Preparing a year in advance...
 

Background info: 30 years old with wife and newborn, made the decision to change career paths and chase a life-long dream. Moving from Hong Kong to the UK in a year's time. Saved up money over the last 5-8 years, so financially not too worried although will like to save as much as possible of course.

Question: Decided I would follow the modular route to achieving my frozen ATPL in the UK and eventually work for an airline. What can I start to do now in terms of self-study/preparation so that my journey through PPL -> ATPL can be smoother/more efficient?

Hey Tgkman,

I'm in a similar situation as you. I'm 34, living and working in Thailand with my family. In two years I will finish up here and plan to move back to Australia and obtain my CPL for the same reasons, though planning on become a career instructor. I've started working my way through the theory, with the aim to be exam ready by the time I make the change. The other thing I'm considering is taking some leave and trying to get a PPL in the space of about 5-6 weeks, which will let me build some hours before I quit.

Keen to see what advice others have.

Is been said before, the the ideal order is:

Divorce => Medical => PPL => Night => CBIR => CPL

Hmm no wonder I’ve heard that flying is expensive..

Also I believe you’ve pm’d me but my inbox won’t hold more than one message so I wasn’t able to receive it

The divorce part, yes !!

Go and find the medical requirements for a Class 1. See if you have any possible fail/stumble points. You don't have to do a Class 1 just yet - just check the requirements.
Right now? Enjoy being a Dad. :)
Otherwise, get some PPL text books and start reading. Get a grounding in the theory before jumping to the ATPL.

Yeah I had a brief look at the Class 1 medical but it looked extremely extensive and long, so I’m not sure if I was looking at the right thing. I’ll do some more research.

I’ve gotten my handed on some textbooks that I’ll definitely dive into!