EIRules From Ireland, joined Aug 2007, 239 posts, RR: 2 Posted (1 month 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 569 times:
Hi all
I am looking for some advice? With the world economy as it currently is, would I be mad to leave my well paid job (which I hate) and rack up a load of debts to go to flight school to become a pilot and live my dream?
Indeed, and the answer is even harder. I am a pilot and well, I love my job and I would always want to become a pilot again.
I cannot say if you are mad or not. The situation isn't too bad at the moment, but we are currently seeing a downslope at the moment. So I don't know how the situation will be in abuot 1.5 to 2 years once you are done with the flight training. And I don't know how the situation is in Ireland or where will you do all this?
I don't know how bad the situation is in your job, but if you hate it you should do someting. If it is the smartest thing to quit, take huge loan and do the training and then maybe don't get a job afterwards is risky...
And not everything about being a pilot is good. You are away from home pretty often, you sleep at weird times, different time zones, difficult private life...
It depends how you define mad. How mad is it, sitting at 600mph, in 40,000 feet, with 80 tons of easy burn fuel underneath you and only 1 inch is keeping you safe from -60°C and an uncontrolled fall to the earth And if you sit in such a thing everyday, you need to be mad
SandroZRH From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 2478 posts, RR: 21 Reply 5, posted (1 month 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 543 times:
I'm becoming a pilot as we speak, and I wouldn't call myself mad
The question is wether you'll be recruited in an airline sponsored cadet program. Cadet programs offer the certainity to be recruited by an airline upon completion of training and the airline will sponsor you, meaning that they'll pay a large amount of your training and/or give you a loan and, as i said, offer you a job once you're done with training,
I would probably not have risked all the debt just to find myself workless after training
I'm lucky enough to have passed the selecion process for LX's cadet program and started training in january in one of LX's sponsored pilot classes. I'm totally happy and would do it again.
There are quite a few large European airlines who offer cadet programs: LX, LH, KL, AF and AY are the ones I know of, but the problem is that you're required to speak each airline's national language to be eligible for application.
I think i read somewhere that U2 has a cadet program running in the UK, but I'm not sure wether EI, BA and others do. You might wanna look into that and think about it throughfully before jumping the gun and quitting your job.
EI320 From Ireland, joined Dec 2007, 327 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (1 month 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 542 times:
I don't think you'd be mad. You shouldn't stay in your current job though if you don't like it IMO.
You've a lot of research done on it if I remember correctly, but it wouldn't be so bad if your were actually guaranteed a job at an airline, that's why I would reccommend signing up as a cadet. Gone are the days when good ole EI would fork out the money for you, but cadet programmes are still available and partial sponsorship is available . There is a Flybe Cadetship Programme available at PTC Waterford (again I have my doubts about this place though) but this is what it is anyway:
Quote: The Flybe Mentored Cadetship programme offers substantial professional benefits to selected Airline Pilot Training Programme trainees. Flybe Cadets get a contract of employment with Flybe on successful completion of the course as well as funding of some elements of the airline training programme.
The Sigmar Jet Pilot training programme is also worth a look. They are currently acccepting applications for CityJet cadet places. Again, you'll be guaranteed a job afterwards.
Unfortunately EI don't currently have a cadet programme (as I'm sure you know!). BA are also worth a look of course.
Whatever you decide to do, I would definately suggest a cadet programme. It gives you added security. There's no point on completing a training course and then wondering where to go, especially when you will have to make loan repayments. They're particularly useful when just starting out. I'll be hoping to look into them more next year.
Mir From United States, joined Jan 2004, 10260 posts, RR: 57 Reply 7, posted (1 month 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 513 times:
Quoting EI320 (Reply 6): Whatever you decide to do, I would definately suggest a cadet programme. It gives you added security. There's no point on completing a training course and then wondering where to go, especially when you will have to make loan repayments.
You are not mad to become a pilot, but you would be mad to drop everything and go and be a pilot without having some form of backup plan, or at least a guarantee of getting into a pilot's job. A cadet program is a good way to do that.
Unfortunately, there are no cadet programs in the US that I know of....
-Mir
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the war room! | Bloomberg '08!
EIRules From Ireland, joined Aug 2007, 239 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (1 month 3 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 484 times:
Hi all
Thanks for the advise, suggestions and support
In respect to the cadet programme you are right, it is the safe bet, but I am pretty limited. KL, LH, AF and LX all require you to be proficient in the language of that country as SandroZRH says so that rules them out. For EY you must be no more than 26, Im now 27 so thats a no! There is a Flybe one through Waterford as EI320 says but again like you have said I have heard mixed reports and to be honest I dont know if I'd want to be tied into working for them. I have applied for the CityJet one operated by CTC Aviation and have got past the initial phase so I suppose the next step is the interview in Southampton next month!
WILCO737 From Germany, joined Jun 2004, 3801 posts, RR: 65 Reply 10, posted (1 month 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 457 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
Quoting EIRules (Reply 8): I have applied for the CityJet one operated by CTC Aviation and have got past the initial phase so I suppose the next step is the interview in Southampton next month!
Excellent, congratulations!
Good luck with the interview and keep us informed...
ACDC8 From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 5912 posts, RR: 26 Reply 11, posted (1 month 3 weeks 5 days ago) and read 451 times:
I've got my PPL, however, I did come to the conclusion that being a commercial pilot may not be the most secure source of employment and I find that financial/employment security is more important to me, but thats just my personal view.
Now that I do have a very secure job, I may finish off my CPL and get my instructors rating next year and instruct on my days off. I don't need to be financially depend on it, so if worse comes to worse, I'll be fine.
FXramper From United States, joined Dec 2005, 4047 posts, RR: 84 Reply 12, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 445 times:
For someone like myself, in the US, with a few ratings, and a few hundred hours, the answer is no. President Bush signing the transportation bill prolonging retirement for many pilots here screwed a lot of young guys looking to get a job. Those that were lucky did it quick, went into debt for school and ratings, and now make a whopping $25k/yr wtth a regional that offers little to no job security. When was the last time a US legacy hired? I can't remember...
EI320 From Ireland, joined Dec 2007, 327 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 436 times:
Quoting EIRules (Reply 8): have applied for the CityJet one operated by CTC Aviation and have got past the initial phase so I suppose the next step is the interview in Southampton next month!
Good Luck with the interview, the cadet programmes are the probably the safest bet IMO. I'm sure CityJet would be a great airline to work for, with good job security under the umbrella of AF.
PGNCS From United States, joined Apr 2007, 796 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 429 times:
Quoting EIRules (Thread starter): I am looking for some advice? With the world economy as it currently is, would I be mad to leave my well paid job (which I hate) and rack up a load of debts to go to flight school to become a pilot and live my dream?
Sponsor Message: 
From Ireland, joined Aug 2007, 239 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2008, 45 posts, 
From Germany, joined Jun 2004, 3801 posts, 
And if you sit in such a thing everyday, you need to be mad 
From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 2478 posts, 
From United States, joined Jan 2004, 10260 posts, 
You are not mad to become a pilot, but you would be mad to drop everything and go and be a pilot without having some form of backup plan, or at least a guarantee of getting into a pilot's job. A cadet program is a good way to do that.
From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 5912 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
