Originally Posted by
GS-Alpha
Shamrock, if your dad is a current BA pilot, it’s quite likely you’ll be well prepared as to which boxes might need ticking in order to gain a place. In fact there’s quite a strong chance you’ll just tick them naturally. There is no coincidence or nepotism conspiracy required. I imagine there will be a fair few successful cabin crew and other internal BA employees too, because knowing and observing a few pilots teaches you these tick box behaviours. But the scheme does also recruit from completely outside this arena. If you weren’t successful, you didn’t tick the boxes. My advice to you is to work on that, and then perhaps try again next time.
Your second sentence shows you don’t fully appreciate what this scheme is. Most people can sort out a loan to put themselves, or a son or daughter through flight training, and likely would if there was a near guaranteed job at the end of it. The issue is getting that first flying job, and this is truly where the scheme’s value lies. If you’d pay £100k on the off chance that there was a job at the end of it, rather than apply for a scheme that has a conditional job offer attached, you are too much of a risk taker to be a good pilot.
GS-Alpha, I think this is excellent advise, and you are right about internal recruitment, and I know only six (06) internal applicants secured places. Those who put in the effort surely edged the competition.