Minimal education.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: UK
Minimal education.
Hello all, first time posting here so I apologise if my formatting is wrong. I also wasn’t exactly sure where to post this and thought this training subsection would work best.
I left school at 16 with just 7 GCSEs, including maths, english, and the 3 sciences. I went straight into work and am now a ramp agent here in the UK.
I am currently taking lessons for my PPL and want to continue on to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. My one concern is my education. I understand that I am up against people with A-Levels and university degrees.
If I get good ATPL theory results, if we say 90%+, will I stand a chance with the airlines? Or will I be automatically ruled out based on school.
Sorry for the long post, perhaps too much information, I would really, really appreciate any input on this as it’s keeping me up at night 😅
Thank you in advance.
I left school at 16 with just 7 GCSEs, including maths, english, and the 3 sciences. I went straight into work and am now a ramp agent here in the UK.
I am currently taking lessons for my PPL and want to continue on to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. My one concern is my education. I understand that I am up against people with A-Levels and university degrees.
If I get good ATPL theory results, if we say 90%+, will I stand a chance with the airlines? Or will I be automatically ruled out based on school.
Sorry for the long post, perhaps too much information, I would really, really appreciate any input on this as it’s keeping me up at night 😅
Thank you in advance.
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 71
Likes: 4
From: The North
High school grades don’t really matter, just first time passes and a good ATPL average. Plus a reputable school and that will keep you good. Leaving school and actually getting some real world experience counts for a lot.
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 587
Likes: 60
From: FLSomething
Have a look at the two main fully sponsored cadet schemes in the UK that open regularly, TUI and BA. Neither need more than GCSEs.
Get a licence with strong passes and that’s good enough, your CV will look good from the working in industry side, there’s clearly at least some sort of aviation interest there.
Get a licence with strong passes and that’s good enough, your CV will look good from the working in industry side, there’s clearly at least some sort of aviation interest there.
Last edited by VariablePitchP; 13th April 2025 at 06:20.
Joined: Oct 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 120
From: Wherever I go, there I am
I'll add that higher education requirements ebb and flow with the demand for pilots. As the demand for pilots increases, the education and experience demands decrease down to their minimum legal requirements. The opposite is true: as the demand for pilots decreases, the education and experience demands increase, sometimes well above the minimum legal requirements. Right this very second there are not a whole lot of airlines who care much about high school and university. However, give it a deep downturn in the industry where pilots are a dime a dozen again (as we were in the 90s), and you'll find the need for additional experience and education will rise.
For context, when I started flying in the late 90s here in Canada one needed an ATPL, a 4-year degree, and a minimum of 5,000 hours to apply to the airlines. It was strongly hinted that fluency in French and English got you the interview, and the ability to quickly decode morse code got you the sim eval, which was no walk in the park. It was also said (in jest, but not too far off) that 5,000 hours got you right seat of a Dash-8 and 10,000 hours got you right seat of a 737. Fast forward to today and a CPL, 250 hours, and a pulse seems to gets you into the right seat of a CRJ or Dash-8 and 1,500 hours and your ATPL gets you into that 737. Europe is better (or worse depending on your point of view) in that 250 hours gets you into the 737 or A320, and we are quickly headed that way here. But, it is always possible those 90s days will come again. All it takes is a good and sustained market downturn where a few airlines file for bankruptcy. Anyone who says that's tantamount to fear mongering just hasn't been in the industry long enough or has rose coloured glasses. So, if you have time, finish you A-Levels. If you don't have time, finish them after you've got all your flying qualifications under your belt. As far as university, do that during any downturn that you're caught in the middle of so that you'd be ready-to-go on the other side.
Any education is better than none, but seniority is king.
For context, when I started flying in the late 90s here in Canada one needed an ATPL, a 4-year degree, and a minimum of 5,000 hours to apply to the airlines. It was strongly hinted that fluency in French and English got you the interview, and the ability to quickly decode morse code got you the sim eval, which was no walk in the park. It was also said (in jest, but not too far off) that 5,000 hours got you right seat of a Dash-8 and 10,000 hours got you right seat of a 737. Fast forward to today and a CPL, 250 hours, and a pulse seems to gets you into the right seat of a CRJ or Dash-8 and 1,500 hours and your ATPL gets you into that 737. Europe is better (or worse depending on your point of view) in that 250 hours gets you into the 737 or A320, and we are quickly headed that way here. But, it is always possible those 90s days will come again. All it takes is a good and sustained market downturn where a few airlines file for bankruptcy. Anyone who says that's tantamount to fear mongering just hasn't been in the industry long enough or has rose coloured glasses. So, if you have time, finish you A-Levels. If you don't have time, finish them after you've got all your flying qualifications under your belt. As far as university, do that during any downturn that you're caught in the middle of so that you'd be ready-to-go on the other side.
Any education is better than none, but seniority is king.
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 587
Likes: 60
From: FLSomething
I'll add that higher education requirements ebb and flow with the demand for pilots. As the demand for pilots increases, the education and experience demands decrease down to their minimum legal requirements. The opposite is true: as the demand for pilots decreases, the education and experience demands increase, sometimes well above the minimum legal requirements. Right this very second there are not a whole lot of airlines who care much about high school and university. However, give it a deep downturn in the industry where pilots are a dime a dozen again (as we were in the 90s), and you'll find the need for additional experience and education will rise.
