Becoming a Pilot...Questions

[davieboy001]

First off, HI tis my first post.

I am still young (under 20) and have wanted to be a pilot for most of my life (as i can remember it).

I wandered of the path into I.T. (stupidly) and have been wondering the following.

If i were to get a P.P.L, what are the proceedures to then becoming a pilot?
ie going onto a C.P.L.

cheers

David

ps.sorry if in the wrong forum
:D

[Bodie]

Hello David,

Well you've decided to tread a path that many thousands of people have chosen. It will be hard but rewarding work.

Firstly, I must point out that you have posted in the wrong forum. Since this is your first post, we will forgive you :-)

There is a whole forum dedicated to wannabees, and as you can imagine, you're not the first to ask these questions. For this reason the moderators on here have set up a sticky which provides links to threads that answer pretty much all the questions you will have. Take a look here:


http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=131649

Good luck
Bodie

[PilotOnline]

Hi Davieboy001,

This would have been better in the Wannabes forum but still, not to worry. In said forum there is a thread called 'Read This Before You Post' or something like that, at the top of the board, which is full of the kind of questions that get asked often on this very subject. In addition to that run a search on training for CPL and ATPL, sit back and enjoy the results!

If you gain a PPL you will be a pilot! If you want to gain professional licences to enable you to fly commercially then you will need to build on that PPL with hours in command, passes in theory exams, pass an approved CPL course, then potentially more hours building to validate the CPPL itself. If you wish to fly for the airlines let's say, you'll need more than the CPL alone, you will need a multi engine instrument rating and MCC (Multi Crew Certificate). This is a very, very, very basic overview and I would suggest you have a look on the websites of a few flight schools where all this info can be found.

There are different ways of getting from PPL to ATPL and that will become clearer once you have searched these boards a bit. What are your career aspirations as a pilot? The extent of your training requirements will be dictated to a certain extent by this.

Apologies if this reply is a bit rushed...supposed to be working!

Good luck!

[davieboy001]

PilotOnline,

Thanks for the reply.
basically i did not do too well at my highers (scottish a-levels) and at the time thought i would go into I.T. and study that.
and now having second thoughts.

I know airlines will not sponsor me because of that and i think my option is to gain a ppl under my own funding then progress further to CPL/ATPL

I will look up on the posts you have suggested

Yours

David

[PilotOnline]

I'm not sure of the sponsorship criteria these days of the few that exist but I would still try, what have you got to lose?

When I was still within the age criteria pre 9/11 my rather interesting array of grades at A-Level still didn't stop me from getting to the first stage of a sponsorship selection...stuffed that one up nicely though thanks to my verbal reasoning skills!

I stand to be corrected but if you can prove yourself in the application form and subsequently in the initial assesment tests your grades in the Scottish Highers will be an issue. I would certainly consider the implications and planning necessary for undertaking the course with your own funding but you aren't even 20 yet so that gives you at least 6 years of applying for sponsorships whilst getting on with your PPL and hour building etc.