Education: What A Levels and Degree (if any)?!(Apr '09)

[rikesh]

appt today with college

im going to go ahead with the choices stated, hopefully electronics isnt too solid

i'll drop it if i'm struggling after a month or so

thanks everyone for the help

[rick0]

Grababadger, thank you for replying.

I've just done my AS levels and yeah, I did badly. To make it worse, I naively dropped my 3rd subject at the start of the year. So at the moment - 1 AS level (I failed one) I blame this due to other reasons (personal) so now I am reluctant to go back and I am not really keen on other options avaliable.

So, if I got through an intergrated course and were sitting at an interview - would these interviews give one if they saw only AS levels on my CV?

As for the sponsorship, I can't imagine i'd get through.

Cheers

[Re-Heat]

Rick,

Personal reasons are an excuse, not a reason - take responsibility for the failure, go back, retake, and improve before you lose the chance forever. You're right about the consequences, so this shock should motivate you to clean your record for the better. Your state of mind is what will enable you to succeed.

Best of luck.

[grababadger]

Rick,

Im no expert, but unless you are going straight onto an integrated course I'd advise either re-sitting, or doing well enough to go onto uni, which is not always that difficult, although uni is very expensive. Maybe think about doing a HND in aeronautical eng or equivalent.

Don't be worried too much at this stage you have time on your side. You could always spend an extra year at college doing an A-level.

If you are going straight onto an integrated couse (self-funded) then I doubt its going to make a huge a difference, providing you have decent GCSE's C's, B's etc.

If you want advise on uni courses etc then just drop me msg and I will help out where I can.

[grababadger]

Rick,

You may have seen this already:

http://www.cabair.com/kingston/index.htm

Take a look it may be of interest to you, not sure what a-levels you need but expect quite low considering its a foundation degree.

[121ace]

Rick, please pay close attention. What re-heat has said is a very valid point. Let me tell you a little about myself. In sep 2005 I started my AS levels, I had come to from a private school to a state college. The sense of freedom and the ability to bunk lessons was overwhelming. Little did I know it would lead to my failure that summer. Come results in Summer 2006 I got the following grades: PHYSICS, MATHS, PE: D, GEOGRAPHY: C. This was quite clearly ridiculous and so I considered my options (I was in the same position as you are know). I came to realisation that these rubbsih results were due to my stupidity and laziness. I knew I had always wanted to be a pilot so why so I guve up now? A levels were really the best way forward. I'm not sayin to anyone that they must do A levels. But those of you with common sense: when you go to do your ground training for your ATPL, who do you think is going to cope better: those who have B's and C's at GCSE or those with A levels.

I decided to switch colleges as a change of environment and friend was sure to bebeneficial. I started my first year at the new college in Sep 2006, I got my grades this summer: PHYSICS: B, MATHS: B, GEOGRAPHY: B. Just one more year before I go to uni.

For those of you wannabe pilots in the same situation as me i.e. Not sure what to do at uni consider the following courses
They are listed in my order of preference:

1.BSc (hons)Air Transport Operations: Year 1: UNI, Year 2: OXFORD AVIATION (ATPL), YEAR 3: UNI (PART TIME)............CITY UNI, LONDON

2.BA (Hons) Air Transport with Commercial Pilot Training..........Buckinghamshire Chilterns University

3. BSc (hons)Aviation Technology with Pilot Studies......LEEDS UNI

There are at least another 5 more relevant to pilots. Let me know if you want to find out about them

[jordanpolonijo]

University and Degree Advice:

Inevitably like so many on here I hope to one day become a commercial airline pilot but right now I am deciphering which degrees to apply for as my UCAS is due in by my college on the 1st November.

I was after advice on which undergraduate course would put me in a strong position for FTO acceptance after graduation. I am wondering what course is best to give me all the knowledge, understanding, skills and improve my apptitide through flight practice ( maybe PPL ).

