Whats the cheapest way to get a CPL starting from nothing?

[SystemParanoia]

Just wondering really, ive been googling about looking at prices and procedures etc.. and it seems like it would cost about £40k to get a helicopter CPL licence in the uk.

is it cheaper to do it abroad.. like in africa, or india or somewhere like that ?

would that licence be valid over here?

[Flintstone]

The States always used to be the cheapest way with a conversion once back home. As always though you gets what you pay for and I've seen some absolutely shocking newly qualified FAA pilots who I wouldn't trust with a kite let alone an aircraft.

Cheapest prices are usually quoted by some dodgy little outfit in a swamp somewhere with rotten aircraft and naff all in the way of maintenance or regulation. Go this route and be prepared to be unemployable upon your return (which you will be anyway with a bare minimum hours on a CPL).

Australia, South Africa, New Zealand all have JAA approved schools I believe but the weak pound means it's not the bargain it used to be.

[SystemParanoia]

That's a fantastic responce!!

Could I ask... how many hours do you need to be employable?

Any idea what one of those oil companies would want from a green cpl heli pilot to and from the oil rigs etc

[tegwin]

Chances of getting a job with just a CPL are slim to none..

You would have to either do a flight instructor rating on top of that, OR/AND do an instrument/twin rating...

Budget about £80-£100K and thats more realistic..

Few companies will take on minimum hour fresh pilots. Look for around 500-1000 hours total time for a very basic entry level job. Having turbine or twin-turbine time is a big bonus...

Really depends what exactly you want to do... I suggest you go to PPrune and read the FAQs on becoming a CPL pilot.. DONT ask any newbie questions on the forum though, they will shoot you down... instead, go to the helitorque forums and ask away on there

[TheEnd]

I know a few people recently graduated from NZ who are back over here working in offices and the like as there isn't much in the way of pilot jobs just yet.

[shirt]

last time I looked (pipe dream of mine) it was about 50k gbp to do a jaa atpl (h) course with bristow in florida. you also need accom and living expenses on top of that.

unless you study the jaa approved course, you need to convert which is in itself an expensive option.

if you are under 26, consider the fleet air arm. ex mil pilots are a shoe in for offshore, sar etc.

[Flintstone]

Without wishing to appear sarcastic you get the job by getting the hours. How do you get the hours? Get a job. A long standing joke but never so true as it is now.

It's a harsh industry to break into. Many newbie CPLs never actually get a job in aviation and with people now buying their jobs it's going down the gurgler.

Get a decent job, have aviation as a hobby.

[SystemParanoia]

fair enough

[mattdaniels]

You need to understand what licence you need for what you are trying to do as well. Most people thing "CPL = commercial pilots licence therefore means I can earn a living flying people about to oil rigs or race meetings etc". CPL is just the first licence rung up the ladder after your PPL and just means you can receive payment for flying and do non public transport work like crop spraying. There are more rungs up the ladder, both licences and ratings, such as getting instrument rated so you can fly in non-VFR weather, night ratings, instructor ratings, and the ATPL licence meaning you can carry passengers commercially. When lots of people say they want to get their commercial pilots licence they have a vision of white shirts epulettes peaked caps and passengers so they actually mean they want their ATPL. This is £££££ for fixed wing and ££££££££££ for rotary!

Edited by mattdaniels on Sunday 15th August 11:51

[SystemParanoia]

It seems like it costs a good 5years pilots wages to get the ratings you need... but you wouldent be looking to get rated for work if you wernt in need of a job.

I can't see how I could possibly get ahold of £200k to get myself upto the required level of aptitude.

With the cost being so high, it seem only the super rich can afford the investment ( but they don't need to work )

Or you join the raf, and spend 10years + getting shot at, and then get extra ratings once you leave with the sum of all your savings :/


Am I thinking in the right direction?

[Flintstone]

SystemParanoia said:

Am I thinking in the right direction?

Pretty much

Sorry to sound like the prophet of doom but I came through the system when you could do so as a 'self improver' which basically meant that you could take each stage at a time usually keeping a full time job or jobs outside aviation.

Many people were able to save up, take the next step, save a bit more, take the next one..... A typical career path (outside the military or an airline cadetship) would have been PPL, Night VFR Rating, (Basic) CPL, Flight Instructor Rating, Multi-Engine Rating, Instrument Rating, ATPL subjects. Once the holder of the BCPL and CPL it would have been possible to actually earn some money albeit, as mattdaniels has said, not a lot in the very early stages. It was the norm to receive a type rating at the employer's expense, often under a bond arrangemnt.

Nowadays most people want it all now, now, now so take out a huge loan (or their parents do), book a course for +£60,000, acquire a frozen ATPL, borrow £30,000 for an inflated type rating because they don't see any merit in building experience on anything less than a Boeing or Airbus and think that's it. Unfortunately this route is hideously expensive and in my (and others opinions) produces a less rounded pilot.

I think that you could, with a little imagination and planning, still follow the modular route as it's now known which won't be as quick as a £90,000 crash course but given the current climate anyone qualifying today isn't going to see a sniff of a job for at least two years. The timing might be just right (which is what the flying schools have been saying for decades irrespective of the economic climate at any given time) and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you it's a big decision.

Looks like there are people here with a far more up to date grasp on the training side and I'm sure they'd be happy to advise you. If you've any questions about the GA side of things I'll happily give it my best shot or try to find someone in the know.

[simonej]

Are you dead set on rotary or would you consider fixed wing? Fixed wing jobs are hard enough to get but from what I understand the rotary jobs are even harder - all snapped up by ex military guys. Unless you know someone who can put your CV at the top of the pile!

Don't be too put off by the negative FAA training comments, there are some equally poor training outfits over here as well, the point being that you must do your research. The exchange rate probably eats into any cost advantage of doing it in the States though so probably doing it the modular route in the UK would be the best bet and at least you can work at the same time and keep earning. Budget for an extra £6k for an instructor rating (and a year or two eating baked beans) and then you can start building those hours to make yourself more employable.

The best bit of advice I could give would be to make as many contacts as you can and when you're in the flying club talk to EVERYONE, it's amazing who you meet that might be able to help!