elmore81

You've already put so much in to your chosen career, why start again with all the uncertainty that comes with aviation. Ryanair are the largest employer of new pilots and the chances of being called for interview over 30 are slim.

So the best idea would be to get on a scheme like the ffp or the easyjet mpl. I'd imagine that academically you would be much stronger than most - if not all - your fellow applicants, but there are no guarantees of anything.

Why not carry on with what you're doing and get in to flying for fun, start with a ppl and then see where it takes you, I work at my local flying club and most of the members who fly the more interesting types (sbach's, pitts, harvards, WW1 replica aircraft, tiger moth, spitfire, mustangs etc) all made their money outside of flying.

If you're asking then I'm sure you've already made up your mind, so good luck!

Luke SkyToddler

I'm trying to think of a good joke to crack here but I can't, I'm just speechless

My old flying school is owned by a brain surgeon these days, he's younger than me, went for a trial lesson and liked it so much he bought the school, just because he could, and he was looking for a small, fun, investment opportunity to supplement his main investments in commercial real estate

If you touch the airline business with a 40 foot pole then you are seriously in need of some of your own medicine!!

skidbuggy

You're never too old to achieve your dreams. In the US, there is USAirways A330 pilot from New Hampshire who is a practicing ER doctor. I've also heard that AC has one also here in Canada.

Get your licenses and ratings and see where it takes you. In time maybe you'll be able to fly professionally and practice medicine. If it turns out that flying isn't for you; then you'll have something to fall back on.

Best of luck to you.

pilotchute

Elmore,

He is in Amman. I doubt he has a EU passport. I also doubt if a surgical resident will throw it all away to be an airline pilot. That is unless he hasn't paid for any of the medical training himself. Being Jordanian that is a likely possibility.

FANS

Unfortunately, flying and rational thoughts are very different.

John Smith makes some excellent points, but there are hundreds willing to fill his seat! Some will feel the same way he does after a few years, others will just be grateful.

If I was being too broad brush, I'd say those interested in high academic learning will struggle to fly A320s for much more than 10 years.

reallywanttobeapilot

Hello guys !
Im 15 and going into year 11,
My dream is to be a commercial pilot when I leave school however I understand it is very expensive, I wouldn't like this to hold me back from reaching my dream. After doing some research i am under the impression that I first need a PPL, CPL and a ATPL.
PPL = aprox 13,000 GBP
CPL = aprox 12,300 GBP
ATPL = unknown
Is this accurate?

I am looking for the most cost and time-effective way to finish my CPL or whatever I need to stat flying passengers around.
What levels do I need (at GCSE ) ?
Do I need A-Levels or a degree if so which one's ?
How long will this take ?
How much will it cost all together ?
What Pilot school do i go to?
I don't mind travelling around the world... ( living in the UK at the moment )
How much do pilots get paid?
I am looking for professional & Smart advise

Thank-you so much for your time

Byrne11

I've just finished my A-Levels I'm Irish myself I'm going on to be a commercial airline pilot, well thats the end game.
I done 11 GCSE'S I've 6A*s and 5As main ones are Maths Physics and geography will help i always hard although i never done it. I done Physics and maths at A level A and B in them and history also.
If you're looking to train in the UK theres Oxford and CTC, i was accepted into both of them however you don't need A-Levels to get into them they do their own entrance exam on maths physics and hand co-ordination tests plus interviews they're around 90k plus you've an airline training on top of that at 30k+ .

I personally have chose to go to America, theres loads in the states Aerosim, Pheonix East. They're around 60-70k however your license will be different, you'd need to change it if you wish to fly in the UK. If you're pretty smart and have the financial backing go to Embry Riddle, thats were I'm going to train and earn a degree and hopefully get a green card.

And salaries vary in the US 20k till near 200k at captain in the emirates. I've family who've been pilots for many years, its a tough job its not like the virgin add where you've 9 air hostesses dandering behind you don't be under that illusion its demanding and its expensive. I was brought up as a child flying C172/152 i could never imagine myself doing anything else but its not for everyone

hope that helps

too_much

That Virgin ad is not that far from the truth when you make it to the big airlines...

