.......Hmmm, a very valid question if you ask me. I mean, 10 million shillings just doesn't grow on trees, and, you may be correct in thinking that the money you would have otherwise poured into flight school could have as well been directed to some other personal projects or investments.
But then again, I ask myself, why, despite the overall gargantuan cost of training, job uncertainty, harsh economic times, do people still decide to pursue flight training or flying generally. Could it be for mere bragging rights to tell others that they are pilots, or could it be the pursuit of the whole experience from meeting all manner of aviators and building networks, visiting new places, heck! even therapy, as you soak in majestic and breath-taking scenery from your little C152.
Anyways, I digress, but I would love to know your thoughts on the above.
Back to the subject at hand, as a follow up to the first part of the interview with Captain Joe, we had a brief chat on the ratings and costs involved in flying the Cessna Caravan which he broke down in detail, starting from the SPL (Student Pilot License) stage, the PPL and CPL stage and even further to the ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot) Stage.
Take your time to read through each part carefully and remember to share your thoughts and queries in the comments section below.
... And so Joe, what does it take, in terms of specific ratings and hours to graduate from the small training aircraft to a Caravan?
This is really a good question.
The first step for any pilot would be for them to get a Student Pilot's License (SPL).
This will require medicals and a few other supporting documents.
With this license, one can get a solo, meaning that they get to fly an aircraft by themselves without an instructor and land it without anyone's assistance.
After the SPL, one will need to do a PPL (Private Pilot License) for a minimum of 40 hours if in Kenya. In other countries like USA, it might take between 40 and 70 hours for a foreigner, depending on their English capability.
The radio traffic and accent in many foreign countries like USA do take time to get used to.
In the USA, the average pilot gets his/her PPL between 40-72hrs. What disturbs many student pilots is mostly radio communication rather than the flying skill part. If in a country like the USA where Air Traffic speak very quickly due to the congestion, it might take longer.
You can imagine a clearance like this being spoken for 10seconds non stop... "N 609T, climb to Flight level 120, orbit and then make a right turn to heading 250 degrees to avoid an A320 on approach to Miami. Contact Miami Approach on 124.850 and squawk 3856. You are cleared to proceed to Marathon Island. Maintain this frequency until the island is on sight"....... It's almost impossible to memorize that instruction unless it's written down or unless one has flown through there many countless times. It took me an extra 3 months before I could get the hang of the fast paced American VFR and IFR* radio telecommunication accent. You can imagine being in Miami Airspace on your PA28 aircraft or C172 and you are given number 15 on the radio for further clearances.(* VFR- Visual Flight Rules; IFR- Instrument Flight Rules)
The congested US airspace was good practice for me and I was fortunate to obtain a FAA PPL. I still like flying at home much more than the States because of the sceneries which are amazing and the people.
Before obtaining a PPL, one will have to do a Ground Theory Exam and score above 70%, after that, one will have to do a practical General Flight Test which usually takes about 2 hours plus an Examiner fee of USD 100.
In short, the total cost of obtaining a PPL in Kenya is a minimum of KES 1 million as of 2023.
The minimum age for getting a PPL in Kenya is 17 years while in countries like the USA it is much lower at 16 years old.
The PPL restricts one to non revenue flights or flights without any compensation. Carriage of passengers is also not usually allowed with this license.
One is usually required to have a Class 2 medical that is valid for 2 years if the applicant is below 40 and 1 year if the applicant is 40 years or older.
The privileges of the PPL allows one to be a PIC in a training flight.
In the General Flight Test, one is required to maintain speed +10/-5 knots, height within 100feet and heading within 10degrees.
After the PPL, the next license one usually goes for is the Commercial Pilot License, commonly known as the CPL. To get this license, one usually has to be 18 years old and have a valid PPL. A class one medical is usually required, including an 8 subject theory pass with a grade of 70% and above.
Moreover, there is usually a Practical General Flight Test that usually takes about 2 hours with an unaltered examiner fee of USD 400.
The aeronautical experience required for a CPL in Kenya is 200 Total Flight Hours; 100 PIC (Pilot in Command) hours, 20 hrs Cross country, with one cross country over 300NM (nautical miles~555km) and 5 Night hours.
