Help - Costed out an ATPL?
 

As I am coming to the end of an immensly enjoyable PPL expirience, I am starting down the long dreamt of process of changing careers and doing the sensible thing - train up to ATPL standard. I am trying to cost it all out - lots of choices; hidden costs and pitfalls, so I was just wondering if anybody out there has already done this and would be willing to share their "template" to cheat from:)

Many thanks from a wannabe, wannabe!!

The costs!
 

Hi,

OK, really need more of an idea of your intended route, ie, Modular, Distance Learning etc....

For mod and distance before you start the CPL you need a minimum of 150 hours (total) so you may need to factor that cost.

Modular at OATS would cost you in the region of £5500 just for the ground school but regardless of where you study (if you go full time) you need to factor living expenses (think of a number and treble it....I'm not kidding) Plus lost earnings.

Obviously distance learning is less, approx £2Kish, and you can keep your job, BUT, the chances are it will take you considerably longer to complete the exams.

If you wanted to do an Intergrated course (although I cant imagine why if you've got a PPL already) you are looking at the region of £55K - £60K plus living expenses.

I can honestly say that when you have your "final" figure then factor it by at least 1.5, its ALWAYS a lot more expensive than you imagine!

I hope this helps, above all be realistic, the last thing you want to do is set a budget then not have enough to finish the flying and youre left high and dry!

D:D

Costing
 

Dufus

I came on wanting to ask same question i Know there is alot in mags etc.. 0-CPL/IR £27k but how realistic is this?

I Unfortunatly can not even begin PPL untill Late next year as this is when I return to UK at present I am an aircraft spark for Airbus in Germany and can not train here as Idont know enough of the lingo (Ground school).

My plan is to poodle along and add ratings as I go and if there is a rapid change in pilot employment then I shall have to get a hefty loan.

Anyway I will be taking the modular route have you any advice on which ratings to do first and would it be wise to do FI rating as this seems to be the only way to make money at present (flying) and build hours. If so when can I do FI rating After PPL or after CPL and what am I looking to pay

Cheers

Phil

P.S the guy close to completing PPL will you Complete in 45hrs

Hi Airbus,

Hmmm £27K?

Basing the course costs loosley on OATS:

Modular groundschool £5.5K
Exams £750ish
CPL £5.5K
IR £13K

These prices are approximate and assume that a) you pass all exams first time and b) you take the MINIMUM flying hours to complete the course.

Bear in mind that the schools will advertise the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM cost to you and if you are less than perfect (as most of us are) then it WILL cost you more!

As I said earlier you must factor living costs. Shared house in Oxford/Kidlington area at least £250 per month for rent alone, food, car, TV licence, telephone, mobile phone, internet access, petrol, repairs to car, tax, insurance, beer (you cant not have a social life), electricity, gas yadda yadda yadda, catch my drift?

I reckon that you will be looking at around £500 per month, and at OATS the modular ground school lasts 8/9 months, and if the weather conspires against you it could take the same to complete the flying, so 18 months @ £500 = £9K.

So lets see, so far we have £33, 750, and thats if youre perfect, you are probably looking nearer £40K if we are going to be realistic.

Now lets add £5.5K for a restricted FI rating = £39, 250 and you havent icluded the cost of your PPL yet!!!!!

I'm not trying to put anyone off, just please be realistic about how much money you are going to have to part with.

Hope this helps put things into perspective!

D:eek:

I like the realism it puts things in to total perspective I am fortunate that I work for Airbus and my base Is back at Broughton Nr Chester here we have our own Airfield and I will get Landing Touch & GO fees knocked of and for CPL Approach and tower fees etc so I hope this will reduce the cost.

Easy jet order for 120 + 120 options this has to create jobs surely. It will for us at Airbus:rolleyes:

On the forums everyone is serching for jobs with airlines we have a Jetstream that operates a shuttle between Chester Filton somthing like that would do for me until things pick up. do you know of any other small ops such as this that are available or have they also dried up!

Cost of an ATPL

Well, to a great extend this will depend on your personal circumstances - are you doing a modular or integrated course, do you have to travel to your place of training or do you live close by, have you got the funds to pay for everything or do you need to take out a loan?

For myself I have worked out that after I have finished my PPL the modular route will cost me another £30-£35k on top of the PPL.This is just the cost for courses, hour building and exams/flight tests based on what the flying/ground schools I am intending to do my training with are charging. I have not included any amounts for travelling or accomodation since I live fairly close to the airfield and would do the groundschool via distance learning.

Unfortunately I don't have this sort of money lying under my sofa so I would have to get some sort of loan to finance the whole training. Depending on the time I take to repay the loan and on the interest rate this can cost between £15k and £35/40k.

So, taking everything into account to pay £35k for a frozen ATPL could cost me anything between £50k and £80k.

For these calculations I haven't even considered possible loss of earnings during training/job search or a reduction in income from a highly paid office job to a low paid turboprop first officer.


GAF4139



--------------------------------------------------------------
Hallo Hamburg - Der NDR. Das Beste am Norden.

can you not stay in your job and fund it as you go and then get a loan only when the market picks up and you have a better chance of obtaining a job.

Sie sprechen sehr gute Deutsche !!!!

Airbus,

That would be the Distance Learning option!

The amount of time that this option takes varies enormously from person to person, how much time you dedicate to it etc...

Good luck

D:D

I have still got around 70 hours to fly before I have my 100 P1 and I have almost completed my exams, and I reckon there is another £32,900 to find!

Don't forget to include all the other stuff peple have suggested (food, travel) but also factor is 15% for additional hours and a test resit or two. Don't want to be depress you, but if you fail the IR, the re-test and practice can cost a few thousand. Bit of a bummer if you're almost there and you run out of money.

Best of luck

Thanks guys lots of great information. I am afraid I have lots more questions (a) Does anyone have an opinion on distance vs. modular. Obviously amount of time is one issue - but having done or nearing completion of the ATPL does anyone have any opinions? A friend of mine is doing the distance learning approach and is finding it very tough to combine work and study - is that the general experience? (b) what is the deal about doing F/T ground school in the UK and then doing the flying piece in the US or a cheaper JAA country like South Africa or Czech Republic - any thoughts. Really appreciate the feedback. Many thanks. (BTW I am at 35hrs on the PPL at the moment.

Tsauna,

Re. your first question - unless you can't afford the time or the money, do a full-time modular course. I'm 3/4 of the way through a distance learning course, and as you know from speaking to your friend, it is very tough. It's certainly possible - and if you need to continue to work full-time, as I do, it's the only way. But why make things any harder than they need to be?

As for doing the flying abroad, lots of people do this, but I've got no personal experience except for hour-building, so I'll let others comment.

FFF
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Listen to all the advice work out the perfect figure having made provision as above then multiply by 1.3.

In all seriousness one of the best forms of info is the book by Clive Hughes, best £20.00 plus P & P ever period. He was even nice enough to talk to me on the phone about my training.

Dont forget your IR Tax..

cost!!!
 

I have just completed a coversion from Australian Atpl to Jar Atpl, only had to do exams x 14, Cpl 170a/flight test and 170a/IR flight test. Not including ground school or exams, I worked out a realistic sum of £ 8000 just for the flying. ( I have over 3500hrs) The boys in the Flying school were great, no aeroplane problems, Weather was good and I only went slightly over hours....Cost me just over £11000

Add 1.5 seems to be the way to go, And believe me I spent lots of time on research etc..