commercial pilot

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A degree isn't a requirement and won't increase your chances in the slightest. In fact, two identical candidates, one graduate and one pre-uni, it's the one without a degree who's likely to get selected as he's cheaper, easy to fob off with low pay, and can give a lengthier return of service.

You need experience. Virtually no airlines offer any form of sponsorship. Why would you, when for every major western aircraft type there're hundreds of fully qualified pilots with no jobs?

The market is utterly flooded. To join a major airline right now, you need a full (not frozen!) ATPL, MCC and type rating on the appropriate aircraft with at least around 1000 hours multi-engine and 2000 hours total time.

If you want to be an airline pilot you need £60000 to get a frozen ATPL. Some airlines might then train you for the type rating, but in return you're tied to a contract with them. In that case, you're going to be flying the bad routes at bad times, and earning a measly salary as you pay back the cost of your type rating.

Fancy flying lager louts around European cities for less than you could earn working for Sainsbury's? Go for it. It's a difficult, difficult job to get into right now. It's picking up but I wouldn't bother for at least 10 years.

Reply 21

DRS

I've seen this argument a few times!!

As I have said before a degree will not give you any advantage in the commercial world of aviation (I'm talking about meeting licensing requirements). The CAA recommend that you have had a good secondary education in order to understand the subjects. They also state that for sponsership, to stand a good chance you should have 5 GCSE's grade C and above and 2 A-Levels Grade C and above.

Put simply:

Meet the requirements as laid down by the CAA get a licence, fail, don't get a licence.

I have 10 GCSE's and 3 AVCE's as well as a Private Pilot Licence, I have also just turned 18 and am looking into possibilities of sponsorship and training myself.

Who is going to look better here me or someone who has come out of uni and gained a qualification (all that they have done in their life) and ask an airline for sponsorship

The commercial world of aviation is picking up again, but at a very slow rate.

Reply 22

Xena

Hey

I also want to become a commercial pilot, having rrealised I cannot in the RAF because of th fact I wear glasses. You all say that you need experience so I guess that being member of the ATC would count right??? And they would take into account my hours flying with the cadets??
Would that be enough along with hopefully becoming a member of my UAS next year when I go to uni??

Xena

Reply 23

Wzz

Unfortunately not. The experience that most airlines recruiting now want are a frozen ATPL, a couple of thousand hours flying, and a type rating on an airliner.

Flying with cadets is generally passenger flying; you're not qualified on the type so can't claim what're known as "1st pilot" hours, and you're not on a training course so can't claim "dual" instructional.

Unfortunately, if your eyesight is outwith the limits for flying with the RAF, your local UAS is unlikely to recruit you. They're meant to feed people into the RAF, so it's difficult to justify why they'd recruit someone medically unfit to fly. If they recruit you as a ground branch member; which a lot don't do; you wouldn't claim any hours as described above, and are unlikely to crack single figures per year.

If you want to be a commercial pilot I suggest you get a PPL, then fight your way towards any aviation qualifications you can. Get an instrument rating, get a night rating, MCC, CPL etc etc. That's the experience that counts, and when recruiting opens up again, a CPL plus some ATPL theory exam passes will probably be just about enough.

There's been enough said on sponsorship.

Reply 24

Xena

cheers for the advice!!! Much appreciated.

Reply 25

clairezay

mark1010

But it doesn't. Joe Bloggs with 1500 hours turboprop is more likely to get the job compared to John Doe who has no hours what-so-ever, just a frozen ATPL. They don't care if you know how to be a biologist or whatever, they care that you can competantly operate an aircraft. Experience gets this, not a degree.

Yes it does increase your chances greatly.
I'm taking flying lessons right now & I know all about it. If you check out the BA website & other airline recruitment websites for that matter, you'll notice that they do recommend you have a degree.
You can still get in without a degree - but it it unlikely, due to the fierce competition.

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