BMI Sponsorship. The College Route?

[Luke_08]

I am currently doing my GCSE's [ Maths, Triple Science, English, Geography, and Technology] and really want to be a Pilot with BA. My local college are partnered with BMI and they can give me the option to go on a third year and do some sort of special pilot course only costing £90 for the year. I still need to asure my sponsorship but they say its very likely.Then they will send me off to do training at BMI. I need to know if this is the best route? And which A levels will give me the best chance of my dream? And should I get lessons before I start to give me a head start!
Thanks"!:)

[Superpilot]

Sounds like someone is pulling your leg. Who gave you this information? Best not to set your eyes on a certain airline at this stage. BMI is not partnered with any flight school as far as I know neither do they accept cadets or offer any kind of training.

[Luke_08]

There not my cousin has done that same route. He now works for BA at the age of 34. And its still running

[walshy_MAN]

As far as I know, BMI only take pilots through Direct entry

[Re-Heat]

I assume you mean that your sixth form college partners with bmi to provide some kind of apprenticeship within the airline - possibly within engineering?

Please be clear that there are no sponsored pilot training schemes of any significance in the UK any more. A couple of airlines tend to prefer Maths and Physics, but the majority, including BA and bmi, do not have any such preference.

In the current economic climate, we have no way of knowing what the future recruitment market will look like. Study as hard as you can to gain the best grades in subjects in which you are academically strong. Then, having considered options between university / going straight into aviation at 18, pursue whichever is most feasible given your financial status at that time.

I believe at your age, the best way to show your enthusiasm, would be to work at an airfield in a summer holiday, or with a travel-related firm - something that gives you an understanding of the industry and allows you to earn money.

Perhaps if you provide an internet link to this "scheme" you mention, we might be able to assess it for you?

[Blinkz]

haha someone has definitely been pulling your leg I'm afraid, either that or they have confused something somewhere!

As much as the idea of paying £90 a year for a pilots training course appeals I'm afraid no company in the UK at the moment is running a scheme like that, the majority of them aren't even recruiting at the moment let alone running sponsorships!!

Good luck with chasing your dream.

[Luke_08]

The £90 a year is for the person that comes in to teach! i have hours flying practice with the air cadets. i flew solo for the first time about a month ago. air cadets is so cheap because they work with the RAF so they dont have to teach as much:=

[Superpilot]

Luke,

No offense buddy but you really need to start making sense. At the minute you're not. Either that, or it's been a long time since I've read English!

If you want some good advice on becoming a pilot, just checkout the many active and sticky threads on this forum. It's no good focussing on a particular flying job within Aviation at such an early age. So much is going to change by the time you're qualified. Better to learn a bit more about the industry first.

[Re-Heat]

The £90 a year is for the person that comes in to teach!
I don't really understand what you mean by this. Flying training costs an absolute fortune. You would typically pay for:

- Time of a ground instructor
- Materials for ground instruction
- Time for flight instructor
- Hire of aircraft
- Exam fees
- Licence issue fees
- Landing fees
- Navigation charges

Not even ATPL exam ground instruction costs an individual £90 per year, and while your flying in air cadets useful, it does not count a great deal towards the flight time required for CPL/IR licence issue.

Please clarify what you think this scheme actually involves and get back to us. As superpilot says, you are not making much sense at the moment.

Good luck.

[Luke_08]

it's a course at a college ill tell the full ins and outs when i go there [this monday] , its classroom stuff. learning, not flying. they are just getting us ready.

[Re-Heat]

Honestly, my first reaction is - it will probably contribute nothing towards your aviation career, will not be worth anything towards APTL exam training, and is probably nowhere near as worthwhile as some decent work experience.

Make sure you do thorough checks before handing money to anyone in this industry - it is full of fantasists and crooks!

[Luke_08]

Yeah i did some work experience at my local airport, Gatwick. i might reconsider. Thanks [above post]

[Ollie268]

Luke,

If BMI were offering a flight course for £90, i think every new pilot in the world would be coming here!! To do a full ATPL course Modular or Integrated costs between £40,000 and £70,000 before you have even considered accommodation costs, living costs...etc.

However once you have been to this "college" on monday, I think we would all like to know the exact details of what is offered.

As someone has stated before, airlines are not too picky with WHAT the Alevel is in, although prefereably a maths OR science based subject, so just aim to get good results!

:ok:

[preduk]

The £90 a year is for the person that comes in to teach! i have hours flying practice with the air cadets. i flew solo for the first time about a month ago. air cadets is so cheap because they work with the RAF so they dont have to teach as much

Ha don't think so. Having done the Air Cadets solo myself when I was 16 I know for a fact that you have a long way to go my friend.

Go and have a look at the ATPL manuals that are on average 400 pages long.