My Future Plans!

[Ahusin Baig]

hi all and hope u are fine

i want to become a professional pilot for and airline and i do hav quite alot of knowledge about planes

i am 14 and taking my GCSE's next year:

I am predicted:

english: A
maths: A*
physics:A*
chemistry:A*
biology:A*
R.E:A
Tech(systems and control):A
German:A*
I.T:A

r these good enough

i am then planning on doin A levels in maths and physics

and then i want a btec in aeronautics

i will hopefully then go for sponsorship

can plez some one give me feedback on this plan.

thank you

regards,
ahusin

[Mooney12]

5 A* and 4 As - can't get much better than that.

But you dont just need good grades. You need a personality and good communication skills etc.. I sure, by reading the above post you have all these skills in abundance

[busz]

Sounds like a good plan to me. I had a similar plan to you at your age, and here i am age 19 about to embark on the CTC sponsorship scheme. I think the key to what i have done so far is that i knew from a very very early age that i wanted to become a pilot and how to get there.

This meant working extremely hard at High School to get good GCSEs and at college for A levels. Apart from academically, you need to be able to show any possible interviewers that you are devoted to this career. This means taking flying lessons when and if you can afford them in order to a) see if you will enjoy the job and b) show thta you are willing to invest some of your own time into becomming a pilot.

Best of luck with all you do.

Regards

Alex:ok:

[Ahusin Baig]

thanks guys

i am pleased by your feedback

i am gonna read more books on aviation and gonna learn more about aircraft
aswell as do a ppl course for 5-6k

hopefuly i can fulfil my dream:):):):)

[IRRenewal]

May I suggest you work on your grammar/spelling? An application for a job as a pilot is not the same as sending a text message. The average airline recruiter is not going to respond too well to 'hw r u 2day?'. If you think you can get an A in English you should be able to do better.

Apart from that: go for it

[Mooney12]

IR Renewal - Get tae. I think someone with straight As at GCSE can spell!

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I don't. Please refrain from using text speak on these boards. Whilst I have no time for the spelling police in general you are writing in an extreme dialect which many such as myself (at a crusty 29) find difficult to read.

Big News - just in - Exam grades are not that important.

Any sponsorship scheme or airline will be satisfied with the standard 5 GCSE's + some A levels at grade C or above blah blah.

It is likely to be better to participate in some team sports, develop some extra curricular activities and focus on becoming more rounded. A full score sheet of nothing but A stars sets personality alarm bells ringing in many ears... Something they never mention in school ;)

A decent line in flightdeck Banter, the ability to get the round in sharpish and make the cabin crew laugh is going to stand you in far better stead than double A stars in English Lang and Lit...

Good luck, now go and captain the cricket team, join the ATC, start a band or something -anything - more interesting than another evenings exam revision!

Cheers

WWW

[Mooney12]

I definately agree with www on this. If I heard someone got straight A's it would make me think :8 .

Gentlemans grades are fine for an airline pilot job.

[IRRenewal]

WWW,

Glad to see you understood the intention of my post. It was meant as a bit of positive guidance to somebody who is obviously new to this industry.

Regards

Gerard

[OBK!]

busz

I'm also 19, but who signed you for the £60K loan with CTC sponsorship. I've sponsored myself up to this point and just finished my licence, I owe a lot but no where near £60K...I feel for you.

Ahusin Baig

It's now August, you are 14 and taking your GCSE's next year which are always in May/June/July time, that would make you at the most 15 years old and underage...suggest you work on your maths for that one, unless you're doing them privatley in which case, forgive me.

Grades are not everything, very little infact. If we all thought so then we wouldn't have the right aptitude to being a pilot. Anyone who thinks "I'll just get straight A's, goto college, do a degree and get sponsorship and I'm there" is a fool IMHO. It takes the correct aptitude for starters. Mental ability is very important when sponsors ask for minimum requirements but 90% of the airline pilots I know are genuinley decent people who I respect, a lot of them didn't even go to college, let along get 5 GCSE's.

Remember also that in the end, all the minimum knowledge required is specific and learnt when you do your ATPL groundschool.

Best of luck however on your ambitions!


