Britains Youngest ATPL Holder
 

A 19 year old from Yorkshire has just passed out at Oxford with a Fr ATPL.

Joshua Hubbard achieved 99% in his theory examinations to go on and achieve his ultimate ambition.

Joshua left school at 16 with 4 A Levels & 2 AS Levels.

Although only 19, He would now be able to take the controls of a multi million pound jet, And Would have to be 21 to drive a HGV or a Bus.

His father paid for some of the training at the LBA Airport.

Joshua has already applied for some jobs, including Jet 2 which is based not far from his home.

Full story @ telegraphandargus.co.uk


Well Done & Good luck.:D:D:ok:

Talented guy.

How did he manage 4 A levels and 2 AS levels by 16? That's the age people finish their GCSEs. If that's true, he must have started his GCSEs at the age of 12, i.e. first year of senior school and started his A levels at the age of 14. Very talented!

How did he manage to leave with A levels at age 16? That's GCSE year and A levels would take an extra 2 years past that. So either he's an extremely capable lad (99% average implies that) or he left at 18 like everyone else.

We've had a thread about someone who flew 737s aged 19 before, though his Dad was the chief pilot, so it got a mixed reception on here.

I would have thought Oxford passes out many 19 year olds to be honest?

He does sound very talented though with that average and if he took GCSEs and A levels early. Certainly not your average intellect.

Call me pedantic but he doesn't have an ATPL....just a CPL and IR.

You only need to be 18 to hold either of these qualifications so I'm not that impressed! He won't be able to hold an ATPL till he's 21 AFAIK.

It is tough to get through all the stuff though so he has done well but he avoided the hardest part (paying for it)...

I wonder if his Dad attended the "passing out" parade..

I know someone who was 18 when he gained his CPL/IR (he also uses this forum). I am sure there are many more out there.

There is no way that at that age and with those qualifications that he has ever done more than a small part time job in his life, which would suggest that "some" of the money that his dad paid was closer to £70,000.

In which case it really takes some of the wow factor out of this. If my dad gave me 70,000 today i would have an atpl by this time next year aged 19 and a half.

"There is no way that at that age and with those qualifications that he has ever done more than a small part time job in his life, which would suggest that "some" of the money that his dad paid was closer to £70,000"

Maybe he inherited it? No matter what, he has shown that he can apply himself by achieving 99% in his ATPL's. Well done, it's certainly more than a lot of 19 year olds have achieved.

Congratulations to him. I can't quite understand the reasoning behind many people on this board that the money to pay for training should be earned solely through hard graft. I completely agree that working for the money tends to make you a much more mature and well-rounded individual, but that's just one side of the coin.

This shouldn't be the be-all and end-all when considering the situation. How many people who did work like crazy to pay their own way through their training would opt to do it over again, had the money been available from (for example) an inheritance? Not that many, I guess.

What about the massive bank loans most people in training have hanging over their heads, regardless of whether they got the first chunk of money through hard graft or parental help? If that's not a motivation to do well, I can't really think what is.

Just my 2p, but I think there can be way too much of a holier than thou attitude on here. Let this guy enjoy his success - the very fact he's succeeded proves he's earned it.

Read about him yesterady in the T'n'A at my nannas. It said something like he left school with 4 A-Levels and 2 AS Levels aswell as 10 GSCE'S. For those of you who know the area he is from thackley bradford.

Mum went yesterday 'Oh you can do that'. I replied 'Can i have £70,000 then please' Got one of them looks:*

Sadly the aviation industry does'nt see fit to investing in training these days, it's not profitable we're told!! If this lad was keen to fly for a living and his family are in a position to help, then the best of luck to him. He sounds just the sort to have been accepted in Hamble years ago.

To be honest , I'm not really suprised. I'm going to be 18 when I'll gain my CPL + IR, I only have GCSE's and HNC Travel & Tourism. I wouldn't be able to get the HNC if I didn't go to school early. Maybe that's the reason for his A levels, etc. A lot of people went and still go to school early, and they finish early too.

There's loads of people at the age 18/19 with a fATPL, so it's not that suprising ..

He's actaully not that unique - on average, there's a few who tend to graduate from each OAA course at the same age.

Not taking anything away from him of course - his GS average beats mine!

B&S

Wasn't there a 21 year old BA Captain a few years ago?

He was 23 or 24 and he was at GB Airways, so i assume he's now at easyJet?

Sorry, yes GB Airways (well its kinda BA (tin hat on!)). I heard he in the 777 now for BA Mainline?

CPL/IR at 19 mind is a good achievement, however you got it...

(Edited to Say...)

CPL/IR is good achievement, whatever age you get it...:ok:

All credit and congratulations to an evidently single-minded young man who must have worked very hard for so much of his young life to get such good grades and then do the ATPL exams, CPL and IR as quickly as possible. He's now in an enviable position and will have a very long career in Aviation, if that's what he truly wants.

But let's put this into context.

A-levels these days are far easier than they used to be (or is anyone really supposed to believe that the average student these days is so much more hardworking and/or brighter than previous generations?); the ATPL involved learning a lot of interesting and technical stuff but it's not difficult if you put the time in; and the main pre-requisite to getting the fATPL is money, not talent.

Now, that doesn't mean that there are not many bright, talented pilots out there who might excel in other fields. There most certainly are. But seeing as most moderately intelligent people could achieved the CPL/IR at 19 given the right backing and single minded focus, perhaps we shouldn't overdo the praise!!! Put it this way, you're flying to Mumbai with this chap siting next to you: what would you talk to him about apart from flying?

A bit of Devil's Advocate in the above....:E

Whilst not diminishing the achievements of this youngster - I don't think he is alone. At our school we have just had a 19 year old pass fATPL AND his instructors rating in the last couple of months! Perhaps our lad maybe the youngest to get all 3? Oh and BTW 1st attempt on all 3 too!

Well done to him. Just hope he isn't sick of he job aged 29 :) As for getting the exams all done at an early age. It's not uncommon. Best time to do them when you're young and eager.

My wife did her school exams when she was 15 and was in college aged 16. She wasn't unique in her family either. I wish I was half as clever. Hopefully our son will inherit that side of the family's abilitys.

What people forget when they mention young pilots is that it's not really new. 18 year old Lancaster pilots were not rare in the RAF at one stage.

I love it when people state they have atpl's that young. So he has met all the requirements to be issued with an ATPL? No. He's passed the exams and gotten himself a CPL? he still has some way to go for ATPL issue doesn't he?
:uhoh:

He is unique in the fact that he got very high marks in GS. There's nothing unique about doing the course at that age. He's unique in that the press covered it, but many 19 YOs finish quietly every month at a lot of FTOs.