[SH87]

Hi everyone,

[I apologise if this has specifically been covered before - please feel free to direct me]

I am really interested in hearing from commercial pilots who followed the modular route. I am a finance professional who has wanted to fly but funding has held me back, now I believe I am in a position (age 32) to pay from training over a few years.

I am keen to hear details on;
- where did you start and what was the private learning like
- how did you go about your hours building.
- how did you get things like multi engine /night rating while in a full time job
- how you went about identifying jobs and successfully applying.
- what advice you have for me, I suspect I won’t be able to quit my role until I secure a pilot job.

Please note. I don’t want the discussion to be around whether the industry will recover - I am confident, and working on the assumption demand will return. I am also ensuring I don’t extend myself financially through this period.

Thanks!

[Ben K]

PM sent.

[SH87]

Hi,

I have received a few really nice and helpful private messages on this topic, thank you.

I wanted to extend it a bit further, I am sure there will be a thread on this but I couldn’t find one.

I want to know about ‘older’ students. I am so keen on this, but at 33, and without all the funding immediately available, I can expect this will take minimum 2/3 years, perhaps as much as 5. Pretty relaxed in terms of whether this is for an airline/business/cargo etc at this point. Keen to hear about experiences and if you think I will have any obvious hurdles - I hope not as a company can’t expect to have me the whole career so as long as I have say 10 or more years left they should be fine, but of course I am not in this industry as yet.

This is also assuming all things come good post COVID, so let’s ignore that for the time being!

Stories and advice appreciated.

Thanks


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[lcolman]

Hi,

I’m 39 in 10 days and I have completed the following:
PPL
NIGHT RATING
IR(R)

I’m in the process of hour building and now building IMC experience while doing my ATPLs with Bristol Groundschool - I bought an aircraft with a friend who is doing the same and he is 36.

I’m hoping to have a Frozen ATPL by End of Jan 22 - all I would say is go for it, I have always wanted to be doing this and am loving every minute.

Total cost for all my ratings and the plane will come in at just shy of £40k.

If you want any advice or just want to meet up for a beer/go flying give me a call - will PM you my number.

Good luck,

Luke

[Flyingkeyboard]

Luke, what a great reply.

Personally, I’m 35 and have just gained a PPL. I’m financially tied until my current job (RAF) until my 40th birthday, so am looking at spreading my training out over a few years so that I am ‘good to go’ in terms of qualifications (fATPL) when I’m in my last year of service. I’m estimating that the total costs will be under £40k if I take this route.

Depending on the state of the industry, another option will be to go down the instructional route as that interests me also. Instructing in my spare time would cover the cost of the CPL and FI course in a couple of years.

I know of at least one person (a former colleague) who trained in their late 30s and gained employment in the airlines. From reading around and from researching the subject, it appears that many young applicants to the airlines lack life experience (competency based interviews highlight this), which those of us in our 30s will have in spades.