Well thats the exams over and results out. got some resits. The uni is treating my exams from january as first attempts, and have been advised that i can get a BSC after this round of exams(end of 3rd year). I am thinking of taking the BSC, using the money I would have spent in my 4th year at uni to put myself through a PPL, then apply to some places to try and get my ATPL .

Any comments on this plan?
thanks for any advice.

A degree....is it relevant?
 

Hey people!!!

Dunno what to do.... I have two options:

1. I´m 21 years old, I´ve got secondary education and a bit more than 10 000 euros, shall I take my chnaces and start doing my licenses to become a pilot?
I mean I could afford doing a PPL and a little extra with those 10 000 and then I would ask for a loan to complete my training.

2. I can go to college next month and study there for at least 4 years to get a Financial management degree and then ask for a loan to start my licenses.

What´s the best option in your opinion to become a pilot.... Risk now or go to college first and do it after???

Hope you can share your thoughts with me!!!

Thanks

Hi

You are sort of in the same boat as me, i could go to college or start my training, i am planning to go to the USA when i am 18, this is after 2 year college course!

The way i look at it is that your still young, so think about doing your 4 year degree, then you would start your training at about 25, you have the rest of your life to be a pilot!, if it was me, i would do the degree, then go for training...


Hope this Helps


Jay

Hello chaps,

There's been a few pretty good and exhaustive threads on the advantages/disadvantages for an aspiring pilot of gaining a university degree. Run a search for "degree" and put the kettle on...there's plenty out there :)

Rgds,

V1R

It is a tough one.

The thing is, a newly qualified pilot will find it hard to get work, competition is tough. 10,000 Euros wont go terribly far, and when money becomes tight the training loses momentum.

To me it's a no brainer, get a financial management degree. Get a job that pays enough to do flying as a hobby, it will build your hours a little before getting commercial qualifications.

I did a degree flight training course (out of UK) and ended up with a good education that means squat when you don't have enough flight experience. I also owe about £25k to a student loan scheme and am working some crummy office job in London because (apparently) an aviation degree isn't relevant enough to get into a good graduate job.

You are young and you shouldn't feel bad about working 'til you are 30 or so in Finance, Its still going to leave you with 30 plus years to pursue a flying career. Which is still along time to spend wedged into a cockpit.

When I started out I thought it would be the coolest job in the world, but there are drawbacks too. Starting out as a hobby will allow you to get as involved as you want, and you can see whether a full-on career in the industry suits you.

I hope this helps....?

Thanks everyone!!!!

It seems that getting a degree first is the best option at least for me....If I had loads of money I coul easily risk it and do my licenses but since I´m on a tight budget I´d better play safe....


Please fell free to share any more thoughts about this.....

Thanks!!!!

University Degree?
 

Hi all,

i'd like to know if to be an airline pilot, you need to have a University Degree? does it help? do you have more chances to get a job with a university diploma?

Also, is 25-26 too old to start learning and begin a career, If someone has the money to start learning full time ?

Thanks to anyone that would give me some lights on these questions! :ok:

As far as I know a University degree is not a requirement. I was told that it will only get you as far as the interview and after that it's all up to you. I don't think 25-26 is too old at all judging from what I'm heard and read.

A uni degree isnt a requirnment on most courses that i know off.

Ive just been accepted on a training course following a tough selection process and having a degree def helped in my interview espically as it is an aerospace engineering degree.

Also the airlines love guys with some " life experience" so it gave me plently to talk about with regard to teamwork and setbacks etc. But if you got those things covered with other aspects with your life you should be ok

hope this helps

Degree And Age
 

HI Guys

I desperately need help, I am currently 19 years of age and am working at manchester airport as a dispatcher for a well known handling agent.
I decided not to go to uni after gaining my a levels ,in maths physics and chemistry, grades ABD respectively, but to gain experience in the aviation world and to increase my understanding of it. I am now in the position where i want to begin my training but want to have the highest chance of getting a job at the end of it.
After speaking to many different flight deck they say you dont need a degree but a good head on your shoulders and the ability to learn and to become a good pilot.
I was wondering what advice you guys would give me on what you think the best age is to begin training, do you think i am too young at 19?, and also do you think a degree will stand you in a better chance of getting a job after your training or do you think experience and understanding of actual hands on work in the aviation industry is better.
Also I want to start at oxford do you guys think this is a good place? i have visited fte and oat and to me oat seems much more professional but still BY GB etc seem to like FTE.

any response would be great

thanks for your time guys

James

I would say theres no such thing as too young! SO don't worry about that. I don't have anyone who can lend me the money, nor could I get a bank loan, so I went to Uni and saved my student loan. I also got a good degree. ALthough you don't need a degree, having a wide range of skills and knowledge can be attained from haivng a degree. It also keeps your options opn.

ALso, I did computing science, and attained very little relevent knowedge relating to airline operations, however in terms of relevent skills, I learned a lot of new skills (ie team work, workload management, communication, leadership, how to learn a new technical skills effectively, as well as mentoring [a skill which could come in useful as a flight instructor]) but also skills which keep my options open. You get taught most of the operation knowledge you need during your ATPLs.

I would also say that three years may seem like a long time, but looking back, uiversity flew by, and was good fun, if a little intensive.

Your age is not a problem, myself and a few others started training at 18 almost straight from school, give or take 6 months. Having a uni degree is a nice thing to have, especially if you lose your medical etc, but its not essential for an airline job.
I think the airlines are more concerned about you having the basic fATPL/IR etc and being confident, mature, team player etc etc with it.
Like that army ad says, Quality means more than qualifications or something.


My only regret about not doing uni is probably the social scene, independence, more than the actual degree itself.

Thanks for that guys, thats basically just reinforcing what the flight deck i have spoken to say, i think that roughly its 50 50 in respect to the amount of pilots having degrees or not.


I would be interested to learn where you guys trained and if you have finished yet and gained employment with a airline and if so what you fly and from where.

thanks guys your advice is golden and is very much appreciated.

97robem, check your PM's

Flying Training and a Degree?
 

Hi;

I am looking for students that have gone to America to do their FAA Training and done a 4 Year Residential Degree at the same time, as this is something i am looking into...

At the moment i am looking at UCFV

Now i dont know a lot about the American System with all the credits etc.. so more info will be appreciated.

Thanks


Jay

The university you have provided a link to is Canadian, not American!

I've not studied there myself, but have spent time at ERAU's Prescott Campus in Arizona where they offer such a course. My impression was that it was expensive, but a Rolls-Royce product that anybody would be proud and happy to have graduated from. I'd certainly have a good look at it.

G

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University also has a campus at Daytona Beach.

This is where the CFI-I who instructed me for the FAA CPL/IR gained her degree and ratings. Only had good things to say about Embry-Riddle.

A couple of instructoing years later, she landed herself an airline job...

You need to take both college and your flight training seriously. It would be tough to give your all to both college and flight training at the same time. At the most you should do one full-time while investing just a little time in the other. Once you've finished with one devote full-time to the other.

Yeah, there are superstudents that have excelled at both at the same time but don't cheat yourself.

The 4 year degree is a pre-entry requirement to the airlines in the States. Generally the route is PPL/Instructor to 1000 hours or so/Regional Turboprop/National. They do not have a "Frozen ATPL to RHS" option there. This will be of little use to you, however, without a visa to work in the U.S and your FAA licence will be pretty useless to you in Europe unless you fly for a private operator in a Bizjet (after you have accumulated 1500 hours or so and paid for a type rating and got engaged to the boss's daughter!). From my experience, if you want to work in Europe, get a JAR CPL.