Flying career
 

Good Afternoon all,

This is my first time writing within this forum, as I'm normally within the Military Aircrew section.

I'm not going to bore you all with the reasons why I want a flying career as I'm sure you have all heard it before, therefore I will get straight into the point.

I'm basically now finalising my education at college, and am now hoping to begin looking for a flying career.

Does anyone know of any Flying Companys that would take potential pilots on without having A levels (example).

I have my GCSE's mostly all are above grade C.


I sincerely apologise if a thread or post has been similar to mine, I'm just hoping someone can shed some light on a possible career path for me.

Many Thanks

Nathan

The competition for your first job is very fierce. As with any low hour pilot recruitment, it's what else you bring to the interview/job that swings it in your favour. Therefore, with no A levels you'd better find something else.

So, for most of the time, low houred pilots will have a good A levels or a degree.

With GCSEs only, all is not lost. But I think it's fair to say, all things being equal, you can probably forget an airline jet job as your first job. Note I said first.

Finish school and get a job. Any job. Whatever can bring in the money. Ideally, one that has further learning such as a trade or other such skilled position. (However, if you're good at sales etc, go for it) Join the services if you want to.
Save up the money, you'll need it.

Firstly though, before spending a cent/penny/euro etc, get your eyes checked and your general health looked at. Look up the medical requirements and get your doc & optician to see if you have any thing that'll disqualify you from having a Class 1 medical.
The biggies are colour blindness, deafness & diabetes.

Then do your training modular, ie "part time". Once completed, find any sort of flying work you can. Hours is what you need. Instruct, para drops, banner towing, whatever you can get your hands on.

Once you've got a wedge of hours in your log book your schooling becomes less significant.

It's a hard road but ultimately worth it.

I would agree with the above post . To add to this I would look at doing some sort of qualification that would be able to sustain you in times of need , There are many pilots today on the meal line all over the world

If its any idea I have a degree and not able to get a flying job due to the amount of pilots chancing there first flying job as well.

At the moment there is 650 new pilots looking for a job for every 1 real flying job.

the numbers are not good.
so, its any thing and every you can do to have otherwise your end up waiting and waiting. I have been waiting 2 years now.

I wish you all the best.

Qualifications help, although they're not essential. If I remember correctly, I have 4 GCSE's to my name and I didn't find it too much of a hold up.

Come across well at the interview table and you'll be fine:ok:

It may well be a long wait for that interview at present but best of luck:)

a mate of mine the first exams he passed was his 14 ATPLS! he left school at 14, he got a job on a Dash 8 with 250 hours TT. If u dont have Degrees / Alevels its not a show stopper, just make sure u have goood contacts in the aviation business, ist not what you know, its who u know!

Just my two pence.
 

IF you want to get into an airline then it really depends on what these airlines are asking from their applicants. At the moment for example I know of one that requires a degree- Lufthansa Cityline, without it they won't even put you forward for selection. On the other hand, Air Berlin doesn't make that requirement.

If you seek employment with smaller companies then you may get in. It's who you know,where you are and how much you manage to pester people for a job.

Once you have your first job on a particalur aircraft it becomes less important to have degrees.

The degree is just there to give some the employer minor confidence in your abilities. After that it's what jobs have you done in the past and referrals that get you the next job.

NDW

Yor first step should be to read some of the long threads on this site that describe the current awful state of the airline industry and the pilot market. That will take you some days, then you will have a flavour of how things are. The go and do something else for a few years, followed by thinking about it again if you still feel the same way.