Advice please

[LiamM]

Hello,
Im Liam and im 17, i left school last year after doing GCSEs, i didn't do to well and will have to resit my Maths GCSE.

I have a few options on how i am going to get to be a pilot, firstly paying for the training myself, secondly gaining sponsership or finally trying to join the RAF. Option 3, the RAF isnt really what i want to do so i will try not to take that route i would much rather get sponsership but i realize places are very limited and its very competetive. So it seems funding myself seems the most realistic option.

at the moment i am torn between to routes, Should i go back to college full time and gain 4-5 A Levels and possibilly onto uni for a degree and hope i get sponsership after it, or do i do my 3 A levels part time while doing my carpentry apprentice full time.

the good thing about the carpentry apprenticeship is that i can earn decent money while doing a levels to fund my pilot training and also have a career plan to fall back on if my pilot career doesnt "take off..." :ok: but will i be able to find a job after the training with only 3 A levels>

but on the other hand if i do full time education i will leave uni in debt, proberly having to work while hoping to get a sponsership or get into deeper debt by taking out a loan to pay for pilot training. but then once the training is done i will have more chance of getting a job with more a levels and a degree than with 3 A levels and no degree.

These seem to be my only 2 options.
Please can some of you guys give me your advice on what route i should take, or any other options i should look at?

Thank you
Liam

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

Liam,

It is always difficult to advise someone on the 'best' route to take as everyone has different circumstances. One thing that you do have to your advantage, is that you are young and have time on your side.

When I left school, I must admit my GCSE results were not the most outstanding in the world, in fact they were not that good at all, however, I decided to go on to college, then university and ended up graduating. I went down the self sponsored route after working in the Aerospace Engineering industry for 4 years. I have spent alot of time at college, and some may argue that you do not need a degree to be a pilot, and I agree you don't, however, I have popped out the other end of pilot training, pretty much at a time where the market has never been better for recruitment, so the timing was right. I guess the bottom line is, it is all a bit of a gamble on what is the right thing to do. Try and speak to as many people as you can, and draw some conclusions.

Anyway, with the competition being to fierce with young men and women trying to get into this business, I don't think you will do yourself any harm by going into higher education, maybe getting a couple of A Levels under your belt, preferably scientific ones. I noticed that you have not mentioned CTC, so take a look at this, click here (http://www.ctcaviation.com/wings/0402.html).

All the best, it may all sound a bit daunting, but stick with it, and you will be fine.