Integrated or use money for type rating
 

Hi all,

I've fortunately built a decent amount of savings and have just completed my PPL and hoping to start my distance groundschool in the next week or so, sitting around 20 hrs PIC.

I've had mixed converstations from people, with finding emplyoment after obtaining an fATPL. From my understanding there's no disadvantage going modular, as long as you ace the theory atpl's and go to a reasonbly good school for the professional training.

Despite this someone who is currently instructing told me since he didn't go integrated he's been in the BA hold pool for 3 years while direct entry pilots from integrated courses have been getting first jobs there.

As you can probably imagine this worreid me, as if it's an extra 10k - 15k to go integrated, although its "Wasted" money, staying in a hold pool with 3 years less potential pay is also wasting money.

I'm very much in the dark on how the post trianing enviroment is - Has anyone got advice on this? Will sparing this money and using it for a type rating help with employability?

Thanks very much for the help!

You cant go integrated now as you already hold a PPL … your modular (and better) path has already been decided.

ignore the guy in the BA pool, thats not representative of the current situation.. BA are on their own planet and a multitude of lowcost carriers will love to hear from you and maybe offer you a job if you pay for your typerating.

You absolutely 100% can go integrated if you have a PPL. You will just effectively do it all again, but hey, you should get a good score

Hmm,ok but doing it again would be stupid.. especially for the reasons given.

When was the last time people went straight from school to BA without it being a sponsored/mentored scheme? It must have been a while.

Obsessing over a particular airline is, in my opinion, a recipe for disappointment.

BA wise once you are in the hold pool your training route matters not one single jot, you have made the grade - there are different hold pools depending on what route you ended up there, the NQP is where guys and gals from non tagged (i.e. FPP) courses end up - it was maybe last open back in 2018? At the moment NQP is closed as is DEP; that is for pilots with multi crew/airline experience. Whichever hold pool you are in, what matters above all else is WHEN you got into it. Seniority is king at BA.

Training route matters a lot less than being a professional and keen person, taking the time to network and possibly even find a job in aviation outside of flying - I am always staggered how many young people don’t see the advantage of working in ops or similar; if nothing else you build contacts and you may even find yourself in a job before it is even advertised. You’re investing a huge amount of money into your training, investing some time into the practicalities of getting into the industry rather than “the dream” is a very very worthwhile pursuit.

At the moment in the UK there is as far as I am aware only RYR and maybe EZY who expect you to pay for your own type rating; DHL, BA, West Atlantic, Cityflyer, Eastern, Logan, Aurigny, Blue Islands… all do either bonded or other schemes where you do not pay for the TR, including for wet CPLs. That’s before we even get into the likes of RVL, Skybus and FCS. Paying for a TR shouldn’t really be an option.

Edit - even Wizz offer some sort of bonded TR I am now told by someone younger and more up to date than I am on such things.

Edit 2 - PM box is open if you want.

There are a lot more airlines out there than BA and Ryanair.

Yep, very well explained… dont waste your money with redoing stuff, get your head down and continue on the Modular route. As there you dictate speed and rate of training… and you get more hours by yourself in airplane which makes you a better pilot than having your hand held in the integrated

If you hadn’t done your PPL Modular would still be the best route. You’re already £10K in, to do integrated now would be absolute madness.

You will finish faster, with more in your pocket and have a better experience going to Modular and not willingly putting yourself into a sausage machine.

Cash for a type rating? Excellent. Ryanair will bite your arm off and you’ll be a captain in 7 years from now if you get cracking. Enjoy.

I did a modular and I cant recommend it enough. You have the freedom to push for better prices at all schools, I went to USA to do some timebuilding (50FH) which was an amazing experience, etc. The con? You usually take twice the time as a integrated. Taking into account that right now there is a lot of people waiting for a flying seat, I would recommend not to rush, there is plenty of people already on the waiting line.
I compare what I spent with my colleagues, and it's +30k which is your pay rate for ryanair, for example. Take into account that as modular, you have the power to compare all prices and go wherever you want.

The beauty of modular is you can go as fast or as slow as you wish. You're definitely able to get through training quicker than integrated if you so wish.

How long did it take you to get the 50 hours? Did you do a circle around or were you bound to base? If you could tell me more and how did you find the place that would be great :) I'm just doing my research to potentially do the same, got my FAA conversion ongoing.