HELLO MARTIN
Lets start with some questions... do you really really want it?
If the answer is YES, then I suspect you will have no problems. I was reading your profile and attempting to calibrate your Scottish qualifications into English... too much hard work, but it seems to me that your grades are above average.
'.. commercial pilots are clever clever people'
I use to think just like you but it is worrying how dense some of them really are.. nowadays anyway.
It would appear by your academic acheivements and enthusiasm that you're quite suited to a carrier in commercial aviation, but take Penworth's advice with the GAPAN Test as if your spatial awareness and hand to eye co-ordination were to be pants then investing the money would not be wise (also take the Class 1, but at your age unless your blind as a bat and as a deaf as... as something that doesn't hear very well, then you'll breeze the medical).
Airlines that sponsor.. hmmm.. FlyBE and there are others but it's few and far between.. subsribe to Flight International.
If you go self-sponsored it sounds like you'll have no problems, but for the sponsorship you gotta be spot on- try psychometric tests.. maths and physics now become very important.. I came close to getting one myself but they are fiercely competitive.. almost 100:1.
Let me know how you get on, best of luck
