Pilot Training?

[MamaDuckling]

Morning all,

I’m thinking well ahead this week, as my son is only Yr 5, but he’s been dead set on being a pilot since he was 2, and this shows no sign of waning! I’m readying myself for the reality of what it’ll involve and I’m keen to nurture it. My own career aspirations were killed off by teachers when I was 14 and I didn’t follow my dreams, so I made myself a promise to let my own children follow theirs.

I’ve done some limited research at this stage and realise that pilot training is expensive, and if he wanted to do the RAF route, highly competitive. I’ve seen a handful of uni courses that result in both the frozen licence and a degree, which sounds very sensible but adds a further three years of uni fees to an already huge cost.

I’d be really keen to hear from anyone whose child has done either pilot training, a degree with sandwich training, (or RAF)and gone onto a career either in the RAF or as a commercial pilot. To be honest, commercial is his preference.

Did your child always know it’s what they wanted to do? Do they still love it/ feel fulfilled? Did you finance it or are they?

any insights hugely appreciated.

Many thanks!

I know someone who did an intensive 3 year degree at New Bucks Uni. Essentially a degree in airport management/business with flight training. The additional costs come in between £50-75k over the standard 3 year tuition fees, plus living. Living expenses on top. Pilot students also spend time abroad to get flight experience (think places like Cyprus or California). At the end they still need to get flight hours with an airline to qualify. So, unless they secure a place on a pilot training scheme they can’t progress. Pop stents funded it by remortgaging their house, covid hit as their DS graduated and he was fortunate to get a commercial training place as the pandemic lifted. If not, his previous flying hours would have been too old to be valid. Has now been taken on but the
Has your DS got any relevant experience that would add value to his application? Is he an air cadet or is there a local air field/ glider club where he can get some experience?

It’s super expensive to learn to fly! But in some areas there are Air Cadet programs which offer the opportunity to fly and scholarships to help the kids get pilots licences. That’s the cheapest way to get one ime.

Look into the medical requirements at an early stage. Some conditions will completely rule out a commercial (or military) career as a pilot. All three Services train pilots and the medical requirements for the Navy, Army and RAF are similar, but not all exactly the same.

Can he join cadets etc to try to get into the RAF mindset or is there any chance you can re mortgage at that point in his life to fund it?
I would nurture it, what an amazing career and a beautiful parent you are who cares so much.
Agree with you on teachers squashing dreams, I am really bitter as a 30 year old and vow to support my kids in whatever they choose (fisherman at the moment 😅)

Quite a few unis have RAF air squadrons, if you google they have a lot of info on their website. If he gets into that it can be a way to get flying experience even if he doesn't get into the RAF.

Worth looking into the medical requirements as pp said. Iirc the RAF has strict height restrictions, pilots can't be too short or too tall.

I can really recommend Junior Gliding members.gliding.co.uk/junior-gliding/ for any young person wanting to learn to fly.

A mumsnetter recommended it for my 'wannabe pilot' DS 7 years ago and he was flying solo within 6 months aged 14. @MamaDuckling I have pm-ed you.

First things first. If he aspires to a career as a commercial pilot, he will need to obtain a CAA class 1 medical certificate. If, for whatever reason, this isn’t possible (eg colour blindness), it’s a non-starter.

My fifteen year old has been looking into this as she's choosing her A levels.

She's been advised to take physics and the sixth form college she is going to likes them to take maths if they take physics so she's looking at that to at the moment.

We know somebody who went to a flight to school in Spain the tuition was £72,000 obviously there is then all of the living expenses that goes with it.

I think Commercial pilots are usually trained on grad training schemes. So get a good degree and apply in second year for the grad schemes of airlines. That or the RAF route.

This is fascinating and timely as my dc has recently expressed an interest in this (I realise there are likely to be several career ideas over the next few years!) Does anyone know what the rules are around short-sightedness?

Here you go, @toomanyflapjacks. Lots of bedtime reading for the aspiring pilot.

www.caa.co.uk/aeromedical-examiners/medical-standards/pilots/conditions/visual/visual-system-guidance-material-gm/#:~:text=2%20medical%20certificate%3A-,(i)%20Distant%20visual%20acuity%2C%20with%20or%20without%20correction%2C,0%2C7)%20or%20better.

@IntentionalError oh that's great, thanks!

Colour blindness isn’t a definite no, it depends on the type. I knew a man who thought he wouldn’t get through, but he did.

Me too @KangarooKenny one optician failed him a test which would have meant no pilot career. Another passed him!

like others have said there's so many physical requirements. Aim for breadth id say in case it doesn't work out. But also aim for the stars. Literally in the case of Tim speaker

It seems bizarre that it's so expensive to become a pilot as there must be so many needed.

I knew I could count on Mumsnet hive mind!

regarding the grad schemes, are they grad schemes for uni grads, or could you get into one from pilot school?

I’ve just found out our local uni does a course in aviation and pilot training so I guess he could at least live at home!

Easyjet have a pilot training programme. No idea if it costs or is free.

We had a Physics PGCE student who had to leave in the middle of his year because a place came up with Easy jet. He'd applied a long while before and then suddenly it was come now or don't bother. Everyone understood he had to go.

This is a very good blog that shows the whole process from a application to pilot.

www.pilotgeorge.co.uk/about-me/