Introduction
During this series, we have covered the modular route to being ready to apply for airline positions from start to finish. Now to finish off the series, I will go over my own experience from the beginning to present in the hope that it might be of help to see a real example, although I have not yet found employment in an airline.
Before Flying
Like many, I have wanted to fly for as long as I can remember. At first, I wanted to be an astronaut, but have since settled on the ambition of being an airline pilot (although I wouldn't turn down an astronaut offer).
The first major step I took was enrolling in a university degree in aviation. This included a PPL course that could be taken alongside. My reasoning was that even if I couldn't or didn't want to continue as a pilot, I would have a back-up degree that I could use to pursue another career within aviation.
PPL
I started my PPL at Ravenair Liverpool. I would wake up at around 5am to get the train to university and then get the university bus to the airport to arrive by about 9am. This was scheduled once a week and combining this with the weather in the UK, progress was very slow. In my first year I flew around 12 hours and almost exactly a year after my first flight, I completed my first solo.
Even though flying progress was slow, I did get a lot of ground school completed on the bad weather days and got a lot of my exams out the way.
After the first year, I was able to get my own car and drive my self to the airport, so I was able to take lessons more frequently. It still took around one more year to complete my PPL, and I passed the skills test a few months short of 2 years since I began.
Hour Building and ATPL Theory
I still had one year of university left to complete, so at the same time I enrolled in a distance learning ATPL theory course with Bristol Ground School. That way I could continue my university studies alongside my ATPL studies. After waiting for my licence to arrive, I began my hour building in a Cessna 152 and Aero AT-3 with a more experienced friend. After considering costs, we decided to rent a plane from a Polish flying club where my friend was a member, getting a block hour discount. We flew for around a week around Poland, and having someone more experienced than me to help me along was a great help to my early PIC experience. It was around this time that I looked into where and how to get the rest of the licences and ratings. I overheard some pilots discussing a school and I looked into it and found it was right for me. They had around a one-year waiting list, so I booked my self in, and now I had a timeline to work to. For the majority of my hour building experience, I joined Sherburn Aero Club and rented their Aero AT-3 when I had days off from university. I had considered buying an aircraft share, but at the time, there were no options that were based close to home that were also cost-effective, so I stuck with renting.
Going back to the ATPLs, once I completed a module, I went to Poland to take those exams as I had found it to be much cheaper than taking them in the UK and for the same certificate at the end. Finishing the last ATPL exam was like a huge weight was lifted, and I am sure most people feel the same. I was fortunate enough to pass all my exams the first time, so I didn't need to worry about any re-sits. All that was left was to finish my hours building and look forward to starting the CPL.
CPL/ME/IR
Due to bad weather and some personal circumstances, I wasn't able to finish all my hour building in time, but I had enough to be able to do the rest with my CPL school while I was there. In November 2019, I went to Bartolini Air in Poland to begin my CPL/ME/IR training. At first, thing started slowly because of weather and aircraft availability. But after the New Year it picked up, and I had my combined skills test in February. Everything went well and I passed. Overall, I think this was the most enjoyable part of the training, the end was in sight and I finally got to fly something bigger than a two seat single engine piston.
MCC/JOC + AUPRT
I began my MCC/JOC at Simtech Ireland around a week or two after getting back home. It was during this time that news reports began of cases of Covid starting in Italy and the rest of Europe. Some of my course mates went home early in anticipation of border closures. If it wasn't for that looming fact, the MCC/JOC was relaxed and enjoyable. It was my first time in an airliner simulator, and it was nice to put my training into use in a "jet aircraft". My AUPRT was delayed for a few months due to lockdowns. I did it with the British Aerobatic Academy in an Extra 300 and Grobb 115. On the first day, I was airsick as I hadn't flown for a few months, but on the second day, I had adjusted and really enjoyed the training. We definitely went beyond the scope of the AUPRT syllabus, and it was a lot of fun to say the least.
Keeping Current
The Class One medical, IR and MEP rating all only last for one year. To apply for airline jobs, you need the Medical and IR to be valid. The MEP is only required for jobs on MEP aircraft. The first year, I revalidated in a simulator. That meant that my IR was revalidated, but my MEP lapsed. It was a bit cheaper than doing it in the real aircraft. This current year, because my MEP was lapsed, I was not able to do it in the simulator, so I revalidated and renewed my ratings in a real aircraft. Looking back, it wasn't significantly more to revalidate in the aircraft than in the simulator as in the second year, I looked around and found a better offer. I currently fly SEP flights around once a month at my local aero club to keep in practice.
Conclusion
And that brings us to where I am today, looking for my first job as a commercial pilot. I was lucky to be able to have the financial backing of family to be able to complete my training, but I still wanted to make sure to do so in a cost-effective way. Everyone's situation is different, and so will your training journey. That brings an end to this blog series, and I hope it has been of help whether you are thinking about, or already on the path to become an airline pilot.
About The Author
Humzah Sharif - "I am a qualified commercial pilot that finished my training just as the Covid-19 Pandemic hit Europe. I started my training at 18 alongside my university studies and have done my training around Europe, mostly in the UK and Poland, while navigating the issue of Brexit. Since then, I have been working on maintaining my ratings and skills while I try to find an opportunity to achieve my goal of finding employment as a pilot.
Currently, I am working at Flightpath Training as a Marketing and Communications Assistant, which has given me a chance to stay connected to the industry while it recovers."
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