Standard questions about a career in aviation
Hi there
I realise that his has probably been bandied around a zillion times, but I'm going to ask anyway.
I've been keen on becoming a pilot and have been for some years and I'd like some advice and questions answered from people who have been through the process to decide whether a career as a pilot is for me or not..
A little about myself....
GCSE qualifications: 6A's (including Maths, Science, English etc), 3B's
A Levels: Maths - B, Physics - B, Biology - C (not that good I know)
I'm currently a student at UCL (2nd year of an BSc Physics course) in London - passed the first year comfortable - phew!
While at university, I'm also enrolled in the RAF Volunteer Reserve University Air Squadron where I get training to be an officer while also getting a few flying hours in (not loads though). Apparently 300 students applied this year, and 30 were chosen, of which I was one, so, I think I'm pretty well rounded in communication, socially, academia, sports, interests, etc. (I'm not trying to brag)...
I'm physically healthy, have no asthma/breathing/cardiovascular problems, have no visual impairment. Have never touched drugs. In fact, the only thing stopping me qualifiying (medically) to be a fighter pilot in the RAF was my long legs (I was over by 1.2cm)... every other hearing, eyesight, peeing tests were all fine!
Embarrasingly, I can't swim (I used to be able to), but I'm re-learning. I still play other sports though like footie, cricket, and a bit of badminton. I'm not a wonderboy at any of them though!
I take an active interest in aviation, current affairs, and also architecture, but I'll admit that I know nowhere near enough about aviation to converse on your level (e.g. what the hell's a 'Honeywell Primus FRMS'???) and perhaps also the level as other students like me who have a similar interest in being a pilot.
I'd like to get sponsorship to become an airline pilot. My family don't have the funds to pay for lessons, and a bank loan is perhaps out of the question as I will have some £12000+ in student loans after university and I REALLY will struggle to pay it back.
So my questions are these...
Will my qualifications (and attributes - communication skills etc) be good enough (by the time I graduate in 2006) to be an airline pilot?
Will my qualifications (and attributes - communication skills etc) be good enough to qualify for sponsorship from an airline?
What does a pilot training sponsorship programme entail exactly? How many years (roughly) will I be committed to the airline?
What kind of salary will I start off with once I've completed pilot training?
What does this salary go up to later on, and after how many years? (Ballpark figure will be fine)
What are promotion prospects like?
What sort of pension plans/benefit schemes do airlines usually offer?
What kind of extra skills will I need to 'woo' airlines into accepting me into a scholarship?
What major airlines operated scholarship schemes pre-9/11 and how likely, if at all, are they to reinstate the scholarship programmes? Also, when will this happen?
I'm not too interested in flying for charter or budget airlines (absolutely, NO disrespect to pilots who fly for them! I would not be able to get around Europe on a student budget if it wasn't for you!), but I prefer to fly long-haul routes for international carriers. Should I just accept whatever comes my way? Or do you think there is a point in trying to go for the long-haul arena?
I've read conflicting reports about the lifestyle of pilots... I know it's not all glamorous, working unsocial hours and all, but I'm interested in how often, or how many hours, I would be expected to fly per month (assuming I get to that stage)? How much would I be away from home?
I've also heard that freighter pilots earn substantially more than passenger pilots? Is this true? How much do they earn and how differently do they operate?
Supposing I qualify for sponsorship with an airline, do I get any say as to which aircraft I'd prefer to fly?
Supposing I qualify for sponsorship with an airline, do I get any say as to which routes I'd prefer to fly?
How often do pilots fly the same aircraft for?
How often do pilots fly the same route for?
I'm a British citizen, what are the chances of a foreign carrier or foreign-based airline recruiting me? (I'm thinking of Delta Air Lines, Air France, Emirates etc)
That's all I can think of for now. I'd appreciate your input if you only answered one of my questions - I know it's a lot and looks daunting!
Thanks a lot
Shaun