Discussion
Long story short, always dreamed of being a pilot when I was younger but didn’t come from a family who could spunk £100k plus for training nor was I academically accomplished Enough for the raf or an airline cadet programme.
I’m near on 32 now and I’ve had my own business which has been quite successful for about 10 years now.
On a boring Sunday last week when I had a flight from Gatwick back to Edinburgh I thought maybe it’s
Now or never!
What’s the best advice ? I don’t really want to have to “go back to school” full time so to speak so is a Modular program suitable these days ?
I’d ideally like to be training in Scotland and at my own pace but wouldn’t be adverse to distance learning via a school in England.
Also at my age IF I managed to get my pilots licence will airlines even touch me.?
Thanks
M
I’m near on 32 now and I’ve had my own business which has been quite successful for about 10 years now.
On a boring Sunday last week when I had a flight from Gatwick back to Edinburgh I thought maybe it’s
Now or never!
What’s the best advice ? I don’t really want to have to “go back to school” full time so to speak so is a Modular program suitable these days ?
I’d ideally like to be training in Scotland and at my own pace but wouldn’t be adverse to distance learning via a school in England.
Also at my age IF I managed to get my pilots licence will airlines even touch me.?
Thanks
M
Age isn’t an issue.
Most airlines are looking for approved course type applicants. So possibly doing it on your own and limiting yourself to training in Scotland might be harder.
So that would likely involve doing an approved course to get a frozen atpl or instead doing an MPL course (linked to an airline) at one of the big schools and hopefully you to would then get you into someone like easyJet or Ryanair as a first job if you were lucky.
Then you can get a command there after 4-5 years or move on to another airline if you fancy different kinds of flying like long haul.
Don’t listen to all the people on forums like here or pprune etc who aren’t pilots or who gave up or didn’t make it, telling you it’s not worth it because it most certainly is worth it. It’s a fantastic career and well paid with a fantastic work life balance, depending on who you work for and what fleet you’re on.
Some more info here
https://www.pilotcareernews.com/mpl-or-atpl-which-...
https://www.pilotgeorge.co.uk/blog/post/which-is-b...
As above do your medical first to see if there are any issues.
Go for it and you could find yourself based in Edinburgh on the A320 for easyJet flying in over the fifth of forth seeing the bridges and the castle maybe 2-3 years from now? Or doing long haul for someone else and commuting to a larger base like Heathrow or Gatwick a few times a month and jetting off somewhere abroad for a few days at a time.
Most airlines are looking for approved course type applicants. So possibly doing it on your own and limiting yourself to training in Scotland might be harder.
So that would likely involve doing an approved course to get a frozen atpl or instead doing an MPL course (linked to an airline) at one of the big schools and hopefully you to would then get you into someone like easyJet or Ryanair as a first job if you were lucky.
Then you can get a command there after 4-5 years or move on to another airline if you fancy different kinds of flying like long haul.
Don’t listen to all the people on forums like here or pprune etc who aren’t pilots or who gave up or didn’t make it, telling you it’s not worth it because it most certainly is worth it. It’s a fantastic career and well paid with a fantastic work life balance, depending on who you work for and what fleet you’re on.
Some more info here
https://www.pilotcareernews.com/mpl-or-atpl-which-...
https://www.pilotgeorge.co.uk/blog/post/which-is-b...
As above do your medical first to see if there are any issues.
Go for it and you could find yourself based in Edinburgh on the A320 for easyJet flying in over the fifth of forth seeing the bridges and the castle maybe 2-3 years from now? Or doing long haul for someone else and commuting to a larger base like Heathrow or Gatwick a few times a month and jetting off somewhere abroad for a few days at a time.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 20th January 17:39
Yes get a medical first, good advice. Look at tayside aviation in Dundee they have a good reputation.
Yes it is a rewarding career but remember you are working nights, shifts, weekends and holidays.
Have you got children? How would you feel if you got a job flying out of Edinburgh but the airline cancelled the route and you had to move to Gatwick or Heathrow?
Like every job it has its ups and downs, I wish I had got into flying at an earlier age and taken the commercial license but by the time I was hooked on flying it was too late age wise, I would have had to give up a well paid job to study full time and do the flying exams I could not justify it to my wife.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead
Yes it is a rewarding career but remember you are working nights, shifts, weekends and holidays.
Have you got children? How would you feel if you got a job flying out of Edinburgh but the airline cancelled the route and you had to move to Gatwick or Heathrow?
