Getting A Sponsorship ??????

[cessna l plate]

I have a queer feeling that I already know the answer to this one.

I have ALWAYS wanted to be an airline pilot, but life has a habit of kicking me at the wrong time. So a couple of years ago I started my ppl on the basis that it might give me a head start in the sponsorship race. Before this time I was totally skint.

Then, as bad luck would have it, a row with a neighbour and one torched motor later, I had to move house (the wife was too scared to live there any more). New house = bigger bills. So January this year I flew my first solo, and have only managed about 4 hours since.

I now get the nasty feeling that the gravy train is about to pass me by at a rate of knots. I cannot see me being able to follow the self improver route for about 10 years or so. I cannot justify spending any money on flying at the moment, let alone enough to get the ppl. As I am now 34 I know that time is against me, but I would like some answers to the following questions.........

1. Are there any airlines that offer 100% sponsorships?
2. Is it worth me sending what would amount to a begging letter to chief pilots all around the country in the hopes that someone will take pity on me??

This has been my lifes ambition and the thought of it going round the U bend is starting to break my heart, so, although I would like honest answers, if you feel that a sarcastic, caustic, or otherwise non-constructive answer is your thing, then for my sake, please exercise your sense of humour some place else.

Thanks Guys
Cessna L Plate

[Bealzebub]

Are there any airlines that offer 100% sposorships ?

British airways from time to time offer cadet entry programmes through selected flight training schools. This may be the closest thing to 100% sponsorships. Competition for such places is very intense, is subject to minimum academic qualifications, is age restricted and are fairly rare. A search on these forums will yield plenty of information. Otherwise the answer is basically no.

Is it worth sending a begging letter to chief pilots in the hope they will take pity on you ?

No. It is a waste of good money on postage stamps, they will never get as far as the chief pilot before reaching the waste paper basket. Most chief pilots are busy with a whole range of day to day matters and will only usually address recruiting issues as and when the need actually arises. Even then, they will only want to see applications from suitably qualified individuals ( of whom there are many) and those applications will have been significantly culled before reaching their desk.

I would say that if you apply yourself to the situation, there is no reason why you would be any less likely to achieve a commercial pilots licence than anybody else. However as others will tell you, and research here will reveal, it is a very costly, long and uncertain slog. All the major hurdles ( medical, finance, age, study, luck, determination, setbacks, etc ) need to be overcome and it is not going to be a quick process. Once a person has basically qualified as a commercial pilot it is then the uncertainty of finding gainful employment in a fickle, fiercely competitive and cyclical market. Incidentaly there certainly is not and never was a "gravy train"!

It might sound rather blunt, but no one ( other than you) cares about your personal woes or wishes, and it is irrelevant to any body else as part of the process. That said if you want to pay your money and take your chance, go for it. All I would say is don't rely on pity or hard luck stories because no one will care. It is a difficult occupation for most people to break in to, and many fall by the wayside trying. On the other hand every year a proportion of those aspirants do find their way into the industry. It has always been that way, and some years are better than others. It might be that in a few years time you are one of them.

There is an honest answer for you.

[G SXTY]

Sound advice from Bealzebub.

The days of 100% sponsorships are quite possibly gone forever, but even when they did exist you could count on around 1,000 applicants for each sponsored place. Some airlines are involved in part-sponsorships, and tie-ups between airlines and training providers are increasingly common. (Have a look at the many, many threads on CTC for example).

However, you’re too old for most sponsorship schemes (I should know, I’m 33 myself) – the CTC ATP scheme is still available to people up to age 34, but you need to already have a CPL/IR.

It really comes down to how badly you want it, how determined you are to succeed, and what you are prepared to sacrifice to get there. To be brutally honest, if you’re struggling to fund a PPL, you may well be wasting your time taking it any further – count on around £3k for the ATPL writtens, £7k hours-building, £15k for the CPL/IR, etc etc – you get the idea.

If it’s any consolation, of the airline pilots I know personally, 2 were sponsored (B.A.), 2 are ex RAF, and the other 30-odd paid for every penny of their own training. I know of people who’ve sold their house (not re-mortgaged – sold) to pay for training, I know of people who have carried on studying for exams even through close family bereavements. To top it all, you are even up against people who are prepared to spend £60 or £70k on training, blow another £20k of their own money on a type-rating and then work for free - just to get their foot in the door.

Against all that, any begging letter to a chief pilot would have to be a phenomenally good one.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.