Commercial airline pilot training sponsorships

[Joyal Flyer 545]

I am looking to become a commercial airline pilot, but i do not have the funds required to cover the training costs. i want to avoid getting a loan from the bank because of the high interest rates. i have looked almost everywhere on the internet looking for a commercial airline that offers a pilot sponsorship that pays for all the training and in return i work for them for a certain amount of years, slowly paying them back. I do know that these sponsorships exist and a lot of airlines have stopped them recently, but there are some airlines that still do them. Which ones do? and how do i apply? Are there any pilot training companies that offer a similar sponsorship? if so which ones? and how do i apply?! i do not mind being based in another country if required for the training. i am 18 years of age, so i beleive this is the right time for me to apply. I hope that you can give me some good advice and point me in the right direction for becoming a commercial airline pilot. Looking forward to hearing from you...Will you be my sponsor?

[bizjetway]

I am looking to become a commercial airline pilot, but i do not have the funds required to cover the training costs. i want to avoid getting a loan from the bank because of the high interest rates. i have looked almost everywhere on the internet looking for a commercial airline that offers a pilot sponsorship that pays for all the training and in return i work for them for a certain amount of years, slowly paying them back. I do know that these sponsorships exist and a lot of airlines have stopped them recently, but there are some airlines that still do them. Which ones do? and how do i apply? Are there any pilot training companies that offer a similar sponsorship? if so which ones? and how do i apply?! i do not mind being based in another country if required for the training. i am 18 years of age, so i beleive this is the right time for me to apply. I hope that you can give me some good advice and point me in the right direction for becoming a commercial airline pilot. Looking forward to hearing from you...Will you be my sponsor?


I will be realistic here:
The flight schools are full of self-seponspred students and there are more ready to spend in their money to become pilots. There is NO reason an airline would sponsor someone. The only airlines sponsoring are in the Middle East and Far East and that is because they want to sponsor locals to become pilots. In the western word there are plenty of self-sponsored people to choose from.
You are only 18, so go and get a job in sales and work with a network marketing company, you will learn lots and make the money you need to become a pilot.
There are god times ahead so once you finish you should be able to get a job fairly soon. Just choose the flight school wisely, don't go for the cheapest option.

[+TSRA]

Agreed; there are currently no North American sponsorship programs that I am aware of. As mentioned, there are carriers who have cadet programs (e.g., Cathay Pacific). A google search for airline cadet programs will provide you links to those airlines with such programs, and what you'll need to apply.

There are also flight path programs, where an airline either agrees to interview or hire the top students from designated universities, but these are not sponsorships or scholarships - just an agreement between the school and the airline. It behoves you to excel in your studies when these programs are available as it is often your final marks which determine eligibility. However, you're still responsible for the upfront education costs with no guarantee of a position after graduation.

Financially, there is the possibility of obtaining a scholarship through a university to assist with part of or all of the typical university expenses, but these will depend upon your scholastic record, community service experience, et cetera. Any scholarship will be university or program dependent, so you'd have to contact the school directly to ascertain what scholarships are available. Sometimes, scholarships are only available to current students with an excellent record, so you end up in a situation of spending money to "make" money.

To conclude, I would agree with bizjetway's suggestion to your situation. Get a job that permits you to save what you need for a couple years, then go to school. You have near 40 years in your career if you start now. That's a long time doing the same thing every day. You'll enjoy and appreciate it more with some life experience behind you.