Cheers
OBK

[OBK!]

busz

If your plan was to get 'sponsorship' then...has it not gone slightly wrong. I don't want to be bitter here but is CTC really sponsoring you anything other than an almost guaranteed job placement? I don't full understand CTC 'sponsorship' terms so I'll let you explain.

Anyway, well done for passing the selection, I'm aware it is very tough. When I was at Bristol the CTC placements always achieved high percentages in the ground exams so they are obviously picking the right people. However they were never willing to “bond” with us not-so-brainy students for some reason, maybe they were sworn to some kind of secrecy with CTC, I dunno.

Cheers
OBK

Mooney12

I'm hoping by 21 I'll be paid off and have at least 1,000hrs. What can we do but hope though, nothing guaranteed in this world. Again, welldone.

[Mooney12]

OBK - you are bonded for 60k, which you get paid back over 7yrs at 12k a year. Which means CTC cadets will be debt free in under half the time of some self sponsored students. The 60k also includes a type rating.

OBK - How has busz's plan gone wrong? He will be in the RHS in the minimum possible time.

A guaranteed job. Many would love that.

If you know of any better options right now, please, let me know.

Remember, even the old BA cadets started on a lower salary. The only reason for the bond aspect of this scheme, is to ensure commitment form all parties.

I hope you do well OBK, but how do you plan to be debt free by 21?

[OBK!]

A guaranteed job...there's no such thing...It's going to take you 18 months before entering the line, have 'x airline' firmly promised in writing that you will have a paid job for 7 yrs after that 18 months of training, regardless of any changes in the airline industry that may occur.

I don't want to argue. In an ideal world I'd much love to be in your boots having a training program all organised and a job to at least look forward too.

I admit that many self sponsored students are in huge debt, but when I say 'paid off' I don't meen any included bonds, I just mean the debts I owe. My PPL/MEP and groundschool where paid for in cleared funds through savings and hard graft like many many others. All I have owing is an IR, CPL, MCC and quite a number of hour building which equates to about £25K. My ideal plan is to gain employment like everyone else and pay it off. If I was to pay off £12K per year as you guys will be in equivalent, that's 2 years (give a few months) worth of paying off...by which time I'll be 21.

Obviously a lot of the above counts on beeing extremely lucky, and doesn't include the typical bonds we see today for type ratings but they last what, 5 years on average (some 3) so thats 5yrs in total to be clear should my plan work out. Not too bad.

But still, much rather you're boots than mine, but maybe with out the £60K over 7yrs, I dunno.

Good luck.

Cheers
obk

[BoraBora007]

Straight A's is all very well, but not required. As I have stated before there are certain skills required of an airline pilot, flying aptitude, teamworking, communication, interpersonal skills, being someone who the airline would like to have in their ranks. Grades and even flying skills are often secondary in airline selection processes.

Regarding sponsorship. I believe the CTC scheme os good, although of course you are paying for your training. Im a BA cadet, back from the days of old. I started on a "cadet" salary. Didn't bother me too much. Im flying for a living, which I enjoy.

Oh, and "one of the top 5 grades in Geography" - ain't a pre-requisit. But er - thanks for informing us of that busz. :hmm:

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I'm sorry but anyone my age or older when reading CV's that list nothing but straight A's concludes two things:

a) The grades are easier than they used to be;

b) Is this chap like Egg-Head-Davies in school who used to be a saddo but who also got straight A's?


The ability to lead, to manage, to run a team, to be part of a run team, to have an engaging personality and a likeable character - these are the traits probably more highly prized than hand-eye coordination and academic capacity.

Some of the worst pilots I have encountered have had marvelous hand flying skills and/or incredible knowledge.

Seriously.

WWW

[rtj]

Whatever age you are you need to have all of the requisit skills and abilities. Some of these will be academic (but not necessarily straight A's) and some will come from extra curricular activities (or in the case of those going for sponsorship with a greater number of years probably previous employment).

Don't knock the guy, he's obviously worked hard for his grades and probably deserves them. Yes you need to go for some other activities and team sports are a good starter, but hey at 14 does he really need a bunch of pilots/near pilots/wannabies putting him down, no.