So far i have researched the following courses:

Leeds- Aviation Studies with Pilot Studies
Brunel- Aviation Engineering with Pilot Studies
City- Aviation Management with ATPL
Kingston- Aviation Studies for Commercial Pilot Training with BSC top-up
Queen Marys UCL - Aerospace engineering , Avionics
Loughborough- Aerospace Engineering

Also with the engineering degree i wondered if studying to M.eng level would be benefical in the long run.

Any advice from people who have taken similar type courses or have/or still are studying on these courses would be greatly beneifical.

At the moment i sway toward the Leeds course as i have a friend who graduated fromt here with a Bsc and PPL and is now on the c2c Cadet programme. Following that I am very interested in the two engineering courses.

Many thanks

[scruggs]

Also with the engineering degree i wondered if studying to M.eng level would be benefical in the long run.

It will certainly help studying to the MEng level for some of the aerospace graduate schemes. I'm not sure if it's going to be of great benefit for your ambitions of becoming a commercial pilot. One thing to ensure is that whatever engineering degree you do - (if you go down that path) - make sure it's accredited.


There are a few threads on here already about what degree to do, where to do it, or if you need one at all! Do a quick search, that should throw up something of interest to you.

S

[skyhighbird]

Many opinions on this. I mean I think it is rare for an 18 year old who has just finished A-Levels to go straight onto/ or be accepted on an ATPL course and be in the RHS at 20 years old. But I'm sure it does happen.

I've heard that recruitment officers like to see personality, someone who has lived a bit, earned people skills, earned team work skills - whether it be through university/ from working. You see, if you leave after A-levels, do you have Team work skillls? Have you learnt to deal with scenarios where you were under pressure? Or had to make key decisions? You only get this from either Uni/work.

SO I doubt very much that the degree course you choose has a large bearing (BA in David Beckham/ Needle work is a different matter though!!) on whether you will be accepted on to an ATPL course or not.

I have A-Levels in Maths and Physics and a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. But if I can't do the pilotapt tests, then I won't be accepted. Simple as that.

My advice would be to have a degree where you can fall back upon if the pilot thing don't work out. I could still work for Airbus/Rolls Royce if I wanted to or any other technical job.

Naturally, the courses you mentioned will stand out - but only at Phase 1 of a selection procedure. If you can't do percentages/long division and the pilotapt tests I mentioned, then you won't be accepted.

XXX

[jordanpolonijo]

surely your mathematics will improve on any aviation or aerospace degree programme and so will your apptitude if you are taken a ppl ( like at leeds ) as part of your course?

However, failure at FTO acceptance would render the aviation studies degree useless. Although an engineering degree would keep many doors open.

Is it not jst a case of work hard, study hard and learn to fly. Dedicate yourself to your goal and it should become reality?

[Andy120]

Same situation, finished my A levels not sure if i should attend university or go straight into aviation training. Having passed my PPL a few months ago i decided to withdraw myself from my university course. Now im going to Oxford School of aviation. However i can only do this because of the financial backing of my parents ( lucky for some eh? ). Also iv'e heard thats british airlines look for EXPERIENCE rather than what degree you have. I know a guy that has a MEng Aerospace Systems Engineering , an ATPL, a job as a flying instructor and less than 1000 hours under his buckle. I guess he's just unlucky but the moral of the story i guess is not to spend money on a degree, when that money could be used getting yourself a commercial license at an early age and begin hour building and experience.

[Han 1st Solo]

Hi all.

As far as most of the courses are concerned I have no basis to comment. The Leeds university degree is another matter. As far as the course content or validity is concerned I am a unsure to its overall worth, i'm sure many of the students that have completed the degree will agree with that, it has been filled with many irelevant modules, this is I believe improving though. It does however have many valid modules that will be very useful when undertaking the commercial exams. However I will say this, the airlines and commercial schools do seem to like this course. Out of the 20 students to have completed the 1st year of the course, and hense the only year to have then really gone on to complete commercial training 1 is at 1st choice, 3 at BA Citiflyer, 1 at DHL, 1 on the highland sponsership scheme, 1 at flybe, 1 instructing and very well placed to move into the airlines sometime soon, 2 in the forces 1 as a pilot, and 1 still at CTC, the others on the course have not really pursued a serious career in aviation, fairly good stats in my eyes, of the other years to graduate many have got into OAT, CTC, and Jerez, and some sponsored by netjets,cathay and air atlantic, again a much higher percentage than the national average i'm sure.