It's not difficult once you have experience, that hard part as you stated is getting that first job, sadly over 70% don't ever get to fly after school 20% get started at the bottom instructing!glider towing part time stuff on nice weathered weekends when the regular guy is sick! and I would say 10% actually fly in airlines.

Think very carefully before embarking on a career in aviation, especially if it's airlines you want to work for...

I'm a classic case & there are thousands in my position 4,500 hours 10 years experience I was Captain of a B737, I've done all the crappy jobs, kissed arses been to hell and back yet still with all this experience and finding myself unemployed due to the bankruptcy of my airline..still I find it hard to even get invited for interview! Can you imagine....

Very cruel, unfair & heart breaking industry it will crush your dreams, some may even develop mental health issues

I urge you think very carefully....

Peregrinefalcons

"Despite that, if I could go back in time, there is no way that I would get involved in this rotten business."


If you don't mind my asking, why?

LukePilot152

Hello,

Sorry about the title, it sounds very cliched and that wasn't really the angle I was trying to go for. Be prepared for a read, as I'm not known to be brief.

First things first. My name is Luke and I'm 17 years old. I've been wanting to be a career pilot for nine or so years and I'm one exam away from my EASA PPL (I'm UK based). Now, I don't think this is out of the ordinary, and I'm sure you've seen introductions similar to that more times than you can count. But that's what makes me different I suppose, I can understand the fact I have very little chance of achieving my dream. Doesn't mean I won't try though.

I'm studying at AS level and expect/hope to get at least BCC, ideally BBB. This would place me in good standing for the BA Future Pilot Scheme and all the various other schemes on offer for airlines in the UK. I will hold a PPL in about three to four weeks so I will also be able to apply for the fully funded Atlantic Airways scheme.

What I want to know though, is what else can I do?

I know that the chances of my getting lucky with a scheme to get me from wheels to wings in 18 months are, at most, slimmer than a size zero supermodel. So what other things would I be able to try and aim for? Bush flying? Cargo runs? What I need is inspiration, a glimmer of hope to keep the dream alive. Which is the best division of career flying to aim for if I don't want to be the one who tried and, regrettably, failed?

Stories, advice, inspiration - anything to stop me from listening to the people who keep on telling me to find a new inspiration.

LukePilot152

Also - if I have, as I think I may have, put this in the wrong place, don't hurt me. Shout at me and tell me I'm stupid, but don't hurt me.

TowerDog

I did both bush and cargo flying, not for the faint of hearth and not always easy to get into.
(The Alaskan Bush operators require Alaska time for insurance purposes, chicken or egg, which came first?)

Cargo flying can be a good career path and I enjoyed it much more that hauling pax around. Would go back if I could..

Best advice is: Don't get married, don't get kids: starting out you will be poor for a while and will have to travel around to where the jobs are, sometimes living out of suit case, and or drive fork lifts or taxi cabs in between to support the flying.
Things may have changed and your mileage may vary.
Good luck.
(As my Instructor said today In the simulator when launching down the runway for a certain V-1 cut

LukePilot152

Thanks for the reply - I am currently running a small business importing from China which has funded the best part of my license, and if needs be I can afford a rather nice tent, although I have a car so I could always sleep in that!

The idea of flying cargo has always seemed ideal - considering I'm writing this reply at 04:40 local time, it's fair to say I've always been more of a night person. Not that cargo flying is all night time mail runs, of course. As a hangar rat I was able to get experience in a ton of aircraft types, from Chipmunks to Senecas, Tiger Moths to Eurostars - maybe the experience will come in handy.

Thanks again for the advice

mad_jock

luke just be flexible and see where life takes you.

You have the right attitude and your young. So just keep enjoying life.

I would suggest though you go and get a class 1 medical down in Gatwick.

Its just in case its a no go for flying commercially, no point working towards your goal if its not going to be viable.

G-F0RC3

Well done Luke - you are doing well for a 17-year-old. You have good flying experience; a good sense of humour (not to be underestimated); and it would appear you are prepared to work hard to achieve your goals. I agree with mad_jock in that you should probably get a Class 1 before you invest any serious effort or money in furthering your career.

