Becoming a pilot.

[DarrenK]

Hi there. Next year [when i finish my degree] i am going to get a loan and go and get my commercial licence. Has anyone here done this before? What are the pit falls and what should i know before taking this leap?

Can you recommend anywhere in particular [globally speaking] that has a great name for success with this training?

Thanks.

[CorporateAv8r]

http://www.atpflightschool.com/

I've always considered that one the best fast track schools for the money.

[screaming_emu]

http://www.atpflightschool.com/

I've always considered that one the best fast track schools for the money.

agreed. STay away from programs however where you end up paying to get a job such as gulfstream academy. Doing that takes jobs away from other pilots who should be getting paid, insetad of buying a job for experience. Those guys are really not looked highly upon in the industry. Almost to the level of a scab, but not quite as bad. Another school which I've heard you should definately avoid is the CAPT program run by ERAU. I've heard its entirely overpriced, and at the end you get an absolutely useless MD90 type rating. First of all, it will be years until you step into something as advanced as an MD90, second, there's only one airline that I'm aware of in the US who flies them, and third, their advertisements make it sound like immediately upon graduation you will be ready to go right to the airlines. While you might have the necissary ratings, you have nowhere near the amount of real world experience that you would gain flight instructing or doing other similar jobs.

I'd highly reccomend checking out the forums on www.jetcareers.com The glossy advertisements in all the flying magazines can be extremely misleading. Especially one school which says nothing about their flight training, but only says "we're owned by delta, and you get gaurenteed interviews upon graduation". That interview doesn't mean a damn thing if they're not hiring. The each major flight school has a forum where peole who actually have gone to those schools can fill you in on info that is conveniently missed by the glossy advertisements that you'll see.

I'd definately reccomend looking into ATP as Alex suggested though, heard some good things about them.

[DarrenK]

you have nowhere near the amount of real world experience that you would gain flight instructing or doing other similar jobs..

Thanks for all the info lads.
Listen...so i spend maybe at the very max (up to €100,000) getting my licence, then how far in real terms am i from actually getting a job as a pilot on a commercial jet?

Will i have to spend a year instructing..maybe more?

[James]

what is the difference between a commercial licence and a ppl.
regards
Doctor who fan