Avaition and flying a viable career switch?

--amadeus--

First up apologies if this is a duplicate of dozens of similar threads - I did see one about FlyBe training but I don't think it's the same query and I didn't want to hijack...

I'm currently a self employed consultant / trainer (programming and some management consultancy). While teh money isn't bad and it's as stable as anything else at the moment I have always had a hankering to be a pilot. I have done a flying lesson with the local school and loved it. I signed up to continue for the PPL but things didn't work out and the club ended up refunding the money (long story). Since there are no other schools within a reasonible distance I let it all slide and kind of gave up on it for a while.

But when I was googling looking for PPL training I saw that the PTC seem to be offering a 12 month course to qualify you as a commercial pilot, with pretty solid job prospects.

So a few questions, if I may?

- At 37 am I too old to realistically start a new career in aviation?
- My eyesight is appalling; it can be corrected using glasses or contact lenses but does that immediatley rule me out?
- What are teh realistic chances of landing a job following on from training?
- What are the realistic costs involved?
- What kind of salary can a newcomer expect?

Any and all help or advice / opinions gratefully recieved!

John_Mc

--amadeus-- wrote: »

First up apologies if this is a duplicate of dozens of similar threads - I did see one about FlyBe training but I don't think it's the same query and I didn't want to hijack...

I'm currently a self employed consultant / trainer (programming and some management consultancy). While teh money isn't bad and it's as stable as anything else at the moment I have always had a hankering to be a pilot. I have done a flying lesson with the local school and loved it. I signed up to continue for the PPL but things didn't work out and the club ended up refunding the money (long story). Since there are no other schools within a reasonible distance I let it all slide and kind of gave up on it for a while.

But when I was googling looking for PPL training I saw that the PTC seem to be offering a 12 month course to qualify you as a commercial pilot, with pretty solid job prospects.

So a few questions, if I may?

- At 37 am I too old to realistically start a new career in aviation?
- My eyesight is appalling; it can be corrected using glasses or contact lenses but does that immediatley rule me out?
- What are teh realistic chances of landing a job following on from training?
- What are the realistic costs involved?
- What kind of salary can a newcomer expect?

Any and all help or advice / opinions gratefully recieved!

Hi, I share the same ambition and hope to change from software development to airline pilot some day soon. Just started my PPL and plan to have the frozen ATPL in about 4 years. Hopefully the industry will have recovered somewhat by then, because right now there are a LOT of qualified pilots who can't get a job

You're not too old at 37. My instructor is 40 and is flying for Rynair now. He started his training at 37 as well and was qualified within 3.5 years so it's definitely possible!

In response to your questions:

You can use corrective lenses but there are limitations. Most importantly, you cannot be colour blind. Given that your eyesight is poor, your first step should be obtaining the Class 1 medical as you'll need this to get past your PPL.

Its very difficult to say what chance you have of getting a job, but reading up on PPRUNE would be a good idea. If you have the cash, you could pay for your type rating and line training with an airline, so you're effectively paying them to let you fly but you'll probably get a job with them afterwards.

In terms of cost, it depends how you do it. If you go integrated with PTC, you're talking €100k+. Alternatively, you could take the modular route and continue to work whilst training. It takes longer but you minimise debt and with the way the industry is right now, you should be in no rush to get qualified. I'm taking this route for these reasons.

From what I've read, the starting salary isn't good. This compounds the problem of repaying huge loans because it leaves you nothing to live on and I've read that the first few years are very tough. There's a website that lists all the salary scales for all airlines but it's address eludes me right now. A quick search on PPRUNE should get it for you.

Goodluck with whatever you chose to do!

Cessna_Pilot

John_Mc wrote: »

If you go integrated with PTC, you're talking €100k+. Alternatively, you could take the modular route and continue to work whilst training. !

PTC is modular.:cool:

diverdriver

Indeed PTC are modular, they just charge as much as an integrated course. Beware of flying schools claiming to place pilots with airlines. It doesn't happen. Job prospects are far from solid despite what any website says. There are such things as mentored courses. Where an airline selects you as suitable and keeps an eye on you from the start. Usually you are guaranteed at least an interview with. But never guaranteed a job. You pay most or all of the training of course.

At 37 am I too old to realistically start a new career in aviation? No, but it's borderline. So if you're going to do it start soon.

