The Integrated Route

The Integrated Programme provides intense, structured training over a relatively short period, maintaining a standard and continuity that is essential to the successful completion of any flying course. It provides a key element that any recruiter is said to be looking for – continuity of training.

Before being accepted onto the Integrated Programme you will have to pass a selection test. This will give you some idea of your aptitude and suitability for this career and will highlight any areas of weakness – vital information for you to have before you spend money.

The test attempts to emulate the process of airline selection and on the whole, depending on the school, it does the job. Once on the course as a trainee, you follow strict syllabus numbers during all elements of your training, which allows you to track your progress and keep an eye on what’s coming up next.

The Integrated Course has four main elements:

• Flight Training (Basic and Advanced)
• Multi Crew Cooperation Course (MCC)
• Jet Orientation Course (JOC)
• Airline Preparation Course

Tip: Ask the school what would happen if any of your training was delayed.

Each of these elements follows a chronological order, and once it is completed you will be issued with an Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL).

The down-side to this type of training is that it can be expensive. The advantage is that you are at a single Flight Training Organisation (FTO) throughout your training, and they are contracted to get you through to completion.

Keep this in mind when choosing your FTO, as you will suffer significant penalties, both financially and from a training perspective, should you choose to withdraw before completion. Furthermore, if you are not on an airline integrated route (i.e. you have been pre-selected by an airline before or during your training) there could be a risk you will suffer training delays first if for example the training aircraft has technical issues.

This should be checked before you sign your training contract. Another key factor to remember is that basic training is largely carried out at an overseas base, with the student returning to the UK only to complete the advanced Instrument Rating part of the course.

The style of teaching of the Integrated Programme must also be considered as it may not suit everyone, particularly the more mature candidate. It can be regimented, and you have to wear a uniform with stripes earned for each flying milestone, although it must be said that those stripes go some way to making you feel part of the flying fraternity. If you have been out of education for a while this may not be the option for you. Don’t count it out solely because of that – research it thoroughly.

Visit many FTOs before you commit, and speak to the people already there.

When you leave the Integrated Course you will have completed:

• 195 hours Flight Training (Actual and Simulator)
• 750 hours Ground School

Most Integrated Courses are classed as ‘minimum hours’, which means that any flying required above the prescribed minimum – for example, a failed test requiring some re- training – will have to be paid for in addition to the normal course fees.

Enter the training in the full realisation that you are probably going to go over minimum hours, and it is going to take longer and cost more than anticipated. It can be more if you need extra hours at the multi-engine aircraft stage. Make sure you investigate these extra hour fees before signing up.

The Modular Route

This alternative will furnish you with the same licence as the Integrated Programme but will give you an additional level of flexibility because it allows you to complete one section at a time, at a pace that suits you and your finances, and in a more convenient location for you.

You will complete the same sections as the Integrated Route, but the absence of a rigid completion programme may dovetail better with your lifestyle. This is not to say there is no focused structure to the Modular Route; while it covers the same sections as the Integrated Route they are completed in a slightly different way, and a careful structure is important if the course is to be completed in a timely manner.

The major difference is that you start the commercial training after gaining a PPL (A) and a minimum of 150 hours flight experience. The prospective commercial pilot needs to use these hours wisely. It is considered to be of little use to fly around the local area on sightseeing tours, or just have fun with friends on land-aways. Fly with your commercial goals in mind. You would be wise to look at the syllabus of the Integrated Course and fly similar exercises when building hours on the Modular Route.

You will take the same ground school exams and the same CAA flight exams as the Integrated Route cadet once the 150 hours and night rating have been completed. On the Modular Course, however, you avoid all the interim flight tests involved in the Integrated Course so you are examined less during training. The average Integrated Course involves five progress tests as well as the Instrument Rating test. An advantage of the Modular Route is that you can specify how and when you would like to take your tests.

As an example, on most Integrated Courses the cadet would be required to combine the CPL skills test with the multi-engine complex rating test. On the Modular Route you can take the CPL skills test in a complex single aircraft and complete the multi-engine rating at a later date. A candidate for the CPL (A) must have logged at least 200 hours before they can apply for the licence. Comparing this to the Integrated Programme shows that a modular student will have flown more hours and possibly spent a little less money than the Integrated student.

The key to success in pursuing the Modular Route is consistency and focus of training. Find a good school and stick with it. Structure your hours so that you are completing worthwhile training tasks similar to those in the Integrated training syllabus.

“Some may feel they would be isolated taking the Modular Route, however, the BALPA Portal provides a rich, knowledgeable community to engage with.”

The Multi-Crew Pilot Licence

The Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) is structured very differently to more traditional flight training. It should only be considered if you want to fly for a specific airline on a certain type of aircraft. It allows the holder to exercise the privileges of the Frozen ATPL but is limited to a specific type, certificated for multi pilot operation only. This is not the training path of choice if you are looking to become an instructor, or want to do anything other than fly for an airline.

One major difference is that it has significantly fewer flying hours during the course, but this is offset by the increased number of hours you have to fly in an advanced full-flight simulator. This licence is designed to get a cadet from zero hours to the right seat of a specified aircraft type. The preliminary type rating for your aircraft is included in the course, and it is specific to a single airline as their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are included.

This ultimately means that the licence is issued with restrictions allowing the pilot to fly only with that airline on that specific type, and the licence is not fully valid until the type- rating course for that specific airline has been completed. If that airline goes bust before the restrictions are lifted, retraining may be required at extra cost.

