Questions regarding entry requirements

[PhantomMercer]

Hello,

I'm new here. Before i say anything else i know that a few of my questions will probably have been asked a million and one times already, but i want to get answers tailored to my own personal needs and answers with relation directly to myself, as i think this is extremely important.

I have no experience in the aviation industry. I really want to be a pilot. I fell in love with planes since i was a child. (i think like most pilots who are flying planes today).

I have been doing some research and reading threads on this website but there are some individual questions that i wanted to ask with regards to getting into a cadet programme with an airline.

I have heard that nowadays, apparently, these cadet schemes are the best path to take with the greatest chance of success to becoming a pilot.

I have researched various cadet 'schemes', which include that CTC Wings, and british airways. (even though its closed down now, i thought i would still look at what the entry requirements were).

However, on the entry requirements of the CTC Wings website for the 'cadet scheme', it says that you must have a minimum of 5 GCSEs or equivalent. I dont have any GCSEs, as i was not able to complete secondary school due to illness. This is pretty humiliating as i am a very able person, and i think ive got a great amount of potential, but it just so happens that i just dont have any GCSEs. This isnt an indicator of a persons capability of anything, if you ask me.

What do i do about this? Another question: it also says that you need to 'be able to demonstrate that you have successfully completed secondary or high school education (or equivalent)'. The hell does this mean? isnt that the same as having GCSEs? What relevance does this have?

My biggest question is is it possible to be able to become a pilot without possessing any GCSEs or A levels? I have qualifications in another subject matter (a diploma not related to english, maths, or science) but not GCSEs.

I suspect what the answers could be: it could be in theory possible to become a pilot without GCSEs but it will take much longer and be much harder. Is that correct or not?

Should i retake some GCSEs in order to be able to apply to one of these cadet scheme things?

Or could it be possible to obtain a private pilots license somewhere and then carry on 'upwards' to getting an ATPL, if thats possible? And is it possible to obtain a private pilots license without GCSEs?

What route do you think i should take which would be easiest and quickest with regards to my current situation?

I'm not saying training to be a pilot isnt 'hard', i just want advice on the best 'course of action' to take that would be the most smoothest, easiest, and quickest possible, as opposed to being the second most smoothest, easiest, and quickest possible.

But i am not saying if it isnt easy and quick that i wont go ahead and do it, because i really want to be a pilot.

I hope to be able to get helpful and polite answers to my questions. I am based in the UK, if that helps.

Thanks for reading. :O

[Bealzebub]

I am afraid you are looking for an answer that doesn't exist!

There are no quick and easy routes into the pinnacle levels of this industry. Even those that might be regarded as such are fraught with their own difficulties, be they financial, selective, competitive or whatever else.

It is certainly possible to become an airline pilot without educational qualifications, however in this day and age it is also very unlikely.

My advice would be to retake your GCSE's in any event. They will stand you in good stead whatever you route in life you are likely to embark upon. I appreciate that circumstances may preclude full time education, but plenty of people utilize part time colleges, correspondence courses, and self study to achieve this form of self betterment. If you think this is "humiliating" and you have "ability" and "potential," then do something about it!

Bearing in mind the illness that prevented your secondary school completion, you might also want to research the medical requirements for commercial pilots licences.

I am afraid that it is a harsh reality, that competition in this (and many other) industry is fierce. There are a lot of very good, qualified, and well able people, chasing a very small number of opportunities. Whatever may or may not be the realities, this is viewed as a highly desirable occupation, and in turn it attracts a spectrum of hopefuls, many of whom are likely to be disappointed.

Employers (and certainly airline employers) do not usually offer interviews to anything less than their perception (note, not yours) of the most likely candidates to prove successful. In the case of airlines, there is not a single candidate in that category who will not hold a professional pilots licence. They look for far more than that. They will certainly expect to see a solid educational background. Where there is a minimum educational achievement stipulated, that is your clue as to the levels they are likely to be seeking as a minimum.

You don't need any GCSE's or other specific educational attainment to embark on a PPL or any other licence. However certain programmes and many employers will set such stipulations. People will (often rightly) tell you that such qualifications carry less weight once experience has been acquired. Of course this is a catch-22 in that doesn't address how you get to that position in the first place. What might have been true 10 or 20 years ago doesn't really fit into todays common practices or even more importantly, tomorrows.

Cadet schemes, attract a lot of good applicants. They look for individuals who are likely to do well on them. They are extremely competitive, and even for the successful few, they are often extremely expensive.

Once reality sets in, you will quickly discover that it isn't easy or quick. In your particular circumstances, you have issues that you need to consider, putting aside any such notions. You know this, and I suspect you also know that there is no tailored answer that will satisfy your questions. General research will provide all of the answers to the questions you are asking, and they are readily available.

