Can someone please give me some advice on a private pilots licence?

I have a private pilots licence and i have decided i am not going to go any further with my flying career due to financial issues. But i want to work for an airline and was thinking id like to work in operations. But i dont know how to go about this and also will my ppl help me in anyway? I live in ireland, does anyone know of any airlines or agencies to go to for this kind of work? If anyone could help that would be most appreciated thanks.Can someone please give me some advice on a private pilots licence?
What you ought to do is get a dispatchers license. To be come a certified aircraft dispatcher you basically need to pass the same written exams that an airline pilot applicant has to take. As a certified dispatcher you are then very hireable since there is a shortage of them within the airline industry. I would think that anyone with a private license and some flying experience would have an advantage over applicants who don't.





As an alternative to the airlines, you could go to any FBO (fixed base operator) at a local airport and apply for a job in customer service or operations. There are all kinds of entry level jobs and you can work your way up. Again, having the PPL will be advantageous since you already know something about aviation. FBO's handle general aviation aircraft, corporate aircraft, flight training and maintenance. Most airports have them.





With enough experience, then you might apply for an operations position at an airline. This is exactly what my first wife (now deceased) did in England. She started at an FBO and ended up working as a dispatcher for Jersey-European airways. While she was working for them she made enough money to continue her flight training and was eventually hired by them as a copilot. This was about 10 years ago. You might try the same path to the airlines. In thru the back door, as it were.Can someone please give me some advice on a private pilots licence?
I'm pretty sure if you talk to half of pilots today they will tell you of their financial issues during training. I don't think you should stop cold your dream of being an airline pilot, there are lots of organizations for aspiring pilots just like you. I'm not sure about Ireland or the UK though. I'm not a pilot yet but that's just what I've learned, although I'm sure it doesn't help much. FEDEX or any other shipping or mail carrier might be the best way to get a leg up in a company and eventually fly for them.





Once again not a pilot or even in the industry:)
Its definitely not the right time to become a pilot, however give it a couple of years and you can overcome your financial issues since you can take a pilot loan out/professional studies loan, which many UK banks do not offer during this current economic crisis.





Having a private pilots license may or may not increase your chances of getting the job in operations.
A JAR PPL is very insignificant compared to the licenses, ratings required to obtain your ATPL.


And if your current goal is to step from a PPL to an ATPL/CPL to an airline immediately, then your only alternative is to apply for sponsorship with the hope that your PPL will be considered along with any qualifications.








Your JAR PPL alone isn't very usefull other than to provide private recreational fun, however it will allow you to gain the ratings which will allow you to slowly develop the funds to acquire the licences.


Very few airline pilots train through the Integrated route in a high density state of training, many slowly build up enough funds to take the modular route. Using their salaries as a base to pay for their flying, often taking years.


Fortunately ab initio flying schools JAR approved such as Oxford flight training/CTC can help you organise a loan to pay for the Integrated route. This does depend on whether you can pass their selection process and if you are able to satisfy the banks by securing the loan using yours/parents home.


This is often a high risk option however good/accredited flying schools will evaluate any risks based on your skills, since the whole course will be Integrated and completed in the shortest time.





If you have over 195 hours on your PPL and you are over 21, you will still qualify to sit the JAA ATPL ground exams.


The ATPL ground exams are the most difficult ground exams you will ever face for commercial flying, and if you pass this. Although it will be very useless on it's own, it should help you during the selection process for sponsorship.


If you don't have 195 hours yet, and perhaps just under 100. It will be wise to gain the additional hours through ratings and licences or by applying for a Flight Instructors rating. And using the small payment side of flying to gain the additional free hours.





To get a good idea of what airlines and small private aviation companies require from pilots, directly look at their websites. Even on ryanair's main website under 'careers', it shows you the requirements to become a crew member.


However it won't list what is required to obtain a frozen ATPL, and I hope you are already familiar with what is required (hours not applied)





PPL


IR


CPL


Multi engine rating


MCC


ATPL


Type rating training paid by the airline





Although some may not be considered, and it doesn't need to be in that order. However it will give you a basic idea of what is required before you are able to pilot a 'complex twin engined type rated twin crew aircraft in IFR conditons whilst you are being paid as an airline pilot'.


(Hope you understood my method used above, it was used to help you understand why the licences/ratings are required.





On my last note, I've probably made it clear to you already that your PPL alone is very useless. However it isn't all that useless since it will allow you to gain the additional ratings/licences sufficient for a career in aviation - and to be paid whilst you fly.





Visit your local flying school, talk to experienced flight instructors, contact the larger flying schools for advice. And don't apply american advice since we are JAA and they're FAA and don't have the same structure as us.





James