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31/07/2006, 6:54 PM jbe1990 Joined on 31/07/2006 Posts 2 Dream or could it be reality?    Hi, My name is Josh and I am 15 years old. To say that I have always wanted to be a pilot would be a lie, I have really only just started looking at the possibility and I am considering it as a possible career option. I have looked at the course: Aviation Engineering with Pilot Studies at Leeds university, and think that by doing this course and gaining my private pilots license, I might have an oppurtunity to become a Commercial Pilot. Having said that, I have never been that good at science or maths, and at A-level, I would be happy with a B grade. Has anyone attended this course and gone on to gain there PPL or even the Commercial pilots license?   If I ever was lucky enough to complete this course at Leeds university and gain my PPL, what would be the next step in getting my Commercial pilots license? This is the bit I am unsure of and any advice would be welcome. Would I have to privately gain me Commercial Pilots license?   Thanks. Josh.    Report

01/08/2006, 4:10 PM jbe1990 Joined on 31/07/2006 Posts 2 Re: Dream or could it be reality? Ok, I have checked out various Flight Schools, OAT being considered the best around, and these I could go into and gain my CPL without even getting a PPL or having to goto university. However, this costs up around £50,000. And without a win on tomorrows lottery, there is no way I could afford this. So this is really out of question. I am yet to research the RAF route. How does this work?   Please help me if you can. Sorry for all the questions, but this is my dream.   Josh.    Report

05/08/2006, 7:46 AM nickbloom Joined on 28/12/2005 Posts 66 Re: Dream or could it be reality? The snag with the RAF (don't forget the Army and Navy also train pilots) is that it is highly selective and your chances of a pilot scholarship are statistically low. It's still worth joining the Cadets, since you get some free flying and other great experiences. Look at the RAF website for more details. Will Swinburn, who has been writing a monthly column in Pilot, talked a bank into lending him all but £20,000 for a full ATPL and 12 months later is flying with an airline. He expects to pay the bank back well within a decade. There are no easy routes into becoming a commercial pilot, I'm afraid, just a choice of difficult ones. My advice would be to find out what you're good at, get into a career where your skills can earn you a good living, then fly as a hobby or as a means of getting to appointments. People who fly passenger jets will tell you that there are many downsides to the job and it's only partly about flying. If it's flying you want, you might be better off pursuing it as a hobby. Personally I've no desire to fly an Airbus any more than I want drive a truck or sail an oil tanker. Give me an Extra 300L, sports car or racing yacht instead. Whatever you decide, good luck! - Editor.    Report

07/08/2006, 7:54 PM JAW656 Joined on 22/07/2006 Posts 6 Re: Dream or could it be reality? Hi all (first post) :p The RAF route was what i was always going to go for but eventually decided it wasnt worth it. Its best to have your PPL before you can really start looking into any sponsorships. If your only 15 get a job at tescos or something and just work work work for the money to fund your PPL, dont forget school though. When youre 19 you can start applying for cadetships, youve got a while to wait yet though so just start trawling through PPL manuals and learn as much as you can.        Report

11/08/2006, 6:56 PM ThomasAddison Joined on 20/11/2005 Posts 45 Re: Dream or could it be reality? I am starting of with my PPL and start hours building and adding further ratings where I can apply for my CPL and start being a flight Instructor leading onto being a airline pilot. It will and is taking along time but it will be worth it in the end.    Report

25/11/2006, 10:21 PM MichaelXPO Joined on 25/11/2006 Posts 49 Re: Dream or could it be reality? hey josh, well ive been thinking of doing that exact same course as you, Aviation Engineering with Pilots Studies, im curerntly doing my A-levels and hopefully i will be going to Brunel University by the end of 2008 Im doing both physics and maths, and maths is my weakest subject :( and  as you said - i too would be happy with a grade B. Your probally doing your GCSE's and my best advice to you would be- just study like mad. because i didnt back then and i really regret it :). So many people told me this same advice and i just ignored it, lol ,,and now saying this you probally will too  lol. But be sure of you career choice, the course that you and me have chosen is quite hard to get into (to get the grades), another route you can take is to achieve your PPL, and take a AirTransport Mangement course at uni and lead on from there. And one more peice of advice, make sure you can really cope with flying, because flying in a big commerial aircraft, is very different from flying in a small Cessna 172 - so it might be helpful to pay for one of those 30 min flights, it might cost but it will be worth it. Ive recently found a good deal in the Argos Catalogue, and yes i know thats a bit weird, but they offer a 30-60 min flight in a small aircraft. and its not more than £200.          Report

26/11/2006, 11:34 AM hawkins52@btinternet.com Joined on 06/08/2006 Posts 120 Re: Dream or could it be reality? >>Ive recently found a good deal in the Argos Catalogue, and yes i know thats a bit weird, but they offer a 30-60 min flight in a small aircraft. and its not more than £200. That is not particularly cheap.  Phone around your local flying schools and you should get a better deal.    Report

