Requirements to become a pilot
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Requirements to become a pilot
Hi
Do i need A levels or A* in maths, english or science or do i just need a PPL and a CPL to become a pilot? Ive looked at job ads for a B777 first officer and a Saab 2000 first officer but all they require is:
Must hold a valid and current rating on the saab2000 Must have had last SIM & Flight on Type within the last 1 year Must hold a valid JAA ATPL 1500 Hours Total time 500 Hours on Type
What is a SIM and flight on type?
What is a JAA ATPL 1500 Hours total time 500 hours on type?
Also how do i get these things?
Im currently getting my PPL and will be going to oxford aviation school once i have my PPL.
Could someone advise me on what i do after i have finished aviation school and how i get them things?
Thanks in advance
Do i need A levels or A* in maths, english or science or do i just need a PPL and a CPL to become a pilot? Ive looked at job ads for a B777 first officer and a Saab 2000 first officer but all they require is:
Must hold a valid and current rating on the saab2000 Must have had last SIM & Flight on Type within the last 1 year Must hold a valid JAA ATPL 1500 Hours Total time 500 Hours on Type
What is a SIM and flight on type?
What is a JAA ATPL 1500 Hours total time 500 hours on type?
Also how do i get these things?
Im currently getting my PPL and will be going to oxford aviation school once i have my PPL.
Could someone advise me on what i do after i have finished aviation school and how i get them things?
Thanks in advance
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don't bother finishing your PPL if you're definitely going to Oxford. Double check with them but I doubt it matters.
Waste of money if you are doing whole integrated program and you may pick up some bad habits.
I think it has been said an employer would prefer to see one flight school all the way through your training.
If you want to fly on the weekend whilst at OAA then go for it..
and for your question on A level maths A* standard. It is not necessary, I don't have maths A level and my other A level grades are not that impressive but it's not stopping me.
If you want to do Aerospace Engineering then it is a prerequisite, but I don't think complex Logarithms and de Moivre's theorem will help you out at FL350
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Its more likely that you will be taught bad habits in Arizona.
If you are in a good school in the UK with a good instructor continue. The thing is the first exercise 1-13 are the foundations of your career. If you haven't grasped them properly or they have been rushed you see the effects much later on.
You can even have folk that get right the way through to a base check on a multi crew type then fail because there are holes in there basic flying skills ie they can't fly in a straight line in trim down an approach. They were ok doing it at 85knts do it at 140knts plus and it all unravels.
If you are in a good school in the UK with a good instructor continue. The thing is the first exercise 1-13 are the foundations of your career. If you haven't grasped them properly or they have been rushed you see the effects much later on.
You can even have folk that get right the way through to a base check on a multi crew type then fail because there are holes in there basic flying skills ie they can't fly in a straight line in trim down an approach. They were ok doing it at 85knts do it at 140knts plus and it all unravels.
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Could someone tell me wether i need very good gcse results to get a job as a pilot?
I dont really want to spend thousands if i will not ever get a job as a pilot because i have poor gcse results.
I have D in maths, english and science. I was expected to get a lot better than that but i just didnt.
Would i ever get a job as a pilot with them gcses or does it not matter just aslong as i have passed all exams and have all licenses needed?
I dont really want to spend thousands if i will not ever get a job as a pilot because i have poor gcse results.
I have D in maths, english and science. I was expected to get a lot better than that but i just didnt.
Would i ever get a job as a pilot with them gcses or does it not matter just aslong as i have passed all exams and have all licenses needed?
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You don't need them, but you will likely struggle with the theory if you struggle with GCSE Maths. And please ..... it's "those", not "them".
Cheers
Cheers
First and foremost you'll need the ability to do disciplined research and self-study of any aeronautical subject.
That, I'd venture, needs some considerable work yet. Being helpful, look at the "how to be a pilot" publications readily available from BWPA, RAeS and BALPA. If you don't know who those organisations are, there's your next research task!
G
N.B. Flying Eagle, I just looked up complex logarithms. Ouch! You have not made my life a happier place by telling me those exist, which somehow I'd got past my PhD without ever needing to understand. Anyhow, why are they "complex" when they don't seem to involve complex numbers, only complicated ones?