Like every job it has its ups and downs, I wish I had got into flying at an earlier age and taken the commercial license but by the time I was hooked on flying it was too late age wise, I would have had to give up a well paid job to study full time and do the flying exams I could not justify it to my wife.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead
Second brat just out of flight school. To get up to type rating it will cost in the region of €150k (jet rating and approved integrated course).
Can be done cheaper .. eg some airlines will take you on without type rating and you effectively pay for the course by being on reduced wages for a while. Modular courses are generally cheaper but may take longer. I’d advise cation with MPL ... it is tied into a sponsoring airline which is fine if all goes according to plan. A few have been burned as the sponsor has gone under/had a change of plan ... and you don’t have a ticket till you start flying with the sponsor. It may be possible to transfer elsewhere but if nought else a royal PITA.
So
1. Are you willing to invest
2. Class 1 medical
3. Go for it (age is not a boundary)
Can be done cheaper .. eg some airlines will take you on without type rating and you effectively pay for the course by being on reduced wages for a while. Modular courses are generally cheaper but may take longer. I’d advise cation with MPL ... it is tied into a sponsoring airline which is fine if all goes according to plan. A few have been burned as the sponsor has gone under/had a change of plan ... and you don’t have a ticket till you start flying with the sponsor. It may be possible to transfer elsewhere but if nought else a royal PITA.
So
1. Are you willing to invest
2. Class 1 medical
3. Go for it (age is not a boundary)
Good luck mate, one thing I’d say is living in Scotland the offshore (helicopter) world is very much open to you, with Oil and Gas or Search and Rescue available pretty much all over. Just a thought, but if you would rather do some interesting flying in the helicopter world there are currently lots of opportunities. It’s a bit more expensive to get into than the plank wing world, but the upside aswell is that you’re not fighting the sausage machine churning out hundreds of wide-eyed 19 yr olds with £150k loans into Ryanair happy to live the pay to fly dream 
Nothing wrong with modular. Many big flight schools will tell you airlines prefer integrated candidates, but I’d personally take that with a pinch of salt. Most guys I fly with are a healthy mix of integrated, modular and ex-military, in the real world I really don’t think it’s a big deal.
Getting the Class 1 medical first is essential.
Quite a few folk come into commercial airline flying from other careers. Off the top of my head, ignoring the ex-military guys, I can think of pilots who’ve previously worked as plumbers, electricians, builders, police officers, in IT, scientists and even civil service before switching to flying.
Provided you have the aptitude and dedication, there’s no reason why you couldn’t become an airline pilot. However it’s not a career you just “fall into”, it requires an immense amount of hard work, time and dedication to get there but once you are, it’s a fantastic career.
Getting the Class 1 medical first is essential.
Quite a few folk come into commercial airline flying from other careers. Off the top of my head, ignoring the ex-military guys, I can think of pilots who’ve previously worked as plumbers, electricians, builders, police officers, in IT, scientists and even civil service before switching to flying.
Provided you have the aptitude and dedication, there’s no reason why you couldn’t become an airline pilot. However it’s not a career you just “fall into”, it requires an immense amount of hard work, time and dedication to get there but once you are, it’s a fantastic career.
Not up to speed on current airline desperation, qualified in 2008 ATPL multi, JOT at Bournemouth and Oxford when the industry tanked...
If you're making a decent amount I'd not do it, as others have said it's shift work, if you're not used to it and family aren't used to it it's a massive upheaval...
I was 28 in 2008, most of my pilot mates were 21/24 years old and committed and have done well, mates at easyjet/ Ryanair are 4 strip captains and raguely furloughed...got kids and and my own company now so will wave goodbye to my £100k costs
If you're making a decent amount I'd not do it, as others have said it's shift work, if you're not used to it and family aren't used to it it's a massive upheaval...
I was 28 in 2008, most of my pilot mates were 21/24 years old and committed and have done well, mates at easyjet/ Ryanair are 4 strip captains and raguely furloughed...got kids and and my own company now so will wave goodbye to my £100k costs
Ps, you have to be passionate about flying...don't view it as a career to chuck £100k at and you'll land a job at the end of....sorry to be frank but this is a Real fact... you have to have the passion to fly or you won't get anywhere
Edited by rallye101 on Thursday 20th January 21:21
It is also a tough course. Let’s not underestimate the requirement for a good brain. I’m not saying you don’t have one of course OP, but bear it in mind.
My best mate flies for Ryanair and the need to stay fit for the class 1 is also something that will always play on your mind.
Just practicalities, I always wanted to fly for BA but timing wasn’t on my side for the cadet scheme so I stopped at the PPL stage at 17.
My best mate flies for Ryanair and the need to stay fit for the class 1 is also something that will always play on your mind.
