Loan And Funding For Prospective Pilots In Nigeria
 

Hi, i am from Nigerian and also a citizen of Nigeria.I have a lot of questions disturbing me and have no found an answer yet,i hope i find answers from professional pilots like you people.

i have been from one airline to the other here in Nigeria seeking for sponsorship for my pilot training for the past four years now and i have never succeeded and also i have come in contact with some professional pilots and still had no luck.i have searched the internet 24/7 for funding agencies to help finance my training for my pilot training and still i didn't find any.i have been embarrsed by security men in various airlines on the quest of looking for sponsorship...i.e...(Bristow,Caverton,Aerocontractors).it is so unfortunate that my parents can fund my training and currently also i have an admission at hand from Phoenix East Aviation,Daytona Beach Miami,FL. which i also don't have the necessary funds to pay.

I want to know if there is anyway in which i can just get a sponsor to enable me actualize my dream of becoming a Professional Pilot.I am ready to do whatever it takes,all i need is just a sponsor or a way to get the loan required for me to do that.
Please i really need help and advise,i have been humiliated enough i just want to smile for once as a pilot.

it is not just you
 

Try arik...

They seem to be the milling house for every young kids fantasies. The CP at arik loves the dreamers. What tribe are you???

:p

best of luck, however to be honest aviation in nigeria seems to be the rich childs game. Advice to you, NEVER EVER BORROW from Friends or many cases family. Ive seen many a person struggling with this.. Try and keep any borrowing to a minimum, try and get a sponsorship or bond to limit debt exposure.

Once you acquire your rating and licenses tell arik you are willing to go and fly the Q400 and they might send you straight for flight training :-) They seem to not put any pilots on that airframe from nigeria so therefore you could be the first.:ok:

I don't understand what makes being a Nigerian entitle one to "sponsorship" or a loan. A great many pilots do not come from wealthy families. We simply chose our path and made it happen through hard work and determination.

If you wanted to be a doctor, would you go trespassing in the surgical ward of a hospital demanding sponsorship to medical school ? I am certain you would experience the same "embarrassing" result.

There would be no reason to be embarrassed if you came to the table prepared for a career instead of expecting it to be handed to you.

Losing your sense of entitlement and taking charge of your own destiny is the only way to succeed. A little work on grammar might be in order too.

The bottom line: Get a job, work hard, save money and fund your education. In other words...earn it. Self respect will get you further in life than begging.

This may not be of much help to you, but there do seem to be a lot of your fellow countrymen who have millions of dollars tied up in overseas bank accounts. Through misfortune or poor timing these funds are apparantly only able to be released by providing them with the details of my "Golden Egg" account, at the Dudley & West Bromwich bulding society.

Now despite the very generous commission that I would be paid for providing my account as a catalyst for this enormous transaction, I feel that the three million dollars would only result in a family squabble. Therefore I have chosen to forego each and every one of these weekly opportunities. However I would be happy to pass these requests on to you if you feel they might be of some use?

In all seriousness, I wish you well, but no one is going to give you something for nothing. Airline pilot is right up there in the global career desirability stakes. There is no shortage of applicants. It is an expensive profession, and the alternative routes require a great deal of luck, determination, perseverance, commitment and usually money!

If you want it, then heed the advice given above, and earn it.

I thank you people for you response and also would welcome more advise from other pilots.....and I will also try out arik air and see how it turns out.

Usman contact your state government,and if you have the right connections you will get funding.
Second option is apply to zaria or ilorin who will seek funding on ur behalf from your state govt if you are able to secure admission.

Forget about the airlines, most of the people working in the airlines are also looking for sponsorship:ugh:

In other words...

The truth isn't the answer you want to hear, so does anyone else have some sunshine to blow up your arse?

Asking Arik for funding is about as likely to succeed and introducing a new and improved 8 track tape player.

Wish in one hand and **** in the other. See which one gets full the fastest.

Cheers!

Easy on the chap, Centre Of Excellence
 

Admittedly, he is rather naive, but he's not exactly stupid. The shame of this nation is that there is unbelievable wealth in private hands, much of it not doing productive things than fuel economic growth in Europe and increasingly, Asia. Let's hoist the burden of channeling these huge funds for ends like the training of this aspiring pilot. After-all, he hasn't asked for a handout, he's asked for a loan. It's just advise and direction he needs

i guess you are right the truth is always bitter. what do you think if i am able to sponsor myself for a PPL,do you think the chances of getting a company like Bristow Helicopters to sponsor me for my CPL and work for them????

