Advice on getting Sponsored

[Seb.C]

Hi

First I should introduce myself, I am 17 years old and have currently just finished As levels. I am about to start A levels next year in maths, physics and geography. My dream is to become a commercial airline pilot. I am sure this is nothing different from many posts you must have read before; and ultimately I'm sure you know exactly where this is going, however I am well aware without contacting the right people and following the right advice I have a virtually impossible task converting my dream into reality.


I completely my GCSE's last year with satisfactory results (not perfect but mainly A's and A*'s). Now I am at the point in college where I am being encouraged to think about my future and start planning what Universities I might attend. However I am undecided about what to do next, In an ideal world I would get a sponsorship after college (I have read up on numerous schemes through CTC, GAPAN etc) but after reading many dissapointing stories and researching the application process I know this is not an easy task.

My next option would be to continue with education and hopefully study for a degree in physics or geography at University before applying. Both my parents have worked at the airport (my dad continues to work at gatwick as a refuller) but most pilots he has spoken to have reached their place through their parents either paying for their training or have parents who were already pilots. This does not deter me, but has made me realise I need to study extremely hard to compete. In the "Uni or not" thread I have read many posts saying get a degree for backup, but surely taking a degree in flying or aviation would be more helpful to getting sponsored than a general degree? Yet a degree in aeronautical engineering doesn't give the widest choice of options if I cannot be a pilot (not that I will let that happen if I can help it)

Thankyou for taking the time to read this and I hope it is in the right forum. Any suggestions or advice on possible routes to getting sponsored would be highly appreciated.

- Seb

[Callsign Kilo]

Hello Seb

If your heart is set on flying, maybe University is the wrong path. Lets assume you don't manage to secure (what are now extremely rare) flying scholarship however, as you say, remain undetered about making flying your career. In my opinion you should maybe make an effort to find some employment which could be aviation related. Whilst working set aside some funds to start flight training and work slowly at it. Join a local flying club and become active within the membership. Talk to people and introduce yourself, show that you are eager and willing to lend a hand.

You are still young and have bags of time to become a commercial pilot. If you keep working at your goal, I'm sure you will acheive your dream. A the present time, the industry is in a bit of a downturn, mainly due to the price of oil and the fledging economy. As a result I wouldn't go rushing into any training schemes as I don't believe the time is right. However thats not to say things will eventually improve. Given time I'm sure they will. Aviation is very much a cyclical industry and by planning your training path carefully, you may just arrive at a point where we see a boom in recruitment once again.

Best of luck young man. CK

[IrishJetdriver]

very well said CK. Chances of sponsorship at the moment..........probably bugger all !

Good luck.

[Adios]

Sponsorship or even self-funded cadet programmes are difficult to get into with the success rate ranging from 3-5%. The majority of those that get into them have university degrees, though they are usually not required for one to apply. I think this is simply due to the large number of applicants allowing the airlines to be as selective as they want to be, as well as slightly older applicants having additional maturity.

The advice given above is good, but if you are going to wait a few years for the industry to turn around, I recommend that you do the waiting at university. Even the advice to set aside some funds will be easier if you get a marketable degree. It will also help you if you eventually seek a bank loan to fund flight training because the bank will require a solid plan B based on whatever qualifications you have before taking flight training. This doesn't mean people without degrees can't or don't have solid careers, just that with only a couple of A-levels, it could take much longer to develop a career earning the £25-30K salary range that you'll need to be able to set aside enough funds for flight training.

[yellowsubmarine]

oooooo oooooo...I have some advice!!!

Invent a time machine.

benign and useless comment aside, the only long standing sponsorship program still in place, is with a company called AFT. They take on wannabes below the age of 25 (some exceptions) with a PPL and decent exam results.

The program is not for everyone, however it does seem ideal for you. (By that I am referring to your financial position and your clear drive and willingness to do whatever it takes to break into this game.)

The program lasts about 2 years, the first of which is spent doing whatever job the company needs doing (not glamorous), however they will pay for your training (ATPL frozen) and you may well get the opportunity to fly an Electra if you can stick it out.

This would almost definitely be your quickest route into the cockpit, so my advice would be not to go to university; beg, borrow or seal the money to get a PPL and then apply for this scheme. If you don't get it, then you can go back to Uni and search for another route into aviation.

Having said that, don't put all your eggs in one basket, keep your options open. The very best of luck to you mate.

