Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies)A forum for those on the steep path to that coveted professional licence. Whether studying for the written exams, training for the flight tests or building experience here's where you can hang out.
havent read all the pages of replies so apologies if this has been said but...
i have just finished my 3 years at Bucks New University studying Air Transport with Commercial Pilot training.
i studied modules like history of air travel, airline branding, airport terminal design, security, ground handling etc and during the summers and 2nd year i did my PPL, CPL, ATPLS and hour building. I finished uni in june and at the end of july will be doing my IR training.
The main point is that you do not need high grades to get on the course art Bucks new university. others positives are that they are building new student accom and new campus so its guna b lush
only negative all pilot parts have to be funded privately
Location: Just a bit lower than the point where the falling angel meets the rising ape
Posts: 222
A good degree from a good university is demonstration that you can perform to a certain level intellectually and organizationally. The degree choice you made might also say something about the person you were when you were 18.
I agree with those who say that degrees shouldn't be viewed as some sort of "back-up". They're really not. Unless they're vocational and the structure exists to bring you up to speed if you've been out of the loop of the given profession for a long time.
Also, a simple truth of Uni education in GB plc circa early 21st century is that unless you do a good degree at a demonstrably good uni, and get a good award, then all you have is something that everyone else has, in line with current govt educational policy.
WWW said something along the lines of "different strokes for different folks" and in this he's right. Higher education isn't for everyone. I went to Uni and did Medicine, my younger brother scraped past his GCSEs, but has gone on to start his own tree surgery business. He spends all day getting paid to hang out in trees with big pieces of kit which he loves, while I get to go work in hospital on shifts, up until recently only seeing my missus every 2-3 weeks for any length of time, which I simply don't enjoy! The point is, he's doing very well, thank you, off the back of bugger all by way of a school education.
I think a big problem in GB has always been that people are expected to make big decisions about what to do with the rest of their lives at way too early an age. There should be a bit of slack to get out, do some stuff, and find out what you like.
I wouldn't think of a degree as a back up plan. But, chosen wisely, it can be a huge bonus within a pilots career. I won't bore people with the details, but if I were to look back at my career and cross off all the opportunities that I was able to take advantage of because of my degree there would be a lot missing. And incidentally, I'm not talking about having the piece of paper, but rather the knowledge and skills gained.
And I only got a 3rd - too busy arsing around in bulldogs!
A good solid technical education will never be wasted time in a technology dominated industry like aviation. You just need a career planning horizon that extends a bit further than 'get atpl - get rhs'.
If say, you got 4 decent (A-A*) grades at a Grammar/Private school or something along those lines, it would not be wise to go to University would it? Unless of course it WAS a private school and then you could afford both!
What I am trying to say is, people come out of University with large debts - adding £40k+ to it isn't exactly going to help is it?
I think a big problem in GB has always been that people are expected to make big decisions about what to do with the rest of their lives at way too early an age.
This is a valid point, and certainly of issue in the public policy spectrum; however, one cannot use this argument when working through the system as it stands today.
I would love to be an idealist, but given an awareness of the structure at present, you would be foolish to ignore it!
The debt issue is only partially of relevance - if you have only SLC debts, your position in gaining finance for training is better, as those debts are paid only from earnings. However, if - as many people do - you run up further debts, your position is destroyed with regards to obtaining financing. On the other hand, a school leaver does not have the same strength to gain any debt financing for training simply by reference to their education and age, which the bank will also take into account.
There is no simple answer, hence why I would suggest that each person had different needs, preferences and best possible routes.
Good posts above^^
To add my two penny's worth. I started training for my fATPL almost straight out of sixth form with a-levels in Maths, Physics and Chem (no matter how much I hate it). Anyway I started in early Q2 2008 and finished my PPL and ATPL ground school with exams by mid December. All this time I believed I had what it takes to become a pilot and for the most part I did. I went about through my ATPL's with ease gaining an 90% avg thanks to my Maths and Physics A-levels.
But heres where it started to go a little funny. The global recession kicking in and a low prospect of finding a job even with family in aviation. Now I'm not saying its impossible. In the mean time I had applied to a well known Cadet program and had got through my first stage. With a sense of belief I went on to the second stage but unfortunately didn't make it. Now my initial dissapointment was short lived as I realized that I was better than 95% of the other applicants in terms of psychometric tests and that was the first time I went through that type of computer based one. Anyhow it was time to put the thinking cap on and figure out my next step, go and finish my hour building CPL and IR and keep applying on a hope or somehow get funding to get my own type rating after that (I'm sure everyones thought of it at some stage). I chose neither since it didn't seem right to get my licence in such a hurry and pay for my Type Rating that I feel a company ought to pay for. Instead I chose to go to University.
Why? Well, I know I'm going to be a pilot and I know I have the ability to do it but when I have time to spare due to the recession I should get something that will help me gain an advantage later on in my career. So in short its about the choices you make and the how well you manage your time. I believe that by 2012 the airlines in UK will get better (Olympics and all). So my best gamble was to wait for a time around then. I have some friends who waltzed into jobs straight out of A-levels but that was a different time. And a degree for me seems like a logical and safe choice that would not leave me twirling my thumbs.
I really hope it works for you MM yet for some people money is a major issue and getting half way through the training and then going to University is financial suicide.
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