If you are wanting to do a degree and then go onto commercial flight training then it does seem this degree gives you a slight edge, particularly at CTC, but again its not the be all and end all. I have extensive knowledge as to the flight training side of the course (although not as extensive as at one point) not so much the academic side of the course although I know many if not all that do.

Any questions feel free to pm me or ask on the thread and i'll do my best to answer them or refer u to someone who can.

regards,

Han.

PS. From my experience of this course the social side of uni at leeds is excellent so if thats what your looking for then its a good place to study whatever degree you take.

[TTango]

Out of the five people in my dissertation group on the Leeds course that graduated in June, three are going to FTE as tagged students. The other two are yet to apply. I know one guy got on the netjets scheme as well.

[meas777]

Question

How many 'Professional Pilots' are out there currently working for an Airline without A-levels quals? If so did u all go down the 'self sponsored' route, and was it difficult to find work after, were they looking to the ones with more background quals than yourself?

Thanks

[dartagnan]

Answer

please, you should change your title. we know you are asking a question and you are not answering!!!!

[Mercenary Pilot]

How many 'Professional Pilots' are out there currently working for an Airline without A-levels quals?

Quite a few.

If so did u all go down the 'self sponsored' route

No, but in this day and age you wont get sponsorship (such as CTC) without A levels.

and was it difficult to find work after

It's hard to find work, 'A' levels or not. If you are studying for them then stick with it, it certainly does help but if you left school years ago then its not the end of the world.

were they looking to the ones with more background quals than yourself?

I think the honest answer is yes. However there is a hell of a lot more to flying airliners then exam results when you were a kid and there are many many excellent pilots who were educated in the university of life instead.



P.S. Chill out dartagnan!!!

[DaveD]

I'm 22 years old and flying is all I can see myself doing in the years to come, as a job (commercially).

The question I'm posed with is do I have what it takes? My maths would always be my let down since it's not one of my strongest subjects..

As far as I've gathered from reading this forum, you mainly need A Level qualifications if it comes down to sponsorship, but if your lucky enough to have the money to fund your own ATPL then its not as much as a "must have", is this correct?

I'm aiming to get my PPL done next year, then look towards funding my own ATPL after the 150 hours of flying needed.

What I'm worried about most of all is whether i actually have what it takes?, maths was never one of my strong points but with the years ahead of me I'm hoping to get up to the required standard..

Can anyone give me some feed back by people who have been through this already and any advice?.

[CocoCue]

What do I need?

Hello, I'm currently in Year 10, and aged 15. (England).

I have chosen Core Science, Core Maths, Core English, ICT, Btec Business Studies, French and History.

I was wondering if I have to do Additional Science (Or the like) and do A Level Physics in due course.
This means I will have to drop History and do Additional Science and work extra hard to catch up.

Bottom line is, do I need A Level physics to be a commercial pilot?

Also, will be an Air Cadet help me, with or with out A Level physics?

All help is really appreciated as I really want to 'peruse a dream'.

Kindest regards,
CocoCue

[maxdrypower]

http://www.pprune.org/professional-p...-question.html

Gave alook this in depth it will answer all your questions if not then post with what you need to know
good luck

[Vems]

Again..


All you need is a hell lot of determination, motivation and money

A Levels etc, will do you good when you're applying for jobs, it's pretty obvious who they're going to choose..

A - Low hour pilot without A Levels
B- Low hour pilot with A Levels..

In the current climate.. none, but when it gets better, I think B has better chances