Aspiring Pilot Completely Lost

[AgileBotato]

I'm a 15 year old who is midway through his first year of iGCSE's. I've always wanted to be a pilot since a young age and have been doing a majority of my research the past few days. I've read that it's recommended to get a degree and UND looks to be a good school for me but I'm not sure about the course. Do I do the Commercial Aviation Degree and come out with a bachelor's or the Phoenix-Mesa Accelerated Program? I'm an international student who live's in Kuwait so I'm not too sure of the current job requirements. Even if I do graduate what do I do after? It's not like it's a fairy-tale world where I go and instantly start flying as a commercial pilot. I'm being realistic here and I don't expect to be a commercial pilot until I'm about 22 maybe 21.

Before all of that, I'm curious of what grades are necessary to even become a pilot. I'm currently am predicted to get a 3.5-3.75 GPA but should I do my A levels? Is it necessary for college?

Being a commercial pilot has always been the dream but sometimes dreams don't always work out. I enjoy comp-sci and my brother is in his first year at ASU and from what I hear, enjoy's it. Should I go to a flight school and instead get a bachelor's in Comp-Sci? A backup plan is always necessary. Where I live flight school's aren't exactly very popular so I'd rather go abroad and get better education there. Should I even go to America seeing that I am currently in a British school system?

I'm still learning about the reality of being a pilot and any tips or pieces of advice are greatly appreciated. I do apologies if this post has already been sent a bunch of times but I'm trying to find what's best for me. All answers are appreciated in advanced!

[VariablePitchP]

I'm a 15 year old who is midway through his first year of iGCSE's. I've always wanted to be a pilot since a young age and have been doing a majority of my research the past few days. I've read that it's recommended to get a degree and UND looks to be a good school for me but I'm not sure about the course. Do I do the Commercial Aviation Degree and come out with a bachelor's or the Phoenix-Mesa Accelerated Program? I'm an international student who live's in Kuwait so I'm not too sure of the current job requirements. Even if I do graduate what do I do after? It's not like it's a fairy-tale world where I go and instantly start flying as a commercial pilot. I'm being realistic here and I don't expect to be a commercial pilot until I'm about 22 maybe 21.

Before all of that, I'm curious of what grades are necessary to even become a pilot. I'm currently am predicted to get a 3.5-3.75 GPA but should I do my A levels? Is it necessary for college?

Being a commercial pilot has always been the dream but sometimes dreams don't always work out. I enjoy comp-sci and my brother is in his first year at ASU and from what I hear, enjoy's it. Should I go to a flight school and instead get a bachelor's in Comp-Sci? A backup plan is always necessary. Where I live flight school's aren't exactly very popular so I'd rather go abroad and get better education there. Should I even go to America seeing that I am currently in a British school system?

I'm still learning about the reality of being a pilot and any tips or pieces of advice are greatly appreciated. I do apologies if this post has already been sent a bunch of times but I'm trying to find what's best for me. All answers are appreciated in advanced!

UND - University of North Dakota?

Great that you want to be fly, the global market at the moment is buoyant. I’m detecting a lot of US centred talk from your post, if that’s correct this forum probably won’t be much help I’m afraid as it’s pretty Europe/Australasia focussed.

There’ll be a wealth of information online if you look for more US focused sites, sorry!

[AgileBotato]

Thank you for the reply!

Yes, UND does mean University Of North Dakota.

I've done a lot of research on reddit and a majority of the advice on there is all for Americans. I wouldn't mind going to the Europe or Australia. I just wouldn't know where to start! Any pieces of advice are appreciated because at the end of the day it's just flying a plane, no? How hard could that be.

[bafanguy]

AB,

If you're considering/exploring US university training programs, there are many. This organization accredits them:

https://www.aabi.aero/accreditation/accredited-programs/

[VariablePitchP]

Thank you for the reply!

Yes, UND does mean University Of North Dakota.

I've done a lot of research on reddit and a majority of the advice on there is all for Americans. I wouldn't mind going to the Europe or Australia. I just wouldn't know where to start! Any pieces of advice are appreciated because at the end of the day it's just flying a plane, no? How hard could that be.