I can relate to your desire for inspiration. You’ll probably read at least ten times more pessimistic views on this forum than optimistic ones. That’s not without good reason; it is unquestionably an expensive and difficult industry to get into. You already know this. But someone will get the next set of cadet positions on the various tagged schemes, and there’s no reason why that couldn’t be you.

Twelve months ago I was readying myself for the selection process of the BAFPP. I rated my chances at no more than 1 in 100, and it’s easy to feel disheartened when the only career you’ve ever wanted hangs on such odds. But try to think positively and work very hard with your preparation and it might surprise you how far you get. Against the odds – and much to my surprise – I made it all the way through the process and start my training in only a few weeks. I hope that can give you some inspiration for your own career.

Good luck for the future!

average-punter

You seemed to have your head screwed on for a 17 year old. I think it’s also good how you haven’t fallen for marketing and glossy brochures from prospective flight training organisations

Firstly I also agree with both mad_jock and G-FORC3 about getting the class one before you do anything else.

Keep working hard at those a-levels. You’ll need BBC or better to be considered by BA through the FPP. Future Pilot Programme - Future Pilot - Share your passion Best of luck with the PPL also.

In terms of what else you can do, I would suggest trying to broaden your CV as much as you can. Get involved in as many extra curricular activities as you can. Volunteer to take roles that involve leading teams and working as part of a team. Interviews are often competency based and will ask for examples of things you have done in the past that demonstrate the qualities that this particular airline/job wishes you possess. Whilst doing my a-levels I found it helpful to start a word document. I started out by listing all the qualities that potential employers look for in their pilots, and then I thought of times when I had demonstrated these qualities. I aimed to get involved in more activities to have a better range of topics available to discuss at interviews.

It worked for me and I made it onto an airline programme.

Best of luck

LukePilot152

Thanks for all the replies - as mad_jock knows due to a thread crossover, I currently help with scout gliding, do work for a balloon chase team in return for flights and do Amateur Photography. It's obvious that, while experience and knowledge is important, individuality is also important, and a quality not to be under-estimated in it's value.

I'll keep on looking for openings, as some schemes offer the chance of immediate application for someone my age, with a few British and American schemes not requiring any A-Level grades for application. Meanwhile, time for me to go and get a medical!

JSFerrier

Hi people,
I have recently received my gcse results, (7as: maths, additional maths, all 3 sciences english language and pe, 3bs: history, geography an English literature, 2cs German and ethics and a merit in IT), and am off to college next week.

My interview for enrolment is Monday, and currently I am taking maths, further maths, physics and geography, however I am debating if not to change geography for electronics as it fits in better with physics. So my first question is what should I take??

Secondly I have been scouting around the flight schools and have noticed that the majority of English based airlines sponsorship schemes are currently closed and open yearly, but and this is a big one, i have come to understand that the aviation industry does not tend to be that regular and therefore my second question is how does employment look over the next 3 to 4 years?

Third is basically should I go to university as I know that no airline requires it however it does stand out in comparison to others but I will be four years older at the end of it.

Thank you for taking your time to read this I will
Become an airline pilot it is just a matte of when and how but all advice is appreciated.

Tom!

Before anyone makes any career choices watch this video:
Cal Newport: Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice - 99U

It's about 20 minutes long but worth it before throwing a lot of money at flight training

G-F0RC3

Are you studying A-Levels (or equivalent) at college? If you are then I don't think it makes a huge difference whether or not you study Geography instead of Electronics. Both are good subjects in my opinion.

Pretty good relative to previous years by most accounts, but still highly competitive.

I'm really not sure going to university does make you stand out a whole lot in this industry. I have mixed opinions on this question to be honest. On one hand I think it's good to have a plan B in case your chosen career never comes to fruition. On the other hand going to university will cost you a lot of money in terms of debt and lost earnings, which isn't hugely compatible with then embarking on a course of flight training. So it really depends on your personal circumstances. Either way, good luck!