Best way to become a commercial pilot?

[Oldowl]

DS has his heart set on becoming a commercial pilot. He loves flying and spends most weekends at our local gliding club. He went solo at 14 years old.

Unfortunately the gliding club is full of ex engineers, bankers, medics etc who love gliding as a hobby and there is no one with a commercial flying background to advise him.

The best advice he has been given is to have a class 1 medical test at 16 to ensure there is nothing medical that will prevent a career as a pilot. There are lots of pilot career fairs but they have a vested interest in attracting your money.

So if anyone has been through the process, is it best to go for an integrated course like CTC (L3) in Southampton or a modular course such as ones at Stapleford Abbotts? At the end of the day, employability is the main aim and great flight training. Is it a disadvantage to go to flight school at 18 years old? Do many airlines employ 19.5 yr olds?

Many thanks.

I'd join the RAF (or even the army or navy, but he might get stuck on a boat/infantry rather than their respective air arm!)

Seriously. He will get amazing training paid for, and will stand him in excellent stead for civilian flying thereafter.

If I knew then what I knew now, that is what I would have done with my life.

Came on to say the same as shots, if that's something he would consider. All the pilots I know are either ex forces or from super rich families. Two of my friends (brothers) fly for uk based airlines and they were taken to Florida for the summer holidays when they were still at school to get their PPL, much cheaper than doing it over here.

He has no interest in the military. He joined Air Cadets but hated it. It is commercial flying that interests him.

Then I hope he has deep pockets because it's going to cost him hundreds of thousands of pounds both to get set up and then progress.

Tbh though, if he is that set against military flying, why does he think commercial flying will be better? The work is the same in essence.

You don't say how old he is, but I am assuming teens. He needs to nail down what it is he actually wants from the job and then decide if he even has the aptitude for it.

My daughter's friend (female) is one. I can't remember how she qualified. I thought she went off to university like the rest of her friends but may be it was some kind of university flying course.

Some airlines such as easyJet offer pilot training for completely new pilots but most/maybe all require a large lump sump approx. £70,000 iirc. which is held in a bond. The training is also very often in New Zealand or the US. The bond is then paid back gradually when you start earning.

There is unfortunately no cheap way to become a commercial pilot except, as previous posters have already said, by joining the military.

My DS is 15 years old (Yr 10). So he has 3 years to decide whether to go to Uni or Flight School.

It is a tremendous amount of money, so we are trying to research all the different options and opinions.

No good joining the RAF if you don't want to be in the armed forces.