Anyone a pilot/partner of one?

[WokenUp]

DH is having an early midlife crisis an idea that he would love to pursue his dream job. From when he was young he wanted to be a pilot but we had DS young and he wasn't willing to leave him for the 6 months overseas training required.

Now he's mid thirties and has come into some inheritance and also has some decent savings from his current job and is fancying a career change. He isn't happy with his current career and I just know that this will be one of his "regrets" if he doesn't do it.

By all means it seems as though he is perfectly qualified so I am being supportive wife and am happy to convince him to give it a go.

I guess my question would be is it all it's cracked up to be?
I know starting salary isn't amazing for pilots but can rise quite quickly after 5yrs (£100k)
He is looking at the L3 airline academy as they have applications open year round.
The only major issue I can see if that we live in South Wales so he would have to travel 2hrs+ for training school each day either to Coventry or Southampton

Is he crazy?! Am I crazy for supporting it?! I just don't know...!

I don’t think he’s crazy :)

If it were me though I’d look at helicopter pilot. They’re rare enough that employment is almost a guarantee, and short flight time means it’s working from a base, so no long haul flights or weeks away.

One of my childhood friends became a pilot. He spent 2 years out in Lithuania after qualifying to get the flying hours under his belt to be able to come back to the Uk and work here

It may well be worth looking at his chances of employment in the Uk as a newly qualified pilot before deciding

My 19 year old Ds wants to be a commercial airline pilot. He is currently doing his private pilots licence alongside working a 40 hour week because we do not have the funds to pay for it. Places like L3 cost over £100k, so it really is only open to those that have plenty of money or who are willing to take out big loans.

Ds has decided that he will work for the next few years to save the money to pay for his commercial training. He saves nearly every penny he earns so that one day he may be able to pursue his dream.

I guess if there is no financial barrier then maybe your husband should give it a go. You only live once!

Tell him he's only allowed to do it if he gets to play passenger derby or the travelling lemon.

Aw that's lovely to be able to live your dream like that later in life and good for you for supporting him! Like a PP said look into career prospects for newly qualified pilots. My friend is a pilot, he gets discounted flights BUT he only gets flight plans a month in advance and it's a massive PITA planning anything

Don’t some airlines have training schemes? When i thought about it years ago BA would pay for you commercial training and you committed to a 5 year contract post training. I’m sure easyjet do similar?

Blue I think it's all changed now. BA and the like do schemes but they are self funded (and more expensive), also the recruitment is only once and year and v competitive.
L3 is open all year round (cheaper than BA!) and the website claims 95% of pilot "graduates" leave with a job

Punx that's amazing about your DS! Blimey I wish my son had the slightest clue what he might want to do. Good luck to him, I hope he gets his savings quickly!

Thanks for all the comments, I'm pleased to see the general consensus is that he isn't that crazy

Good point about flight schedules only a month before hand. Hmm.

I spoke to a friend whose ex was a pilot, but he flew private so had to basically be on his employers beck and call which often meant planned weekends went down the pan!

Tell him he's only allowed to do it if he gets to play passenger derby or the travelling lemon.

Looool is this a pilot in-joke???!

Cabin Pressure

In the same position, also in South Wales but he trains out of Staverton in Gloucester. It’s taken us a long time to get to a point where is he ready for a commercial pilots test (and a very large sum of money). But he went helicopters, which are more expensive, and from what I can work out less well paid generally unless you go to the rigs. It’s been a real rollercoaster of a career change

UK regional captain here. Been airline flying over 10 years. At present airlines are recruiting, but might not if the economy nose dives.

Training at the likes of L3 is super expensive, there is also a modular route which might enable your dh to train closer to home, and cost slightly less.

Getting your first job is not easy and he will have no choice over basing. Rosters generally come out about 6 weeks in advance and you should forget about weekends or time off in school holidays for at least 5 years. I average 2 weekends a month off by being part time working 5 days on 5 days off.

Early starts and late finishes can be brutal. Long haul brings jet lag.

I'm not being negative, just honest. I can only do it by having a dh who regularly drops everything to care for our DD, when things change( delays, slots, going tech) or working school holidays. Others manage with a nanny or au pair but that wouldn't work for us.

My sister is a pilot, she re-trained, albeit early in her career, and mostly self-funded.

She worked full time while she did her PPL (which required six weeks unpaid leave from work to go and do the actual license test) and then the ATPL exams which she sat in Bristol (another few weeks holiday she had to take) - I believe this is the modular route Justtrying is referring to. When she was ready to do the commercial license she went to a school in Poland - at which point she gave up her job. She was there a few months.

Took her a little while to find a job when she returned, though she was able to freelance back at her non-flying job in the interim.

As Justtrying says, there's no choice over basing. She was VERY lucky to get a job at Southend (living in London). She's now moved to BA (shorthaul).

It was her childhood dream, and she absolutely loves it. It's taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get there.

When you look at the big picture, paying for the PPL doesn't cost much more than the student loans would if you were training to be a doctor..

Thanks so much justtrying it's really great to hear the reality

My DH did what your DH wants to do. Went through L3. PM me if your DH would like to get in touch with mine to talk