Help!

[D.Parmar]

Hi, I am a student studying A levels at the moment, i would like to become a pilot and am looking into different ways of obtaining this, preferably with a university degree.
Please could you send me any information which coiuld help me!
Thanks

[Conan the Vulgarian]

There are really no sponsored (ie you don't have to pay) schemes for flying training other than joining the military. Be EXTREMELY wary of anyone who tells you otherwise. Sorry to have to say it so bluntly and perhaps it may be disappointing to you but that's just the way it is. The only exception I can think about that may well be accessible to someone your age with the right qualifications is the GAPAN scholarships so check them out.

On the other hand, you have an opportunity I wish I still had - you could get yourself (with sufficiently good A-level results) onto an Aeronautical Engineering degree. Perhaps on the other hand you are not that way inclined, but if you are it would be an excellent way to get a funded degree that was aviation centred. You don't mention what your financial situation is like - flying training is an expensive business and there are no guarantees of a job at the end of it (again, be EXTREMELY wary of anyone who tells you otherwise - they are trying to take your money). I'm not trying to put you off, but it helps to be realistic about what you can expect - if you can't afford to self fund training right now probably your best option is to find a career that puts you in a position to afford it in the future. As a guideline, the total cost of your qualifications to be a professional pilot will be at least 30,000 to 40,000 UK pounds, perhaps significantly more depending on the route you take. If you do choose to go ahead and can raise the money make sure you thoroughly research training - you really need to know what you're doing to get value for your money.

There's a book by Clive Hughes about training that is very useful as an introduction to flying training, Clive is very helpful and a thoroughly nice bloke and is willing to take calls from people who have his book to give further advice so if you're looking for somewhere to start I'd say that would be as good a place as any. Clives website is at Clive Hughes - Guide to getting a Commercial Pilot Licence (http://www.ppl-atpl.demon.co.uk/) Have you done any flying at all yet? A good place to start might be having a couple of lessons if you can afford it - don't underestimate the value of getting started. Even if you can't afford commercial training right now you may find in a few years that flying here and there and gradually getting a PPL and a few hours would leave you in a better position to go further later as you'd have gradually spent some of the initial money without having to do it all in one go and you'd be learning about flying and meeting other people who fly.

May I respectfully also point out that your post contained a couple of typos and missing capital letters. I know having perfect grammar and diction may not seem to you right now to be the most important skills for a pilot but attention to detail is certainly something that a pilot needs. Grammar is important - I'm not entirely sure I can give you a perfectly logical explanation for just why it's so important but it just is and us old gits tend to notice and judge people based on it.

[cavortingcheetah]

You're a lucky lad D. Parmar to have found so quickly such excellent and wholesome advice.