Hi,
I remember a few years back now when I was in the same situation. Whilst it is important to have a clear idea of what is involved - I think a degree of "get out there and do what you can" is also needed. I will explain. If you sit down and wait, wait and wait nothing will ever happen - you need to be out there doing something. It is only becoming part of the aviation industry in any sense that opportunities will arise - and a good breadth of knowledge be learned.
The most economical way of "getting out and doing something" is to persue gliding. Gliding promotes and indeed enhances a number of qualities that are vital in becoming an airline pilot.
To find the nearest club for your next door neighbour - look at the below link:
http://www.gliding.co.uk/
I will now put below a post by myself - 28th July 1999. I think that it contains a number points - and indeed you may wish to ask questions on certain points mentioned.
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The Air League
I have found as a member of The Air League that it offers people like yourself invaluable information and the opportunity to try and attain a flying scholarship. To be eligible for the flying scholarship and all of the other benefits you must become a member. A very helpful service that the organisation offers is that if you write to them with your current status and aspirations - they will give you advice on how to obtain your goal - plus ideas on how to become more "involved" in the aerospace industry.
RAF Flying Scholarship
The RAF Flying Scholarship is worth applying for when you are 16 years of age. With a RAF Flying Scholarship, you could receive 20 hours of free flying at a civilian flying club. The scheme allows young men and women who are keen on a career in the RAF to discover the excitement of flying without having to make any commitment for the future. The training is in light aircraft at an approved civilian flying club, and normally includes about 8 to 10 hours' solo flying, plus full instruction in ground subjects.
Gliding
It is important to realise that no-matter what you fly - the same professionalism is needed. Gliding is a superb introduction to flying and the same key skills are present as in other forms of flying. You will learn how to work as part of a team,trust,professionalism and the ability to make well judged decisions in less than perfect circumstances.
I will just do a quote here from "Flyer-Learn to Fly Guide 1999/2000"
"If I ruled the world every fixed wing aviator would be required to do at least a dozen trips in a glider before going anywhere near a powered aircraft. Why? Well, I suppose a good analogy is that it's a bit like the difference between riding a motorbike and driving a car. Obviously, bikes, like gliders, are a lot more fun but it's also about being in touch with the elements. The skilled biker is very much more aware of the medium he is travelling on - the surface of the road, the curve of the bend-and this remains when he gets back in his car. In a similar fashion the glider pilot is much more in tune with the sky and this can be extremely useful, even for pilots of large jet aircraft.
I've always thought that to be really good at flying you have to be able to see the wind, and even a relatively small amount of glider training can be of tremendous value here. The ability to be able to clearly visualise the fluid mass you are flying is,in my opinion, absolutely fundemental if one aspires to be a truly proficient airman.
Quite apart from teaching the importance of accurate flying and providing a fundamental grounding in the basics of good stick and rudder co-ordination it will also help considerably with your ability to cope should the motor fail. Finally, not only will you learn a tremendous amount about how the sky works, soaring also offers greater understanding of why the sky works."
As I am sure you are aware - gliding is a labour intensive sport. Unlike powered flying you cannot just book your hour lesson - turn up and go. In reality you have to be at the airfield for the whole day. Again, you will learn more important qualities from this fact. Patience, willingness to help others etc..
More about Flying Scholarships
If you decide to try and get the Flying Scholarship from either The Air League or RAF - or both..make sure that you photocopy your application form. I have sent both my application forms off - however I have copies of both. At an interview you will more than likely be asked on certain things that you have written on your application form - to check that what you say at interview - and what you have put on your application form both concur. Both the RAF and The Air League forms ask for any flying experience - so you can put your gliding time down.
Another reason why it is important to take advantage of the scholarship schemes is that it will give you invaluable experience of interviews. Very few people now have had interview experience. Many people who have just finished a degree may not have even have had one for their university place, and often even if they had - it was an informal interview. I know that the RAF will debrief you after an interview - this is a really valuable exercise - and you should listen very carefully to what they say. It is my view that - yes - it is great if you can get the flying scholarship - but the opportunity to have formal interviews - and then being told how to improve will be superb advice and thus you can act on this advice and hence when you go for formal airline interviews - it will not be such an initial shock.
I think that I will conclude my post by saying this - "If you get refused the first time - just carry on and do it again." I have been monitoring and contributing to PPRuNe now for 2 years - and over that time I have seen certain individuals get "knocked back" - only to persevere and eventually achieve ther goal. The younger you can experience this fact of life the better in my opinion. It will make you aware that there is stiff competition for all jobs in the aerospace industry. It doesn't matter whether it is an Air League interview or a BA interview - the simple fact is that you have been turned down - and naturally that will demoralize you. This character building will only serve you well for later interviews and experiences.
I think that I have put a few of my opinions in the above post. It is likely that some poeple - even yourself - may disagree with some of them. The point is though - is that you should try and get as many different opinions about a subject as you can get - then make a choice.
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It is my opinion - and I would imagine other people's as well that the purchase of an Airband Radio would be productive. By sitting down and listening to the RT you will learn a lot about procedures - and indeed the method of communication between pilots and ATC that can often seem so alienating.
I wish your neighbour the very best of luck, and if you need any additional information, don't hesitate to contact me if you wish.
Regards
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