Train Driving Vs Airline Pilot

[Evolution]

I've always had a desire to be an Airline Pilot but never had a spare £100k + for the training, I'm neither a pilot or a train driver currently but do wonder how the two compare in terms of shifts, lifestyle, salary, job security etc.

Is there any ex airline pilots here who've made the switch to train driving or vice versa?

I recently applied for a trainee driver role as I do have a desire to drive a train but not as much as becoming a pilot.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

Before I make this post I think I ought to make a disclaimer state that I've NEVER been either of them, nor do I know anyone personally in either occupation. Nevertheless, I've looked up information for both of them beforehand out of interests, so I think I might know quite a bit about both the roles to give at least some useful information.

I know that train drivers are given 2 years to train for their jobs, maybe more, and that is usually with the TOC they are working for. Airline pilots on the other hand could spend decades learning to fly an aircraft, all of which comes out of their pocket if I'm not mistaken. Training for both jobs are very specialised in that the skills you learn won't be very transferable to unrelated careers, especially in the case of a train driver. I mean let's face it, the ability to drive a train won't assist you very much in getting unrelated jobs. I mean qualities such as concentration and customer service might, but you can get that from other careers too.

Lifestyle wise though, both can involve unsociable working hours, but it seems like with a pilot you can pretty much kiss any social life goodbye with only rare exceptions. Shift work with train driving might be a pain, but you can work around it with understanding friends and planning ahead with your rosters. For a pilot though, the end of your shift probably ends in a foreign country, and so you need to plan much more meticulously so you are both home and not due out the next few days.

Sleep patterns can also be disruptive for a train driver because of the shift work, such as going to bed at 19:00 for a start at 03:00, which I imagine is a problem especially in summer with daylight hours increased all the way to at least 22:00 hours. Humans are not evolved to sleep efficiently during daylight hours unfortunately, but there are ways around it. The thing is, it can be very tricky getting efficient nights of sleep as a train driver, and it's especially problematic if you have issues like insomnia. It takes a lot of commitment to stay with it despite potential for poor quality sleep. If you go to work tired, you can be putting many passengers at risk, and if you fall asleep at the controls you probably can expect serious issues to arise. It asks for quite a lot if you ask me.

With a pilot though, instead you get the luxury of jet-lag, and for a rookie this could very well be an issue when your body is ready to sleep, but because you might've landed in Hong Kong after a long flight from Manchester you'll be 8 hours ahead. If you fall asleep at this time, you'll be left in the dark hours when you wake up because everywhere will be out of action. It doesn't take long to get use to setting a new clock, but if you're travelling again in the next few days you will have to do it all over again, and if it causes sleep issues you will inevitably get cranky and lose energy. Still, unlike a train driver, you might be able to get sleep on a plane because of both the co-pilot and auto pilot, and I think on long haul flights there will be some crew swaps in the middle of the journey.

Salary wise, both pay pretty handsomely if you work with the right company. In regards to a train driver, some of the intercity operators like Virgin Trains offer up to £63 per annum, and Eurostar offer even more. It's not even unknown for drivers to make £70k so I've heard. The job might ask a lot with responsibilities and sleep, and requires certain qualities from you, but it certainly pays you well for it. Even smaller regional operators like Northern can offer around £35k, which is still generous in today's world.

Airline pilots though can be paid a very handsome sum of money for the right company. For example, Emirates pays some pilots 50k AED per month (over £10k). That could add up to over £100k per annum, and as such the money really does talk in this case. You might not like the sleeping hours or jet-lag, but you'll be laughing all the way home on payday. Having said that, some airlines offer much lower quality of work, and I've heard some very bad stuff about RyanAir salaries to the point where they learn to train with them, then when the opportunity arises they make a break to British Airways or Virgin Atlantic because it's that bad.

Job security would probably go to a train driver. If a railway company goes bankrupt under the current system, then another operator will be stepping in even if it's the DfT's so-called operator of last resort. You won't lose your job between franchises, and the unions are very serious when it comes to train drivers. If you lose your job, you're very unlikely to go without a good package to take with you. Pilots though are more blurred area in my knowledge. When Monarch went bankrupt I imagine many pilots lost their jobs, and it was only thanks to operators like Virgin Atlantic offering some other careers for them that some were able to keep their flying careers. But with airlines it's all open-access, so if your employer goes bankrupt, you're gonna have a bad time and uncertain future. So to go over my points in a TL: DR scenario...

