Dyslexia ?

[che turner]

Is it possible for a pilot to have dyslexia
Just a short message, I am now 28 years old and have been interested flying my entire life, I attended university last year to do a degree in aeronautical engineering,
which are managed quite well, but unfortunately at the time I could not attend no longer due to unfortunate circumstances. My passion for flying is something that keeps me up every night thinking why am I not flying.
Is spilling a big part of my flight traning? I am now lucky enough to have the funds to obtain my PPL, which I think will be a good start my career. Any help with this would be much appreciated.
thinks.:D
http://www.pprune.org/forums/images/statusicon/user_online.gif

[Hour Builder]

As long as you can pass the 7 PPL exams, theres nothing stoping someone with dyslexia from gaining a PPL. Obviously the exams all have set time limits, so you'll need to pass them in the time given, and there are no exemptions for people with dyslexia, as a minimum standard must be obtained.

Good luck :ok:

[Whispering Giant]

che turner - yep it is possible to be a pilot with dyslexia, i know of at least 2 that have it and one of them was a Captain with Excel and has just become a Direct entry F/O with Cathay.
Anything is possible so long as you put the effort in and work hard and dont let the doubters bring you down.

GO FOR IT - you've got nothing to loose and a great deal to gain.

brgds
W.G

[PPRuNeUser0172]

Whats a piolt?

Is it just me, or is the title to this thread just a little too ironic..........;)

[bluepeely]

I agree, go for it mate . My ex boss was dyslexic and he was a magistrate for years. Besides which your spelling is pretty good looking at your post so dont let it stop you .

Good luck man

BP

[Martin4]

Glad I dead this topic, I to have dyslexcia and would like to become a airline pilot in the future. Nice to know of people thats been there that has dyslexcia and succeeded :ok:

[Hour Builder]

Whats a piolt?
Is it just me, or is the title to this thread just a little too ironic..........;)
i thought that too but didnt have the balls to comment. i am seriously not taking the piss, but how do you spell "dyslexia" right but "pilot" wrong.

[Martin4]

My bet is its a type error as he spelt it correct in the message. I could ofcourse be wrong.

[che turner]

Thanks for all the help and encouragement with on this matter,:D
It is good to know that there are some people out there in the same predicament as me.
on the pilot or (potil) front it was a typo .:{

I have booked my ppl air law exam in 3 weeks, fingers:oh:

[rwhites]

i have dyslexia.i've pass all 14 atpl exams fist time, got my cpl and staring my IR now. do it :ok:.

[che turner]

Hi all

I posted a thread last mouth a bout being a pilot and having dyslexia. I have just passed 4 of my ppl ground exams 98% or so. Confuse help a lot.

I know what is needed from me, (flight wise to go for my atpl,s 150hr and so on) but can any one tell me how much harder they are from my ppl . I did not find that i needed to spent two long on them , about 1hr a night for a week on each subject.

As you have all been through this, any sensations?

Thanks

[planecrazy.eu]

Hey. I have Dyslexia too, have done since they found it in year seven at school, must have just appeared, i think not, primiary school just ignored the problem...

Anyway, i have looked over the alot of the atpl and ppl stuff and found my "condition" to play very little in making it harder to study...

One area i always have problems with, and have had a few with reading some atpl stuff is: I seem understand the stuff differently in some cases to how its wrote. I think its because i rush, and try and read at what i would call a normal persons reading pace. i think a lesson is, just to slow down, and read it again out loud, as reading out aloud normal solves my reading problems, makes me look stupid infront of class and housemates, but who cares...

Sure you;ll do great at the ATPL;s, 98% in all of them would be a great feat too. I wish you luck...

And as far as i know, the CAA dont recognise Dyslexia as a condition that needs more times in exams, academic exams allow around 10-20% extra time...

[docash1983]

I think this is a really good thread. I too have dyslexia which has seen me understand things in a rather adverse way in my academic studies. With the right support and a bit of self belief, you can do anything. I am currently studying for my LLB law degree, not too much longer to go now:D ... After this I plan to get training ASAP. At the end of the day its mind over matter, If i can do an LLB and get into my training, anybody can. I know several doctors with dyslexia and they have managed to master a very tricky subject, so keep at it!

Does anybody know how airline training schools such as OAT or CTC look upon people with dyslexia, this would be good to know.

