Thanks Wilco/Aerosoft

[Chaders 97]

Hi All,

It might be an older addon but the Wilco 737 classic earned it's place as one of my favourites today. As some of you might about 18 months ago I left work to gain my commercial pilots licence. Today I had my first flight in a full motion sim as part of a Jet Orientation Course I'm taking to try to make myself more employable to get that elusive first airline job. The minute I sat in the sim I felt instantly at home due to the time I'd spent flying the above addon. I knew where the switches were and how the FD and autopilot modes worked. This enabled me to stay infront of the aircraft despite having never flown anything faster than a Beech Duchess!!

I'm really looking forward to tomorrows exercises and I'll try and post a couple of pics from the sim if my phone plays ball.

[Piper Pilot 90]

I can confirm such an experience. Flying virtually helped me allot in getting to know and understanding the real flying. Although it was a big disappointment in the theory part of the training, as you just can't learn this stuff when flying at the desktop computer.

This shows us that today's flight simulation software is as realistic as possible. Although I have changed my virtual cockpit into the real one I find it still exciting to see the development, screenshots and videos out of flight simulation. And sometimes I still fly around in the virtual skies....

[maddz 737 55]

Morning gents,

Im intreaged by your stories (my dream to be a pilot too).The 1 and only thing holding me back is the sheer cost of it all.

Last time i looked :

PPL (minimun 45 hours @ £200 an hour(!) =£9000,most do it in 50 hour(+£1000),plus test fee's,equipment,landing fee's ect ect)

Then night qualification (£??)

Instrumrent rating (£??)

ect ect

the price just keeps up and up.i read that it can cost £70,000 for commercial pilots licence.Does that sound right?

Is there any help with funding from anyone?

Richard=how did you go about leaving work,and cover costs of pilot traing?

and if im not already getting a bit personal,how far into it are you and how much as it cost so far?

Thanks in advance

Regards

Luke.

[Piper Pilot 90]

Hi,

actually it is true that the training is very expensive, and depending on which training variant (inito) or modular training it differs. And you have to add the hours you have to fly to get a well paid job. Many operators have a requirement of at least 500 hours experience, so it is surely a very expensive investment.

I've done (and still doing) my training in the modular method, meaning first of all PPL, then all the folllowing by the rest up to the frozen ATPL (CPL with ATPL theory credit).

For this part you can count between 50.000 € and 70.000 € indeed. But you will also need a type-rating which will also cost you between 25.000 € und 35.000 €. Sometimes the operator pays the type-rating, but the chance is getting lower.

The costs vary from country to country. In the U.S. for example, it is the cheapest way. I don't know about the costs in the U.K., but what you mentioned might be true of course.

But if you are really interested in being a pilot, I would suggest to first get your medical and then look for the best training.

[maddz 737 55]

How much! There aint that much money in the world! lol..

But yes i bumped into a pilot at the airport (thats where you usually find them ) who also told me to go to the U.S to do training as it is ALOT cheaper over there.He siad on my return i would have to do some kind of training because its slightly diffrent in the U.S to the UK,but thats nothing apparently.

Idealy i would want the money in the bank to cover the whole thing in 1, and 100,000 Euro's is a lot of money, alot of money i dont have..yet..

So i need to start saving...and quick.

You cant put a price on a dream!

Thanks for the reply Patric.

[Matt_Smith 1116]

I blew the best part of 70K on flight training before I lost my medical Also factor in the costs of medicals into your equation, £450 for your CAA Class1 initial medical. We really need a bent over the CAA barrel icon

[Chaders 97]

Hi All,

Sorry to drag this one back up but I hadn't noticed the replies.

Luke,

I was lucky enough to get my PPL when I was 17 after getting 30 hours training as a scholarship from the Air Training Corps. This ment I only had to find the money for 10 hours to finish the course. After not managing to join the RAF I realised that there was no way to fund going commercial as I'm not from a rich background so I forgot about the dream and joined the workforce. I spent most of my time working as a retail manager and about 5 years ago my wife and I discussed me getting back into flying. After some serious saving and helped by some equity in our house we decided to go for it. All together I spent about £50K on getting my CPL/IR and instructor rating. I spent last year instructing and working in a ground based role for my current employer. When I got taken on as an FO I had to find another £20K for my 737 type rating. I'm now nearing the end of my Line training and should be released to the line in early July.

The only way we could afford to take this step was to give up on a social life, no holidays, no new PC's every 3 years etc etc. It was a sacrifice but well worth it in the end. I've been into simming since my early teens and it was this that kept my mind in aviation. I honestly think it made a big difference to my ability to get through my flight training in minimum hours and thinking of the TR gave me a step up in terms of both the ground school and sim elements.

Thinking about the costings in your post you should be able to get a PPL for lest than £9k the average for flight training in the UK will work out about £120 per hour in a C152 or £150 in a PA28. The one thing I would suggest if you can is to try to do the PPL as intensively as your budget (Both time and cost) will allow. Continuity in training will help a lot in getting you through as close to minimum hours as possible.

Hope this helps in some way.