Exploring professional path
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- ememic99
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Exploring professional path
Exactly 9 months ago I was persuaded by a pilot friend to change my career and join the ranks of professional pilots. The idea sounded attractive because flying is my hobby since I was 16 and in my IT career I accomplished a lot finding it less and less challenging. So I started to investigate my options starting from PPL and ME/IR that I had at that moment.
Living in EASA land it assumed passing 13 ATPL theory exams before making any further step. Initially, I hoped some subjects from my IR training would be recognized because they are the same for EASA IR and ATPL but due to change of regulations only Communications I didn’t have to repeat. ATPL theory in EASA means combined CBT and ground school with total of 650 hours of studying with various progress tests required to be passed before advancing across topics and subjects. Luckily now you can sit the first exams after completing studying first 6 subjects and then continue with rest after completing studying the rest.
So I started attending distant learning course (90% CBT and 10% of ground school) and managed to finish the first part end of June. I applied for this set of subjects and passed first six exams beginning of July. The rest I completed by mid September and passed next six exams beginning of October. After that I passed AUPRT course, MCC course on KingAir simulator and CPL skill test by mid November. Then I took one month break because I felt pretty tired.
Mid January this year I started CBT for type rating, followed by ground training beginning of February and full-motion simulator sessions mid February. Yesterday I passed skill test for Saab 340 type rating and next month I’m starting to fly one in cargo configuration. I guess I’ll enjoy it
Living in EASA land it assumed passing 13 ATPL theory exams before making any further step. Initially, I hoped some subjects from my IR training would be recognized because they are the same for EASA IR and ATPL but due to change of regulations only Communications I didn’t have to repeat. ATPL theory in EASA means combined CBT and ground school with total of 650 hours of studying with various progress tests required to be passed before advancing across topics and subjects. Luckily now you can sit the first exams after completing studying first 6 subjects and then continue with rest after completing studying the rest.
So I started attending distant learning course (90% CBT and 10% of ground school) and managed to finish the first part end of June. I applied for this set of subjects and passed first six exams beginning of July. The rest I completed by mid September and passed next six exams beginning of October. After that I passed AUPRT course, MCC course on KingAir simulator and CPL skill test by mid November. Then I took one month break because I felt pretty tired.
Mid January this year I started CBT for type rating, followed by ground training beginning of February and full-motion simulator sessions mid February. Yesterday I passed skill test for Saab 340 type rating and next month I’m starting to fly one in cargo configuration. I guess I’ll enjoy it
- Chris
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Re: Exploring professional path
That's fantastic, Emir! Congratulations and best of luck as you start your next career!
- MarkO
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Re: Exploring professional path
Congratulations Emir - it's a wonderful career and one that I enjoyed every day that I went to work.
- Boatguy
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- krellis
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Re: Exploring professional path
Congratulations Emir! You have a great future ahead of you. I had 35+ years and wouldn't have traded it for any other career.
- ememic99
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Re: Exploring professional path
Thanks! It won’t last long because of the age limit but I still expect it to be fun and interesting. It’s a small cargo company and I’ll take some other business related tasks to help improving efficiency. Besides that I know people who I’ll fly with which will ensure good flight deck atmosphere.
- Ed McDonald
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Re: Exploring professional path
Great move. Pursue your dreams!
You’ll probably never “work” a day when flying as a pro.
You’ll probably never “work” a day when flying as a pro.
- DerekM
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Re: Exploring professional path
Congrats Emir! That was an impressive undertaking of study. Let us know how it progresses - is it a path for decent monetary gain for example or given your age is it more taking your passion to the next level.
- ememic99
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Re: Exploring professional path
It’s all about taking my lifetime passion to another level. Last year it was 40 years since I started to fly and I’ve never thought about turning it to a profession. But it happened.