Just practicalities, I always wanted to fly for BA but timing wasn’t on my side for the cadet scheme so I stopped at the PPL stage at 17.
Arranguez said:
It is also a tough course. Let’s not underestimate the requirement for a good brain. I’m not saying you don’t have one of course OP, but bear it in mind.
My best mate flies for Ryanair and the need to stay fit for the class 1 is also something that will always play on your mind.
Just practicalities, I always wanted to fly for BA but timing wasn’t on my side for the cadet scheme so I stopped at the PPL stage at 17.
It's tough but very do' able....you HAVE to be committed, you can't treat it as distance learning.My best mate flies for Ryanair and the need to stay fit for the class 1 is also something that will always play on your mind.
Just practicalities, I always wanted to fly for BA but timing wasn’t on my side for the cadet scheme so I stopped at the PPL stage at 17.
With a family and bills then I'd run....been there and done it...if you fail an atpl module you have to re take with the next set, pressure gets ramped up....
Arranguez said:
It is also a tough course. Let’s not underestimate the requirement for a good brain. I’m not saying you don’t have one of course OP, but bear it in mind.
My best mate flies for Ryanair and the need to stay fit for the class 1 is also something that will always play on your mind.
Just practicalities, I always wanted to fly for BA but timing wasn’t on my side for the cadet scheme so I stopped at the PPL stage at 17.
It's tough but very do' able....you HAVE to be committed, you can't treat it as distance learning.My best mate flies for Ryanair and the need to stay fit for the class 1 is also something that will always play on your mind.
Just practicalities, I always wanted to fly for BA but timing wasn’t on my side for the cadet scheme so I stopped at the PPL stage at 17.
With a family and bills then I'd run....been there and done it...if you fail an atpl module you have to re take with the next set, pressure gets ramped up....
Got a mate who is same as age me (37) who has a life long dream of becoming an airline pilot. Got his PPL, instrument rating, multi engine rating, CRI etc. Been flying for years. After applying quite a few times to various airlines he finally got on to the Ryanair pilots course. He sold his flat, car etc. relocated to Ireland.
That was 3 months before Covid hit and they shut down his course and that was that. Absolutely gutted for him. Think he has to reapply again to start from scratch if he wants to carry on with it. I think he's resigned himself to taking parachutists up.
That was 3 months before Covid hit and they shut down his course and that was that. Absolutely gutted for him. Think he has to reapply again to start from scratch if he wants to carry on with it. I think he's resigned himself to taking parachutists up.
Modular works well if you are highly motivated, have a genuine interest in aviation and need to juggle life around training (as well as reducing the cost significantly).
Integrated works well if you want the lowest-hassle route - but you will pay for it.
Be careful to check out student feedback on any schools you look at - some of them are under-resourced resulting in long delays for their customers / students.
Brexit has made things a great deal more difficult - you will have to decide whether you need a UK licence, an EASA licence, or both. Back in the "good old days" I did a UK-issued EASA CPL/IR/ME at a school in Poland.
BTW - age absolutely is a factor, but in your mid-30s you should probably be OK.
Integrated works well if you want the lowest-hassle route - but you will pay for it.
Be careful to check out student feedback on any schools you look at - some of them are under-resourced resulting in long delays for their customers / students.
Brexit has made things a great deal more difficult - you will have to decide whether you need a UK licence, an EASA licence, or both. Back in the "good old days" I did a UK-issued EASA CPL/IR/ME at a school in Poland.
BTW - age absolutely is a factor, but in your mid-30s you should probably be OK.
Edited by this is my username on Friday 21st January 09:03
When I worked in Dublin, my mate's mate left banking, and went to the US to train and gain his commercial pilot license.
Apparently it's a lot cheaper to do out there. Once he passed, he did the 'usual' route (no pun intended) of training new pilots.
I think he then did a gig flying courier planes; he's back in Ireland now flying for Ryanair.
Apparently it's a lot cheaper to do out there. Once he passed, he did the 'usual' route (no pun intended) of training new pilots.
I think he then did a gig flying courier planes; he's back in Ireland now flying for Ryanair.
The main issue at the moment about getting your commercial licence is timing.
We are currently in an economic downturn that isn’t following the normal 8-10 year cycle, ie it was brought on by an unforeseen event. The trick is to be ready, licence in hand for the upturn and you’ll walk into a job.
At the moment we have around 1500 experienced pilots without a flying job in the U.K. and thanks to brexit, can’t find a job in Europe.
Before Covid, there was a reputedly pilot shortage in the USA, now, who knows?
