What should I do next?

[chrisbonfield]

Hi

I am 16, almost 17, and am currently flying to get my PPL. I want to be a pilot and have done for as long as I can remeber. I am doing my AS exams this year, and so am starting to have to think what route I want to take after A levels. I dont know what I should do! Should I go to Uni or not. I have heard arguments from both sides:

For going to Uni:
- At least you will have a dergree to fall back on if you fail a medical.
- I have heard that airlines prefer to employ people who ar a bit older than 18 and who have a degree.

On the flip side:
- What if there are no jobs when I come out of Uni?
- I know I want to fly - why wait?

I would be very grateful if anyone had and advice on what I should do!

Chris

[GlueBall]

Most definitely go to Uni so that you may go through life with a higher reality level! Because being only a pilot is little more than being a bus driver, or truck (lorry) driver...with wings.:p

[Mowgli]

This should probably go to Wanabees, but since you asked:

You could go to Uni and enjoy yourself and gain a valuable qualification. While there you could join a University Air Squadron and get free flying training from the RAF without needing to commit yourself to joining the RAF afterwards - sounds too good to be true, but it is!

Gaining a flying qualification costs loads, so anything you can get free is worth chasing. You can also apply for a flying scholarship right now with the Armed Forces (contact a recruitment shop) again, no commitment. The Air League also run flying scholarships (I support them, so if you get one - buy me a beer) and other organisations run them as well - the Aeronautical Society? Not sure. Search on the net.

Good luck. You will need bags of determination, no one will hand you it on a plate.. Go get um tiger.

[Touch'n'oops]

Well not long ago when I was a lad (I'm 20) I thought about exactly what you are trying answer now!

I had been offered a place to study for my Masters in Aerospace Engineering at University Of Liverpool.

I realised that if went through Uni I would lose a few years of flying. At the time everyone was saying it is all about seniority in Airlines.
My aim is to become a Senior Captain with an airline. So my plan is to get in there early. And if for some reason everything went to the dogs, I could always go back to Uni!

It wasn't an easy decision to make. Now I have, it's going to be head down all the way to come out top!

Remember, the Uni decision depends on where you want to go.

Good Luck!!!;);)

[The African Dude]

Touch'n'oops:

Well...


My end goal is the same. Where I want to go is also the top. But the reasons I went to uni were:

-You get a degree!!!! And don't forget, if it's not a mickey mouse degree then your earning potential is much, much greater!

-You will leave with training for a well paid trade, with which you can pay for your training if you need to.

-University really is a reality check. I had no idea how to manage money. I'm only in year two and I'm being FORCED to learn the lesson. (cheers a well-known bank for threatening me!:D)

-You will make friends for life and valuable professional contacts alike in the process.

-More likely to get some form of flying scholarship whilst at uni (might as well go for free flying AND a degree at end than just flying you pay for..?)


By making the decision to wait a little longer you may actually come out where you want to be but in addition to proof that you're willing to take the hard route to the end goal. This shows commitment; something the airlines (and any employer) look for in judging your character.


Chris: Focus on everything your end goal comprises of and don't be scared of making a long list of everything you have to do to get there. If you follow it ruthlessly you will reap the rewards.

Touch'n'oops: I'd really like to know how it goes (or is going?) for you as I nearly took the same path - drop me an e-mail if you like.


Best wishes and the best of luck in your decisions.


AD

[jonnys]

It seems loads of us are having, or have had, similar problems! I'm in my third year at uni at the moment, and spent some time with the university air squadron, but didn't like the RAF lifestyle (at least the experience helped me to find this out sooner rather than later) I'm currently applying for an airline sponsorship, which if I get, I'd be able to start after I graduate.

I chose to go to uni because it's an extra qualification (which will look good to an airline), it's only 3 years long, and I'd get serious living experience out of it. I'm happy I made the decision to go to uni first. I feel more mature (I think!)

Good luck with what you decide to do. It must at least be comforting to know that so many others face a similar dilemma!:)

[scroggs]

This is a perennial problem, and the answers don't get any easier to come by as time goes on!

You have to sort out your priorities, and you have to understand what opportunities and risks each course of action will bring you. Your priorities will include the basics, like food, shelter and enough dosh to buy a beer on a Friday, and should include things like fulfillment, satisfaction, and opportunities for improving your lot. Other priorities may be family, friends and boy/girlfriend or spouse, where you want to live and what your aim is in working at all. By that I mean, do you want comfort, challenge or whatever as your life-goal, and how much does it matter how you achieve that goal?

Having done that assessment (and it will take you a while!), you must then assess what each available route over the next couple of years will best fit your priorities.

Let's take an example. Let's say your real, deep-down life goal is security and comfort, with your friends and family around you. You'd like to achieve that through aviation but, having studied Pprune, you've begun to understand how precarious, mobile and insecure such a career is. Yet you believe that the rewards in aviation can still bring comfort, choice of location, and even security, in later life, so you are prepared to give it a go. You recognise, however, that the risks of failure are quite high, so you decide that a degree in a readily-saleable subject (law, commerce etc) would be a very good back-up to allow you to reach your comfort, security and location goals by another route.

An alternative aim might be just to fly - at any cost. If that's your goal, why bother with university unless you know that, by going, you will increase your chances of flying.

I'm sure you get the drift. There's no 'right' answer - it entirely depends on what you want out of life.

[Touch'n'oops]

Scroggs you are a man of many wise words.;)




AD:

I can see where you are coming from when arguing the Uni case. But for me, I plan to live nowhere near England. So the friends i make at Uni will sadly be lost.
I have been an expat my whole life. So changing countries is a familiar process. Thus finding new friends/girlfriends is down to an art form.

As for contacts, my father worked for CX and through him I know a lot of useful people. Talking with them I learnt a Degree does hold weight, but at the end of the day it is the hours!

Of course there is always the dosh to think about! I choose to have the best training money can buy. And therefore bank loans are something that goes hand in hand (most of the time).
I didn't fancy the idea of carrying even more debts from Uni into an already shaky future!


As for the next part. Only time will tell.
AD I will try to keep you posted on my progress!

Gotta fly!!!!http://www.click-smilie.de/sammlung/aktion/aktion085.gif