• Training: Very specialised in both cases, though with a train driver you will only spend around 2 years for free training. As a pilot, you could be paying a lot for up to decades in the case of aircraft training.

• Lifestyle: Both are unsociable working hours and can cause sleep problems. As a train driver you can manage rosters easier but can't sleep on the job, whereas a pilot has jetlag but can sleep on the plane at some point.

• Salary: For the right companies, the pilot pay is vastly superior to the best pay of a train driver, but the quality of work can vary greatly been airline companies whereas most train operating companies have better working conditions.

• Job Security: Train driver without a doubt. You are less likely to lose your job and will likely get a good package thanks to union regulations. Airline pilots pay better, but they are much more uncertain in regards to future conditions.

Ultimately, the jobs are what you make it, and if you really wanted to be a pilot and love flying, you could very much find it to be the best job in the world. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to overlook the downsides because they do have a massive effect in your personal life and even your health. If you don't take interest in either jobs, you won't have a good job and should stay away. Some other candidates might be passionate about the work but not get it because of someone who seemed more experienced but didn't really have much interest in the job at all. Whatever you chose, just be prepared for a long road of learning...

 

[NWarner]

I'm not an airline pilot but a military helicopter pilot looking for a career change, hoping to become a train driver someday. I believe the nature of aviation with all the rules, polices, and regulations along with the culture of safety would translate well to the rail industry.

Again not in the airline industry but these are my thoughts:

From what I gather actual shift length (duty day) would be similar between the two industries but being an airline pilot would certainly involve more nights away from home. Once you build seniority in the airlines more opportunities would exist to pick and choose your work schedule. A senior airline captain would probably work a lot less than a train driver while making a lot more money, that would at the senior level though. Early on in your airline career would be quite busy, especially if you don't live near your base and have to commute several hundred miles to work (all unpaid time)

Salary would probably be pretty comparable starting out but as you gain flight experience and start to work at bigger well-known airlines the pay caps out at a much higher rate, well over £100K a year. Another consideration is the cost of training. Becoming a train driver is essentially free, in fact you're getting paid to train. Becoming a commercial pilot will cost tens of thousands, all out of pocket. There are a few airlines offering cadet programs though that I believe will pay for all your training and guarantee a position in the cockpit upon completion. Recall seeing one for Aer Lingus recently. The other option is military flying to build experience.

Small airlines are very volitile, not great for job security. Bigger companies aren't really going anywhere. There are also paid flying jobs outside the airlines such as corporate flying there's always jobs out there if you are willing to move around.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

• Salary: For the right companies, the pilot pay is vastly superior to the best pay of a train driver, but the quality of work can vary greatly been airline companies whereas most train operating companies have better working conditions.

There are train drivers that earn £100k+ but you have to work a lot of overtime.

 

[Evolution]

Before I make this post I think I ought to make a disclaimer state that I've NEVER been either of them, nor do I know anyone personally in either occupation. Nevertheless, I've looked up information for both of them beforehand out of interests, so I think I might know quite a bit about both the roles to give at least some useful information.

I know that train drivers are given 2 years to train for their jobs, maybe more, and that is usually with the TOC they are working for. Airline pilots on the other hand could spend decades learning to fly an aircraft, all of which comes out of their pocket if I'm not mistaken. Training for both jobs are very specialised in that the skills you learn won't be very transferable to unrelated careers, especially in the case of a train driver. I mean let's face it, the ability to drive a train won't assist you very much in getting unrelated jobs. I mean qualities such as concentration and customer service might, but you can get that from other careers too.

Lifestyle wise though, both can involve unsociable working hours, but it seems like with a pilot you can pretty much kiss any social life goodbye with only rare exceptions. Shift work with train driving might be a pain, but you can work around it with understanding friends and planning ahead with your rosters. For a pilot though, the end of your shift probably ends in a foreign country, and so you need to plan much more meticulously so you are both home and not due out the next few days.

