MPL pilot courses – check you know this

What is MPL pilot training?

Let’s just briefly explain MPL. It stands for Multi Pilot License. It is a commercial pilot license and when it was introduced it was like the new black.

MPL can maybe sometimes be viewed like the Rolls Royce of pilot training. This is because MPL is designed to work with an airline in the other end. When Airlines offer MPL it is usually with flying schools with a proven track record. This means a flying school that has a good reputation and that is financially rebust. It kind of makes sense as of course the airline is interested in a strong partner that has the capacity to supply the airline with the pilots they need.

When you think about it the whole MPL idea is beautiful. You get an airline involved with flight training and you as the student is almost guaranteed a job in the end. What is not to like?

The difference with MPL training

It is important to understand that compared to the “traditional pilot training” consisting of a CPL, ME-IR, MCC etc. MPL is different. The MPL flying program is designed to make the transition from flying school into the airline as smooth as possible. High level you can think about it like there is a focus on making you a co-pilot in a multi-pilot operation.

As the final goal is so well defined you can tailor make the MPL training and actually take some things out of the traditional pilot training package and instead add other things like more simulator time (flying big planes). Overall you get a really good specialized package and student pilot, flying school and airline are all very happy of the outcome.

Marketing of MPL training

The MPL marketing show when a flying school and an airline go together is impressive. It is almost like if you are not part of the MPL line you are not among the best pilots. You can almost hear the Top Gun Theme in the background. The aspiring pilot and bank of mom and dad are very satisfied. Even if you don’t have a bank of mom and dad behind you it is not a show stopper. Many banks have fallen for the marketing of the MPL and have provided loans to MPL candidates.

The sometimes horrible truth about MPL

The MPL route has one big weakness. If the airline pulls out of the MPL arrangement then you don’t have a license you can use elsewhere. This is because you have taken a lot of things out of the training program. You have done your training in such a specialized manner using the airline’s procedures that you basically end up with a license that cannot be used outside the airline.

The pandemic and MPL training

Few had imagined a worldwide pandemic would change aviation. Also, the last time aviation was affected in a nasty way, was when the economic crisis in 2008 set in. Back then MPL was not around, so no one had actually had any experience with these programs during difficult times.

It is very easy to sit now and be clever but you have to remember that there was a lot of effort put into making MPL sound great. It was also presented as an option where the airline could invest in pilot training because they had a guarantee that the pilot wouldn’t go elsewhere. To everyone, it looked like a happy marriage. It just wasn’t and it did cost a lot of students.

Comparing MPL training to Cadet Schemes

Some call MPL training rich kids cadet scheme. This is because a cadet scheme is where the airline is paying for the training (all or at least most of it). This investment by the airline in cadet schemes is often offset by the student signing a contract to work x amount of years for the airline. The MPL kind of has the same “smell” but with MPL the student Pays the full amount. That is why MPL is only available to those that can come up with a lot of money – hence the rich kids’ reference.

Historically Cadet schemes have also faced troubled times. They have been suddenly closed and the students have been without a job. Some have ended up in a holding pool to wait for better times. Eventually, the airline would most likely write off the training cost and set the student free. The student could then go to another employer having had basically a free pilot education. The big loser was clearly the airline.

If it goes wrong with a MPL the big loser is sadly the pilot. It doesn’t even get bad it gets catastrophic.

In the UK we have seen some MPL schemes closing. This is bad news for the student. The closure of a MPL scheme means that the student has begun a pilot program that is not going to end up with a job with the airline.

There is not even a holding pool, it is just closed. This is where you will start seeing the difference to the cadet scheme.

What happens now is that the MPL pilot is left with having paid for pilot training that is of not much use.

Of course, the flying school has a solution for the MPL students. The solution is to convert the MPL training to a traditional pilot license. But of course that will come at an extra cost which the MPL student has to pay.

How the situation for MPL students can become very expensive 

Here we will try to explain the financial consequences of a closure of a MPL scheme

• The price of the MPL is EUR 120.000.
• The price for the extra training the student has to pay is EUR 70.000. This is for converting the MPL into a traditional pilot license.
• This brings the total price, for the MPL students to EUR 190.000.

If the student wants to stop their training, they do not have to pay the EUR 70.000 but then they are entitled to EUR “0” refund.

As a little comparison traditional pilot training usually cost about EUR 100.000. This means that the MPL students will end up paying EUR 90.000 more than other pilot students. All because they signed up for a fancy course with an airline.

For those students that can find the extra money remember they now have to pay interest on a training loan of EUR 190.000.  All in all we think it is fair to call the situation catastrophic.

Advice if you are looking into MPL training

It is well known for the Aviation Industry to go through good times and bad times. Getting the first job as a pilot is likely to be the biggest challenge you will face in your aviation career. Because the MPL training is linked to the likely hood of a job in the other end, it can be very attractive to those who can afford it. For “older style” pilots, we may view the industry a little different. Many have had to build their hours doing various types of flying before going to an airline. Some will maybe even say, you can get into an airline too quickly.

At the end of the day, the choice to go for a MPL programme is of course yours, and yours alone.

What we will advise you if you are looking at MPL training is to be critical. Have a plan B for what you are going to do if aviation suddenly takes another nosedive and your MPL training must be stopped. Also please take any guarantees from a flying school or any airline as no more than a statement of intent.

If you would like some help with career planning, feel free to get in touch. We will be happy to hear your story and try to help

Happy landings

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