For context, when I started flying in the late 90s here in Canada one needed an ATPL, a 4-year degree, and a minimum of 5,000 hours to apply to the airlines. It was strongly hinted that fluency in French and English got you the interview, and the ability to quickly decode morse code got you the sim eval, which was no walk in the park. It was also said (in jest, but not too far off) that 5,000 hours got you right seat of a Dash-8 and 10,000 hours got you right seat of a 737. Fast forward to today and a CPL, 250 hours, and a pulse seems to gets you into the right seat of a CRJ or Dash-8 and 1,500 hours and your ATPL gets you into that 737. Europe is better (or worse depending on your point of view) in that 250 hours gets you into the 737 or A320, and we are quickly headed that way here. But, it is always possible those 90s days will come again. All it takes is a good and sustained market downturn where a few airlines file for bankruptcy. Anyone who says that's tantamount to fear mongering just hasn't been in the industry long enough or has rose coloured glasses. So, if you have time, finish you A-Levels. If you don't have time, finish them after you've got all your flying qualifications under your belt. As far as university, do that during any downturn that you're caught in the middle of so that you'd be ready-to-go on the other side.
Any education is better than none, but seniority is king.
For context, when I started flying in the late 90s here in Canada one needed an ATPL, a 4-year degree, and a minimum of 5,000 hours to apply to the airlines. It was strongly hinted that fluency in French and English got you the interview, and the ability to quickly decode morse code got you the sim eval, which was no walk in the park. It was also said (in jest, but not too far off) that 5,000 hours got you right seat of a Dash-8 and 10,000 hours got you right seat of a 737. Fast forward to today and a CPL, 250 hours, and a pulse seems to gets you into the right seat of a CRJ or Dash-8 and 1,500 hours and your ATPL gets you into that 737. Europe is better (or worse depending on your point of view) in that 250 hours gets you into the 737 or A320, and we are quickly headed that way here. But, it is always possible those 90s days will come again. All it takes is a good and sustained market downturn where a few airlines file for bankruptcy. Anyone who says that's tantamount to fear mongering just hasn't been in the industry long enough or has rose coloured glasses. So, if you have time, finish you A-Levels. If you don't have time, finish them after you've got all your flying qualifications under your belt. As far as university, do that during any downturn that you're caught in the middle of so that you'd be ready-to-go on the other side.
Any education is better than none, but seniority is king.
OP, sound advice about grabbing A Levels if you can, until you have your first job they can only help you. Once you’ve got that first job, doesn’t matter in the slightest as you’re a useful pilot. Degree? Complete waste of time and money at this point for you.
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
From: Sunny Solihull
EnvyFlies I shouldn't lose anymore sleep over worrying about this. You have the correct GCSEs and probably more importantly work related experience in the industry.
I was an ATPL theory instructor for 25 years and in my experience other than the rare exception degrees & A-levels made little difference to the end result as it mostly about motivation & staying power.
However GCSE level maths/physics & problem solving are important. For physics go and revise the gas laws and moments. For maths you need to able to transpose/cross-multiple formula, interpolate tables of data, work percentages (forward & backwards), use graphs and understand their scale. In General Navigation & Flight Planning you need to be able to do distance/speed/time/fuel problems & preferably with a gross-error check answer before you hit the calculator.
Rather than going getting A-levels (which from a content point of view will be of little value) before your ATPLs I should get yourself current and fast on what I stated above. Most ATPL course providers offer a maths/physics refresher as a pre-requisite or get some private GCSE revision tuition. On a positive note one of my former private students had almost exactly the same background as you do, 6 years later he is now an FO with Jet2 back at the base where he used to work the ramp.
You can do A-levels or an Open University degree later if you wish.
Best of luck (PM if you wish).
I was an ATPL theory instructor for 25 years and in my experience other than the rare exception degrees & A-levels made little difference to the end result as it mostly about motivation & staying power.
However GCSE level maths/physics & problem solving are important. For physics go and revise the gas laws and moments. For maths you need to able to transpose/cross-multiple formula, interpolate tables of data, work percentages (forward & backwards), use graphs and understand their scale. In General Navigation & Flight Planning you need to be able to do distance/speed/time/fuel problems & preferably with a gross-error check answer before you hit the calculator.
Rather than going getting A-levels (which from a content point of view will be of little value) before your ATPLs I should get yourself current and fast on what I stated above. Most ATPL course providers offer a maths/physics refresher as a pre-requisite or get some private GCSE revision tuition. On a positive note one of my former private students had almost exactly the same background as you do, 6 years later he is now an FO with Jet2 back at the base where he used to work the ramp.
You can do A-levels or an Open University degree later if you wish.
Best of luck (PM if you wish).
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: UK
Thank you for the responses, I plan on continuing with my work as a ramp agent, then moving over to a dispatch role to increase my industry experience. I will look into some further education.
Thank you all for the reassurance.
Thank you all for the reassurance.
Joined: Sep 2022
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 328
Likes: 183
From: Perpetually circling OCK for some reason
OP, this is a comment from a grumpy old pilot who has been involved in pilot recruitment, so obviously has caveats 
, but the fact you’ve posted with excellent spelling and grammar sets you apart and would instantly put you in my “keep” pile.
, but the fact you’ve posted with excellent spelling and grammar sets you apart and would instantly put you in my “keep” pile.
