Monday thread

[Dom]

It would be awesome to be a pilot (Quagmire).

[Johnathan]

Anyway, enough of that flying talk...

I'm starting my spaceship lessons soon, anyone got any idea on the time and money it'll cost me? Would really like to be a spaceship driver in the next year or so.

[neal]

Anyway, enough of that flying talk...

I'm starting my spaceship lessons soon, anyone got any idea on the time and money it'll cost me? Would really like to be a spaceship driver in the next year or so.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/careers/
Nothing posted at the moment; You'll have to keep checking back

[Matt]

I had a flying lesson for my 18th. bloke taking me realised my door was not shut correctly during take off, so lent over and closed it mid take off.

[Johnathan]

Anyway, enough of that flying talk...

I'm starting my spaceship lessons soon, anyone got any idea on the time and money it'll cost me? Would really like to be a spaceship driver in the next year or so.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/careers/
Nothing posted at the moment; You'll have to keep checking back

I reckon I could fulfil the Operations Manager role. Piece of piss.

[SAMMo_0]

I reckon I could fulfil the Operations Manager role. Piece of piss.

Think I might apply for Supply Chain manager; also a piece of piss - "Yeah, I'd like one spaceship, please. And fuel. Kthx"

See you Monday!

[Marge]

stop talking about wee wee!  you muck tubs! 

[Johnathan]

Who's talking about wee wee?

[familychoice]

We had a 'flying day' thing for one of the companies I worked for. They took us out in a biplane that had seats inside for about 20 people, and invited each of us into the cockpit one at a time to have a go flying it. Of course when I had my go the pilot thought it'd be highly amusing to waggle the stick around causing the plane to veer dangerously while I was trying to keep it steady, so when I went back in the rear with the others I got told off for making everyone airsick.

I remember when I first got into the plane, and as I sat down the window fell out and into my lap. Health and safety gone mad.

[Steve Lampkins]

the pilot

Was it Orville or Wilbur?

[familychoice]

the pilot

Was it Orville or Wilbur?

He was Russian, hardly spoke a word of English and was quite, quite mad.

[Marge]

all completely believable 

[Steve Lampkins]

Your pilot was a banana?

[Cypherite]

Yeah! Well, hopefully, depending on if the instructor gets his bum in gear.

You're flying his bum? Wow, you've changed.

[neal]

Yeah! Well, hopefully, depending on if the instructor gets his bum in gear.

You're flying his bum? Wow, you've changed.

Just because I turned you down doesn't mean I've changed

I feel a little heartbroken today - it costs around £70,000 to get a full commercial licence to fly airliners. I was hoping I could join an airline on some kind of training scheme. Virgin say they did one 10 years ago but aren't likely to do it again for some time

And I found some pilot's blog where he said entry-level airline pilots/co-pilots only earn as little as £30,000 in some cases.

That's the Aston Martin, huge house in Monte Carlo and an abundance of fanny out the window then.

[Johnathan]

But that's entry level, and for doing something as insignificant as flying a plane, it's not a bad amount of money. And you don't need to have money when you're a pilot to get fanny, just wear that cap wherever you go, they'll be round you like flies around shite.

[familychoice]

Yeah! Well, hopefully, depending on if the instructor gets his bum in gear.

You're flying his bum? Wow, you've changed.

Just because I turned you down doesn't mean I've changed

I feel a little heartbroken today - it costs around £70,000 to get a full commercial licence to fly airliners. I was hoping I could join an airline on some kind of training scheme. Virgin say they did one 10 years ago but aren't likely to do it again for some time

And I found some pilot's blog where he said entry-level airline pilots/co-pilots only earn as little as £30,000 in some cases.

That's the Aston Martin, huge house in Monte Carlo and an abundance of fanny out the window then.

I don't think it's as much as that, I've seen £35-50k quoted around the web, and the standard pilots license would be less than 10k. It is a rich boys game though.

[robwhizz]

I couldn't be arsed to fly a commercial jet. They basically fly themselves.

Much rather fly a light aircraft (or a helicopter).

[Johnathan]

Helicopters look too scary when you do something wrong.

[neal]

I don't think it's as much as that, I've seen £35-50k quoted around the web, and the standard pilots license would be less than 10k.

I think £35k gives you a commercial pilot's licence but it's not rated for airliners; there are more exams to fly those.

It is a rich boys game though.

Yeah, that's where I'm going wrong - I'm just not rich. I'm hoping to get a commercial licence so I can fly small commercial planes and make some money crop spraying; shuttling from London to Newquay (for example); collecting aeroplanes from around the country (apparently those jobs exist!), etc.

I couldn't be arsed to fly a commercial jet. They basically fly themselves.

Much rather fly a light aircraft (or a helicopter).

I agree; but 747s are where the money's at

[Steve Lampkins]

When a hobby goes a bit too far.

http://blog.flightstory.net/45/john-travoltas-boeing-707/

[familychoice]

Yeah, that's where I'm going wrong - I'm just not rich. I'm hoping to get a commercial licence so I can fly small commercial planes and make some money crop spraying; shuttling from London to Newquay (for example); collecting aeroplanes from around the country (apparently those jobs exist!), etc.

That's the way. It's like anything, start small and work your way up to the big stuff. After a few years you'll be able to afford the airliner thing, but like Rob said I'd prefer flying the small stuff.

