getting back into flying
 

Hi everyone, as the title says, I haven't been flying for almost 5 years now, fresh from flight school, I didn't manage to find a job in 2019, COVID hit, and due to personal and financial reasons, all this time has passed.
Things have changed now, I've saved up some money again and I'm looking to get back into flying and renew my MEP IR.
Has anyone been in a similar situation?
Would you suggest a book to use as a general "refresher"?
At the moment I'm using aviation exam and the ace the technical pilot interview.
I appreciate any suggestion

Try this: EASA Professional Pilot Studies

Everything you need in one book

Don't worry it'll come back to you very quickly!

Been there, done that (seven year gap!). I did find the OM of my ATO very usefull for relearning regulatory requirements of flying. (I also red paco's book, you won't go wrong with that one) When you start flying again, try to fly at least 10-20 hours in the first month to regain routine of flying. I was only flying 10-20 hours spread all over a year for couple of years and it was quite miserable time. But it all ended well for me, I'm sure that also you can do good!

I got back into it then covid hit!

Essentially had to do an MEP IR again, though not as many hours. I done some sim stuff to get familiar initially though done a couple of hours SEP to get comfortable. It does come back quite quick.

Be prepared to be absolutely grilled in interviews for the gap. If you can get any interviews of course.

Also still not cheap. Sunk cost fallacy is a thing, if you are in two minds. I learnt that there are a myriad of other industries that actually want people and I could channel my talents elsewhere.

Hi, sorry to hear that, it must have been frustrating for you.
Have you got any interviews/managed to get a job once you got back into it?
Is it a problem if someone leaves aviation, that is a very expensive activity for the majority of people, keeps carrying on with their lives, to then come back when more favorable circumstances present?
Why would it look "suspicious" to a recruiter? lack of determination? weakness?

Airline wise - Yes I had a couple of interviews and a few online assessments, nothing came of them and thats when Covid happened.

When I revalidated everything it was marginally better, in that I did get those couple of airline interviews over the singular one I got when I first got my MEIR etc. There was also just a few more things to apply for as well.

Depends what you are gunning for. If you want to get an Instructor job I am sure that’s going to be a lot easier. I wasn’t really in a position to quit my well paying job to pay for FI rating to get a job that would pay less and require potentially moving. For an airline job that would have been worth the move.

I was grilled for the gap, I of course prepared, the idea of not having many opportunities when I first qualified and needing to take time to regroup some funds and get involved in another part of aviation to get a foot in the door etc seemed to be very alien to the recruiter.

When Covid hit and it was time to renew some bits again the market was messed up lockdowns and travel restriction's were everywhere and job situation was tenuous (was in aviation industry)it didn’t seem financially responsible to revalidate. I decided to pursue a normal job because I realized I had very little other skills other than those related to flying or aviation in general.

Then I realized in the real world you can get skills where companies actually want you! Maybe I’ll go back to at some point, but at least I’ll have something else to fall back on.

Who knows what the recruiters want or what they will penalise you for. They never give feedback (Although I requested and got my scorecards under GDPR rules, really had to push though) Its not like there are many of them shouting about how it all works in the background. You mainly hear from people that “made it” saying I did it you can too. Well never say never I guess but I would say let me hear what the others that didn’t “make it” have to say.

As for the scorecard, they either removed a lot of info or really couldn’t be bothered because it was no more than a couple of sentences in total (for 4 interviewers), and a literal numbered scoring system.

You can't second guess the HR department mainly 'cos they don't have a clue themselves, so take heart. I remember interviewing 6 people for my replacement as a Chief Pilot somewhere that they had recommended and done all the psycho tests, but I wouldn't have touched any of them with a bargepole. Go figure.

Which skills and which industries please?

Any trade or industry that you could easily settle back into should your flying career suddenly take a turn for the worst. If you want to stay in a related field, remember that at its core, aviation is simply a transportation industry, so there are commonalities other transportation forms such as trucks, ships, and trains. Heck, many airline dispatchers I've worked with started out dispatching trucks.

Lots of guys and gals I work with are electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, or work part time in IT to keep their skills up. I work with two guys who are doing their law degrees, a few of us have business or general science degrees that could quickly morph into some form of masters program, and we have two who are actively using their doctorates for research. Who else...two I know of have a construction and high-end remodelling businesses, another owns a restaurant, yet another owns a bakery with her husband, two who own flight schools, a university professor, a guy I used to work with was a substitute teacher. Then there are the pilots who are real estate agents, a mortician (I've not flown with, he's at another company), a few who do insurance sales. Pretty much, you name the industry and there is a pilot somewhere who has skills or a job in another industry.

Hi guys, a quick update about my situation. I have renewed my MEP IR shortly after I posted last year and applied to everything from airlines to aerial surveys, business aviation ect. Unfortunately, just negative answers, not even an interview invitation. Probably the 5 years flying gap plays an important factor, my age as well, I'm 36. I've spent my whole professional life doing odd jobs in order to save for what was and still is my dream, and I don't want to give up until I find a flying job, even if I have to go through the pay-to-fly route.

Have you got an APS-MCC? From what I've seen a lot of the companies seem to require one these days and I imagine a fairly recent one would be an advantage.

I suppose another option would be to instruct around your current job, build up SEP then possibly MEP/IR instructional hours and become an FI at one of the integrated schools. I've heard they have been known to recommend some of their instructors to the airlines, so it could be a way in.

I was in a similar situation to yourself…. The best advice I could offer is network, network, network. Friends of friends, flight school contacts, attending Pilots Careers Live and the like. Do whatever you can to get that interview!
best of luck!