- My eyesight is appalling; it can be corrected using glasses or contact lenses but does that immediatley rule me out? No, but it depends on how appalling your eyesight actually is. Here's the visual standard required for a class 1 .http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/SRG_MED-JARClass1InitialVisStds[2189].pdf If you think you can pass that. Then book at Class 1 medical at the Mater Private. It's very expensive for the initial so no point in doing if it's clear you're not going to pass.
- What are teh realistic chances of landing a job following on from training? If you are determined and persistent or just lucky you will get a pilot job eventually. It could be a month, six months, a year, six years. At the moment things are slow. Ryanair are however still taking 'cadets', that is CPLs with the ATPL exams done and 200 hours at least. They pay for their own type rating on the 737 about 30k.

- What are the realistic costs involved? Budget for between 60k for a do it yourself modular course to over 100k to a full on integrated course.
- What kind of salary can a newcomer expect? Check the pilotjobsnetwork. http://www.pilotjobsnetwork.com/ Look at Ryanair in particular as that's probably where you'll end up like the rest of us.

Read PPRuNe.org. Try and not let the negative stuff there put you off as there is plenty of very helpful information. They have a 'sticky' which answers many of the questions new pilots want to know.

Good luck with that.

donkey balls

before doing anything else contact the Aeromed cntr Mater private phone nbr 017976615.im training in Florida at the moment and on average the lads are getting there fATPL for around 50,000 Euro thats 48,000 euro cheaper than PTC.

the hardest part is the atpl exams(studying while working full time)

--amadeus--

Folks thanks a huge amount, some great food for thought and links in there, much appreciated

daithi666

One bit of advice I would have is not to go cheapest. I'm doing PPL at mo in this part of the world. I'm very happy to have gone that route because having learnt what I have learnt here I think a Florida experience would have left me lacking basic control skills especially when dealing with weather and ATC. Weather counts for a lot and I think conditions in Ireland are great for training. I've only had one or two days where I can't fly but on the whole there's always conditions that you've got to deal with in some way which only make you a better pilot! Also, if you go to the North of Ireland you can get a similar price to doing JAA approved coursed in the States.

Anyways, as one enthusiast to another, best of luck! Like a previous poster said read up on pprune.org but take note of the warning on the end of the page about sciolists! There are a lot of peeps there that like to think they know is all and they haven't a clue....

jackofalltrades

daithi666 wrote:

One bit of advice I would have is not to go cheapest. I'm doing PPL at mo in this part of the world. I'm very happy to have gone that route because having learnt what I have learnt here I think a Florida experience would have left me lacking basic control skills especially when dealing with weather and ATC. Weather counts for a lot and I think conditions in Ireland are great for training. I've only had one or two days where I can't fly but on the whole there's always conditions that you've got to deal with in some way which only make you a better pilot! Also, if you go to the North of Ireland you can get a similar price to doing JAA approved coursed in the States.

Would agree with you on the cheapest place not necessarily being the best, but would disagree with you on the point that learning to fly in Florida would make you less of a pilot than learning to fly in Ireland.

I got my FAA PPL in Florida at FlightSafety Acedemy. The last checkout that I did in the US, I did at a flight school in Phoenix where I was building some hours. The CFI there Tom, an ex-Navy fighter pilot was quite happy with my flying, commenting that I had been taught very well.

The weather in Florida can be quite challenging at times aswell, although not as bad as in Ireland you still can get quite large swings in temperature, humidity and wind conditions. Low cloud ceilings and constant convective turbulence also ensure you never had a smooth flight.

ATC were very strict with students at the airport that I was based at. Many a student including myself receive quite a few verbal b*llickings. This lead to my ATC work becoming very good which ment when I went to talk to ATC at some of the busiest airports in the US (Atlana, Miami, Phoenix) I had very little problem in doing so.

Mr Benevolent

I would suggest doing one thing above all others - get your Class 1 medical. Then sort it out from there.

- At 37 am I too old to realistically start a new career in aviation? No
- My eyesight is appalling; it can be corrected using glasses or contact lenses but does that immediatley rule me out? See advice above
- What are teh realistic chances of landing a job following on from training? It depends on who you know more than anything else.
- What are the realistic costs involved? €100k+
- What kind of salary can a newcomer expect? €45k+ depending on the airline.

DeanW17

ok the best thing to do is to go over to florida to become a pilot.i was supposed to but ****ed up.(not goin into it).my dad went over at age 35 and took the whole family. and eventually ended up a constructor which he loved.now he a partner in wrenair ,it would also be a good experience for your family.

i agree with daithi though..dont go for the cheapest option but there are good deals out there..

wish you all the luck

zig

anyone have any details on the standard of hearing that youd be expected to have to pass a class 1 medical?

donkey balls

this is the list for class one medical
http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=533