What should I do next to become a pilot.

[samk_969]

Dear All,

I was hoping that those of you who have become professional pilots could advise me and give your opinions on the best way to gaining a career in the flying world.

Although I do not need glasses to fly or drive, and pass the annual RAF instructors medical, they have told me that my eyesight is not perfect enough for me to join the service as a professional military pilot.

I am twenty years old and currently a Grade 2 pilot at RAF 635 VGS, flying the Grob 109B Vigilant, and am unsure of what to do next.

I appreciate any help and advice you could provide.

Many Thanks
Samantha

[Windy Militant]

Hello Samantha,
Firstly keep flying any way you can.
Secondly have a look here if you've not already found it Wannabees (http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=5&forumid=102).
This corner of the pruniverse is mostly populated by old F*rts who either run veteran or vintage aeroplanes (guilty m'lud) and huddle here for shelter or those in their dotage reliving past glories.
The bright young things in Wannabees will probably be able to offer more relevant advice.
Thirdly Keep on flying! and best of luck with whatever you end up doing.
regards WM
:ok:

PS feel free to drop in on us old boffers any time. ;)

[fernytickles]

Samantha

I am not familiar with the RAF training qualifications, so if I tell you about stuff you have already completed, I apologise in advance. I am not up-to-date on the most current CAA/JAA requirements - a flight school would be able to help you with that. It must be pretty frustrating for you to have come up against this barrier, but whatever you do, don't give up flying. As you can probably tell from this website aviation covers a huge variety of flying career prospects from the military to the airlines to corporate flying to instructing to bush flying in Africa or Canada to flying float planes in the Maldive Islands - I could go on and on. You will never have to say things like "Would you like fries with that" and the view from your office window will be different every time you go to work. The (flying) world is your oyster and to be starting out with the experience you already have is fantastic.
Whatever part of aviation you decide to head for, you will need to get the written exams and flight tests out of the way first. If you haven't done so already, you need to decide where you want to complete your training (UK/USA?) and find a flight school who can help you - I'm sure if you do a search on here you will find no shortage of opinions on who to go to and who to avoid ;)
Once you have got all of that out of the way the really challenging part of finding a job starts. And by the time you get to this point you will have a better idea of the type of flying you want to be involved with. Everyone has different methods and opinions on how to get your toe in the door - just like any job market, but having a well presented CV is a must.

Good luck and have fun! :)

[Pole Hill]

samk_969,
You seem to have duplicated postings. I replied to the original post, since this is the 'active thread' I've put a copy of what I wrote, here. :)
The first step is to get a class one medical (cost £400 ish), you'll have to go to Gatwick to get the initial, renewals can be performed by any suitable AME (I think this stands for Aviation Medical Examiner :confused: ). There are plenty around the country.
If you're worried about your eyes inparticular, go to an optician with the Class 1 Medical Visual Requirements (You'll find it here) , and ask the optician to test your eyes to that specification. You can normally walk into an optician and get an appointment straight away, so you could do that ASAP. This will cost about £20, and will save you the hassle of going to Gatwick and finding your eyes do not meet the required standard. Remember, pilots are allowed corrective glasses (within limits specified in the above document), so unless you have got an eye problem such as glaucoma or colour blindness, you'll normally be able to correct long/short sightedness.
The next step is to do lots of research into the routes to gaining your professional pilots licence. Search this forum, though I am sure you'll appreciate that sometimes you'll have to take things with a pinch of salt. Also buy 'Guide to becoming a Professional Pilot', wrote by Clive Hughes. It's available from most pilot shops.
There are two routes to gaining an fATPL (frozen Airline Transport Pilots Licence), Integrated and Modular. There are two routes to funding the training, either an airline will pay if you are sponsored, or you will pay. Be aware that sponsorships are very few and far between, apply for sponsorships by all means, but expect to fund the training yourself. Your looking at realistically paying from £35K to over £60K.

This is only are start, but I hope this information sets you in correct direction.
All the best,
POL.

[samk_969]

Thank You for your help.
It is much appreciated.
Samantha

[Jinkster]

Sam,

The Guide to getting a commercial pilots licence by Clive Hughes, great book and well worth the cost.

Good luck :ok:

Jinkster