview city from then on?

I would appreciate any advice or commiserations from anyone else suffering with a similar dilemma. Not integrated vs modular but which path to go with a modular.

It doesn't matter which way you trained its a slog to get a job post qualification unless you are on a mentored cadetship.

Going to one of the big schools to get a name doesn't do anything for your CV.

Over 50% of qualified pilots never get to earn a cent with their license.

Buying a type rating with out job at the end of it will do nothing for your chances. In fact it closes more doors than it opens.

I'm trying to put together a table for a comparison of the minimum hours required on both the Integrated and Modular routes to achieve a CPL MEP IR with ATPL theory. I am finding that the answer depends on, for instance, the requirements to start the CPL course on the modular route which seem to have changed recently and I think I am at risk of missing some of the points of fine detail that Flight Instructors would know and I do not. Has anyone done this exercise recently and would be prepared to share it? If so please email me at [email protected]

It due to the requirement now to have 200 hours built before sitting the CPL skills test.

Before people used to do cpl sit the test do the IR and then apply for the whole lot when they had 200 hours.

It basically makes it more efficient to do the twin IR first then get your hours up to 185 then do a 15 hour CPL.

The amount of hours hasn't really changed apart from adding the test time on top of the 200 hours its just the order you do things in has changed.

Some schools are not embracing doing the IR first and want to keep the old order of things so want the students with 175 hours and then they do the 25 hour single engine CPL then MEP and then IR.

So they come out with about 223 hours if the IR is done on a FNPT II.

Looking at CV's the 223hours is quite common.

Thanks Jock, could you or anyone else help me out with the hours to follow this path, please, on minimums, because the next task is to attach some prices to it..

PPL 45 hours (including 5 sim)
hours build ?
MEP ?
IR ?

to get to 185 hrs (including how many sim, assuming FNPTII available?)

then 15 hour CPL course
then test ... one hour?

....and for the CPL/IR integrated course, it seems to be a minimum of 180 hours with up to 40 of them in the sim. Can anyone who does integrated courses please confirm that?

you need to go to the relevant section in the CAP.

There are multiple options for each thing depending what you already hold.

You can combine the CPL with a MEP if you like as well.

The PPL is the only set thing at 45 hours no sim.

6 Hours is the normal MEP

And night is 5 Hours.

CPL 15 or 25 hours depending if you have IR. And another 3 hours on top if it includes MEP 5 hours can be in the sim I think.

I think they have played with the hours in the IR again since my day. We used to be able to log everything on the course towards it. But now they have changed it so that you can only log hours under the hood. So if you have 20 mins taxi on a 2 hour flight you can only log 1:40 towards the required course hours.

not really, plenty of instructor jobs going as people have moved on.

Its just modular slip into jobs and nobody hears about them.

They usually get jobs by word of mouth as well and networking.

But the whole market is hugely over supplied.

Well I know of 2 just gone to BMIR modular.

But the big schools would like you to think that what you have said is true.

I choose Modular
 

After reading countless threats on here about MPL, CTC, OAA, FTE, etc and attending some open days! My conclusion has been to do modular route instead.

Not only is much MUCH cheaper, modular seems to be more fun, less pressure (as you are not being constantly accessed!) etc.

I'm also aware that my chances of employment are lower since ATO schools have partner airlines (consider OAA that just signed a contract with Air Algerie to train 200 cadets!).

I do intend in becoming an airline pilot as quickly as possible, but I also want to do it wisely and not having a 80+ grand loan on my back!

I'm considering in joining Stapleford flight centre to do my whole modular training, which will begin next year in January!

So my questions are:

Has anyone who did modular at stapleford got a job within a year?
How is stapleford like? What kind of advice, based on experience could you give?

And for modular fATPL cadets, how long you been looking for your first airline job?

Thanks! :)

PID,

Well done for researching and deciding not to go for one of the big schools. Your bank account will love you. I don't know much about schools but you may want to rethink your employment time frame. Some people wait much longer than a year to crack that first job. For many the first job isn't in an airline. You could get lucky and go straight to a jet but you need to think about other options too. You may find yourself instructing or flying air taxi. You may get the opportunity to work in ops at an airline.

It's a short route for some but for most it will take a lot of dedication and persistence. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

If you aren't comfortable being constantly assessed then an airline career is most certainly not for you.

Besides, you should be grabbing any possibility to be assessed with both hands. It gives you the chance to set yourself from the countless other wannabes. Have something to put on your CV/say in an interview.

utter :mad: Blantoon.


I was mod and never scored less than B+

And these days I don't get graded which I think is a bad thing.