PPL and Cadet Recruitment
 

Hello ppruners

I'm a wannabe and I need some advice from the kind people at pprune about airline sponsored ab-initio pilot training programmes e.g. BA's Sponsored Pilot Training Scheme.

I was planning to do my PPL this summer to get more involved in aviation and to help with airline cadet/sponsorship applications. Can any one tell me whether a PPL would help or hinder my chances of getting accepted when I apply?

I read on one website that airlines value those candidates who have invested in themselves and have a PPL as this shows commitment. On the other hand, some sponsorships prefer those with little or no previous flying experience.

Any advice or previous experiences will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

JH

from my ( very limited) experience, you'll be hard pushed to find someone in the latter stages of selection for a cadetship who hasnt got at least some hours towards their PPL. It does happen of course, but more often than not they have some flight experience otherwise i would expect it to get awquard in the final interview stage. This is based only on the selection I went through, so it may not be true of others

As FREDA says, hours towards a PPL will only serve a candidate well when applying for any form of sponsorship. With regards to your post though, hours towards your PPL (or indeed a full PPL) will be looked upon favourably as it shows interest and commitment to the cause. However, many could see that too many hours will be a hinderance; the old "bad habits" arguement. I have to say that I can see where that argument comes from, particulary in the form of complacency towards the subject matter when doing the groundschool and early PPL flying.

Hope this helps...

KX

Come on boy wheres your enthusiasm - You should be doing a PPL because you love flying and have a real passion for it - not because it might look better on a sponsorship application. Fly for fun and enjoy it - if you get a career out of it thats a bonus.

sorry - abit harsh. I don't believe having a PPL makes any difference as long as you can show commitment and enthusiasm for flying. If you only had 5 hours, but were really involved with your local flying club and made sacrafices to get those 5 hours you would not be looked upon any less than those with PPLs.

I started flying because I loved it, not because I thought it might get me sponsored. I applied for sponsorship along the way and got lucky, but I don't think it had anything to do with my flying experience.

Airline recruiters are not interested in seeing the PPL piece of paper - just genuine enthusiasm and interest in flying.(in my humble opinion)

Best of luck to you

I agree that you should do a PPL principally because you want to fly...and when you do...you love it and don't ever want to stop. Getting paid for flying can only be considered a bonus! However, in answer to the original question, a PPL will, to certain limits, be seen as an asset when applying for sponsorships.

I completely agree that the PPL or any hours towards it should be for the fun of flying, but when your at uni and money's tight, there are far better things to be spending money on, pot noodles and stella don't buy themselves you know :} so i must say that in the back of my mind, i was doing the PPL because I hoped it would help my sponsorship applications. i knew i had no money to carry on flying for fun when i got back to the UK (Went the American way..) thats not to say they werent some of the most enjoyable weeks of my life, but in my opinion it was a means to an end

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

Its taken me a long time (and many a part-time job) to save enough for the full PPL course so believe me when I say I'm enthusiastic about flying.

The point I was trying to get across was whether having a PPL would be seen as having 'too much' experience in the eyes of the recruitment officer. This especially applies to those sponsored pilot training schemes like BA used to offer which are aimed at those with 'some' or 'no' flying experience. No doubt a 'few lessons' will give you an advantage, but a PPL may be pushing it.

Just to give you an example, the South African Airways Pilot Training Programme specifies that applicants should have no more than 60 hours (and flying experience is not a prerequisite).

As FREDA pointed out, when you're at uni, cash is limited so it hasn't been easy scrapping together the necessary funds.

Ideally I have two options:

1) Have a few lessons to give me an advantage or,

2) Do the full PPL and hope that it doesn't hinder my chances in any way.

And before you ask, the only way I can do the CPL, ATPL etc. privately is by working for 5 years+ and funding it as I go, so sponsorship seems like the more interesting route to aim for.

Hi John,

I wouldn't worry too much about a PPL harming your chances of sponsorship. I know people accepted for CTC with PPLs and over 60 hours - make sure you stress in the interviews that you are maintaining your flying to the high standards to which you were tought.

Where are you in the Midlands John? Air Atlantique run a cadet sponsorship scheme at coventry and they actually require you to have a PPL when you apply. Think about doing your PPL there and making a good impression and you might have a foot in the door.

CC

Hiya John,
I was in the same situation as you over the 2003 GAPAN scholorships (PPL), so I wrote to BA. They gave me the telephone number of the recruitment officer down there and she told me that getting a PPL would not be a cause for someone being turned down. However she did say that more than 150 hours would hinder the application. Well, thats straight from the horses mouth so...
good luck!

captain calm

Thanks for your advice and tip about Air Atlantique's cadet sponsorship scheme. Its something I'll think about before I commit fully to my current school.

rich49

I had a feeling that most sponsorships had some sought of restriction on total hours gained. Well hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll get a place before I have built up enough hours to 'disqualify me' :ok: Cheers again.

JH