Trust in God, usman15
 

Bristow accepts only degree holders. Of the other operators, the last I heard training any pilot was Aero, and that was 4, 5 years back.
Most operators don't have any programme to train pilots from scratch, and they don't even want to do the last lap (that is, train a new pilot to fly their own type or model of aircraft).
But God may have allowed us to evolve a useless and very corrupt way of doing things in this country, so that in the resultant difficulties, we may draw close to him.
Try your state government for sponsorship. Don't give up. But above all else, have faith, and pray.

You get wings when you pass on?

It is not an impossible thing to do ...
 

....but you have to be resolutely focusedand driven. Almost to the point that people will call you obsessed, questionyou and make fun of you. My advice to you is as follows

1. Why to do you want to be a pilot? Settle this in your mind and heart. Becausethere are days you will ask yourself why? This is not what I signed up for.Getting money is only part of it. Flight training is not a cake walk even moreso for the unprepared, not to talk of the job hunting process and the careerup's and down's (Trust me in this industry they are bound to come its only amatter of time) Once you have settled this in your own mind as to why you wantto be a pilot move to number 2

2. Begin to think, act, behave like a pilot and most importantly interactand talk with “Professional” pilots (ie people who take their profession andcareer seriously). If you think, act, behave, know the things that professionalpilots know chances are you are one or on your own way to becoming one. Don’tgo around pretending like something you are not. But ask questions, don't beafraid to look stupid (just make sure it happens only once and it is not aregular occurrence). Opening this thread on this forum is a big part of it andhopefully you have read and continued to read as much of this forum as possible.(Note this is a rumor forum with anonymity so you have crazies on here that areclueless). Number 2 only has value with number 3 below.

3. Use absolutely everything you have in your inventory to get what you wantand where you want to go to. Looks, skills, ideas, free labor, contacts (akanetworking) e.t.c. to get yourself in front of the people that matter and makedecisions. Trust me if you do number 2 very well when you get in front of theright person you will not sound like someone begging for money to be a pilot.No my friend your demeanor, mannerisms, knowledge base will say to everyone whoknows jack about our industry that this gentleman/lady is going to be a pilot it’sjust a matter of time and how can I help this person.

4. Pray, have faith, good luck, karma, timing, e.t.c . Basically things outof your control because if we are all honest as pilots and successful aviation professionalsthere is no way we got to where we are without a little bit (or for some of usa lot) of divine intervention.

(Note; the following are not sole reasons to become a pilot, Pay (many othercareers pay more without the added risk and stress) Women (if you are smart, confidentand have money you can always have more than enough, once again without theadded risk and stress, more over if you are a jerk you are a jerk a pilots uniformdoes not cure jerkerdness and you will still be a turnoff to good women and youwill attract only the crazies) and the list goes on...

Nice one, Capt LetUsGo
 

It's this kind of effort that keeps bringing me back to pprune. Keep it up, sir :D

Bumpy clouds before clear skies
 

I always come on to PPRune to read about what's going on in the aviation world but reading this post has resulted in my first conribution on here. I'm currently in training for my PPL in the U.S. I live here and work here. I always wanted to be a pilot since I can remember, my father has been a pilot since he was 17 in the Royal Air Force and is still flying commercially now so I guess those genes were transferred to me.

Being a Pilot is probably the best job in the world if you truly love flying but at the same time it can be one of the most tasking and frustrating jobs as you might have seen from reading this thread. I come from a rich family but lo and behold I'm paying my way through aviation school. No one (especially in this economy) wants to give out $60,000 to anyone when they have their own kids to support. I couldn't even get a loan from anyone in my family after I finished college.

I have cousins who fly for Mobil and other companies in Nigeria and the best they could do is tell me "when you get your commercial license, come to me and i'll try and get you a job". That statement alone is very shaky because nothing is really promised, especially in Nigeria. If you really want to be a pilot, in my honest opinion, I suggest you get a job first (I'm assuming you have a degree, if not, get one!). Work hard and save up. It's never too late to start. I never really understood when my father told me to go to college instead of going to aviation school. I was angry but 4 years later I'm happy he sent me there. My father has encouraged me to join the air force to continue my training because in his opinion, you get the best training there. Judging from the kind of person he is and how well he's known in the RAF, I'd say he's right.

