A question I am asked a lot: Is it worth starting pilot training now with the whole Coronavirus situation going on? My answer: Yes however, the way you should choose to train should be considered carefully and it’s best you have a Plan B (like a Bachelor’s degree or something similar which you could fall on in case of another pandemic or limited job opportunities were to arise in the worst case scenario). In this blog post I shall discuss this topic and offer my advice based on my experience.
Now, I’m sure most of us have seen in newspapers (like the Guardian) anyone intending to train as a pilot being advised to not do it/start yet as they would essentially be in a lot of debt and owe a lot of money and there’s little job prospects with many airline pilots being made redundant and loosing their job or put on the furlough scheme. Just take a read of this article and you get the picture: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/05/dont-become-a-pilot-as-there-are-no-jobs-just-huge-debts-says-union-balpa-covid-europe-unemployed The first thing to mention is, aviation is an expensive industry. Flying isn’t cheap and learning it isn’t cheap either. Most INTEGRATED AND MPL courses in the United Kingdom cost over £100,000 so to an extent, articles like the one’s above are correct. The situation at the time of writing is bad. However, with prospects of vaccines being put into mass production and people wanting to fly in a few months as many people miss flying, an economic rebound is predicted to occur and the economic situation is expected to improve in a couple of years or maybe even months and so, the demand for air travel will inevitably increase. No storm or rain cloud lasts forever, right? Economically, the industry can’t get any more worse as it has already been during the 2020 lockdowns. Therefore, soon (hopefully) once us trainee airline pilots finish our training – job opportunities would start to be available again and an improvement would be seen in the industry. This fantastic video by Mentour Pilot explains the first sign of aviation recovery in more detail and I really recommend you watch this if you want to know more - click on the white space below to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSdXD9mYi0o
So, even if the future is expected to be better again and airline pilot jobs would eventually be available, is it worth starting pilot training now? Yes however, the way I recommend training to be done might be different than what you might initially expect. There are 3 main accepted ways/routes to become an airline pilot. Modular (which I am current going through), Integrated or MPL (multi-crew pilot license). They all have their advantages and disadvantages and I will certainly make a blog on how to become a pilot which will discuss these routes a lot better and thorough. Long story short, the modular way of training will take longer than an Integrated or MPL route, but it is cheaper and allows you to work or even complete a degree course alongside your training as it’s tailored to your needs and free-time. If you really really want to train to become a pilot now in Covid times, I would advise and recommend the modular training route as although it is longer, you will be timed perfectly to finish your training precisely when the aviation industry improves in the future/job opportunities become available and you can get an extra degree alongside all your pilot licenses so you have something to fall on in case job opportunities are limited. More importantly, you would be in less debt as the cost of training is a lot cheaper and you won’t exactly owe “100 Grand and not find a job to start paying off your parents.” Alternatively, I also say it’s perfectly fine to go down the quick but expensive integrated or MPL route AS LONG AS you have a Plan B in case limited job opportunities occur or you have a university degree which you can get an aviation or non-aviation related job with. Having a Plan B is crucial, more than ever especially with pandemics like the Coronavirus pandemic teaching us this as it’s good to have something to fall back on temporarily in case the worst was to occur. Remember, it’s better to have something than to need something.
Some say, for the same/similar price of an integrated or MPL training route, you can get all your commercial pilot licenses via the modular route, a university Bachelor’s degree and more hours in the log book so more air time with all the hour building you do. But, there is no problem with choosing the integrated or MPL route as they have their great advantages – a topic for another day. My important point to take today is: No matter what route you decide to take in order to train as a pilot, it is important to have a plan B or something to fall back on temporarily if the worst occur or a pandemic started. With pandemics, the aviation industry is one of the first hard-hit industries greatly affected and it can mean job opportunities could be low temporarily. But after every massive economic dip or problem, a recovery follows and I’m sure the Coronavirus is no exception. Stay positive, make sure you choose wisely which route and flight school to train with and make sure you can get a plan B degree whether it is provided alongside you training/all sorted by the ATO or separately. Having mentioned this, an important bit of information to note is that some fantastic ATO’s offer an aviation-related BSc HONS Bachelor’s degree (such as Air Transport Management) alongside the pilot training for both the integrated and modular students, however, this is optional. I therefore, suggest you spend some time researching and visiting the right flight school for you if you intend to be a commercial pilot. The opinion of most people seems to be, it might not be wise in these current times if you don’t have the minimum amount of money for pilot training (whether that’s 100 grand or less) to then ask a bank for it and commence the training without a single Plan B/back-up plan if the worst was to happen (such as loosing your medical due to unexpected health problems or a pandemic) which would mean you would struggle paying off the large loan as the media has mentioned in aviation news.
Alongside my modular airline pilot training, I’m doing an aviation-related Bachelor’s degree so in case another pandemic was to hit, I have something to fall back on. Including the price of my modular pilot training, accommodation and university tuition fees the total cost of my training for the 2/3 years is just under £100,000 – the price you would normally pay for the integrated route except, I get a degree at the end and more hours in the air. Every pilot has their own story on how they got into flight deck. Not everyone is the same. Make sure you have a plan B (especially now with a global pandemic affecting the industry) and choose very wisely which pilot training route to take. It’s all up to you. If you have any queries regarding this blog’s topic, feel free to email me at shalin2013@outlook.com or alternatively, you can send me a direct message on Instagram @PilotShalinOfficial.
I wish those aviators choosing what to do now all the best with their decisions and everyone a safe Christmas. All the best, your Pilot Shalin.
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