Living near the airport your based
 

Hi,

I am on the latter stages of my training and have to think about financing for when I have finished.

Do most single pilots end up living with flight/cabin crew close to the airport where they are based how doesit usually work and how much does it cost? Do airlines tend to have there own accommodation near the airport. Do most pilots drive in from the cities?

I'd love to know a bit more!

Cheers Guys

Most of the young FOs and some Captains that I know tend to share with other crew. If you end up working for an airline, the chances are there will be notices in the crew room for rooms to let or you may hear through word of mouth that Joe Bloggs has a spare room available. Much better this way than getting involved with letting agents.

If you end up instructing or dropping meat bombs, try and get a job near your mum and dad's place!

Answer: "All Of The Above."
 

Your question is rather broad for a proper answer because you don't say whether you'll be flying for a back-every-afternoon airline or for a back-every-10-days airline. If you really think about it, the answer is self evident: If you fly short haul you wouldn't want to be commuting great distances...:ooh:

Notwithstanding the short versus long haul aspect, I would highly recommend that you live close to your base (ideally 20 mins or so). I have lived close to base and also had a 2 hour plus commute to the airport.

The advantage of living close is that your working day will be shorter (hence you will be able to make better use of the rest period between duties), you will not have the stress and expense of a long commute (petrol not getting any cheaper!) and, who knows, you might be able to travel to your report point without needing a car. Very often these days you will have to park at a remote site on the airport and then wait for the perrenial "shuttle bus" to transfer you to the report point. Sod's law says you have just missed the bus when you arrive and have to wait circa 20 mins plus for the next one! This process then has to be repeated on the way back! If you live close you can use a taxi (or maybe public transport) or get your friendly crew member to drop you off at the airport. You also do not have the car rusting away in the crew car park whilst away on duty.

However, in my opinion, the biggest advantage of being close is that you can engage more closely with your employer. You are more inclined to pop in (dare I say it, even on a day off!) to pick up the mail, look at the charts for the next duty (maybe you have never been to Timbucktoo before!) and generally get more involved in the "social" side of the company. Also, when you get back off a trip you don't mind so much taking your time and perhaps picking the brains or swopping stories with fellow crew members. Furthermore if you are close to base you might pick up a good trip at short notice when the company are desparate for a pilot!

Later on in your career, when you "know the ropes" you might decide to live further out (or not) but, to start off with, I would highly recommend living close to base.

Hope this helps!

Buy a house as soon as you can, get on that ladder man or you'll be crying for the next 20 years.

Interesting analysis of the current property boom there Superpilot!

The alternate view is that housing is 30% overvalued and the market is peaking. Monetary policy is now tightening globally and the end of the Japanese Carry Trade means asset prices are under pressure. Buying now may be the biggest financial mistake of your life!

Or you could just believe the spotty youth in your local estate agent that says now is a great time to buy and prices can only go up.

The bigger the boom the bigger the bust: See:
http://www.in2perspective.com/nr/sta...ings-ratio.jsp

Having just been in the same situation, may I suggest checking out the following website.

http://www.flatmateclick.co.uk

Check the crew room for adverts.

Crews I know rent rooms in Takely, about a 10 minute bus ride to the airport. Night life is non existent unless you like to watch the grass grow. Bus transportation cost ranges from 90P to 1 pound depending on the bus company. The busses run farely frequently from 04:15 to 00:20 except sundays. A cab ride will run 4.50 which can be split by other passengers equally.

Bishop's Stortford has train service in addition to buses and taxis. More night life in B/S than in Takely.

Other airports with basings have similar transportation as well. Property values are greatly over valued in the UK at this time. May be hard to pay off the mortgage with F/O pay.

30 ! :uhoh: