can you help me?
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: scotland
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can you help me?
Hi i am a 15 year old who lives in glasgow scotland, i am trying to become a commercial ailine pilot. I am in the Air cadets and i have approximately 2 and a half hours of flying in props and gliders.
I would like to know if anyone can help me with info on obtaining a sponsership prefreably with british airways as i cannot afford 60 grand to put myself through it.
I am doing well at school with good standard grades and i hope to get good highers (Including maths and physics) and then go on to do a degree on avionics.
can anyone help me with this isssue?
I would like to know if anyone can help me with info on obtaining a sponsership prefreably with british airways as i cannot afford 60 grand to put myself through it.
I am doing well at school with good standard grades and i hope to get good highers (Including maths and physics) and then go on to do a degree on avionics.
can anyone help me with this isssue?
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Sunny Solihull
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Hi Alistair,
If you are interested in becoming a pilot, then being in the ATC is a good start Is your Wing & Squadron approved for BTEC, if so and assuming you reach Staff Part 1 level, then your classifications count towards a BTEC in Aviation Studies (GCSE C Science) level. Also look into the new community service award.
Back to your main question, airline sponsorships are few and far between at the moment and when they do come along competition is extremly tough. I can't see BA re-introducing its cadet scheme in the CURRENT climate. The civil aviation world can be a very strange place with its boom and bust cycles.
Supply (you) for the forseable future will always outstrip requirment (jobs), remember the last time there was a pilot shortage was in 1940-45.
As you are in the ATC take the opportunity to look into a flying career in ANY of the services, but even they are suffering stringent cut-backs at the moment.
I have said many times on this forum that a backup option is essential if you persue the civil route. To this end I strongly advise you in going on to university and take a relevant degree.
While there you can apply for the UAS. Though a degree won't guarantee a sponsorship or a flying job it does open doors to other options.
Best of luck.
RH
If you are interested in becoming a pilot, then being in the ATC is a good start Is your Wing & Squadron approved for BTEC, if so and assuming you reach Staff Part 1 level, then your classifications count towards a BTEC in Aviation Studies (GCSE C Science) level. Also look into the new community service award.
Back to your main question, airline sponsorships are few and far between at the moment and when they do come along competition is extremly tough. I can't see BA re-introducing its cadet scheme in the CURRENT climate. The civil aviation world can be a very strange place with its boom and bust cycles.
Supply (you) for the forseable future will always outstrip requirment (jobs), remember the last time there was a pilot shortage was in 1940-45.
As you are in the ATC take the opportunity to look into a flying career in ANY of the services, but even they are suffering stringent cut-backs at the moment.
I have said many times on this forum that a backup option is essential if you persue the civil route. To this end I strongly advise you in going on to university and take a relevant degree.
While there you can apply for the UAS. Though a degree won't guarantee a sponsorship or a flying job it does open doors to other options.
Best of luck.
RH
Join Date: Dec 1997
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Akistair, welcome to Pprune and thank you for your post.
Sponsorships are few and far between and very difficult to secure. BA is not sponsoring anyone currently, and they have made no announcements for the future. It is possible that they may have reintroduced a cadet scheme by the time you are in the market, but it seems most likely to be similar to the CTC scheme which involves you signing responsibility for over 60,000 pounds worth of debt.
While you should never reject the possibility of obtaining a part-sponsorship (like FlyBe or Britannia) or deferred-payment sponsorship (like easyJet through CTC), you have to accept that the vast majority of commercial pilots these days pay for their own training. There is a great deal of information here to help you prepare for that.
If you decide that the military is your bag, you will have to think carefully about what A-levels you take and whether or not you go on to take a degree. The RAF, Army and Navy websites will give you a great deal of information about what you should do.
The best thing you can do for now is take time out to study other peoples' stories here on Pprune, and try and relate them to your own circumstances. Once you've got a feel for what other people have done, you can start to ask targetted questions here.
Best of luck!
Scroggs
Sponsorships are few and far between and very difficult to secure. BA is not sponsoring anyone currently, and they have made no announcements for the future. It is possible that they may have reintroduced a cadet scheme by the time you are in the market, but it seems most likely to be similar to the CTC scheme which involves you signing responsibility for over 60,000 pounds worth of debt.
While you should never reject the possibility of obtaining a part-sponsorship (like FlyBe or Britannia) or deferred-payment sponsorship (like easyJet through CTC), you have to accept that the vast majority of commercial pilots these days pay for their own training. There is a great deal of information here to help you prepare for that.
If you decide that the military is your bag, you will have to think carefully about what A-levels you take and whether or not you go on to take a degree. The RAF, Army and Navy websites will give you a great deal of information about what you should do.
The best thing you can do for now is take time out to study other peoples' stories here on Pprune, and try and relate them to your own circumstances. Once you've got a feel for what other people have done, you can start to ask targetted questions here.
Best of luck!
Scroggs
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Hi
You sound like a good kid, and someone who'll do well. Listen to scroggs and others like him, who give sound advice.
I tried the civil route and got my fingers burned. But you do have youth on your side so things could get better. My best advice is don't let anyone sell you a dream i.e. be very wary of anyone who tells you that parting with £60K+ of borrowed money will land you a secure future.
All the best
You sound like a good kid, and someone who'll do well. Listen to scroggs and others like him, who give sound advice.
I tried the civil route and got my fingers burned. But you do have youth on your side so things could get better. My best advice is don't let anyone sell you a dream i.e. be very wary of anyone who tells you that parting with £60K+ of borrowed money will land you a secure future.
All the best
Jet Blast Rat
Join Date: Jan 2001
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If you can find a small local flying school, try offering to work for flights. Where I teach we have two 16-year-olds working the reception at weekends (one has been for well over a year) and they are getting through their PPLs quite well, both good pilots starting so young. Shows enthusiasm and willingness to work for your goal too. It is a good start, from here you can build your experience gradually without putting £40-65,000 up front,a nd be a better pilot for it.
Also consider not going to university or delaying the decision to go to university until you have tried to build a flying career. I never even thought of not doing a degree, and although I think it was the right thing to do I feel I should have looked at other options. The degree will not help your flying career, and although it will give you a good back-up this could be completed later in life if you need the back-up, and the debt you will pick up at university will not help fund your CPL!
Also consider not going to university or delaying the decision to go to university until you have tried to build a flying career. I never even thought of not doing a degree, and although I think it was the right thing to do I feel I should have looked at other options. The degree will not help your flying career, and although it will give you a good back-up this could be completed later in life if you need the back-up, and the debt you will pick up at university will not help fund your CPL!
