Hep Me On This One Please

[jschofield]

I heard about this from my air cadets squadron staff.

The Commanding Officer says I would have to pay about £50,000 to get my commercial pilots licence and to get that I would need a private pilots licence of £6000 as well.

I later heard from another staff member that there was a scheme by some airlines called a cadetmanship or something like that which involves me going to college, getting up to A-level standard, getting a PPL whilst I am at college and applying to an airline to take me on and train me for my commercial pilots licence and then keep me on as a pilot flying for the airline. If i were to quit that at any time it would cost me the amount of money it cost the airline to train me.

I am at air cadets and I am getting grades at school of C or above but I am unsure of what to do as the staff have confused me:confused:. I have just finished my one week work experience at City Airport Manchester (Barton Aerodrome) as an air traffic controller and i was complimented as one of the most dedicated(7 hour round trip on 2 buses and 6 trains), polite and hard working people they have taken on work experience. If anyone has anything which is of relevance to me then could you please help me.

Thanks for reading and if there is such a thing as a cadetmanship could you tell me how hard it is to get them and what airlines are doing them. Thanks:ok:

[Captain N]

the only airline i know of that still offers a cadet programme is Atlantic based in Coventry.
speak to the school there
www.flyaft.com (http://www.flyaft.com)

[Adios]

The only things close to this that I know of are CTC Wings and a programme at Sigmar Aviation in Ireland for Citijet. You and 5,000 others want it every year, so the odds are a long shot, probably about 2-3% chance of getting it. Try anyway because you will learn a lot about yourself even if you don't succeed.

You really should read the sticky threads at the top of this forum as they will help make your options a good deal clearer. It will take you several weeks of browsing and reading here before things really start to become clear. Given the fact that you may end up investing anywhere from £40,000 to £80,000 in ATPL training, you should take your time and do a lot of research.

The vast majority have to pay for their own training nowadays. There are two ways to do it. Get a PPL and enrol in a JAR-FCL Modular flight training program or you can start from zero experience on a JAR-FCL Integrated flight training programme. There are dozens and dozens of FTOs that offer Modular courses. There are about 5 approved by the UK CAA to offer Integrated courses and they are Cabair at Cranfield UK, Flight Training Europe (FTE in Jerez, Spain), Oxford Aviation Academy in Oxford UK, Western Australia Aviation and CTC in Bournemouth UK.

The Integrated vs. Modular debate has and will rage on for years. There is a very long thread here for that debate and it creeps into most other threads as well. Most people fell quite passionate about whichever one they support. The debate will rage on long after you have made your choice where and how to train.

The most common reasons people favour Modular are the fact that it costs about 1/2 to 1/3 less than Integrated courses and the fact that it can be done on a part time basis, allowing one to work during the training. Those who opt for Modular because of price tend to attack it full time without working to get done quicker. Others could take as long as 3-4 years to finish, though they are probably in the minority.

The most common reason people choose Integrated is because they think it will help them get a job quicker and easier. For some this turns out to be true, but for many more it doesn't and this plus the higher price is part of the reason for the heated debate. Since the license at the end of either route is the same, many people think that Integrated FTOs are just ripping people off.

Edit added after seeing the above rely: Atlantic Flight Training does have a sponsorship programme. Their course is Modular. Many cadet programmes are Integrated, but it doesn't really matter when there is a job attached and the airline funds or financially assists the training.

[preduk]

Have you ever considered flying military? They will pay for all of your training, but the chances of getting in are even more difficult.

Sadly, most pilots need to pay for their training as said above. There are hundreds of cadets, young students in the same situation. If you go here:

http://www.taysideaviation.co.uk/flying/learning/index/trainingairlinepilot.html

It will explain how to become a pilot a wee bit better for you.

[egrayton]

how much more difficult is military pilot selection?
do you have to be like the best of the best, and have gone to university and done some aviation related course?

[Floater AAC]

Can't speak for the RAF and Navy entrance requirements, but as a private soldier with only limited qualifications I had no problems with the aptitude testing. It is the same for all three services and carried out at RAF Cranwell. I now teach on helicopters so don't let the education side of things bog you down too much. That said if you want to join the RAF or Navy you need to be an officer to fly and you will probably need A levels for that.


Good luck with whatever you do.

Floater AAC

[egrayton]

well i only got A's and B's for my GCSE's and i got a B for maths and an A for physics at A-level
so do you think i have a chance at being a pilot in the military?

[preduk]

You don't need to go to University all you need is 5 GCSEs/SCEs and 2 A-levels or 3 Highers which isn't a lot. I have spoken to several RAF Careers Officers up and down the country and most of them recommend going straight into the forces.

However, if you decide you would like to go to the University they will support you through your studies, by giving you a nice 4 grand to play with each year (which you don't need to pay back). You will also get about 15hours a year flying with the University Air Squadron.

The RAF aren't looking for brain boxes, they are looking for good pilots that will represent their squadrons well. Their entry requirements are low but their selection tests are of a high quality.

RAF pilots get pretty good money as well, they start on £31,900 after training. You will also serve as an Officer, meaning you get the nice cosy Officers Mess :P.
The life style on the bases are usually very good (fairly cheap as well) they are usually kitted out pretty well. RAF Leuchars had the Bowling, Huge Footy Pitch, Rock Climbing and loads of other things when I was there a number of years ago.

The good thing about it is after your 12 years service you could become an airline pilot as you will have the experience airlines are looking for especially if you get a tanker or transport aircraft in the RAF.

So... Where to go from here? Well I noticed your just 14... I would stick at your Air Cadets, it was probably one of the best organisations I ever joined as a teenager. Make sure you get on plenty of camps and learn loads about the RAF, you will need it!

Start reading a bit more about the military i.e where they are operating and why they are operating there.

Try and get into good quality newspapers. Dump your Page 3 rubbish and pick up a Hearld, Times, Telegrah etc and read about the world conflicts and what is happening.

Also have a look out at the other aircrew jobs at: http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/aircrew.cfm

[Floater AAC]

Well there you go fellas, as Preduk has confirmed the other two services don't require loads of quals. The military realise that it doesnt take the brains of an archbishop to fly. Just someone who has the ability to learn and replicate a skill. What I will say is think hard about a military career due to its demanding nature and current world climate. Potentially lots of time away in sandy places which are not pleasant (believe me). You may not get what you want in the long run. The training is however some of the best in the world and the equipment is getting there slowly.