Sleep patterns can also be disruptive for a train driver because of the shift work, such as going to bed at 19:00 for a start at 03:00, which I imagine is a problem especially in summer with daylight hours increased all the way to at least 22:00 hours. Humans are not evolved to sleep efficiently during daylight hours unfortunately, but there are ways around it. The thing is, it can be very tricky getting efficient nights of sleep as a train driver, and it's especially problematic if you have issues like insomnia. It takes a lot of commitment to stay with it despite potential for poor quality sleep. If you go to work tired, you can be putting many passengers at risk, and if you fall asleep at the controls you probably can expect serious issues to arise. It asks for quite a lot if you ask me.

With a pilot though, instead you get the luxury of jet-lag, and for a rookie this could very well be an issue when your body is ready to sleep, but because you might've landed in Hong Kong after a long flight from Manchester you'll be 8 hours ahead. If you fall asleep at this time, you'll be left in the dark hours when you wake up because everywhere will be out of action. It doesn't take long to get use to setting a new clock, but if you're travelling again in the next few days you will have to do it all over again, and if it causes sleep issues you will inevitably get cranky and lose energy. Still, unlike a train driver, you might be able to get sleep on a plane because of both the co-pilot and auto pilot, and I think on long haul flights there will be some crew swaps in the middle of the journey.

Salary wise, both pay pretty handsomely if you work with the right company. In regards to a train driver, some of the intercity operators like Virgin Trains offer up to £63 per annum, and Eurostar offer even more. It's not even unknown for drivers to make £70k so I've heard. The job might ask a lot with responsibilities and sleep, and requires certain qualities from you, but it certainly pays you well for it. Even smaller regional operators like Northern can offer around £35k, which is still generous in today's world.

Airline pilots though can be paid a very handsome sum of money for the right company. For example, Emirates pays some pilots 50k AED per month (over £10k). That could add up to over £100k per annum, and as such the money really does talk in this case. You might not like the sleeping hours or jet-lag, but you'll be laughing all the way home on payday. Having said that, some airlines offer much lower quality of work, and I've heard some very bad stuff about RyanAir salaries to the point where they learn to train with them, then when the opportunity arises they make a break to British Airways or Virgin Atlantic because it's that bad.

Job security would probably go to a train driver. If a railway company goes bankrupt under the current system, then another operator will be stepping in even if it's the DfT's so-called operator of last resort. You won't lose your job between franchises, and the unions are very serious when it comes to train drivers. If you lose your job, you're very unlikely to go without a good package to take with you. Pilots though are more blurred area in my knowledge. When Monarch went bankrupt I imagine many pilots lost their jobs, and it was only thanks to operators like Virgin Atlantic offering some other careers for them that some were able to keep their flying careers. But with airlines it's all open-access, so if your employer goes bankrupt, you're gonna have a bad time and uncertain future. So to go over my points in a TL: DR scenario...

• Training: Very specialised in both cases, though with a train driver you will only spend around 2 years for free training. As a pilot, you could be paying a lot for up to decades in the case of aircraft training.

• Lifestyle: Both are unsociable working hours and can cause sleep problems. As a train driver you can manage rosters easier but can't sleep on the job, whereas a pilot has jetlag but can sleep on the plane at some point.

• Salary: For the right companies, the pilot pay is vastly superior to the best pay of a train driver, but the quality of work can vary greatly been airline companies whereas most train operating companies have better working conditions.

• Job Security: Train driver without a doubt. You are less likely to lose your job and will likely get a good package thanks to union regulations. Airline pilots pay better, but they are much more uncertain in regards to future conditions.

Ultimately, the jobs are what you make it, and if you really wanted to be a pilot and love flying, you could very much find it to be the best job in the world. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to overlook the downsides because they do have a massive effect in your personal life and even your health. If you don't take interest in either jobs, you won't have a good job and should stay away. Some other candidates might be passionate about the work but not get it because of someone who seemed more experienced but didn't really have much interest in the job at all. Whatever you chose, just be prepared for a long road of learning...

Very informative and useful post, thank you.