I wish I'd known it was only 10k to learn years ago I'd have loved to be a pilot. I've only tried it twice, both on our fly day. The first time was in the big plane as I said before, the second time was in a little stunt biplane where I had a quick go before the pilot took me on a series of power-dives, loop the loops, engine switching off and an upside-down flypast of the runway, about 6 feet off the ground. And I only cried once.

[SAMMo_0]

I couldn't be arsed to fly a commercial jet. They basically fly themselves.

Much rather fly a light aircraft (or a helicopter).

Yeah exactly - anyone who's played grand theft auto would agree. Much more fun.

[Whatever]

Yeah! Well, hopefully, depending on if the instructor gets his bum in gear.

You're flying his bum? Wow, you've changed.

Just because I turned you down doesn't mean I've changed

I feel a little heartbroken today - it costs around £70,000 to get a full commercial licence to fly airliners. I was hoping I could join an airline on some kind of training scheme. Virgin say they did one 10 years ago but aren't likely to do it again for some time

And I found some pilot's blog where he said entry-level airline pilots/co-pilots only earn as little as £30,000 in some cases.

That's the Aston Martin, huge house in Monte Carlo and an abundance of fanny out the window then.

Try £80k and upwards for a provider like Oxford Aviation. They are the main provider of training for airline sponsored pilots too but there is very little opportunity now and you have to fund it up front via a bank loan.

Your starting salary as a 1st Officer can be as little as £21k if you have financial help from the airline but can be boosted with perks, flight bonus etc.

It's the smaller airlines that are doing some 'sponsorship' but it's big competition for just a few places and you'd be expected to have A levels at the minimum.

[neal]

Try £80k and upwards for a provider like Oxford Aviation. They are the main provider of training for airline sponsored pilots too but there is very little opportunity now and you have to fund it up front via a bank loan.

Your starting salary as a 1st Officer can be as little as £21k if you have financial help from the airline but can be boosted with perks, flight bonus etc.

It's the smaller airlines that are doing some 'sponsorship' but it's big competition for just a few places and you'd be expected to have A levels at the minimum.

Thanks for the info - how come you know so much?

To be honest it's probably just another pipe dream but I'm not writing it off just yet. Do you know which smaller airlines might be doing sponsorship? I might just go for the PPL and think about the CPL later on

[Whatever]

Try £80k and upwards for a provider like Oxford Aviation. They are the main provider of training for airline sponsored pilots too but there is very little opportunity now and you have to fund it up front via a bank loan.

Your starting salary as a 1st Officer can be as little as £21k if you have financial help from the airline but can be boosted with perks, flight bonus etc.

It's the smaller airlines that are doing some 'sponsorship' but it's big competition for just a few places and you'd be expected to have A levels at the minimum.

Thanks for the info - how come you know so much?

To be honest it's probably just another pipe dream but I'm not writing it off just yet. Do you know which smaller airlines might be doing sponsorship? I might just go for the PPL and think about the CPL later on

I am in your position, although too old now to do sponsored training. I'd have to build up to it myself and I just could not find that sort of money, so resigned to hopefully building my business up enough that I can fly PPL for fun from our local airport, Staverton (Glos).

I went to Oxford to a seminar and seriously looked into it but was never going to compete with some of the clever dicks applying!

Check out their site, there's an Easyjet course coming up for 30 pilots:

http://www.oaa.com/files/press_releases/easyJet_MPL_Press_Release_March2011.pdf

Try something less expensive like Paragliding like I did, just don't nearly kill yourself on the side of a mountain!

[neal]

I am in your position, although too old now to do sponsored training. I'd have to build up to it myself and I just could not find that sort of money, so resigned to hopefully building my business up enough that I can fly PPL for fun from our local airport, Staverton (Glos).

I went to Oxford to a seminar and seriously looked into it but was never going to compete with some of the clever dicks applying!

Check out their site, there's an Easyjet course coming up for 30 pilots:

http://www.oaa.com/files/press_releases/easyJet_MPL_Press_Release_March2011.pdf

Try something less expensive like Paragliding like I did, just don't nearly kill yourself on the side of a mountain!

Wow, that's awesome info, cheers!

How old is too old for sponsored training? I'm 2 years on the wiser side of the age range you mentioned beforehand.

And if this actually takes off (see what I did there..?) then I'll be sure to give you couple of flights for free

[Dom]

Monday, booooo!

Woke up stupidly late this morning. Still, it's nice and sunny, so have a banana. 

[Steve Lampkins]

Dreary here.

And the weather's not much cop either.

[Dom]

Well I had a pretty good weekend, so I'm happy. Friday night - night out in Newcastle. It's blimmin' expensive up there, but it's always a busy night out. We all got in and went to bed at about 5am. I woke up at about 8:30 to the sound of a mate heaving his guts up in the bathroom. I thought to myself, "well, at least he made it to the bathroom."

Then about 10 minutes later he comes staggering back into the bedroom, with an empty jug in his hand. Obviously that wasn't going to end well, so I got up and went downstairs just as he starts heaving into the jug, not even a foot away.

By 4pm he'd recovered enough to actually drive us home, so we ended up just chilling out on Saturday, getting pizza and watching Limitless at the cinema. Not a bad film, to be honest.

Spent 5 hours on Sunday on the train home, spying on people's text messages and eavesdropping on their phonecalls.

Great weekend.