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Pilot

How can I get into flying? After university I want to become a pilot but I don't even know where to start. I am currently in Year 13 studying Maths, Physics and Chemistry. Is there any pilots on TSR, I really am stuck and need some advise.
Military or civilian? I work as an aircraft engineer in the RAF and have a fairly good knowledge of both military and civilian pilot routes. PM me if you have any specific questions.
Original post by ryan9900
Military or civilian? I work as an aircraft engineer in the RAF and have a fairly good knowledge of both military and civilian pilot routes. PM me if you have any specific questions.


I want to become a Pilot myself, but not fly a military fighterjet but rather a normal passenger airplane. How and where can I start? Should I get a Aeronautical enginering degree first or are there any other routes? Im in Year 13 too like the OP. Thanks
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by SuperRange
I want to become a Pilot myself, but not fly a military fighterjet but rather a normal passenger airplane. How and where can I start? Should I get a Aeronautical enginering degree first or are there any other routes? Im in Year 13 too like the OP. Thanks


What grades are you expecting?
Original post by joecphillips
What grades are you expecting?


BBB in Math, Chem and Physics you?
Reply 5
Original post by SuperRange
BBB in Math, Chem and Physics you?


I did terrible after I left school.

I asked as you might be able to do one of these courses and they may underwrite the loan required some if not all will repay the loan to you over a period of 7 to 9 years once fully employed by an Airline Partner., which you will probably need unless you have a lot of cash lying around.

There are other options but I’m not sure how much they cost.
Original post by SuperRange
I want to become a Pilot myself, but not fly a military fighterjet but rather a normal passenger airplane. How and where can I start? Should I get a Aeronautical enginering degree first or are there any other routes? Im in Year 13 too like the OP. Thanks


Military flying isn't all fighter jets. We have many small, medium and large transport and intelligence aircraft and also helicopters. It might be worth looking into as it's an incredibly interesting career but if it's not for you then that's fine.

On the commercial side of things, you have two paths which you can take. One is called modular, the other is integrated. I could go hugely in depth into both of these but here's a really good link that explains them well. If you're unsure of anything then I'll help you out. https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/become-an-airline-pilot/integrated-vs-modular-flight-training/
Reply 7
Hi anon, getting into flying is easier than you think, it's quite structured once you get started. I'm assuming you're asking about being a commercial pilot in the UK/Europe? Before jumping in, you can usually take a demo lesson at a flight school. It might be worth asking and going for a flight, just to see if you really like it or not. If you like it, you could even start building hours or learning ground theory tomorrow. Anyway, here's how to get into flying..

It might sound self-explanatory, but start with a flight school! As with uni, you'll want to do some research before you enrol, flying is expensive and you want somewhere that's good value (read: not always the cheapest), safe (you'll be flying, you want well-maintained aircraft), and with a good reputation. Once you have your licence schools can help hook you up with interviews (how I got my job) so you'll want to go somewhere with a good reputation and with plenty or "airline partners," it pays off in the long run. Pay schools a visit and ask as many questions as you want, be sure to talk to current students as well (and graduates, if you can get hold of anyone, PM me if you want) and see how they feel about the place.

Course wise, there are two big ways of doing it: Integrated or Modular. The difference is that, as the name suggests, modular training can be taken bit by bit, which can be useful if you need time to fund your training or have family you want to return to often. It also tends to be cheaper overall. Integrated is faster and airlines have slightly lower entry requirements for graduates of these courses, which can help. It's tough but as long as you keep up with the material you'll be fine. Airlines know it's tough and they respect that.

Finance is usually the most difficult. There's no student finance available as there is with uni, the best you'll be offered is a loan, so you'll also want to think about your cash situation while you look at schools. You'll also want to stockpile a few thousand ££s for after your training: most airlines require you to pay for a type rating, and if you're offered a job, you'll want to take it quickly instead of spending time negotiating with banks. Some flight schools offer loans as well through parter banks, so be sure to ask when you visit.

All the best at uni, use it to your advantage when you do interviews, but don't expect schools to be very interested in the details of your major. Airlines are interested in your licence, not your degree, so it essentially serves as a backup plan and perhaps for some additional knowledge. I went straight to flight school and nobody has asked me about university.

In terms of licensing, your flight school will either take care of it or explain what needs to be sent where. At the end of whatever course you take, you'll want a commercial pilot's licence, multi-engine instrument rating, and a multi-crew cooperation course certificate. That allows you to fly commercially. Don't worry too much about this yet, all in good time.

Lastly, get a Class 1 Medical! You can do this tomorrow if you want, most schools require you to have one before you start anyway and it can be a good way of flagging up any potential issues before it's too late.

Best of luck and happy holidays! Sorry for the long reply, reply or PM me if you want more details.
AYRnet is bang-on the money.

Entry requirements aren't what they used to be, and I think most big schools just want GCSE passes. The more education the better I say, as it will give you traits and knowledge that will make you stand out from the rest. It's quite a common trend at the moment to come straight from A-Levels to flight school. Personally, I'd like to see more education, maturity and life-experience in trainee pilots, as a lot I know just don't have it. I'd advise to go to University first on a personal note.

I'd advise going down to your local flying club, or gliding club, and getting involved. It's quite easy to sit back and think of how sexy and glamorous it would be to be an airline pilot, but you still need to take to, and have a love for flying. A PPL is the first step to becoming a commercial pilot in the modular route, so if you can afford it, I'd get to it straight away. A PPL in the UK will set you back around £8,000, and will take between a year and two years to do, depending on how much you fly.

Integrated schools, such as CAE Oxford, L3 and FTE Jerez do all of the commercial training in one 18-month hit. Zero to ATPL. Benefits of an integrated course are the speed of the training, the quality of the training, and employability afterwards. The big schools have age-old links with the airlines, and always get their graduates the first crack at airline openings. The disadvantage of an integrated course is the price. The going rate for an integrated course is around £90,000.

The modular route is a way of getting qualified step by step. Benefits of the modular route are that you can move at your own pace, take as many breaks as you need, and pay for the training as you go. It's also much cheaper, probably setting you back around £60,000. Disadvantages are the speed of the training, as it can be very slow, and a lack of employability. It tends to take much longer to find a job as a modular-trained pilot, than someone who went to a big school.

You've got plenty of time to think it over, but I'd advise getting involved in flying or gliding as a hobby in the meantime.

All the best!

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