Are paid training opportunities worth it?

[Dockjock]

There has never been a time in recent history where there are so many opportunities to enter the industry. Yeah you might work the ramp. But not for long. Save your money and do it with elbow grease instead. You will gain the respect of your peers which is important in moving up the career ladder.

[goingnowherefast]

I've got a great opportunity!
Give me $60,000 and I'll train you on a Mooney. Then pay me $150 per hour and you can be my personal pilot. That way you will gain valuable experience flying a retractable gear airplane with a constant speed propellor.
I offer the same package for King Air 90 copilot, but it costs $500,000 up front and $500 per hour.

[Air.Field]

I've got a great opportunity!
Give me $60,000 and I'll train you on a Mooney. Then pay me $150 per hour and you can be my personal pilot. That way you will gain valuable experience flying a retractable gear airplane with a constant speed propellor.
I offer the same package for King Air 90 copilot, but it costs $500,000 up front and $500 per hour.

Where do I sign up?

[Meatservo]

If you love flying, nothing beats a few years or more in the hinterlands experiencing life and nature.

40 years pushing buttons in heavy iron is a long time and you'll get sick of it quickly if your only aim is to take shortcuts and not enjoy the journey for the destination.

Exactly this.

[calgaryguy]

Hello everyone, I just finished my CPL and am looking for job. After looking around, it seems there are not many good jobs for new pilot. Either you have to work as a ramp slave or pay for instructor rating.

Recently, my friend told me about this program called "Pay to fly". Basically, the idea is that because you are a new pilot with little experience, not many companies will want to hire you. So you pay the company to give you type rating and 500-1000 hours of line training experience. After this, you will be an experienced pilot and it will be easy to find job.

I am wondering if this is a good way to proceed. I know that it will cost quite a bit, more than the instructor rating, but I am thinking that with training on airplane like 737 or 320 and 500 hours I would be able to bypass the low paying jobs and be better off in the long run.

If anybody has done this sort of program, could you please tell me how it was and which company you did it with, and where you are working now?

I talked to a few companies and already have some offers for line training package. The one I am most interested in is the Eaglejet package for A320 TR and 500 hours line training with an airline in Asia for USD 70,000.

Inderjit S

If you do this and I see it on your resume or logbook, your resume will instantly go into the trash bin. If somehow you make it to the interview you will see me sitting on the interview panel. You will not make it through the hiring process, and "never under any circumstances" placed on your file. I want to work with fellow professionals, and not guys who don't know how to say no.

[Pacqing]

What I was going to say as above. . If your endgame is AC and you do go pay for the endorsement then come back to Canada and apply @ AC who do you think will be looking at your CV. Some guy who paid his dues , went through several up/down cycles in Canadian aviation and finally made it to where she/she is. Where will your CV go? Top of pile or ground file? I'll let you figure it out.

[Aviatard]

Where will your CV go? Top of pile or ground file? I'll let you figure it out.

Why? Why is the line drawn at paying for a type rating? It's flight training after all. It's fine to pay for a commercial license, multi-engine rating, and instrument rating. Those are also forms if flight training, but after that, no go? That's hypocrisy, isn't it? Sort of like saying times were crap for me, so I'm going to make sure they're crap for you too. That kind of makes you a dick.

[Diadem]

Why? Why is the line drawn at paying for a type rating? It's flight training after all. It's fine to pay for a commercial license, multi-engine rating, and instrument rating. Those are also forms if flight training, but after that, no go? That's hypocrisy, isn't it? Sort of like saying times were crap for me, so I'm going to make sure they're crap for you too. That kind of makes you a dick.

Because employers will provide type ratings, but they won't provide licences. It's no different than telling an employer that you'll work for free to give you an advantage over all the people who want money. Paying to give yourself a leg-up on other pilots is like paying to get an advantage in a video game: you might win the game, but it doesn't make you any better at it, and everyone will think a lot less of you.

[Diadem]

Why? Why is the line drawn at paying for a type rating? It's flight training after all. It's fine to pay for a commercial license, multi-engine rating, and instrument rating. Those are also forms if flight training, but after that, no go? That's hypocrisy, isn't it? Sort of like saying times were crap for me, so I'm going to make sure they're crap for you too. That kind of makes you a dick.

Because employers will provide type ratings, but they won't provide licences. It's no different than telling an employer that you'll work for free to give you an advantage over all the people who want money. Paying to give yourself a leg-up on other pilots is like paying to get an advantage in a video game: you might win the game, but it doesn't make you any better at it, and everyone will think a lot less of you.

[Aviatard]

It's no different than telling an employer that you'll work for free to give you an advantage over all the people who want money. Paying to give yourself a leg-up on other pilots is like paying to get an advantage in a video game: you might win the game, but it doesn't make you any better at it, and everyone will think a lot less of you.

It's very different than working for free. I'm showing up with a qualification that I paid for, just like I paid for my Group 1 IFR rating. Lots of people couldn't afford to pay for a commercial license, but if I can, am I getting a leg up on those guys who went to truck driving school because $75,000 for flight training was too much for them? It's an arbitrary policy with no rational reason behind it.

BTW I'm too old for the airlines to consider, so I have no skin in this game. I just think it's a dumb way of thinking.

[digits_]

To me, the "getting a typerating"-part isn't the bad part, it's more the "pay to work for 500 hours"-part that sucks, which is often part of paid training courses.

[complexintentions]

What I was going to say as above. . If your endgame is AC and you do go pay for the endorsement then come back to Canada and apply @ AC who do you think will be looking at your CV. Some guy who paid his dues , went through several up/down cycles in Canadian aviation and finally made it to where she/she is. Where will your CV go? Top of pile or ground file? I'll let you figure it out.

So paying 170,000 on training isn't "paying your dues", is that it? lol

hahah It's hilarious seeing people get all wound up about this. For many, many people paying to fly has paid off handsomely and that just drives those who don't have the money to do the same absolutely crazy in "Everyone's Equal Canada"!

Sorry, but not everyone's equal. There's always someone with an advantage whether it's the opportunity to take advantage of being a diversity hire, nepotism, born rich, or just in the right place at the right time of the hiring cycle. No need to think you've suffered something unique just because it took you longer to get somewhere.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

I once received a resume from someone who also offered to pay for their $50,000 type rating. Needless to say, I didn't hire him.

[goingnowherefast]

Everybody needs a CPL and group 1. Not everybody needs an a320 type rating. That is specific to the job, hence job specific training and should be paid by the company.