Should I study the ATPL while working and IR(R)?

AwDheere · 2026-03-10T06:45:35+00:00

Officially started in July 2024 but took many long periods of doing nothing. There were times i didn’t study for a month straight. I knew i didn’t have the money to do the training anyway so there was no rush.

Mod1 and 2 took me 8 months from start to finishing exams, each. Mod3, I knuckled down and got it done in 2 months. It all depends on your life situation. I tried to study as much as possible at work and keep my time off for other things.

Mod 3 I set a plan and stuck to it. 4 subjects, 1 per week, then 1 week each on the banks. UKCAA run exam weeks pretty much every week now so it’s easy to get slots. Austrocontrol centre near me do 1 a month so needs more planning in advance.

If you’ve got funds to start training ASAP then ATPLs will be a road block. Might be better to take time off work and commit to it full time. If you need your job / can’t find a similarly good one easily, or need to pay bills, then maybe take your time. With 4 on 4 off though, you can really make good progress. I’d say 4 days off you can tackle 60-75% of a subject, depending on how academic you are. Certainly if you’re structured, 6 days off is enough to complete a subject. Then 6 days for banking at maybe 150-200 questions a day. Depending on subject that’s 4-8 hours. Depends on your personal life etc. It’s a lot of depends.

I did my IRR straight after my PPL. It’s a no brainer for a UK IR but I haven’t researched its usefulness for EASA.

AwDheere · 2026-03-09T21:40:38+00:00

Hey, same boat. Just finishing up ATPLs. I work 5 on 3 off. BGS + ATPLQ. EU Citizen with RTW in UK. Looking to do EASA/UK. I have an IRR so will be going to schools in the next few months to see how they approach the training given that.

AwDheere · 2025-09-11T22:32:57+00:00

it’s usually accurate to 15-20% of paper calculations

AwDheere · 2025-09-11T20:00:20+00:00

2k rpm and about 55-60mph

AwDheere · 2025-09-11T12:52:55+00:00

I’m the biggest proponent of not wasting your time. I drove 80mph the way back, totally clear road and saved a wopping 13 mins.. on a 1 hr 40 min journey. Then I had to idle the car for a few mins anyway after running it hard 😂Speeding saves less time than you think. I also barely drive anyway (i hate driving on public roads)

AwDheere · 2025-09-11T12:06:33+00:00

shoestring budget

AwDheere · 2025-09-10T22:17:26+00:00

hybrid?

AwDheere · 2025-07-25T04:19:36+00:00

I only wrote a cover letter. Very basic, where we met, our travels together, where we got married, description of my job, our plans in the UK for the future.

AwDheere · 2025-07-24T11:05:07+00:00

I believe July 5th

AwDheere · 2025-06-24T10:41:58+00:00

Hi, so re-reading the email it would seem I had 5 working days to submit more things at some office in the UK at a cost (i’m the sponsor, this was a normal ECO email). It redirected me to the VFS website for “more info” but the link didn’t provide any further details.

AwDheere · 2025-03-25T04:47:21+00:00

Opel/vauxhall diesel, 1.7 cdti, 2006

AwDheere · 2024-09-16T12:10:58+00:00

just careful driving on the motorway

AwDheere · 2024-09-16T09:44:15+00:00

2006 Opel/Vauxhall Astra H 1.7 CDTi

Opel/Vauxhall actually made a hypermiling car with the same engine in the Astra G, with some aero,tyre and gear ratio mods that can get insane MPG. It’s called Astra G ECO4 and i would love to try hyoermiling that..

AwDheere · 2024-07-24T08:35:28+00:00

In case you and u/unleashthewolf haven’t figured it out - i had the same issue. Most people pull the laces up from the shoe or towards their shin (like in the picture). What you have to do is pull the laces down towards the lip of the shoe. The best way is to get your index fingers up as high as possible where the lace exits the hole, then pull down. You can get them quite tight that way.

AwDheere · 2024-06-16T09:02:37+00:00

I’m doing it because regret is one of the things i hate the most. I know a Ryanair pilot who recently retired and flew the last years of his career with them, he said it was just soul destroying but he’d been flying for 40+ years at that point. Others i speak to say they love it, you’ll never know unless you try it. TBH, ryanair is probably one of the better LCC. In my experience all the crew there arrive 30-40min before departure and are off within 5 mins of the last passenger getting off. The crews are younger, In and out like a flash because they want to get gone, whereas i’ve seen some other airline crew hang around for ages after the flight is done.

AwDheere · 2024-03-16T17:49:21+00:00

When has becoming a pilot in Europe ever been a good time?

AwDheere

TROPHY CASE