N.B.B. Even in engineering, seldom will you have to deal with anything much nastier than a second order differential equation. Just as becoming a pilot has all the air-law cobblers in the CPL/ATPL exams as a form of right of passage, in Engineering it's the higher mathematics. We'll never get rid of them, but will seldom use them either.
N.B.B.B. Wannabee - go and re-do your GCSEs, without A-C in Maths, English and at-least one Science, and a minimum of 5 grade Cs you'll be regarded as unemployable in just about any walk of life, whether you want to be a pilot, policeman or politician. Don't believe any cobblers your school tells you about going straight to A-levels or a job, without this foundation you are in great danger of spending your life in McDonalds or a Dustcart.
That, I'd venture, needs some considerable work yet. Being helpful, look at the "how to be a pilot" publications readily available from BWPA, RAeS and BALPA. If you don't know who those organisations are, there's your next research task!
G
N.B. Flying Eagle, I just looked up complex logarithms. Ouch! You have not made my life a happier place by telling me those exist, which somehow I'd got past my PhD without ever needing to understand. Anyhow, why are they "complex" when they don't seem to involve complex numbers, only complicated ones?
N.B.B. Even in engineering, seldom will you have to deal with anything much nastier than a second order differential equation. Just as becoming a pilot has all the air-law cobblers in the CPL/ATPL exams as a form of right of passage, in Engineering it's the higher mathematics. We'll never get rid of them, but will seldom use them either.
N.B.B.B. Wannabee - go and re-do your GCSEs, without A-C in Maths, English and at-least one Science, and a minimum of 5 grade Cs you'll be regarded as unemployable in just about any walk of life, whether you want to be a pilot, policeman or politician. Don't believe any cobblers your school tells you about going straight to A-levels or a job, without this foundation you are in great danger of spending your life in McDonalds or a Dustcart.
you do not need a * in your exams - it would help like in all things but it is not a mandatory requirement. A number of pilots I have known/know have very few qualifications. What you need is an ATPL (airline transport pilots licence) which enables you to fly commercial airliners. This you obtain when you have 1500 flying hours and will take you about 2 years of flying to acheive.
You can start flying passengers on an airliner on an ATPL ( frozen) which means you have passed all the higher level theory exams at ATPL level but do not have sufficient hours yet and are flying on a CPL ( Commercial pilots licence). To get a CPL is what you would have after you finish oxford, and approx 150 + hours you could be in the right hand seat of a airliner flying with (me!) Capt's, building your experience before swapping your CPL for an ATPL.
What the adverts are implying is that you must be rated ( have gone through all the training for that type of aircraft - be it the 777 or saab 340.) The simulator (sim) is what we do every 6 months and the advert is stating you must have done your last sim within the year. Ie I know a friend who flew the saab in 1999 so even though he has experience on the saab he would not (techincally) be what they are looking for as he is now flying another airliner so therefore would not match their criteria.
Flight on type is how many hours you have flown on each aircraft. I have 1000 hours on BAe 146 type, I have 1000 DC-10 on type and now fly the A320 and have 6000 on type. So the adverts are looking for 500 hours on 777 or saab 340. Sometimes they state this but don't always find what they are looking for and so have to lower their requirements.
JAA means Joint Avaition Authority ( as in EU states/countries ) A commerical licence from the UK now might be a JAA licence; I hold a CAA (UK) licence and could exchange it for a JAA (and will do when it expires) Hope this helps
You can start flying passengers on an airliner on an ATPL ( frozen) which means you have passed all the higher level theory exams at ATPL level but do not have sufficient hours yet and are flying on a CPL ( Commercial pilots licence). To get a CPL is what you would have after you finish oxford, and approx 150 + hours you could be in the right hand seat of a airliner flying with (me!) Capt's, building your experience before swapping your CPL for an ATPL.