The pilot route does look unlikely due to the huge investment required but if I got onto one of the very few fully-funded schemes out there I would look to work short haul on something like a Boeing 737-800 or Airbus A320/321. Long haul doesn't interest me I would like to be home at end of the shift.

I would imagine shifts would be similar in regards to earlies and lates and 8-10 hour days that are normally required.

Pay is interesting as with places like Northern you're looking at just short of £50k per year, most first officers earn more than this and obviously a captain for a major airline can make anything from £100-£150k but it takes many years to reach this position.

In terms of status the pilot wins hands down as most people associate a train driver role as say a HGV driver or something like that, it isn't held in as high regard as a pilot. However, status doesn't interest me in the slightest.

 

[Evolution]

There are train drivers that earn £100k+ but you have to work a lot of overtime.

Really I didn't think they could earn that much? would these be HST drivers? I wouldn't imagine you could earn that sort of money with say a Northern or Southern rail.

 

[WeGoAgain]

Really I didn't think they could earn that much? would these be HST drivers? I wouldn't imagine you could earn that sort of money with say a Northern or Southern rail.

Yes there are, and No, not necessarily HST Drivers.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Really I didn't think they could earn that much? would these be HST drivers? I wouldn't imagine you could earn that sort of money with say a Northern or Southern rail.

Well I've just started with an intercity company and I was told reliably the highest paid driver was earning comfortably over £100k. If you means HSTs as in Class 43s, unfortunately my TOC got rid of them a long time ago but yes, we drive/I will be driving 'fast' trains. I can't comment about the other two TOCs.

 

[ZNB12]

Before I make this post I think I ought to make a disclaimer state that I've NEVER been either of them, nor do I know anyone personally in either occupation. Nevertheless, I've looked up information for both of them beforehand out of interests, so I think I might know quite a bit about both the roles to give at least some useful information.

I know that train drivers are given 2 years to train for their jobs, maybe more, and that is usually with the TOC they are working for. Airline pilots on the other hand could spend decades learning to fly an aircraft, all of which comes out of their pocket if I'm not mistaken. Training for both jobs are very specialised in that the skills you learn won't be very transferable to unrelated careers, especially in the case of a train driver. I mean let's face it, the ability to drive a train won't assist you very much in getting unrelated jobs. I mean qualities such as concentration and customer service might, but you can get that from other careers too.

Lifestyle wise though, both can involve unsociable working hours, but it seems like with a pilot you can pretty much kiss any social life goodbye with only rare exceptions. Shift work with train driving might be a pain, but you can work around it with understanding friends and planning ahead with your rosters. For a pilot though, the end of your shift probably ends in a foreign country, and so you need to plan much more meticulously so you are both home and not due out the next few days.

Sleep patterns can also be disruptive for a train driver because of the shift work, such as going to bed at 19:00 for a start at 03:00, which I imagine is a problem especially in summer with daylight hours increased all the way to at least 22:00 hours. Humans are not evolved to sleep efficiently during daylight hours unfortunately, but there are ways around it. The thing is, it can be very tricky getting efficient nights of sleep as a train driver, and it's especially problematic if you have issues like insomnia. It takes a lot of commitment to stay with it despite potential for poor quality sleep. If you go to work tired, you can be putting many passengers at risk, and if you fall asleep at the controls you probably can expect serious issues to arise. It asks for quite a lot if you ask me.

With a pilot though, instead you get the luxury of jet-lag, and for a rookie this could very well be an issue when your body is ready to sleep, but because you might've landed in Hong Kong after a long flight from Manchester you'll be 8 hours ahead. If you fall asleep at this time, you'll be left in the dark hours when you wake up because everywhere will be out of action. It doesn't take long to get use to setting a new clock, but if you're travelling again in the next few days you will have to do it all over again, and if it causes sleep issues you will inevitably get cranky and lose energy. Still, unlike a train driver, you might be able to get sleep on a plane because of both the co-pilot and auto pilot, and I think on long haul flights there will be some crew swaps in the middle of the journey.

