PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Maths and Physics knowledge req'd for ATPL and airline flying?
Old 13th Mar 2007, 10:05
  #218 (permalink)  
planeshipcar
 
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listen to planecrazy

I have to agree with above -

To be a commercial pilot you don't need to have any qualfications as such.

There is nothing stopping anyone from entering a small flying school to gain their PPL and then onto a AtPL theory (some schools ask you to complete a maths questions booklet), (I also know of a few other that just require a PPL) and then once you've got your ATPLs it is irrelevent to flying schools how many GCSEs or A-levels you have.

If you go the integrated route the minimum requirement is 5 GCSEs at C+ for most schools. Once your on the programme you are pretty much sorted and it's your money for a type rating such as GECAT that will be the next qualification needed.

CTC ask for 2 A-levels at C, some airlines 3 and that is the maximum.

Mentored schemes are beginning to ask for Maths or science even economics in 1 A-level and may be another 1 or 2 subjects, but to be honest if you can just get on to an integrated at FTE or Oxford you are going to be forking out the same money with the same bank as the mentored trainees. They don't even have a secure job at the end. You at least have a choice of airlines. At the moment the market is pretty good - if you can finance - there are not many, if any sponsorships.

So to answer the question.

May make it hard for a mentored scheme, but for CTC you'd have a perfect straight A in ICT, which is a science subject. This looks good as it not AAE or AAU, because you haven't completed the full A-level, so you have a neat and simple AA. Perfect score in the subjects you completed!

This may seriously be to your favour even with mentored schemes which generally ask for CC in two A-levels including a science eetc.

To an integrated having 2 A grades at A-level and 5 GCSE will look a lot better than 2 B and E if you have to substitute work on ICT for your A-level in Maths.

Its up to you, but at the end of the day if you already have 5 GCSE at grade C in the core and are going to have two good A-levels, entering flying school should be no problem.

For RAF

I personally would see if I could do an AS in Maths or improve my AS grade and complete full A-levels in ICT with As. However I think you may need a degree anyway. So your A-levels won't mean as much as what you end up with your degree


Good luck mate - remember its money that's the real qualification in the training business!

Last edited by planeshipcar; 13th Mar 2007 at 10:17.
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