Best of luck to you
Docash

[planecrazy.eu]

I know what you mean, about understanding things in weird ways...

I talked to OAT about this ages ago, i got no sympathy, but what did i expect. They didnt really care, they look upon you all the same from the start, its the stupid things you do whilst with them that makes you look bad in their eyes, the guy was telling me some shocking storys about some cadets, i think this brings home the reasons so many FTO's like the little more mature students...

CTC, i am not so sure about, i dont think it would be any different, i missed CTC due to my education, i did an AVCE and not A'Levels and they didnt like the AVCE...

I see you live in Brum too, B'ham education whatever people didnt wanna know me, untill i complained so hard they recognised my Dyslexia, and they took them untill just a few weeks ago to say, "yes, you can have a little extra support" That should help me with my Degree, 10 mins more in a three hour exam...

I think in the aviation world you are judged on your aviation abilities...

[mcgoo]

Che, I don't want to put you off but the PPL and ATPL exams are worlds apart, I did the PPL exams in a week and a half, ATPL exams are another story, it's mainly the volume of information to absorb thats the hard part.

[Dynamic Apathy]

:O Ok, I know this might sound harsh but there may be a problem with your plans, and only you guys which have dyslexia will work out the answer.

The written exams are hard, but do-able, and I don't doubt for a minute that you would cope and do well :ok:

I don't know what the CAA medical branch view is, but let's look at a possible insurmountable hurdle :{

To get an ATPL you will have to do an IR, and a large part of the IR is reading and interpretting approach and departure plates, and often whilst flying the aircraft on instruments. This means that the plates have to be scan read as part of the overall instrument flying :}

The PPL, and the CPL are probably well within your capabilities :D

But, what about the IR and those plates? I would suggest that before you shell out a kings ransom on the ATPL theory course, and then the mortgage on the IR, get yourself some approach plates and be honest with yourselves. Could you get them out and read them, and interpret them in a flying environment :*

If you can, brilliant :D

If you can't :{ but at least you might save a boat-load of money.

Please don't take this the wrong way and think I'm just being negative for the sake of it. I think this thread is a good one and asks some very pertinent questions, but I would hate to see you throw money away on the impossible dream.

Let us know how you get on with plate reading, if you haven't done so already, and good luck

[planecrazy.eu]

I dont think thats harsh at all, more supportive than anything. I will take that advice and get some plate and see how i read them, it is a good point, as you cant afford to miss-read that type of document.

Reading them in a flying environment may be the problem, i dont fly yet =( but i am thinking i may be able to emulate this to a degree if i fire up flight sim?

I guess that not even Pilapt, Gapan or Compass test for Dyslexia, i know Pilapt doesnt for sure...

Thanks for the advice, and fingers crossed this is a hurdle that will be pretty easy to over-come...

[captain_rossco]

have read this thread with interest and the previous post re: landing/approach plates throws up some possible complications, i hope this link to interpreting the plates is useful (if only to get an idea what issues may or may not arise). Hope it helps!

Rossco

http://www.abacuspub.com/freepress/UnderstandingApproachPlates.pdf

:ok:

[docash1983]

Yes the b'ham eduation service failed me, I was only tested upon attending university even though it was realised in primary school:ugh: .
Thanks Captain Rossco, the plate thread was most useful and I found it quite easy to understand.
docash1983

[146fixer]

Hi All,
I am dyslexic and have in worked in aviation all my adult life.Been working as an aircraft engineer for 20 years.Have passed my CAA,EASA & FAA engineers licenses.Have a B Eng Hons degree in aircraft maintenance and have a JAA PPL.Have been taking some sort of exam every one of those 20 years.It wasnt until a few years ago that I found out I was dyslexic.The only help I had was a few extra min doing the exams for my degree.Depending how old you are you should be compensating for your dyslexia.But at the end of the day you are going to have trouble reading,writting and in my case any thing to do with numbers.Best thing you can do is study hard for the exams.I have never used my dyslexia stop me from do anything.I some times do explaine to people why my writting/spelling is so bad or I'm using a calculator.My advice is have a look at some example exam questions,if you need help get it.Pass the exams.Enjoy being a pilot or anything else for that matter.
Hope this is of some help.
Good luck all :ok:

[docash1983]