What the adverts are implying is that you must be rated ( have gone through all the training for that type of aircraft - be it the 777 or saab 340.) The simulator (sim) is what we do every 6 months and the advert is stating you must have done your last sim within the year. Ie I know a friend who flew the saab in 1999 so even though he has experience on the saab he would not (techincally) be what they are looking for as he is now flying another airliner so therefore would not match their criteria.
Flight on type is how many hours you have flown on each aircraft. I have 1000 hours on BAe 146 type, I have 1000 DC-10 on type and now fly the A320 and have 6000 on type. So the adverts are looking for 500 hours on 777 or saab 340. Sometimes they state this but don't always find what they are looking for and so have to lower their requirements.
JAA means Joint Avaition Authority ( as in EU states/countries ) A commerical licence from the UK now might be a JAA licence; I hold a CAA (UK) licence and could exchange it for a JAA (and will do when it expires) Hope this helps
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Thanks Paolo Everything i needed to know thank you very much
Just one more quick question.
How do i get rated on a certain aircraft?
Is there a seperate course somewhere that i go and for say fly for 500-1000 hours or do i just pay to go on simulators for hours until i accumulate enough hours i need?
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Hi Wannabe,
Research on Prune is all good, but I would go to your nearest flying school (and also a couple others) that offers commercial training, find an instructor, and ask them all these questions. If they are a half decent school they will give you good answers.
Seeing as your location is Essex, that would mean Clacton EGSQ, Andrewsfield EGSL, Stapleford EGSG, Earls Colne EGSR, Southend EGMC and at a pinch Duxford EGSU. I probably missed a couple.
Research on Prune is all good, but I would go to your nearest flying school (and also a couple others) that offers commercial training, find an instructor, and ask them all these questions. If they are a half decent school they will give you good answers.
Seeing as your location is Essex, that would mean Clacton EGSQ, Andrewsfield EGSL, Stapleford EGSG, Earls Colne EGSR, Southend EGMC and at a pinch Duxford EGSU. I probably missed a couple.
wannabe aviator
You can pay for a rating - but this is expensive and does not always lead to a job! By expensive, it costs ( bit of a stab in the dark here, someone else may know) about £25k for a course, then you have to find a job who will take you on with (limited) experience. It changes, when there is a relative shortage of pilots airlines will take low houred pilots on and pay for the type rating. Like what happened to me with my first airline job in 1998. Things have changed since then, as airlines have realised that people are prepared to pay for the CPL and are prepared to pay for the "type rating" as well. Now, if the source dries up and there are fewer people around getting the full finance together for all the training and people cannot afford "type ratings" anymore then maybe the airlines will pay for it again (maybe through a reduced salary etc)
Hope this Helps
You can pay for a rating - but this is expensive and does not always lead to a job! By expensive, it costs ( bit of a stab in the dark here, someone else may know) about £25k for a course, then you have to find a job who will take you on with (limited) experience. It changes, when there is a relative shortage of pilots airlines will take low houred pilots on and pay for the type rating. Like what happened to me with my first airline job in 1998. Things have changed since then, as airlines have realised that people are prepared to pay for the CPL and are prepared to pay for the "type rating" as well. Now, if the source dries up and there are fewer people around getting the full finance together for all the training and people cannot afford "type ratings" anymore then maybe the airlines will pay for it again (maybe through a reduced salary etc)
Hope this Helps
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Hey Wannabe, I don't mean to be rude, but if you don't know what an ATPL is AND your doing your PPL (which means you should at least
) you shouldnt be flying 
PS: (Hope your not one of those loaded plonkers, who drive around in 4x4's, in Kent or Essex who fly just because they can, (without passion) )
Just saying because OAA is just a "bit" expensive for intergrated, if that's what your set on. There are lots of brilliant schools, for a lot less who have just as good training.
Rant over, and good luck
) you shouldnt be flying PS: (Hope your not one of those loaded plonkers, who drive around in 4x4's, in Kent or Essex who fly just because they can, (without passion) )
Just saying because OAA is just a "bit" expensive for intergrated, if that's what your set on. There are lots of brilliant schools, for a lot less who have just as good training.
Rant over, and good luck
Last edited by denhamjosh18; 2nd Jul 2011 at 21:21.