30/11/2006, 7:25 PM keddy Emmanoel Joined on 27/11/2006 Posts 2 Re: Dream or could it be reality? Listen  josh,  i;m  kind  of  in  the  same  position  as  yu  are  only  worst.  Ihave  no   idea  wat  ATPL  or  watver  means.  I'm  14  years  old  and  i  live  in  the  caribbean. Over  here  we  don't  go  by  AT...  watever .  Instead  we  use  CXC.  Which  is  the  same  as  GCSE  in  the  states. We  also  get  to  choose  what  subjects  to  choose  and  i  am  told  that  to  pursue  this  dream  i  must  do  physics, geography  and   most  of  the  science  stream. I  don't  really  have  a  problem  with  that. Similar  to  you  i'm  not  that  hot  on  math(though  i'm  not  dunce  in  it).  I  hope  someone  out  there  could  give  me  some  advice.    Report

03/12/2006, 10:50 PM MichaelXPO Joined on 25/11/2006 Posts 49 Re: Dream or could it be reality? well just because you said you didnt know i thought i might just say; PPL - Private Pilots Licence ATPL  - Airline Transport Pilots Licence CPL    - Commercial Pilots Licence IR - Instrument Rating... there many more.... well as you are still quite young (14) the best advice to you would be to pass your CXC's and study hard,,,, its still early days and really things will only really start happening when you get to the age of 17 because thats when you can get a PPL (Private Pilots Licence). ill be happy to answer any question,,well ill try to. :)    Report

09/12/2006, 1:12 PM Alipio Joined on 05/12/2006 Posts 13 Re: Dream or could it be reality? im also turning 14 soon.. looking around and researching my future, so far i have decided to get the degree at city university. 1st year you have to go to UNI second year you go to the flying school of your choise in my case im going to do it the intergrated route at western austrailia aviation training college then 3rd year back to london in city uni, works way cheaper then doing everything in the UK, would just like to know how old you have to be to get a job at tescos etc, i would also like to know what percentage do you have to get in GCSE to at least get a C in maths.    Report

09/12/2006, 3:12 PM MichaelXPO Joined on 25/11/2006 Posts 49 Re: Dream or could it be reality? well whilst at university theres always the chance to joing a UAS, (university air squadron) which is what im targeting too as im now to old to join a ATC (air training corps). but as for work you can start working at 14, but thats mainly only paperboy jobs,,which i used to do. But when you get to 16 you can get a job at Tesco will little problems,,the main thing is to keep trying and you'll get the job. In fact ive been trying for the last 4 months and i finally got a part time job :),its quite hard to get jobs were i live alot of uni students take them first .I got a C in GCSE maths,,and well as for percentages go if you get about 40% i think is a C grade,,but im not too sure, ill ask my teacher if i get the chance and find out :).        Report

09/12/2006, 3:38 PM Alipio Joined on 05/12/2006 Posts 13 Re: Dream or could it be reality? thanks for the info, can you still do A Level maths if you get a C in maths or science or any subject as i saw some1 posting they couldnt do A level because they got a C, whats the minimum to do A level, im not from the country so dont really know clearly how it works here.    Report

09/12/2006, 9:25 PM MichaelXPO Joined on 25/11/2006 Posts 49 Re: Dream or could it be reality? Well at the moment im re-taking my GCSE maths as i want to do it at A-level. and yes a C grade is minium,but normally most colleges and schools want a B grade which is what im targetting for. im not re-sitting my GCSE maths as college/school, as im doing it externally, which means i sit the exams at a centre for the exam board such as Edexel. (Which is the main exam board in theUK)    Report

12/12/2006, 3:48 PM Lindsay Pennell Joined on 15/11/2005 Bucks, UK Posts 16 Re: Dream or could it be reality?  Edward Hawkins wrote: >>Ive recently found a good deal in the Argos Catalogue, and yes i know thats a bit weird, but they offer a 30-60 min flight in a small aircraft. and its not more than £200. That is not particularly cheap.  Phone around your local flying schools and you should get a better deal. That Argos offer is crazy! Get out to your nearest airfield and get info from the flight schools there, you'll pay between £90-£130 for an hour lesson. Or get a trial lesson voucher as a Xmas present! Go out to the local airfield and ask the schools if you can wash planes at weekends for a job or in exchange for flights, just try - you might be successful. Good luck all of you. Lindsay    Report

12/12/2006, 11:37 PM MichaelXPO Joined on 25/11/2006 Posts 49 Re: Dream or could it be reality? I take back the argos catalogue idea, lol. Cause well yes it is expensive. hope i havent confused anyone in any slight way    Report

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