So I'd like to see a bit more of, well done on the GCSE's, keep studying, do some other stuff as well and go for it. He came here for advice, I think we should give him some, not put him off or put him down. Anyone disagree let me know.

Good Luck

[Ahusin Baig]

thanks rtj

no i am not a saddo or a geek but far from that.

sorry moderator for using text language i'll not use it again

and yes i do play and captain. Infact i used to play for south england now i just play for my county and captain it.

thanks for the feedback guys keep it up

regards

[busz]

Cleary, all that WWW mentioned about working in a team, a good personality etc is true. However, all i am saying is that a good education will be noticed by those searching for cadets. If nothing else, good grades will help if everything should go pear-shaped.

With sponsorships, you are either the kind of person they are looking for or not, and what is needed is all the skills mentioned above. However grades will not rule you in or out of being one of those people. I certainly see having good ones as being an advantage.

BoraBora,

i know it isnt a pre-requisit, that was posted to inform Mooney how much of a geek i am:O . Afterall, he has to live with me for 9 months.

Regards

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Well, its not in the rules not to used txt language so I can't get cross about it.

Good luck with your future ambitions - might I suggest you investigate the opportunities afforded by the Air Training Corps and also the Air League who offer a number of different scholarships to aspiring aviators as young as 16.

Cheers

WWW

[Ahusin Baig]

does training with air league help with chances of getting sponsorship

[BigGrecian]

The Air League won't help with sponsorship (Members may be able to advise you on current schemes etc), but it will definitely be a step in the right direction. I myself was a student member, and it shows a serious interest, and will help broaden your aviation knowledge especially if you attend their lectures. Note what was said above by Wee Weasley Welshman RE the ATC/CCF(RAF) well worth joining - Air Experience Flying (AEF) is available as is Gliding, not to mention lots of other benefits through joining! Rumour has it the Flying Scholarship might be back soon as well.
Good Luck

[flaps to 60]

Ahusin

What ever you do please get an exploratory Class One Medical.

It would kill you to get all the grades and be ready for training only to find that you have a problem.

Not sure from what age you can get one i should imagine age 16 but you can get the details from the CAA and get your doctor to perfrom the tests privately.

Good luck and be prepared for two shocks.

a) how great it it to be paid for something you enjoy so much.

b) how many arseholes there are in this game.

Note point (a) far outweighs point (b)

PS Note what IRRenewal said it is a valid point.

[Granger9]

First of all I have been advised against doing anything like a BTEC in aeronautics or what ever and you should keep your options open by doing subjects like Maths Physics and chemistry because one it doesn’t help you by having a BTEC in aeronautics and too if you are made reduent from the aviation industry say because of 9/11 there isn't much chance of getting back into it for a while which make a BTEC in aeronautics quite useless at this stage!

Another thing is I joined the ATC a while ago and it was DREADFUL they were the most disorganised un interesting people I have ever met! Out of about 40 people only 5 were actually interested in flying! Most were just people who didn’t want to join the local army cadets as that was even worst! I spent hours just standing in line while they decided what we should do! I only had one lecture on an actual aviation subject and it was stupidly easy! They were teaching my stuff I already knew which I told them! I have an FRTOL with A/G cert. of confidence! and they were teaching me radio!! (LOL i was more qualified to be teaching any kind of radio!) They forced me to read and learn all the instruments in a simple cockpit for 30 mins when I already knew it as I’m doing my PPL and work at a flying school which is also in charge of running the airfield! The only good thing which came out of it was that I got an hours gliding which I really enjoyed! But there was no chance of me gaining any sort of sponorship through them as they already had a back log of people they wanted to give sponorship to! I can only guess that not all ATC squadrons are like this but unfortually mine is and I don't want to be wasting my own free time on something which should be really enjoyable but isn't! In the ATC they were more interested in teaching me how well certain weapons would penetrate the human body (I really don't care I love aviation not 101 ways to kill a human!)

Never mind

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Sounds like you passed up the opportunity to really shine and improve the squadron with your experience and knowledge. Not all ATC units are great - but most are.

There is no other action I can think of that a young Wannabe can take that will achieve anything like as much as joining - and making the most of - the Air Training Corps. Not by a million miles.

Cheers

WWW