With the CPL, one is allowed to exercise PPL privileges, act as a Pilot in Command or Co-pilot, Fly at night and fly for compensation. A holder of this license usually, is not allowed to act as a PIC in aircraft over 5,700kg's. The renewal requirement for this license usually takes about 7 hours (1 hour checkout and 6 hours as PIC). These hours are usually required within 6 months prior to the application. To get the CPL will cost between KES 3.5 to 4 million.
The flight performance standards required to obtain a CPL would be maintaining height within 100ft, speed within 10kts and heading within 10 degrees.
Getting the CPL might not be enough for many and hence the Multi Engine Rating commonly known as M.E.I.R. To get this rating, one usually must have a valid CPL, complete 20 simulator hours and around 25 hrs for the actual flight in the Multi-Engine aircraft. The total cost for this rating is around 1.6 million
This rating allows one to operate an aircraft with more than one engine. It also allows a pilot to be able to fly in the clouds or during poor visibility via the use of IFR (instrument Flight Rules)
Up to this point, the total spent, at the present exchange rate is around 6.5 million and still, the minimum threshold requirement for some airlines at Wilson would not be met, and for this reason, a turboprop rating is ideal.
For the Caravan, the hours given are usually between 6 and 10hrs before doing the T.T.R (Technical Type Rating). The total cost for the caravan rating is around KES 350,000. Since the Caravan is a Turboprop Aircraft that uses JET A1 Fuel, a type rating is usually required plus an exam called Performance A (it costs KES 3,000) and another one called Gas Turbines Theory exam
After completing all these, including a practical exam and logbook endorsement, the type rating for the Caravan is usually put in the applicant's license.
Some people do the type ratings on other aircraft like the Twin Otter, Beechcraft 1900D, King Air or Pilatus PC12 etc.
At this stage, one would've attained the minimum requirement to be hired by any small, upcoming or established airline at Wilson Airport and in Kenya.
The type rating for the caravan is usually done in Kenya.
The next license after the CPL (Commercial Pilot License) would be the A.T.P.L.A, commonly known as the Airline Transport Pilot License. It allows one to act as a captain on an aircraft 5,700kg or greater. It is also the highest pilot license in aviation.
It would be similar to a PhD, which is the highest degree in academia.
The minimum requirements for this license include:
- One has to be 21 years old or greater,
- CPL/Instrument Rating,
- Class One Medical,
- 1,500 Total Flight hours,
- 250 hrs as PIC; 200 hrs cross country; 75 instrument hours and 100Night hours.
The privileges of this license allows one to exercise all the privileges of the PPL, CPL and IR Privileges. It also allows one to act as PIC or Co-pilot. In some countries, one may act as a Flight Instructor or Sim Instructor but with limitations.
In some regions like the EU, it allows one to brief and debrief others in a simulator but with limitations. The Flight performance standards for A.T.P.L.A depends on the country, but in general, speeds are usually within 5kts, height within 100ft , vertical speed of 500FPM and heading +/-10degrees.
What costs are involved?
I have listed the costs above and in summary,
- PPL~ KES 1Million for 45hrs
-CPL~ KES 4Million for about 155hrs
- Multi Instrument ~ KES 1.7 Million for 25 Multi hours
- Gas Turbine (Caravan) ~ KES 350,000 for between 6-10Hrs.
The total comes to about KES 7.5Million up to the Caravan stage, which is alot!!!
By this time, the Minimum Flight hours required are usually more than 200hrs, although, the requirement for every airline will vary.
Some will want 200 hrs minimum, some 250 and others will want 300hrs.
A few might require 500 flight hours depending on the aircraft in their fleet etc. although it is quite rare.
Getting a type rating on an aircraft like the Beechcraft 1900D, Dash 8 or Fokker 50 will cost a further 2-2.5Million, to bring the total close to 10Million if A.T.P.L is added in the mix.
This definitely is something to ponder on and I hope this breakdown has cleared things up for you so as to make an informed decision as you consider starting your training or if you would like to advance further in your flying.
As we close, I have had the honor of interacting with various seasoned pilots and student pilots alike, both locally and internationally and this one sentiment holds true for a large majority of them - that they absolutely have no regrets pursuing this career in the skies despite the various challenges they encountered in the course of their piloting journey.
コメント