Budding Pilot needing advice

[AmGt3]

Hi all, this is my first post so bear with me if I have posted this in the wrong section or got spelling wrong or so on.

I am currently doing my GSCE's and have chosen subjects including Maths, Science and Geography. These are the subjects that I have researched online that are required for being a pilot.

I was hoping that experienced and newly qualified pilots could share with me the routes that they have took to becoming a pilot. I was hoping to go into to commercial piloting flying for companies like BA. The route I was considering to take was the Sponsorship route. Has anyone took this route and is it worth while?

Whats grades do you think I would require in GSCE's to be able to become a pilot? I am also taking English, Business, Drama, ICT, P.E, R.S (Last Three Short Course) and PSE&C. My science course is Gateway which gives me two Science Grades and allows to do college level Science.

All Suggestions and Advice welcome.

Ash

[Mercenary Pilot]

I suggest you start by clicking HERE. (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131649)

Lots of good advice and information.

[preduk]

There aren't any sponsorship routes anymore I'm afraid, apart from Highlands Airways and Atlantic.

BA, Easyjet, Ryanair etc etc all take pilots who self sponsor themselves through Modular or Integrated training.

[Nashers]

as far as i know, the most u can ask from an airline is a type rating now and for some of them thats even to much to ask for!!! ive not heard of any airline that have a full sponsorship scheme from zero hours, but then i could wrong or u lucky! only other scheme out there is the GAPAN one. again very very tough to get on but some people on here have got it.

everyone i know has had to finance it themselves from ppl, atpl theory, hours building, CPL, ME IR and some even type rating. best advise is start saving now as it burns a realy big hole in your pocket!

as for gcse's and a'levels i dont think it matters as much anymore as i did not bother with science or math for my a'levels. however saying that i have been to university so i guess that will cover it. many airlines may ask for these not as its a requirment to be a pilot- but just to see that u have a brain that works. all the physics and maths is pretty simple and u have to learn on the course anyway.

good luck!

[AlphaMale]

Don't put all your eggs in 1 basket.

Choose your A levels and give them your all. Nobody can take them away after you pass them and it'll look good on your CV for any job or CTC application etc.

Think about how you'll save £50k for your modular training too. £50k is going to be hard to save but your 14 and you have time.

Think about what you'd do if for some reason at 21 you can't get a Class 1 medical? What would your second career be? For me if I couldn't be a pilot then I'd be involved in IT ... Only when I was 18 I didn't have the cash for the training so IT came first.

I've built up a few years of work experience / money / my own place and now I'm looking to do my training. If for some reason (economy / no jobs left) I can't find a job as a pilot I'll have my IT to fall back on.

If I had my parents re-mortgaged their house when I was 18 and I couldn't find a pilot job where would that leave me? :ugh:

Good luck.

[preduk]

Work your socks off and get your GSCEs, then work your socks off and get your A-levels.

After you have done that, then you can decide what you want to do. 3+ years is a long time in aviation, things change all the time.

[AmGt3]

Thanks for all your advice guys.

As a second route, I can go straight to IT (One of my Strong Points) and to Mechanics (Another One of my Strong Points).

Hopefully, my A levels and GSCE's will go fine.


Is Uni a good option or should I stick to A levels and GCSE's. Piloting is first choice like always but other option are still something I could go for.

Thanks again for all the replies.

[BerksFlyer]

Do a search on university on this forum and you'll see lengthy arguments for and against it.

With regards to other jobs, the likelihood is that you will need a job after A levels (if you decide against university) to raise funds in order to train anyway - so keep your options open.

[bajadj]

The university go / not go arguement really is a difficult one.

In my view it is not neccesary to university to become an airline pilot, however I wouldn't swap my memories from uni for anything in the world, so for me the decision would be life experience versus getting that first flying job a bit quicker. Now at first glance you would think that this is a no brainer and you just want to jump in the cockpit and forget three years "wasted" (in every sense!!) at university. Well don't! There are too many what if's in life and in my view you will forever kick yourself for missing out on the university experience, you have a huge opportunity to live a little and a long career in aviation ahead of you, don't be in too much of a hurry or you'll miss the best bits!

You learn so many life skills when fending for yourself and you'll be arounf thousands of people from all walks of life, who think differently to you and you'll have the chance to develop your personlity accordingly, and when you're on long haul in years to come you'll be able to relay some of these experiences to the bloke you've never met before who you'll be couped up with for 12 hours!!! otherwise he'll be ready to tear your head off after 20 minutes of you saying "oooohhh i love aviation....look at the winglets on that NG" for the 90th time!!

[Nashers]

i went to university before starting my flight training. for me it was the right choice as i learnt so much other than just the course i was signed up to.

if you are still in the process of GCSE's and A levels you have a long time to decide what you want to do as ur still very young. one of the things with flying is that to get through it you have to have the motivation (those of you who remember ATPL days will know what im talking about!) and not give up easly.

the main reason i went to university is partly so i could carry on saving for a further 3 years while i worked during the weekends. it would also look pretty good on your CV as you have proven you are able to learn at high level. more importantly WHAT IF 10 years down the line i fail my class 1 medical... its not i nice thought but it can and has happend to people. also what if another 9/11 happens and there is a loads of pilots getting the boot. but then again if you do go to university thats 3 years less flying before you have to retire.

best thing for you to do is worry about the flying when you have to worry about it, not now. worry about the GCSE's and A levels now. when it comes to deciding about university or flight training then make that decission after your reasurch. can you afford it, are you interested enough etc.... you never know as you may find another job more intresting for you in a year or two.

