14k is noting:). I thougth you ment the full amount ie around the 80k.

I have to confess that the numbers don't add up on people in this industry...

How exactly do people break into it nowadays?

My Story:

I was sponsored by the RAF (Flying Scholarship) and worked part-time in my youth to gain PPL. Let it slide for about five years; discovered Modular route then realised I could do this if I had what is not an 'unreasonable' amount of money and time. Went and got a half decent job using my degree to give me the 'borrowing power'.

I took a Career Development Loan for £4600 to pay for ATPL groundschool and a Night Qualification. My hour building has been done by flying two hours a month for the past four and a half years while working and studying.

I have a relatively respectable day job in Aerospace Engineering which pays a mediocre salary - £28000. I have lived with my relatives for the past few years to keep outgoings to a minimum and to help reduce university debt. I always knew that I was going to have to take a sizeable UNSECURED loan to polish off CPL/IR and needed an excellent credit score.
I recently was given £20000 from my bank with repayments of approximatley £475 a month. I am effectively now borrowed out.
I am aiming to finish CPL/IR at the end of this year.


How on earth do people break into this market?!

I have a reasonable day job which has got me this far. My experience has revealed that not many people are fortunate enough to have my qualifications to fall back on. Now...

1. How are people paying for their training?

I have a decent day job - most CPL/IR holders I know don't. Mystery...

2. How are people then paying for Type Ratings?

Again, I have borrowing power from my day job - most CPL/IR holders I know don't. Mystery...

3. How are people living off the miniscule salaries that certain operators offer up?

I have training/university debts which have got me this far and I'm having to live with family... Other people are accepting jobs on peanuts, yet surviving. Mystery...


I have worked very hard to get this far - I am struggling to see how I can progress post CPL/IR.

Are all new First Officer's nowadays nineteen year old Oxford/CTC graduates with folks who will pay £100000 for a job?
Surely there isn't an inexhaustible supply of such people nowadays?

Is that really the only way in?

At the minute I am a tad disillusioned as I am in a position where I could not afford to go to my first job unless it was offering a decent salary. The 'entry level' jobs that are realistic options would not pay enough for me to be able move to them.

What do people do? I feel that I am missing a trick here...

They secure the loans on a suitable asset (typically a house) and given the age of the majority of students (particularly integrated) - then this is likely to be the family home.

Looking at it that way, I then see two options:

These guys are having their courses paid for them outright by their folks. Very fortunate.

Or they have taken the £100000 debt in their own name and are struggling with £1000 a month repayments...


Surely, in this day and age there isn't an inexhaustible amount of people who would follow this path?

I find it hard to envisage this pool of people doing anything but shrinking. Especially, when one considers the reduction in property prices and the general financial 'belt tightening' of the Western world... :confused:

If anyone knows otherwise please let me know, because I'm struggling to see how virtually all recruitment can be cadet based indefinitely.