Advice for an A Level Student

[richw626]

Hi all.

I am an A Level student currently studying Physics, Maths and Geography and my ambition is to be a commercial airline pilot. At present, I am being pressured no end into what my route will be once I leave school. I have obviously been researching my various options and I am still stumped as to what to do.

I am aware of both modular and integrated routes and the advantages and disadvantages with each. After a lot of thought I am not planning to go to university as I see it as a lot of time and money for something I feel will not give me much of an advantage in the field.

My current thinking is that I will finish my A Levels and go into employment with an airline in my local area. As I live in Cornwall, FlyBe's base at Exeter is a very achievable location to look for a job, and with two work experience placements with them, I am already aware of how the airline works. I would initially be living at home and put all available money earnt from the job into modular training.
I am a glider pilot, and for those in the know, am a Grade 1 pilot. I also have won a 15 hour PPL scholarship from the Glen Stewart Flying Scholarship. I only have 1 hour of real PPL training under my belt, and have another 4 personally paid for with enough money in reserve for another 2.

I am really looking for anyones advice on where I can go from here. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Rich

[Flashdance9]

My advice would be;

1) Look into the uni route. Remember Uni is as much about personal development and life experience as it is academics. That is what airlines are looking for; not some rocket scientist with no social/team skills etc. Have you heard of University Air Squadrons? You can get upto 40hrs flying for free, with no commitment to join RAF etc. Have a look into it.

2) In your position I would apply to any abinitio sponsored/mentored schemes next spring (if they exist). If you get in with an airline then, then go for the flight school option at 18. If you dont get in as a cadet, there's a reason - you are not competitive enough for a job. Therefore I'd take the uni option or go to work, come back in 3yrs time, when (a) downturn over and (b) as an individual, you are likely to be more attractive to airlines.

[preduk]

I've been told going Integrated would be more ideal in the current situation, however that is not to say that Modular pilots are going to be on the streets

Who ever told you that needs their head checked. Integrated would be the worst decision to make at the moment, infact unless you have 60K cash sitting in the bank, forget it the banks have pulled out of the funding for Integrated training.

Modular is risk free, cheaper, gives you the same experience and licence, and the same hope of a job (since there are none).

If it were me, I would go to University get a degree while flying in the UAS. This will mature you, give you a trade (if the flying goes bad) and give you a lot of skills.

Once you have completed your course, hopefully the market will have calmed down and it will be good time to review your pilot ambition. I done my training while studying at University.

[richw626]

Thank you all for your responses so far.

I forgot to mention a few little things... I am a staff member at my local Volunteer Gliding Squadron (I'm an Air Cadet), and am a Flight Sergeant in the ATC too. I also set up and run a youth project in my local area, all off of my own back! (Won an award for that too - Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Award!)

University is one of those things that I am not sure about, none of my academic interests seem to be something I could do another 3 years of studying in, and then if I did choose something, wouldn't it want to be relevant to flying?

And integrated is the route that we all dream of... shame no one has £60k (at least) lying around isn't it!

Has anyone got an opinion on what type of degree would be worthwhile for the industry?

Rich

[preduk]

University is one of those things that I am not sure about, none of my academic interests seem to be something I could do another 3 years of studying in, and then if I did choose something, wouldn't it want to be relevant to flying?

I would highly recommend not doing a subject connected with flying, do something that your interested in and has a real career prospect. Airlines really don't give a rats ar$e about University degrees, as long as you have the licences, the personality and the hours for the job.

The main point of the degree is to prevent you from going unemployed if the airlines crash. You may think that as soon as you get the job your safe, try speaking to those who have lost their job with Zoom and XL.

[Steveo91]

Hello!

I'm also kind of in the same position as Rich. I'm currently studying Maths, Physics, Electronics and Geography at A2 Level, and wondering how on Earth I'm going to make it in the aviation industry. :\
My plans are to venture off to Manchester/Loughborough University and study Aerospace Engineering, in hope of a pilot scholarship with an airline along the way (I spoke to the head of study interruption applications at Manchester, and was told it does happen) but I'm not sure how far a bachelors degree will get me. In my opinion, its better to have a degree under your belt if you're heading off into a tough career, just in case something went wrong, even something silly like a car crash, which could possibly end your career in a flash!
This is all well and good, but to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if it's going to work. I've got plans to contact a massive load of airlines in hope that one will offer me some kind of placement throughout my stay at Uni, but all I can offer is my A levels, 3 years in the Air Training Corps with a gliding scholarship course, first aid, Duke Of Edinburgh and a job at Primark...
Recently I've come across an interesting course at Bucks New Uni whereby they put you through your entire ATPL at Cabair in Buckinghamshire for standard tuition fees (£3k I believe, Air Transport with 'Commercial' Pilot Training or Pilot Training (http://bucks.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=129) ), but then I predict that I'll just be like all of the other fATPL owners out there, sitting in a pool waiting for something to happen with little to offer :uhoh:.

Can anyone with some kind of knowledge in this field give me a little advise? I know I probably come across to you as just another wannabe, but arn't a lot of people here asking the same sort of thing?

Many thanks in advance,
Stephen

[BerksFlyer]

Recently I've come across an interesting course at Bucks New Uni whereby they put you through your entire ATPL at Cabair in Buckinghamshire for standard tuition fees (£3k I believe, Air Transport with 'Commercial' Pilot Training or Pilot Training (http://bucks.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=129) ), but then I predict that I'll just be like all of the other fATPL owners out there, sitting in a pool waiting for something to happen with little to offer http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/worry.gif.


That's absolute rubbish, times 3k by 2 and add 4 0s on the end, that's how much it would cost on top of the tuition fees.

[Steveo91]

Yep, you're right, I've just been speaking to a friend of mine who goes there, who's just told me its £3k + the 55k for Cabair... Looks like its off to Manchester for me then.

[Celtic Pilot]

Do yourself a favour and go to university!!!

Youve obivously got the capability to do it if your doing maths and pysics... I did Mechanical Engineering at uni, along your subject lines,,, think you should really consider it!!!!!

[Steveo91]

I suppose above everything it's a good laugh, and I can't really get a job with an airline until I'm 21 so I may as well :D

[colette]

Hey Rich..

If there's a university close by to you that does an Aeronautical Engineering degree why dont you go for that? I studied it for 4 years at Glasgow uni and admittedly the first year is boring just alot of maths and mechanics etc but once you start to get into 2nd/3rd/4th year it's actually very interesting doing subjects like High Speed Aerodynamics and Aircraft Design projects. I also did my PPL during this time and found the exams alot easier as by the time I came to sit them I had already studied alot of the stuff before like aircraft performance and covered alot of things in the aerodynamics courses too. Also just started doing my atpls via distance learning and finding it not too bad as started straight after uni so still in study mode and trying to keep disciplined with the study times!

Also as Preduk mentioned, why not go to a university with an air squadron, even if you decide to go for a subject you're not too interested in, flying with the UAS and all their other activities should at least keep you in the air and also gaining other skills etc.

Also steve901, I would definitely recommend doing the aerospace engineering course in terms of employment. I just graduated in July with Beng honours and now have a job with BAE systems as an engineer, but in their surface fleet solutions department, so basically working on warships! Some folk in my class have joined BAE but at their military air solutions or regional aircraft bases, and plenty others have gone on to get jobs as engineers in the renewable energy sector and also oil and gas. So even though it is an aircraft based degree, you still come out highly employable in a wide range of engineering sectors. So i would definitely say to go for it and get a good back up career under your belt with some life experience too!