Be prepared to be qualified and wait for a few years, before getting your first flying job, if this happens, the most important thing is to keep current by flying, which of course costs money, getting an instructor rating helps in this, as the old self improver route being closed means that flying instructors are quite thin on the ground.
Good luck!
We are currently in an economic downturn that isn’t following the normal 8-10 year cycle, ie it was brought on by an unforeseen event. The trick is to be ready, licence in hand for the upturn and you’ll walk into a job.
At the moment we have around 1500 experienced pilots without a flying job in the U.K. and thanks to brexit, can’t find a job in Europe.
Before Covid, there was a reputedly pilot shortage in the USA, now, who knows?
Be prepared to be qualified and wait for a few years, before getting your first flying job, if this happens, the most important thing is to keep current by flying, which of course costs money, getting an instructor rating helps in this, as the old self improver route being closed means that flying instructors are quite thin on the ground.
Good luck!
rs4al said:
The main issue at the moment about getting your commercial licence is timing.
We are currently in an economic downturn that isn’t following the normal 8-10 year cycle, ie it was brought on by an unforeseen event. The trick is to be ready, licence in hand for the upturn and you’ll walk into a job.
At the moment we have around 1500 experienced pilots without a flying job in the U.K. and thanks to brexit, can’t find a job in Europe.
Before Covid, there was a reputedly pilot shortage in the USA, now, who knows?
Be prepared to be qualified and wait for a few years, before getting your first flying job, if this happens, the most important thing is to keep current by flying, which of course costs money, getting an instructor rating helps in this, as the old self improver route being closed means that flying instructors are quite thin on the ground.
Good luck!
My understanding is that there is still a pilot shortage in the US. The airlines there have encouraged early retirement. Their aviation sector improved far more quickly than ours, as a lot is internal flying. We are currently in an economic downturn that isn’t following the normal 8-10 year cycle, ie it was brought on by an unforeseen event. The trick is to be ready, licence in hand for the upturn and you’ll walk into a job.
At the moment we have around 1500 experienced pilots without a flying job in the U.K. and thanks to brexit, can’t find a job in Europe.
Before Covid, there was a reputedly pilot shortage in the USA, now, who knows?
Be prepared to be qualified and wait for a few years, before getting your first flying job, if this happens, the most important thing is to keep current by flying, which of course costs money, getting an instructor rating helps in this, as the old self improver route being closed means that flying instructors are quite thin on the ground.
Good luck!
The majors have now removed the requirement to hold a college degree to try and widen their recruitment pool.
rs4al said:
The main issue at the moment about getting your commercial licence is timing.
We are currently in an economic downturn that isn’t following the normal 8-10 year cycle, ie it was brought on by an unforeseen event. The trick is to be ready, licence in hand for the upturn and you’ll walk into a job.
At the moment we have around 1500 experienced pilots without a flying job in the U.K. and thanks to brexit, can’t find a job in Europe.
Before Covid, there was a reputedly pilot shortage in the USA, now, who knows?
Be prepared to be qualified and wait for a few years, before getting your first flying job, if this happens, the most important thing is to keep current by flying, which of course costs money, getting an instructor rating helps in this, as the old self improver route being closed means that flying instructors are quite thin on the ground.
Good luck!
If the OP starts the training now though, it could be great timing and airline recruitment might be on the up when he starts looking for a job in a few years? Time will tell though. We are currently in an economic downturn that isn’t following the normal 8-10 year cycle, ie it was brought on by an unforeseen event. The trick is to be ready, licence in hand for the upturn and you’ll walk into a job.
At the moment we have around 1500 experienced pilots without a flying job in the U.K. and thanks to brexit, can’t find a job in Europe.
Before Covid, there was a reputedly pilot shortage in the USA, now, who knows?
Be prepared to be qualified and wait for a few years, before getting your first flying job, if this happens, the most important thing is to keep current by flying, which of course costs money, getting an instructor rating helps in this, as the old self improver route being closed means that flying instructors are quite thin on the ground.
Good luck!
My advice having done long haul airline flying at a large UK airline based out of Heathrow (and then getting made redundant) is:
- Get the Class 1 done first as the others have said.
- Get the agreement of your wife/partner/family as the job will take you away from home on evenings, weekends and Christmas. Also the ATPL course requires a lot of time and study effort to pass the ground exams and flying.
- Have a financial and alternative career backup plan if it all goes pair shaped (sounds like you have this sorted).
- Be prepared to move location to suit whatever basing requirements your particular airline job comes with.
- Go for it if you can afford it and want it badly enough, you only live once!
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