So why go for this type of licence? If you are on this course, it should mean you have identified an airline and aircraft type you want to fly and are already employed by an airline, or part-sponsored and have a job at the end of your training. If you don’t have a job offer, it is not recommended that you embark on this type of training.

MPL Misconception

Your MPL would be a frozen ATPL just like any other, except it is restricted to multi pilot aircraft only. Once you have met the perquisite experience you can apply for the ATPL and thereafter you are entitled to operate as Pilot in Command on multi crew aircraft. If you want commercial single crew privileges then you must meet specific requirements. The MPL includes a type rating for initial issue. Once you have completed Line Training you can then convert to any other aircraft just as a frozen ATPL holder.

A typical course would consist of:

• Minimum 240 hours flying
• 70 hours of actual flying
• 170 hours on simulators
• 750 hours Ground School

Which course to choose?

There are many reasons why an aspiring pilot would choose one route over another. Ultimately, they all lead to an Air Transport Pilots Licence (ATPL).

Historically, the Integrated Route has been the industry-accepted way into the airlines or commercial flying. However, we have seen changes in recruitment
practices more recently. The major downside to the Integrated Route is that it can be expensive and it is full-time so you are not able to learn and earn.

The Modular Route offers great flexibility and can often be completed part-time
while working on another job. You could theoretically take breaks between training modules, but be mindful not to leave big gaps between sections. The downside to this route is that historically, the Modular Route pilot was required to have considerably more hours than the Integrated student, and had perhaps to have gone through a period of working as a flight instructor to build up those all-important hours. The overall cost of the course can be less if you structure it correctly, but it may take longer to achieve the licence.

The MPL should only be considered if you have been taken on by an airline offering that particular course as the preferred route of entry. If you are offered a place on such a programme, make sure you enter it informed, understand the possible pitfalls and have a contingency plan. You are relying on the airline to see you through, and if they go bankrupt or make redundancies you may not be able to complete your training and your job offer is likely to be removed.

Different training routes

Dale Mudie: Modular Route

Why did you choose the modular route?

“Cost and flexibility. Neither my family nor I are in a position to be able to fund my training via the integrated route. This means I have had to establish myself in another full time career first, in order to fund my training.”

What are the upsides and downsides for you in the modular route?

“The biggest positive is the flexibility. You can set your own pace and you have the ability to change training providers if you feel you are not getting the service you deserve. The biggest negative for me is that I am not totally immersed in the training environment. I learn best by surrounding myself in that environment 24/7, away from distractions.”

How did you fund your training?

“I initially saved up enough money for my PPL by working in my current job. I realised to complete all of my commercial training within a realistic timescale and with consistency throughout training, I needed all of the money up front. I approached my parents and together we re-mortgaged their house, for which I am now liable.”

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to become a pilot?

“You have to be 110% committed to wanting the lifestyle and have the passion and the resilience to keep moving forward. Do lots of research into the role of a professional pilot. Make your CV standout because after training, everyone ends up with the same licence.”

Holly Simms: Integrated Route

Why did you choose the integrated route?

“Having been out of education for a little while, I felt that going down the integrated route would give me the continuity that I would need to do well in the studies and come out with a good flying report at the end. I spoke to a couple of people in the industry and was advised that airlines were leaning towards integrated cadets at the time.”

What are the upsides and downsides in the integrated route?

“The upside is the continuity of the teaching and the ‘after care’ that my training organisation provided once I had completed my course, such as CV workshops and interview preparation courses. Having to stop working was a downside for me, as I used all of my savings to live on for the 19 months of training, much like many of the other students on my course.”

How have you funded your training?

“I was very lucky and used a family loan, of which I know many people do not have the luxury.”

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to become a pilot?

“Go to as many open days as you can, and talk to the students there. They will give you honest feedback about the school (they usually aren’t being paid to be there), so you can get a real feel for the provider. I spoke to a student when I visited Oxford Aviation Academy and his honest opinion helped me pick the school. His advice held true, and my experience with Oxford was exceptional.”

Sophie Truran: MPL Route

Why did you choose the MPL route?

I chose the MPL route because at that time it meant that I had a job offer with an airline waiting for me at the end of my training.

What were the upsides and downsides for you in the MPL route?

The main upside of the MPL route is that you already have a place at an airline for when you finish your training. However, this is also a downside insofar as you are tied to that specific airline until the time when you unfreeze your ATPL at 1500 hours. An MPL is company specific and often not transferrable, but an ATPL is.

How did you fund your training?

My parents had to remortgage their house to help me fund training; it is no easy task, particularly as generally the salaries of entry-level pilot positions at airlines make loan repayments nearly impossible. I would say that the financial aspect is one of the main problems of training for the industry. Arguably there are many talented pilots out there who deserve a place in training, but the financial barriers are just too great.

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to become a pilot?

Do something else first, get some life experience and have something to fall back on. Whilst it is a brilliant profession and many aspire from very young ages to become a pilot, I know that especially during the pandemic for example, those pilots that had another trade and other qualifications fared much better than those who had come straight from school.

Besides, frankly when you’re sitting in a flight deck with someone for a five hour flight to Egypt and the same for the return, it is much more enjoyable to be able to chat about topics not just related to aviation!

“You are relying on the airline to see you through, and if they go bankrupt or make redundancies, you may not be able to complete your training”