Ask Captain Lim ~ All about Aviation

Dear Capt Lim,

My name is Kit and I live in Malaysia. I have come across your Site during some research and I must say you have done a great job with your Website. I am 24 years old and have worked for 2 years. I am now planning on pursuing a flying career. Your site has given me encouragement and though there are few niggling problems to iron out, I hope you could give me a few pointers about it.

Firstly, how wise is paying approximately RM$100,000.00 to study for a CPL/ATPL in Australia if I can't get through the Cadet Pilot schemes of Singapore Airlines or Malaysia Airlines?

Secondly, what are the options for me to pursue in order to obtain the necessary Licenses to join the Airlines?

Thirdly, are the future job prospects and pay/remuneration as a pilot good? I need to convince my parents that I am not wasting their money.

Thanks for taking the time to read this mail. I appreciate your comments and help.

Kit

Hi Kit,

If you have the basic qualifications and have an ambition to be a pilot, by all means, go ahead and make flying a career. Australia is a good place to acquire a CPL/ATPL, but for a similar amount, you can also get the same qualification locally. RM$100,000.00 will only get you less than two years of overseas education for an University basic degree. So if you are dead serious, it would be worth the while to spend the money on flying. But I would like to remind you that the demand for pilots fluctuates with the economy. In bad times, you may have to wait for a while before you can be employed if you are not sponsored by an airline.

The second option is to be involved in general aviation by joining a Flying Club and work your way up. It would be a very long process. Read a similar FAQ of mine which touch on this topic above. Alternatively, join the Air Force and get free pilot training. When your contract expires, you can apply to join the Airlines when there is a shortage of pilots. You must have your flying licenses and you can do them on your own. Your flying hours in the Air Force are generally recognized by the Civil Aviation Authorities.

The remuneration of a pilot is good and job prospect is uncertain at the moment in the short term. But there will always be a need for the pilot profession. You would certainly recover all the money spent on the training in the end! Pursue your dreams!

Dear Capt Lim,

Thanks for the in-depth overview of being a pilot. Regarding the spending of RM$100,000.00 to study it in Australia, I have checked that taking an ATPL locally would cost about RM150,000.00. Would spending the similar amount of money in Australia provide for better quality of flying training? (Since they are renowned for aviation safety).

So even if I don't get into a major Airline, would working as a pilot in any other Aviation Companies be as lucrative? How much is the pay of an instructor or a corporate pilot?

My final problem is that I have a slight color deficiency and I have gone to see a specialist. I have just taken a Farnsworth100 Hue Test yesterday and I am still waiting for the results.
The doctor told me that he would advise against pursuing a career as a pilot, based on
the fact that an Airline could hire someone without a deficiency, so why hire me? What I would like to know is, being color deficient hinder the job of a pilot?

Has there been any accidents caused by a color deficient pilot? Some pilots today are color
deficient without even knowing that they have and still fly pretty well. Am I right?

Please advise me on this. Thank you Capt Lim. 

Kit

Hi Kit,

Doing your flying training in Australia is also a good choice.

Pay for instructor or a corporate pilot can vary so much that I can't quote you any figures.

If you are color blind, then you may not pass the medical test for pilot training. As you know, the medical examination for Airline entry is quite stringent as compared to other profession and recognition of colors is important in the air.
I am not sure as to whether any accidents have been caused by a color deficient pilot because he would have been screened out in an aircrew medical examination anyway.