Pilot Sponsorship Opportunities
 

Hey guys.

I am currently a student pilot training for my PPL and I am also at university working towards a degree.

Sure you've heard all of this before... I've wanted to become an airline pilot since an early age but my financial status is stopping me from achieving my ambition.

Anyway, I understand that very few airlines offer pilot sponsorship anymore and banks are very hesitant about giving out large loans.

After I graduate from university, I want to continue training to become an airline pilot but preferably with the financial help of an airline. I understand that with a PPL and driving license, Atlantic Airlines (a cargo airline in the UK) offer their own pilot sponsorship scheme, but I also want to know about any other airlines?

I've been told about Air France and Qantas. Perhaps an airline in Asia or the Middle East?

Can somebody give me some information on the various sponsorship schemes out there?

Thanks.

Hello Joshilini.

If you are hoping for a fully funded sponsorship then I'm afraid it's very very very very very unlikely. If you haven't read this thread already then I suggest you do.
Meantime concentrate on bagging your degree so you can get a decent job to fund your career ambition. :ok:

http://www.pprune.org/professional-p...ated-look.html

Hey,

There aren't many schemes going out there at the moment. Apart from the Atlantic Airlines sponsorship, the other big one to go for at the moment appears to be the Cathay Pacific scheme, which is now open to people outside of Hong Kong.

Flybe also occasionally offer sponsored schemes, though you still have to fork out the money, they just help you with a £20,000 interest free loan and as much of a guarantee of a job as you can get at the moment.

In the ‘good old days’ pre 9/11, the few airlines that offered full sponsorship (I am thinking particularly of BA) received something in the order of a thousand applications for every place. Even disregarding the 50% that couldn’t spell or used the wrong coloured ink on their application form, that is an awful lot of competition. Ergo, even if sponsorships were available, your chances of getting one are extremely slim.

I would plan on being one of the vast majority of pilots who has to pay for every penny of their own training, and regard any possible sponsorship as a pleasant surprise.

Bobscousin, thank you for your extremely helpful post. I have been looking into all three of the schemes you have mentioned but I fully understand how competitive they are.

With the Flybe part-sponsorship scheme, what would your thoughts be on the possibility of getting a bank loan to cover my contribution (bearing in mind this will be in 2 years time after I graduate from university)?

George and G SXTY, thank you both too. G SXTY, I have read your post about going from zero to ATPL and found it a really great read. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Getting the full bank loan for a £75000 course is unsustainable. When you've left university, take away tax and your student loan contribution from the salary and you'll be left with just under 20,000 a year. Flybe will then be taking a futher 4000 a year off that for the interest free loan, that leaves very little free money to be paying off a larger loan.

In my opinion, at most, the best option seems to be to take a maximum of £20000 loan, as well as the flybe £20,000 loan, leaving a further £35000 to be found from elsewhere unfortunately. The flight training schools can help arrange a loan for you at an interest rate of around libor+2% that you start paying after finishing the flight training.

I'd go for the Cathay Pacific scheme for sure, no harm in trying and it's a great trip to Hong Kong if you get past the first stage!

Qantas does not sponsor. You have to pay for it. Other limitations are visas etc.
Air France will want you to speak fluent French. They speak French on the flight deck.

Good on you for not wanting a massive loan. Finish the degree, find something to do part time on the weekends. Find an airport somewhere that you can get immersed in the industry so you get contacts.

At the moment, it's quite a challenging environment for low houred guys so you don't need to rush. Plan to finish your degree, get a job, earn some cash and then reassess your options.
Eg, you can do the ATPL theory part time whilst earning money and then when you need to do the flying in blocks, (the IR training) you'll be in a better position to take leave and do the flying in a chunk.

While you're studying. Keep an eye on Flight International for how the industry fairing, keep an eye on this and other sites for employment and most importantly, keep in touch with your local airfield, when the instructors move on, there's employment opportunities.

Lufthansa offers a sponsorship, although you have to pay some of the training cost later on once you have a piloting job with them, Air Berlin offers a limited cadet scheme, you still have to pay the money (60k € including the typerating), however the airline acts as security for the loan if you wish that (high interest in that case). For both companies you have to speak german. Swiss might offer a sponsorship still, in that case you most probably have to be able to speak both german and french.

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned GAPAN (The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators). They are offering a fully funded integrated course of flying training leading to a CAA issued fATPL.

Full details and application form here Flying Scholarships 2010 - GAPAN

Like all desirable routes of getting into aviation the competition may be stiff, but the only way to guarantee the outcome is not to apply!

Best of luck.