Salary wise, both pay pretty handsomely if you work with the right company. In regards to a train driver, some of the intercity operators like Virgin Trains offer up to £63 per annum, and Eurostar offer even more. It's not even unknown for drivers to make £70k so I've heard. The job might ask a lot with responsibilities and sleep, and requires certain qualities from you, but it certainly pays you well for it. Even smaller regional operators like Northern can offer around £35k, which is still generous in today's world.

Airline pilots though can be paid a very handsome sum of money for the right company. For example, Emirates pays some pilots 50k AED per month (over £10k). That could add up to over £100k per annum, and as such the money really does talk in this case. You might not like the sleeping hours or jet-lag, but you'll be laughing all the way home on payday. Having said that, some airlines offer much lower quality of work, and I've heard some very bad stuff about RyanAir salaries to the point where they learn to train with them, then when the opportunity arises they make a break to British Airways or Virgin Atlantic because it's that bad.

Job security would probably go to a train driver. If a railway company goes bankrupt under the current system, then another operator will be stepping in even if it's the DfT's so-called operator of last resort. You won't lose your job between franchises, and the unions are very serious when it comes to train drivers. If you lose your job, you're very unlikely to go without a good package to take with you. Pilots though are more blurred area in my knowledge. When Monarch went bankrupt I imagine many pilots lost their jobs, and it was only thanks to operators like Virgin Atlantic offering some other careers for them that some were able to keep their flying careers. But with airlines it's all open-access, so if your employer goes bankrupt, you're gonna have a bad time and uncertain future. So to go over my points in a TL: DR scenario...

• Training: Very specialised in both cases, though with a train driver you will only spend around 2 years for free training. As a pilot, you could be paying a lot for up to decades in the case of aircraft training.

• Lifestyle: Both are unsociable working hours and can cause sleep problems. As a train driver you can manage rosters easier but can't sleep on the job, whereas a pilot has jetlag but can sleep on the plane at some point.

• Salary: For the right companies, the pilot pay is vastly superior to the best pay of a train driver, but the quality of work can vary greatly been airline companies whereas most train operating companies have better working conditions.

• Job Security: Train driver without a doubt. You are less likely to lose your job and will likely get a good package thanks to union regulations. Airline pilots pay better, but they are much more uncertain in regards to future conditions.

Ultimately, the jobs are what you make it, and if you really wanted to be a pilot and love flying, you could very much find it to be the best job in the world. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to overlook the downsides because they do have a massive effect in your personal life and even your health. If you don't take interest in either jobs, you won't have a good job and should stay away. Some other candidates might be passionate about the work but not get it because of someone who seemed more experienced but didn't really have much interest in the job at all. Whatever you chose, just be prepared for a long road of learning...

Think the OP might have found out this information themselves on Google. Don't talk about things you don't know about.
I'm a train driver and know a captain at Ryanair.

 

[Evolution]

I'm not an airline pilot but a military helicopter pilot looking for a career change, hoping to become a train driver someday. I believe the nature of aviation with all the rules, polices, and regulations along with the culture of safety would translate well to the rail industry.

Again not in the airline industry but these are my thoughts:

From what I gather actual shift length (duty day) would be similar between the two industries but being an airline pilot would certainly involve more nights away from home. Once you build seniority in the airlines more opportunities would exist to pick and choose your work schedule. A senior airline captain would probably work a lot less than a train driver while making a lot more money, that would at the senior level though. Early on in your airline career would be quite busy, especially if you don't live near your base and have to commute several hundred miles to work (all unpaid time)

Salary would probably be pretty comparable starting out but as you gain flight experience and start to work at bigger well-known airlines the pay caps out at a much higher rate, well over £100K a year. Another consideration is the cost of training. Becoming a train driver is essentially free, in fact you're getting paid to train. Becoming a commercial pilot will cost tens of thousands, all out of pocket. There are a few airlines offering cadet programs though that I believe will pay for all your training and guarantee a position in the cockpit upon completion. Recall seeing one for Aer Lingus recently. The other option is military flying to build experience.

Small airlines are very volitile, not great for job security. Bigger companies aren't really going anywhere. There are also paid flying jobs outside the airlines such as corporate flying there's always jobs out there if you are willing to move around.

