Is it a good time?
Posted by luxx_24@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 9 comments
I’m supposed to start my ATPL (EASA) course in September, but it doesn’t seem like a good time to become an airline pilot.
Because of the war, fuel prices have gone up (so flight costs will likely increase), airlines are starting to cancel many flights, and I’m afraid that after spending €120k on training, it might be very difficult to find a job in these conditions.
I haven’t paid anything yet, except for the registration fee, and I’m not in debt, but I need to decide quickly.
Any advice? 🙏😭
minfremi@reddit
There has always been war somewhere, sometime. Media just gets to decide which ones are important to report on.
BigJellyfish1906@reddit
Thats horribly ignorant given the global scale of the impact of this war.
ltcterry@reddit
This is not the first time oil has been this expensive. And it won’t be the last time.
Apprehensive_Cost937@reddit
Oil being expensive is only one part of the problem. It's the actual supply of jet fuel that's looking to be a much bigger issue in the upcoming months.
Busy_Comedian_8165@reddit
European aviation has it's up's and downs but it's very rare that recruitment hits zero for 0hr pilots(covid being the only outlier in recent history).
If you complete your training with a recognised school you will find a job. Whether it's immediate or 2 years post training, you will get there. You will hear horror stories of people struggling to find employment but they are few and far between, and often not the full story. If you fluff your ATPL exams, perform poorly during your skills tests, then yes, it will be a challenge.
studente_telematico@reddit
I’m of the opinion that this oil crisis will pass because the interests at stake are enormous and don’t concern only the aviation sector. COVID was more frightening because no one knew how long the pandemic would last—some even talked about a decade.
So, best of luck with your ATPL journey.
Apprehensive_Cost937@reddit
By the time you finish training (18 months at the minimum), the aviation world might look completely different than it does today. It might be better, it might be the same, or it might be worse. It's a cyclical industry, and nobody can predict the future.
If you started your training in April 2020 (start of Covid lockdowns), you'd be in a good position to be hired in 2022, when the job market was very good. But past performance doesn't indicate the future, either.
€120k is a lot to spend on flight training. Have you looked at some other schools? I'm sure you can get all training done for quite a lot less money.
Professional_Low_646@reddit
It’s a cyclical industry. When I started my ATPL, the outlook wasn’t good either (Euro/debt crisis), by the time I finished, there was a huge demand for pilots. Then came Covid (bad), followed by another tremendous boom.
It’s something you need to be aware of in this career, I know pilots who have had to change employers half a dozen times or so. Being young and flexible in where you want to work can make it easier. If you can endure a certain amount of uncertainty, I wouldn’t worry too much about what things are like right now.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I’m supposed to start my ATPL (EASA) course in September, but it doesn’t seem like a good time to become an airline pilot.
Because of the war, fuel prices have gone up (so flight costs will likely increase), airlines are starting to cancel many flights, and I’m afraid that after spending €120k on training, it might be very difficult to find a job in these conditions.
I haven’t paid anything yet, except for the registration fee, and I’m not in debt, but I need to decide quickly.
Any advice? 🙏😭
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