I don't know much about the Nigerian Air Force but I know its a start at least. I hear their planes are still flyign in Kaduna and doing well. These planes are being flown by Nigerian pilots to the best of my knowledge. Granted the military life style isn't for all, but if you really want it, you will learn how to adapt. I see people have said you should contact your state govt for sponsorship...from my knowledge of Nigeria, you need very good connection for this to go through...but then again you might just be lucky enough to succeed where others have failed. God has his ways so you shouldn't close the door on that option either. Nothing good comes easy as I have realised but at the end of the day its all worth it.

I still have a long way to go in my training but I take it one step at a time. Also be prepared when you eventually start your training, its not all rosey and as easy as you imagined it. There's always something that will frustrate you and make you question the career path you've chosen. All that matters is how you come out of it. I wish you the best of luck and I hope God answers your prayers. :)

weldone capt
 

@captainletusgo.......you have indeed giving me hope and a f
riendly advise and after proper evaluation I know I am ready for the challange and I trust in GOD to see me through,it is also something I can cope with because I recently purchased a book 'jepssens private pilot manual" and I found it very interesting and also "aeronautical knowledge hand book" which I downloaded from faa website....I will make a history in the aviation industry one day...Thank you all for all your encouragements...I really appriciate and am happy that great people like you all attended to me......I look foward also for more advise from everyone.I know that 1day the world will recognise me as a great pilot!!!!

@capt767.....you have spoken really well and from the way you speak I guess u have a lot of information about how things work in the Nigerian aviation industry.....

So far I am not a degree holder,ever since l left high school I have been chasing my dream with all the resources I could possibly lay my hands on,I have friends who came from rich homes thou we were not too close,1 of which has finish training and works with Aerocontractors also the other is rounding up with his CPL training in southafrica.thou its not a thing of competition but the one in Aerocontractors is 20 years old while the other one who is rounding up his training is about 18 or 19 years old.

Going for a degree is not the issue but I would want you to also understand with me that what ever you have no interest in you can barely succeed and there is no joy,rather than doing what you are happy with,you will be ready to sacrifice a lot and give in your best to excel.

I will be 20years old by october this year and medically fit,good vision which most sponsors in Nigeria are looking for,but I just don't know why I haven't been lucky.....

That is because it isn't about luck. It appears that you expect others to finance your wishes, rather than you taking employment, saving money, and funding your own flying training, or else committing some lengthy time to the military.

I might want to be a millionaire entrepreneur, but that requires a darn good sense of entrepreneurship, which I don't have ....... so I became a pilot instead, by working hard at school and getting selected for military flight training. I had a lengthy career flying military aircraft, during which I paid for my own tuition, exams, and flight tests for an Airline Transport Pilot License, and now I have fly widebody Boeings.

Hard work and dedication is required, not luck.

Loan Available For You
 

My associates and I are writing on behalf of well known benefactors with a special interest in promoting pilot training of Nigerian citizens.
A fully returnable deposit of $20,000 lodged with our Swiss bank will guarantee you a place on the very next training course. Places are few so Send medical records and high school certificates with cheque or bankers draft.
Forex paperwork and permissions will be entirely handled by us.

Rest assured of our transparent dishonesty - but if only one in a thousand of you is stupid enough to swallow this bull we will be quids in, wont we...?

:=

Usman15gmail - when you qualify as a pilot;

What do you intend to do in the industry?

Where do you intend to live?

What position do you see yourself in, in 10 years from now?

Serious questions!!!

1. What i intend to do in the industry is simply to fly aircrafts and will be ready to do what ever it takes to make the aviation industry in africa and the world grow,I see flying as a hobby and not a job.i am ready to always fly because i have a passion for it and love it.

2. I can live any where in the world but preferably Nigeria.It does not really matter where i have to stay,all that matters is for me to be a pilot and with the joy of flying,i can stay anywhere in the world happily.

3. Ten years from now i see myself as a professional pilot (capt) flying aircrafts across the globe and if everything works out fine i intend setting up a flight school where i can also teach people how to fly because flying is simply what makes me happy.:)