Wannbe pilot

[andrewnash]

My names Andy, Im 16 and all my life I have wanted to fly.
Me and my father have been trying to work out the best way to go about me getting a career in avation. My father being in the RAF as a pilot for 25 years knows that going in the RAF is out the window.
Our plan so far is for me to get my PPL as soon as possible. After finished my A levels I will get a temporay job and begin saving for further flying and my CPL. All my free time will be spent building my hours. This obviously means that university I out of the question. I was told that good experience would be looked upon just as well as a degree.

If anybody has any other ideas of how to me into a job in civil avation I will be more than happy to hear them.

Cheers

Andy

[Charlie Zulu]

Hi Andy,

You may be better off looking in a different forum on PPRUNE:

Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies) (http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=14)

The above is tailored for people looking to break into the world of professional pilot training.

May I ask why would the RAF be out of the question (it was for me though)?

Best wishes,

Charlie Zulu.

[andrewnash]

Because over 1/2 million apply for the job and only 5 a year become fast jet pilots. Im just simply not that good enough.

Thanks for the tip. Ill go post it over there

[BeauMan]

going in the RAF is out the window

You sound a bit too sure of that. I don't know anything about you or your circumstances, but I would say "never say never". If you don't believe in yourself, nobody else will. (Lecture over ;) )

Okay, first off, don't rule out University. I didn't ever go, but I have many frioends who did, a fair proportion of whom went into the University Air Squadrons. By all accounts it's a great way of learning to fly at the taxpayers expense, and the hours will carry some credit towards your eventual PPL, so I'd suggest you have a look at that option. If you're bright enough to stay at school and do your A levels, I'd suggest that you're also bright enough to go to University. Confidence, young man, confidence... :)

Failing that, the routes to a life in aviation are many and varied, and there are lots of people on here who can give much more detailed advice than I can. But I will say that you must always be prepared to start at the bottom and work your way up. Turn up at your local flying club on days when you're not flying. Be friendly, be helpful. Offer to go out and tie the aeroplanes down after the end of the day's flying, help out around the place... it may seem thankless and mundane at first, but after a while you'll find that your enthusiasm will be noted and rewarded. Not always monetarily or in the guise of flying hours, but you'll gain a reputation for having 'the right attitude'. Which is an extremely useful thing to have.

Good luck! :ok:

BM

[Whirlybird]

I can't add much to some of the good advice above, especially from BeauMan, except the following.....

Stick around on this forum, which is designed for people aiming for a PPL, while the other forums are for what to do after you've got that.

You might as well at least try the RAF. How do you know you're not that good? Someone's got to get those places.

There are a few scholarships around. Try the Air League, and I think there are others.

A degree might be worthwhile in order to get a better paying job, and to keep you going if you're unfortunate enough to hit one of the downturns in aviation when you're qualified.

And keep reading PPRuNe, asking questions, getting to know people. There is just loads of help and expertise around on this site. :ok:

Good luck.

[Whirlygig]

There is more to flying in the RAF than just the fast jets. What about transport pilot or helicopter? Consider also the Army and the Navy - if you can get the Queen to teach you fly that will count for a lot more.

Is University out of the question because, in my expereince, employers like to have trainees with degrees. You can always go for something relevant to aviation. And it is SO IMPORTANT to have something else to fall back on.

Cheers

Whirlygig

[Flik Roll]

The best jobs for hour builfing are full time shift work jobs - you may laugh but i work at McDonalds as a manager and i either work early or start late so i can go flying! It's great! Being 16 that is the sort of job you want (maybe not in Mc D's though!)
Are you in the Air Cadets? Lots of fantastic flying experience for no cost - i did over 120 hours with the air cadets, with about 80P1.

[pilot_will]

Hi Andy,

im 17 and also hoping to make it to an ATPL pilot in the future. Im doing my A levels at the moment, and also training for my PPL. When I turn 18 I plan to apply for sponsership with a PPL under my belt. Failing that I will move onto the CPL and try and build up my hours. After that I will need to visit the bank and try and go for the ATPL.

My other route is entering the RAF as a fighter pilot, then after a few years perhaps move onto civil aviation.

If you are interested in flying, have you tried the Air Training Corps? (as Flik Roll suggests) I am a cadet in them and have flown many times with them. Also shows that you are keen in flying later on in life with interviews etc.

However, doing A levels, learning to drive and fly at the same time seems quite a heavy workload, so you must make sure your academic work takes priority. My flying instructor has 1000 hours on the PA28 however the airlines still wont look at him.

I've just tried to think of a few routes of what I can do, and what else I can try if that fails etc.

I am a bit undecided about uni, whether to go there and further my education or use the money for CPL etc.

Takes a bit of thinking, but I wish you good luck :)

Will
PPL Student.

[Flik Roll]

Have you guys looked at Sponsoprship? Google it.
EDIT: Pilot_will...i hope you know that it will be more than "a few" years in the RAF...more like 16!

[Skylark4]

Working in the aviation industry, surprise surprise, puts one in the way of interesting/ cheap/ free/ remunerative flying. A guy with an engineers license will be offered cheap flying in return for work on aircraft or be well paid for said work. I suspect a chief pilot would be more impressed with a PPL/CPL , an engineers license and a degree in aircraft engineering than a PPL/CPL and a degree in sociology.
Try the University and University Air Squadron route. Join the ATC first.

Mike W

[MichaelJP59]

A lot of people recommend getting a degree first even if you are intending to fly commercially, just so that you have something to fall back on.

Sheffield are offering a new course for Aerospace Engineering with PPL training included, see this link:-

Aerospace Engineering (http://www.shef.ac.uk/p/prospectus/coursedetail.php?courseid=373)

I think Leeds do something similar as well.

[Ian_Wannabe]

Hey - just another idea for doing the uni thing. At Leeds university they do a Aviation Technology and management/Pilot Studies course. www.leeds.ac.uk

If you have the mind for the engineering side that comes along with it, then this is a great course to use as a fall back plan, should u not be able to get to ATPL standards

Good luck :ok: