Pilotflying rocks, KayPam and FlyANA thank you for your replies. I've been on a block of shifts at work so could not reply sooner.
I only just realised that the administrators have moved my post into this merged thread which is ideal as I can now browse the entire thread when I get chance.
Pilotflyingrocks.
Thank you for your reply. My intent (if all goes well) is commercial passenger airline flying, at the moment I'm thinking long-haul will be my preference but can see the benefits of short-haul too. My understanding is that most have to start short-haul for take-off/landing experience.
My "local" club which is a mere 5 miles away is a microlight one, albeit with fixed wing microlights available. I will research my nearest club that offers lessons in light aircraft and visit them for an orientation and a trial lesson. The main reason I considered a microlight as a first step was because it would be cheaper per hour than a Light Aircraft to continue as a hobby if I did not progress to commercial flying, however it appears I could still buy/fly a fixed-wing microlight based on a PPL(A) licence for the "fun" aspect. If it doesn't build hours then it does seem to be wasted money at this stage.
I researched the modular vs integrated schemes, however being realistic I don't think either route is affordable for me on an effective timescale without the use of finance, for which I would likely need to utilise the cadet pilot scheme's guarantor provision. I discovered that applicants that spread their modular training over several years do not have much success applying to the larger, long-haul and higher-salaried airlines when compared to those who took integrated courses.
I'm under the impression that I should learn and hour build for leisure whilst applying to the cadet schemes.
The Class 1 medical is of course a very good idea to obtain first!
KayPam: Thanks, that's exactly what I plan to do and I'm quite looking forward to it
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FlyANA: Thanks for your confirmation that others have followed a similar path. I am very keen to know more about the Virgin cadet scheme but I'll browse the forum some more before asking direct questions.
I've downloaded a couple of phone apps that cover PPL theory test subjects and so far the majority of what I'm reading is sinking in first time, probably because I find it genuinely interesting. Hopefully a positive sign of things to come
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Thanks again.