Great insightful post, just out of interest how come you're looking to switch careers?

 

[ZNB12]

The average salary for train drivers across the country is around £55,000 and I work for one of the worst paid TOC.
Not going to comment on what pilot earn as I'm not one.

 

[Caad12]

Pilot is the job I wish I'd had the foresight to go for via RAF. The old adage of 'If I knew then what I know now', then I'd have left school, RAF, train to pilot, attain licence, leave for commercial aviation after time served.

 

[Darandio]

Well I've just started with an intercity company and I was told reliably the highest pay driver was earning comfortably over £100k. If you means HSTs as in Class 43s, unfortunately my TOC got rid them a long ago but yes, we drive/I will be driving 'fast' trains. I can't comment about the other two TOCs.

Congratulations, where did you start?

 

[Evolution]

Apologies if this is a newbie question but how would one become an intercity driver if say you started and trained at say Southern? Is it a case of applying and then getting trained on the HST's, obviously I'm talking about many years down the line if I wanted to move across from the commuter work.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Congratulations, where did you start?

Thanks mate. I started last Monday. It's my first ever job so I'm very excited. I hope to be qualified before I turn 22.

 

[NWarner]

Great insightful post, just out of interest how come you're looking to switch careers?

Just wanting a better quality of life. I would like to be home more and work shorter days. Nothing wrong with military aviation but as you progress up the ranks you fly less and less. I'm flying for the US Army but wanting to return to the UK. Always fancied becoming a train driver even before flying.

I have seriously been considering working for the US Airlines (pretty easy transition for military rotor pilots at the moment) but would really like to relocate back to the UK and become a train driver. Looked into converting my US pilots license (FAA) to a UK license (EASA) but can be quite the process. Also being a helicopter pilot would not be marketable as a fixed wing pilot in the UK.

 

[ZNB12]

You only train for 12months Max. 3 to 4 months in classrooms base rules, traction, route risk. Then around 4 to 6 months driving hours behind the controls and X amount in dark hours. Training salary can start from £25K.. interview & assessment can take months before getting a job. Driving can be a easy life when all goes to plan. Every toc is different terms and conditions.
You get PRIV rate discounts on other TOCs 75% discount on walk on fares only. Free travel for you and family on your company and sister company. E.g Abellio, free leisure travel on Greater Anglia, Scot Rail, Meresy rail & West Midlands. Good pension. 12 hrs rest between shifts. List goes on and on.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Apologies if this is a newbie question but how would one become an intercity driver if say you started and trained at say Southern? Is it a case of applying and then getting trained on the HST's, obviously I'm talking about many years down the line if I wanted to move across from the commuter work.

Usually you work your way up as intercity companies normally only take qualifieds. But this is not always the case as they occasionally take trainees.

 

[ZNB12]

Apologies if this is a newbie question but how would one become an intercity driver if say you started and trained at say Southern? Is it a case of applying and then getting trained on the HST's, obviously I'm talking about many years down the line if I wanted to move across from the commuter work.

You be in competition with a lot of drivers. Try and join a toc that has both local and intercity. First Great Western, Greater Anglia you put yourself on a promotion and transfer list and wait your turn after you pass out. To go straight in for West or East Coast, is very rare.. in future HST won't be around for longer. All will be EMU in future.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Congratulations, where did you start?

Thanks mate. I started last Monday. It's my first ever job so I'm very excited. I hope to be qualified before I turn 22.

Oops I read your question as when not where
Virgin Trains.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

Think the OP might have found out this information themselves on Google. Don't talk about things you don't know about.
I'm a train driver and know a captain at Ryanair.

Okay cool, you're a train driver and know a captain. Evidently you're more qualified to help him out than I am right? As someone whose been through the train driver course you will know exactly how it works, so you should have more valuable information than I can provide, and that's fine, it's why we have the forums isn't it?

BUT, just a thing to note though. The OP may have found out some of that information on Google beforehand, but here they were asking for a comparison of a train driver and an airline pilot, therefore my post isn't all null and void given that I too have found out said information on Google and compared the information I had.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

Very informative and useful post, thank you.

