Modular Training vs Integrated Training

Modular pilot training means carrying out your training at different organisations for each aspect of your training. For example, using a particular flight school to build your flight hours and attending a ground school to study your ATPL theory.  Modular training gives you the option to spread out your training and the cost of it. You can work modular training around a job and study/build your flight hours in your own time.

Integrated training courses are always full-time, and advertised to last 18-20 months. Usually, the theory training is classroom/lecture based full-time and will take around 6 months to complete.

What are the advantages of modular training?

Flexibility

You can choose between training providers and the rate at which you progress, either through part-time or full-time training; almost everything is customisable to fit your needs and preferences. You have the flexibility to choose training providers that are close to you, and you can train with different training providers during different modules of your training.

More hours

Modular courses have more hours in them than integrated courses – the minimum being 200 hours total and 100 pilot-in-command (PIC). More hours in your logbook are often favourable to the airlines.

Lower cost than integrated

Typical costs for a complete modular course, starting with no flying experience, are between £60K-£75K. Integrated routes can cost well over £100K.

Pay as you fly

The main financial benefit is that you can pay as you learn. The upfront cost of commercial pilot training is a daunting price mark for most aspiring pilots. The modular route reduces the financial burden and gives the trainee the flexibility to pay for their training in much smaller segments than at integrated schools. 

Structure

The structure of an integrated course is very rigid, whereas, with a modular course, there is room to move around the order of some training elements to suit your circumstances.

The integrated structure is designed to be completed within approximately 18 months. Starting with the ATPL theoretical training first. The ATPL theory is often one of the biggest hurdles, and this can often put off student pilots from training before they’ve even flown an aircraft for the first time.

On the modular route, students start with the Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL), and complete 45 hours of flight training prior to starting their ATPL Theory.

Wings Alliance removes the usual disadvantages of the Modular route:

Whilst training as a modular student, the Wings Alliance offers flight training support and guidance. We will also help you obtain your flight training reports, with the agreement of your flight schools. Below are the main drawbacks of modular training that our service eliminates: 

• Incomplete or diverse training records
• ‘Patchwork’ training; i.e. mixing lots of different suppliers with no coordination between them

Wings Alliance enables you to combine all your training under one umbrella organisation, and can provide you with a single training record that encompasses all the stages of your flight training. This way, you can benefit from all the advantages of modular training, without the disadvantages. 

 

Integrated Training

Courses are always full-time and advertised to last 18-20 months. Usually, the theory training is classroom/lecture based and will take around 6 months to complete.

It is often not integrated with the flying – students instead do blocks of theory and blocks of flight training.

Integrated courses consist of around 150 flying hours – 70 of which will be PIC (pilot in command) – and 40 Synthetic Flight Training Device (SFTD) hours, plus 15-40 hours in an SFTD during the Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) phase of training.

What are the advantages of integrated training?

• A ‘campus’ environment – you are learning with other students
• All the training is delivered by one organisation
• The schools delivering the training are generally larger and therefore more well known.

Disadvantages of integrated courses:

• Courses normally include fewer flight hours
• Usually considerably more expensive
• The service in a big school can be quite impersonal
• You will have to live at, or near, the school location(s)
• Good weather is an advantage initially, however, some locations (e.g. Arizona, USA) fail to expose you to European-style weather, terrain, or density of airspace restrictions
• You will have to study full-time for 18 months or more, so there is limited work/life balance while training
• Payment instalments are often not flexible, and your training agreement/contract will state large instalment amounts.

Does the modular route affect your future employability?

There is a common misconception that you might have heard:

“Training with an integrated school increases your chances of employment”.

This may have been true a decade ago but is no longer the case. Airlines such as Jet2 have even stated that they particularly like modular students, as they’ve shown great motivation and a high level of non-technical core competencies through the experiences they’ve had outside of theory and flight training.

We’re here to help you

Talk with one of our training advisors (Mon-Fri, 09:00-17:00)  – +44 (0)1275 345 917

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