Flight training

[mrclox]

Help wanted. .my son (16) wants to become a commercial pilot. I want the cheapest but best route for this. He is set to get 9/10 gcse and has to choose 4 A level options.. .Basically what realistic chance does he have of being accepted on a commercial pilot training course such as British airways provide, after taking A levels ? and can he re-apply if unsuccessfull after taking a degree.. .Otherwise as i understand it I would have to fund training at a private school to the tune of £50k How long does that take? and what are the job prospects for a pilot trained either way?. .Thanks in advance.

[scroggs]

At the moment BA is not running its cadet scheme. There is a small one being run by British European (there's a thread about it on this forum), but it's not cheap and involves very few people.. .I assume your son would be looking to join BA in 2004? BA may well have restarted their scheme by then but, as you can imagine, they are historically heavily oversubscribed. The odds of any one individual applicant succeeding are in the order of thousands to one against. Should he fail, he would be able to reapply after university, as long as the rules haven't changed - the maximum age of entry into training is, I believe, 27.. .Realistically, the self (or Dad) sponsored route is the only way to qualify for commercial aviation just now. That may change in the future, but no-one knows when. To ensure that your money has a chance of a return, make sure your son takes the GAPAN aptitude tests and a CAA Class 1 medical. Get him into PPL training and let him determine whether flying is really what he wants to do - and get him to take a look at the ATPL syllabus and course material (someone at your local club is bound to have some) and see whether he feels he could cope with it.. .From start to finish, the training to frozen ATPL (200 hours and exams completed) will take around 18 months, studying and flying full-time. The chances of a job at the end of it are not easy to determine at the moment, but I'm not over-optimistic - there are an awful lot of qualified pilots on the dole just now. But someone's got to succeed, and it could just be your son.. .Not to put too fine a point on it, there have been better times to enter aviation. Make sure you've got as many bases as possible covered before he sets off on the path to an ATPL. And make damn sure he has adequate qualifications to find an alternative career if aviation doesn't work out - as it doesn't for many, many Wannabes.. .Sorry if this seems a bit negative, but this is a difficult choice of career at the moment, and only the most determined - and talented - will get through the minefield to the airline goal.. .Best of luck to both of you!

[ 27 February 2002: Message edited by: Scroggs ]</p>

[mrclox]

Hi thanks for your reply Scroggs,. .I think the best course of action is to take A levels then apply for an airline training then if no luck (probable) go on to a degree then re-apply. if no luck again then think about the £50k plunge.. .Two more questions ... .If I end up funding my son for the 'oxford' course what are the chances of finding employment straight away and do airlines favour newly trained or experienced pilots.. .2. if a pilot is made redundant does he have to keep up his air hours and can this be in a light aircraft or does it have to be a large one. and isnt this v expensive? (sorry for my lack of knowledge this is my sons career not mine). .cheers mrc http://www.racesource.net/images/dancingman.gif

[scroggs]

I think your plan is sensible.. .I would give Oxford a ring and ask them how many of their un-sponsored graduates over the last six months are now in employment. I suspect the answer is 'not a lot'! As for the ab-initio vs experience question, it rather depends on the airline. Most, with their accountants heads on, would prefer to employ fully qualified and type-rated pilots with lots of experience on that airline's aircraft. However, the training and ops departments will often want a decent proportion of virgin material to groom for the future, at least when times are good, as I suspect they will be when your son graduates from university.. .A unemployed commercial pilot should keep in current flying practise in wahtever machinery he or she can get hold of. As you rightly suggest, it's not easy and it's bloody expensive. Getting jet currency flying is totally out of the question, but it's quite feasible to get a simulator ride very 6 months or so at your own expense - it helps to have mates still employed for this!. .Tough times, just now, but that won't last for ever. As in investment, past success or failure is no indication of future performance! An awful lot can and will change over the next couple of years, so don't make any hard and fast decisions just yet. He's got plenty of time!