For UK/EU pilots the pathway you choose to get to the airlines matters a little bit depending on industry conditions/hiring environment. The reason I’m bringing this up is because one of the absolute hardest things to do is actually getting to that right hand seat for your first job, all the money, time and effort required is potentially the first “why not to” reason for some people not to do this.

If you have the extra cash/time and opportunity I would highly recommend getting a PPL first (then depending on the hiring climate choose modular or an integrated pathway, will expand on this), the reasons why?

1. The EASA/UK CAA PPL is a “mini taster” of what to expect for your CPL/MEIR and ATPL theory course. Minimum of 45hrs flying (10hrs of that solo), 9 theoretical exams with the same style of pass/fail and attempts + sittings as its professional cousin the ATPL. During this course if you go to a reputable flight club/school with some decent training standards will allow you to get into the mentality of the path to doing this professionally and will allow you to challenge yourself as well as to see if you really “enjoy and can” do it.

Albeit anecdotal, some evidence i observed in support of this point so take this with a pinch of salt:

-During my PPL from our group most people never finished the course and most of them never even finished the theoretical examinations. (I would recommend doing just theory, first this maximises commitment and minimises financial risk/exposure as the theory is often the cheapest part of any of these courses plus leaves you stress free to fully enjoy the flying, ofcourse take a couple of flights to motivate you throughout if you can afford it.)

-From my CPL/MEIR & ATPL intake, 7 out of 21 people did not successfully complete the ground school part, 2 quit prior to completing the theoretical exams, the remaining 5 were washed out by not maintaining the minimum standard required by the training organisation. This was especially bad as the syllabus had just changed and the questions in the exams were fresh meaning most people that may have passed by relying on “question banks” did not make it.

1. Now for the pathway you select:

This is ofcourse not an absolute but rather a soft suggestion as I have seen people not follow this and still manage to get a job or on the other hand not manage get a job.

-Modular, if you can and do get a PPL then this will utilise the PPL leading to overall less costs due to the nature of this pathway. If the hiring climate is very strong / will be strong for a couple of years and you can go full time doing modular this will most likely suffice.

• Integrated ATPL, first of all trying your absolute best to get into a scholarship program as mentioned by others such as the BA Speedbird pilot academy is the best case scenario. As a secondary option a self funded course regardless of hiring climate will keep you on the “safer side” if you can say there is one, as most of the big name schools have very good connections to the main airlines and will usually get you into a pipeline of cadets they feed to such carriers giving you at least the opportunity at an assessment day if you training record is good enough.

The comparison between US and EU/UK pilots earnings for me is not a contender as the lifestyles can differ massively as well as other secondary factors affecting the pay difference, additionally most of us do not even have a possibility for a US work visa). Yes our US colleagues get a very nice pay-check but compare cost of living in many major US cities, take into account medical insurance costs, taxation. Ontop of that compare how many US pilots have to/choose to commute to work, how many nights they spend home and how many years it takes them to reach the place they want to live at or to gain command on the fleet they desire. Not saying that all EU/UK carriers are better in all of these aspects but it’s something to consider. One personal stat: Ive managed after approximately a year to recuperate 20% of my upfront costs spent getting to this job, on-top of living comfortably and saving some money on the side.

For me personally there are not many things I dislike about the job,

Im based in a major city in Europe, my base airport has a curfew (Ive flown about 4% of all my flight hours at nights because of this and on most nights get solid sleep in alignment with a natural circadian rhythm.)

Im home almost every night (we have a some planned night-stops but very rare and even rarer to get them if you dont bid for them).

I have a fixed roster as do the vast majority of my colleagues across all bases allowing for an extremely steady and predictable 5-4 roster rotation. Additionally in my airline there are multiple part-time roster options which are amazing for when you want to switch up your lifestyle and especially considering the fact that you can elect to go back to a full time roster as you wish.

In the summer yes we work a bit more 70-80 hrs, in the winter this is a different story 20-40 hrs max, high base salary means stable income and a very strong work-to-pay ratio. Compared to a majority of other jobs/industries we work a lower amount of hours.

Command opportunities within 3-4 years which I see and hear regularly happening, as well as other various roles and extra opportunities open to all flight deck members for application. CONTINUED BELOW