In all honesty, not that hard. However, getting the first job is another story.

Where is your right to work? That’s going to be the key, pointless having a licence if you can’t use it. Flying licences aren’t like car licences, they’re more or less tied to the country of issue.

Best market has been the US for a few years in terms of opportunities and pay, but only if you’re allowed to work there.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Do a degree because you want a degree in that subject, or a career in a subject that feeds.

Learn to fly because you want to be a pilot.

Don't conflate the two. Apart from the USA where lazy airlines use low quality "associates" degrees to save them bothering to do any aptitude testing, the rest of the world doesn't care if a pilot has a degree.

What you do at school shoudld feed the ability to study and pass your professional flying qualifications. The actual grades are basically unimportant. Learn maths, science (especially physics) and English to a good standard because you'll need those, and good grades will prove that. But it really is not about the grades or school qualifications.

And whilst you're young, just find any opportunity to engage with aeronautical hobbies. Military cadet schemes, gliding clubs, aeromodelling, volunteering at an aircraft museum - anything that's open to you.

(For the record, I'm a university professor who also holds professional pilots licences and teaches flying. I live and breath these questions.)

G

[hobbit1983]

You don't need a degree to be a pilot. If you wanna fly, go fly.

[rudestuff]

A pilots licence will cost you about the same as a degree, so stick to getting the licence unless you have unlimited money. The licence you get will depend on where you are allowed to live and work.

[605carsten]

You dont need a degree to fly.. its just a way until recently the US airlines have sorted the large stack of CV’s. By all means get a degree so you have something to fall back on if/when the flight dreams fail and it may also satisfy your parents wish for you to have a “real” education. As a matter of fact as a CFI some of my worst students were very smart academic types with degrees but couldnt fly an airplane to save their lives.
Do you hold a right to work in the US? Maybe look at the Emirates flight academy and you can walk straight into a big airline career if good enough?

you may also want to buy a few hours of flight training already now to see if you like it and you dont get airsick (which has stopped alot of peoples training)

[B2N2]

Reddit cannot be considered a reliable source of information.
In my opinion and I m certainly not alone; do not stack aviation on top of aviation.
As in do not do a too closely aviation related degree on top of flight training as it leads to being very lobsided.
Also if you do not succeed in a pilot career for a myriad of reasons you can focus on a different field rather then being doomed to have to work in an aviation related field and you cannot fly and you’re reminded of it every single day.
Find another legitimate interest that you are genuinely passionate about.
Now these are US(FAA) statistics but 70% of people that start flight training do not finish it.
I think it’s a fair estimate that out of a 100 that start eventually maybe 5-6 will actually end up flying as an ‘airline pilot’.

[Uplinker]

Yes, an ATPL is, (or certainly, was), complex and demanding enough to demonstrate your ability, your skills, and your success in learning, training, absorbing information and passing exams; both written and practical.

Added to which you have to self finance all your training and often your first type rating as well: anyone who gets through all that has proved that they have a lot of self drive and ability to push through all the hurdles, and have potentially got what it takes.

(Some sadly fail after all that, when they fly the real thing, in the real atmosphere - or rather find that they can't).

Getting your first job in a commercial situation or airline is the key. It needs a lot of luck and a lot of persistence. You might have to fly the night mail in a scraggy dodgy old something with a scraggy dodgy old Captain, (I did), and hope that you get through years of that and on to the big shiny jets one day, (I did).

I don't know if having a degree will change any of that ?, but it will delay your employment by another three years, which could be critical. But you should do at least do Maths and Physics A levels, and pass them well.

Has anyone mentioned that you must get your Class One medical as soon as you can; (I think 17 is the earliest age?), and certainly before spending any money on ATPL training. Without the medical, all the above is irrelevant.

Good luck :ok:

[B2N2]

If you are currently in Kuwait then I would start looking at some of the aviation academies in the Middle East that have cadet programs.
Even though strictly speaking you may not need a degree to be successful in a pilot career it would certainly help you be successful in life if the pilot career doesn’t work out.
You don’t get the degree to become a pilot, you get the degree in case you don’t.