[Anderson8]

I've had this dilemma for months now. Go to uni and work my ass off for 3 years to become an accountant with student debts, work for some time in this divison and start training at age 25/26.

Or go straight from A Levels into an integrated ATPL with debts of £100,000 but knowing that theres a good chance ill be flying by the time im 21/22?

And then i think, as much as i want to go to uni and broaden my social skills and develop more as a person, Im basically studying for 3 years to work for only 3 years?

I guess having an accounting and finance degree is highly beneficial if i cant find a job after i qualify, but im torn between my 2 passions, The dream of flying, and the capability of easily becoming an accountant.

Really need some advice guys.

[4KBeta]

You do realise that there is a number of exams after you finish university you must undergo in order to become a qualified accountant?

In that time, a company would bond you for x amount of years but will usually pay for your training and exams.

Another factor to consider.

[VirginSkid]

my 2 pence worth....

To qualify as an accountant will take shear determination and motivation.... dependant on the qual.. CIMA, ACCA, ACA all of which will require you to pass at least 14 exams - and they are difficult and did I say difficult.......

It will also take 3 years for your to qualify with 1st time passes (for CIMA atleast), so if you fail a few - add on another 6 months!!!

However, not a bad plan - as you will always have a job and as qualified a salary of 30K plus...

I know of another person who has gone through this route and is now funding his training through his higher salary - but you need to be focused and really motivated...

Another plus point is that you have a fall back with another profession under your belt....

So in my opinion its a better option and a safer one....

PS - as for bonding and payment of the training funds - its peanuts and even though companies do have these clauses, they rarely do excercise them as its costly to do and too resource intensive and if they do - you will be left with a max hit of £5K which in the scheme of things is nothing, most likely you will get another job and they will pay for it... and not make you sign for anything ! ;-) .... so I would not worry about it...

Best of luck

[VirginSkid]

sorry ....but just got another option for you to think about:

Spend 5 to 10K become an accountant - your earning capability will be 45 - 80K in London, City.

With more experience - it will increase further.

Against spend 45 - 80K to gain an ATPL - your earning capability will be 25 - 35K initially... and that is if you are lucky to find a job.....

So if you do have an accounting and finance degree - do the pros and cons! ;-)

[Re-Heat]

You require the best grades for your ability.

Get off PPRuNe now, stop faffing, and revise for your GCSEs.

Come back and ask some questions when you have the time, after your exams, and not before.

[VirginSkid]

well said Re Heat....

[Anderson8]

Hey! im 17! I did my GCSE's last year and got an A in Maths and Ive just finished my AS Levels with a predicted A in Business.

Im so torn between the two paths, but flying is something i dream of.

[bajadj]

christ!! at 17 you should be dreaming of Pepper from neighbours!!

have a fall back plan in case you fail a medical somewhere down the line.

I'm 34 and I still dream about pepper.....mmmmmm...pepper!!

[Put1992]

I agree with what Re-heat said.

I've been flying since i was 14, and it's been great, flew solo on my 16th, and feel like flying is really for me. But it's been a large distraction from school work. Rather than getting lots of A's like I was predicted, some have slowly turned into B's, and the odd B has turned into a C. Do I regret starting flying so young and having it as a distraction? No. We are teenagers. If it wasn't for flying, I would probably have some other stupid distraction like every other kid I know. All I can say is, try and resist messing around at school, get your work done, and try hard. If you don't, then 1, that's 5 years of secondary school pretty much wasted, 2, you'll feel like a prat on results day, and 3, No harm can come from it.

Sorry to sound like im whinging, but I'm looking back on my years of compulsuary education, and thinking of all the people I know who could have done so much better, and wish they had done. The Grades I am getting are still good, and are better than what I need, but I know in the back of my mind I could have done that little bit better, and got to the top.

Well, A-levels next september, and Im looking forward to them. Study leave is ridicuously boring, And I am missing a routine already. So bring on PPL exams!

Cheers

Put

[preduk]

I went to University when I was 17, just going into my final year of a Law degree.

If I wanted to be a lawyer I have to do a few more exams after University, but I have no intetions to do so. I'm just using it to make my CV look better AND as a back up.

However, my degree is a join degree so i could be an HR Director/advisor right now if I wanted to as I'm CIPD qualified.

University has been a great learning curve, I've enjoyed the student life and look forward to starting my commercial training. I paid for my PPL using my Student Bursary and Part time work wages.

[LUFC-Fan]

so the chance of getting sponsored is almost 0?

[Re-Heat]

Well there is no money at any airlines to pay for them - you could try GAPAN but your academic grades are probably not good enough judging by your past posts re your GCSEs. That leaves Atlantic / Highland schemes for you to investigate.