[G SXTY]

Sponsorships are rare even when the job market is good. As you're no doubt aware, the industry is entering a downturn at the moment, which means that jobs for newly qualified pilots will be scarce for a couple of years, and sponsorships will be virtually non-existent. If your heart is set on a flying career, best to plan on worst-case and assume you will have to pay for every penny of your own training. It's not an impossible task, but it's heavy going and will take a while - rather like eating an elephant.

If you're academically bright (and your written english is clearly well up to the task), a marketable degree is never a bad idea. Some people will tell you it's not much use if you want to be an airline pilot, and they have a point - you don't need a degree to fly an aeroplane and it's time and money spent pursuing something other than your dream. However, it's a very useful 'plan B'. A degree opens doors to graduate jobs, which generally offer higher earning potential to pay for your flying. It also gives you life experience, which comes in very handy for job interviews. Finally, it sets you up with a decent fall-back career in case the flying doesn't work out. Remember that as a commercial pilot, your livelihood depends on the next medical and/or sim check. Fail either and you could be looking for alternative employment.

The good news is that at 17, you have all the time in the world (I have recently qualified and got my first flying job aged 36). Callsign Kilo's advice is very sound, but it's up to you whether you leave school and start earning money straight away, or invest 3 years in a degree with the aim of earning more money when you finish. Either way time is on your side.

One last piece of advice - I would seriously recommend the GAPAN aptitude tests as a way of assessing your flying potential. It's frankly heartbreaking to see guys spending a fortune on commercial training when they're clearly struggling and maybe just not cut out for airline flying. Remember that flying schools will happily take your money, even if airlines won't employ you. Invest in an objective assessment of your ability before you start throwing money at this game.

Best of luck, but your attitude suggests you won't need it!

[mrfilbert]

Yellowsubmarine,

I read your post with interest as I am a 24 year old graduate, and have recently decided to take the plunge and follow my dream to be a pilot. I suppose I'm in a similar situation to Seb in that I'm lacking any pilot contacts, and the money to self-fund my pilot studies. Having read both CTC threads start to finish, and bits and bobs from other sections of pprune, I appreciate that it's a risky time to begin flying training what with the industry being so volatile. I also appreciate that, being 24, time is not on my side to the extent it is with someone aged 17 or 18, and that if I'm going to do it, I've got to do it pretty soonish!

I've decided I'm going to begin the CTC application process in August in order to have enough time to brush up on my Maths and my knowledge of the industry but, in the (fairly likely) event that I don't get in, I need a back-up plan. Neither the OAT nor the FTE scheme is appropriate for me, as I won't be able to get a secured loan without putting my parents' house on the line (something I'm not really prepared to consider), but this AFT programme you mention may offer a glimmer of hope. I've not heard of the company before, nor of this scheme and, having searched the forums, can't seem to find any mention of them elsewhere. Would you mind posting some more details of them on here please?

I apologise if this topic has been covered elsewhere and my searching just hasn't been thorough enough.

Seb, I wish you the best of luck! The way I look at it is that however bad this economic downturn proves to be, there will always be planes in need of pilots, however few, and there's no reason in the world why it shouldn't be the likes of you and me flying them.

[G-HALE]

Get your PPL and apply to either of these 3 UK airlines that still sponser but only people who hold there PPL.
RVL-group
Highland Airways
Atlantic Airlines

[AltFlaps]

Seb,

Well done on how you've approached this so far. No half baked 'text-style' rant, but a nice clear concise post.

I disagree with most on this subject. I think you should go out and get your university degree. Ace some other industry first, get a PPL, and earn the money to go after your ATPL when you're thiry or so.

This has several benefits:
1). You may really enjoy your initial chosen career path and stay with it
2). Having a degree gives you a fall back position if things ever get tough in aviation (and believe me they do - I've been redundant twice in 7 years)
3). It seems to me that pilots who get into flying later seem to appreciate it more. If you've had a dose of the real world for 10 years, then flying seems great. It appears to be the guys who have only ever flown airplanes that seem to do all the moaning and groaning
4). Having another skill set is much more likely to take you into other areas of an airline (as well as just flying) like secondary duties, training, management

All in all, when you're 40 and flying the line, you'll be very happy that you have a catch net

Good luck :ok:

[potkettleblack]

Have a read of the attached. There is no such thing as a sponsorship anymore unless you have Hong Kong/Aussie/German citizenship. All these other "schemes" with flashy names are merely marketing tools used to get you to either pay cash upfront for your training or forego salary.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/interviews-jobs-sponsorship/334752-sponsorship-cadet-etc.html