Spot on 146, hit the nail on head so to speak:D :D :D :D . Regarding dyslexia I only have very mild dyslexia , but have always been of the same opinion as you. Dyslexia will not prevent anybody from doing anything, it just means you have got to work harder for it. At the end of the day it's all about will-power and ambition. I certainly will not be giving up unless I end up in a box under the ground!!!!!!:ok:

[Impress to inflate]

I went through OAT about ten years ago. I had/have dyslexia and struggled at school and found school more of a social life rather than academic. I never had any aspirations of UNI or Collage so went straight into the big wide world of work. In my mid twenties I came to a cross road in life and was given the opportunity to do my CPL(H) and jumped at the chance. I had not done any academic work for about eight years but with my background at sea working with hydraulics and gas compresses I found the techs relatively easy while Uni graduates struggled because they could not visualize the systems described. The navs I found a real challenge but found my own way of dealing with them and had a lot of support from fellow students on my course (thanks lads). The biggest incentive was wanting to learn rather than being forced. If secondary schools had teachers like OAT teaching subjects then I would probably have a couple of Higher grades (Scottish A levels) under my belt. I now have over 6000 hours under my belt and love my job, a childhood dream come true.

[che turner]

Hi all:)

Just chasing up on all the posts made about pilots with dyslexia last week, thanks for your advice on how to go about this

Yesterday I phone 4 airlines regarding recruiting pilots with dyslexia, a lot of them say that they do not have pilots with dyslexia on there books, and if there were in the Interview,and a pilots hade dyslexia that it would be in disfavour to them. If there were two people at the same level they will go for the one without dyslexia. :(

So all you pilots that have jobs for an airline, how did you get over this? Did you keep it to your self? Or did you let them know,?:suspect: I think that if you pass atpls at 98% and your sim ride goes fine. Where is the problem?

Thanks for your support,

[docash1983]

Che turner
"they do not have pilots with dyslexia on there books, and if there were in the Interview,and a pilots hade dyslexia that it would be in disfavour to them. If there were two people at the same level they will go for the one without dyslexia. :( "

What a load of :mad: :mad:, i cant believe that, they dont turn away doctors because they are dyslexic, what a load of rubbish!!!!!

[cyan]

All very interesting - I can assure you. It is possible to have dyslexia and be come a commercial pilot!! It is extra work, but motivation is the key!!

Good luck to all. I pinch my self on a daily basis as I wait to line up for 27L at LHR in my Airbus.....

[che turner]

Hi all
I was just saying what i heard from the airlines,:{

I know that i will make it :ok:

[docash1983]

sorry che turner, was not an attack on you, rather upon the airlines... anyway best of luck to you all, im sure with determination it is possible.
docash1983

[gr8 balls of fire]

Hi Everyone

I have a real quick question regarding gaining a career as a professional pilot? Will being severely dyslexic affect my ability to learn to fly, gain sponsership, or employment? I have gained a good education, with results through GCSE's A*-D to BTEC ND, HND and BA in advertising and graphic design, so i guess i've got a back up plan. However i still hanker after the dream of flying for a living and i am planning to start my PPL later this year and take the GAPAN apptitude tests. Has anybody got any useful hints or comments on this matter or perhaps there is a fellow dyslexic already making the dream come true?

Cheers

Gr8 Balls of Fire

[tiggermoth]

It may be an idea for you to contact the medical department of the CAA to ask them. Too be honest, I'm not even sure if they can answer you, but perhaps they know somebody who can!

Medical Department
CAA Safety Regulation Group
Aviation House
Gatwick Airport South
West Sussex RH6 0YR

Telephone: 01293 573700


In the mean time, perhaps somebody here can shed some light on it. My gut feeling is that it could be a problem in writing down clearances and the like, but I may well be wrong. Good luck!


T.

[tiggermoth]

And I tried really hard not to spell anything wrong there too! :bored:

By the way, you've added an extra space between "tigger" and "moth" :oh:

[Whispering Giant]

gr8 balls of fire - being dyslexic should'nt stop you from being a commercial pilot but as tiggermoth says you best check with the CAA first, but i do have a couple of friends of mine who are both dyslexic and both of whom are commercial pilot's 2 of them are Captains, one of them with the company i fly for and the other was a Captain with EXCEL and is now a senior F/O with Cathay with his command with them coming up in the next couple of months. Another friend of mine is just about to start his ATR type rating.
So dont let the fact that your dyslexic stop you - anything is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard.

brgds
W.G