Provided that you meet the medical standards, and you have the ability, determination and luck that are requisite vital ingredients, then there is no reason why you should be at any lesser or greater advantage than many other people who every year attempt to embark on this particular career spectrum. However there are obvious issues you need to address, and it would be pointless and wrong to suggest that these things either don't matter or wouldn't put you at a significant disadvantage if you chose not to address them.

[smartguy]

With the lack of gcse's I think you will not stand a chance of getting on an airline scheme. However, places such as ctc wings will most likely still take your money and train you to become a pilot, but unless ctc can place you will an airline you will still have difficulty finding a flying job with no gcse's or a-levels.

The good news is that after you have got some experience, airline tend to concentrate on the number of hours you have other than your education. It's finding the first flying job that could be tricky

[AmbitiousEngineer]

I have a similar issue regarding GCSE's.

Since a very young age I have always dreamt of becoming a pilot but unfortunately I didn't pay much attention at school and was easily distracted in the classroom. My grades are mostly D's and C's, English and Maths were at D grade. Cutting a long story short (as I have plenty to chat about) I was lucky enough and managed to secure an apprenticeship as an Aircraft Engineer as soon as I left school, which I have now completed and also halfway to obtaining my B1 Engineers License! :)

After having a more in-depth understanding about the Aviation Industry and Aircraft in general as an Engineer e.g. jump-seat flights to technical aircraft way from base every now and then, test flights in single crew aircraft in which I have been lucky enough to side in the right hand seat and even discount flying lessons! This has helped me ultimately decide which career path I would like to chase. Yup, you've probably guessed it! Pilot.

I have spent a lot of my time these past months researching of how to achieve this life long ambition! Fortunately as an engineer I am on a stable, healthy pay packet that I can manage to save and scrape together enough money to take the Modular route to fATPL by the end of 2014. Or slightly longer if I decide to take a 12-14+ month Integrated "Zero to Hero" course as I do not come from a rich family background!

I have spoken to many pilots in the company and asked them vast amounts of questions regarding what routes they took and how they achieved the position they are in, most of the replies have been "Bank of Mum and Dad" or a ridiculous loan that takes eternity to pay off! I often get given so called advice to change my mind as it isn't something I want to do. Well as a matter of fact, it is!! :ugh:

Back to the subject the only set back to achieving my Engineers License is that I will be bonded to my employer for a maximum of 2 years but I also see this as an advantage in the respects of saving more money in preparation for this career change!

The plan so far is to obtain my Engineers B1 license as it will secure me :-

1. A Large Pay Increase
2. More time to build up my Savings
3. A very comfortable back-up if something goes wrong or I lose interest (heaven forbid)
4. Licensed Engineers are like Rocking Horse s*** in the Channel Islands so I can go back and work in the Hangar while awaiting a job as a First Officer. :ok:

I believe in my situation applying for sponsorships would be a complete waste of time regarding my GCSE grades so now is the time for the million pound question!

Is it ESSENTIAL to have a certain level and number of GCSE's to enter a flying school which I am paying over £65K training for Integrated or Modular courses e.g. "Zero to fATPL" or is it just a recommendation for performance in the classroom/self study depending on the school???

I will be prepared to retake my Maths and English at a night school if need be! If I give up this childhood dream now I know somewhere in the future I will definitely regret it!!!

All I seek is the answer to that question and then I can then organise and rearrange what I need to do if necessary! :ok:

Cheers guys! ;)

[pilotchute]

Or you could do what I did and go back to school and do your A levels. I managed this 15 years after I left school the first time with the added burden of working full time.

If you don't have it there is no use coming on here saying how unfair it is. You just have to do it.

[Bealzebub]

The simple answer is no, for many schools you do not need any educational achievement certification in order to embark on a course. How much you are paying for that course is irrelevant. Some programmes will set a minimum educational requirement. One of the reasons for this stipulation, and the problem that is going to arise in any event, is what is the likely employer going to require?

The idea that airline recruiters are going to say "thank God we have found someone with a CPL/IR call, them for interview." is simply wishful thinking. When recruiting experienced pilots there is certainly a greater emphasis placed on their professional background than there is on their educational attainment, however, even then there is an expectation of demonstrated progression usually found on successful CV's. At the ab-initio level, that is cadets or low hour experienced pilots, there is very little else to go on other than their educational background and (where relevant) course progression, as far as the CV goes.

At this level (in fact at any level but particularly at this level,) the prospective employer is looking to eliminate anything that is (in their opinion) going to be potentially problematic. Many of the cadet programmes that set a minimum educational attainment level, do so (in part) because that is what their partners also require.

For most employers the idea that a CPL/IR will negate any requirement for an average level of educational attainment is simply wrong. There may be any number of reasons why a person doesn't complete their secondary education, but it will raise a red flag as to why they didn't subsequently rectify that deficiency.