I was talking with a BA crew just the other day about their Future Pilot Programme. The skipper was a product of it in the 90s, and he commented how it allowed anybody, from any background to have the same opportunity. The standard of applicant was sky-high, and only the absolute cream got through. It’s sad to see this end, and money be the deciding factor.
I remember my old instructor saying that he used to train the old fully-sponsored courses twenty years ago (BA, BMI, etc...), and that if the big schools had a selection as tough as they did back then, only one in ten applicants would get through. Absolutely top notch candidates from all backgrounds. Nowadays there’s the added prerequisite of £115K. That’s a good 50% of applicants out, if not more.
I have no doubt that the selection will be extremely competitive, even with the £115K price tag, so inevitably the most qualified, motivated and best-suited will still get through. It’s a cracking opportunity if you can afford it, so if you can, go for it 110%.
I can’t help but think that from a business perspective, it’s a win-win situation for BA and L3. It’s just the same as the Generation EasyJet scheme. L3 earns a fortune through “assessment fees” from the hordes of applicants there will undoubtedly be, and the fees from the handful of cadets that get selected, as well as the kudos of training BA’s pilots (another logo they can add to their website and brochures to entice more through the doors). BA get a flood of motivated young pilots without spending a penny on training. 19-year-old Little Johnny from Surrey get’s his RHS of an A320 and some ammo for his Instagram account. Everyone’s a winner! Not...