The pilot route does look unlikely due to the huge investment required but if I got onto one of the very few fully-funded schemes out there I would look to work short haul on something like a Boeing 737-800 or Airbus A320/321. Long haul doesn't interest me I would like to be home at end of the shift.

I would imagine shifts would be similar in regards to earlies and lates and 8-10 hour days that are normally required.

Pay is interesting as with places like Northern you're looking at just short of £50k per year, most first officers earn more than this and obviously a captain for a major airline can make anything from £100-£150k but it takes many years to reach this position.

In terms of status the pilot wins hands down as most people associate a train driver role as say a HGV driver or something like that, it isn't held in as high regard as a pilot. However, status doesn't interest me in the slightest.

Did you ever consider trying the pilot route via the Royal Air Force? I am not entirely sure how it works there, so I'm afraid I can't help you out too much, but I do know it would've been a different kind of difficulty. The RAF requires you to have more military knowledge than aviation, and very few candidates actually go to earn their wings, but if it's subsidised training (which I'm not sure it is) it would require more dedication and determination than it would money. I would've joined the RAF at one point if I didn't have health issues myself.

But since you've started applying for trainee train driver roles I'd suggest you stick with that at the moment. At this point in time a pilot is a far-fetched career, and if you desire to drive a train as well then you should focus all your energy on that at the present time. You might just like it enough that you feel it can be a job worth sticking with, but it's not easy to get and there's not telling you'll get your CV accepted. But all I can say for sure is that I personally would focus on the train driver goal at this point since you've already applied.

 

[Dave1987]

The airline industry can be extremely rewarding but frustrating. I am a driver and am very good friends with a 15,000hr retired airline captain. The pay for being a pilot starts pretty poorly but increases as your experience increases. You have a fairly large initial outlay to start with especially if you take the ‘intergrated’ route to getting your fATPL. But the training is pretty brutal and the training colleges expect you to get the complex subjects you are being taught very quickly. An airline pilot is one of those careers that when you have your license and 1000hrs flying experience behind you the world is your oyster and the sky is literally the limit. Train driving is a very rewarding career but also has an extremely steep learning curve. Pilots in modern society are very well respected whereas us train drivers almost seem like the big bad wolves of society (all militant socialists according to some). If you have the opportunity to go and become an airline pilot I wholeheartedly encourage you to do it! It will be a very rewarding if somewhat volatile. If not then train driving will certainly be rewarding as well.

 

[ZNB12]

Oops I read your question as when not where
Virgin Trains.

Good luck with your training at Virgin. (LNER) later this month!!

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Good luck with your training at Virgin. (LNER) later this month!!

Sorry mate, my mistake, I meant West Coast Mainline. (VTWC)

 

[SPADTrap]

I am a train driver but also a pilot. I've got a frozen ATPL and fly turboprop charter work on days off when it won't clash or impede rest. I always envisaged heading to the airlines but couldn't afford a self funded type rating and struck lucky with the work I do. Might one day end up at an airline but I'm happy at my TOC and flying as I do for now.

 

[Paddy67]

Thanks mate. I started last Monday. It's my first ever job so I'm very excited. I hope to be qualified before I turn 22.

Hi Pudsey sounds like you have a great job there. Are the other folk on your course the same sort of age as you?

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Hi Pudsey sounds like you have a great job there. Are the other folk on your course the same sort of age as you?

Thank you. One is a bit older in their mid 20s and the other one is similar age to me although, unlike me, they both have worked before.

 

[londonboi]

Thank you. One is a bit older in their mid 20s and the other one is similar age to me although, unlike me, they both have worked before.

good luck with training and congratulations PudseyBearHST i sent you a quick pm

 

[GMCK]

Very interesting thread here.

I’m 25 and have a dream to pursue the airlines. Like you I was torn between driving or flying but I want to avoid the hindsight when I’m older and may regret not trying for the RHS of an airline (currently hold a PPL).

Both roles are equally safety critical with rules, procedures and regulations at the core of all your decisions, but don’t regret not following a dream in years to come!

I’m aiming on self funding the training if possible, providing I can gain a class 1 medical, however the railway is such a great atmosphere to work in and the experience and stories older guys have are priceless.