ALT-1 How to become a Pilot
Becoming a pilot is a great career move for most people who love to fly planes as a hobby or for those who enjoy seeing the world. Seeing the world from all the different perspectives makes it almost impossible to not get at least a little bit of job satisfaction.
Most pilots take pride in what they do because they take off in multi-million pound machines effortlessly and then land them with exactly the same effortless precision. Or so that's what the passengers believe. What actually happens is a lot more challenging and you need a lot more training than meets the eye. But this training pays off when you consider the pay packet of commercial pilots.
The wage of pilots varies dependent on how much experience you have, your seniority and what you are flying. For example, a pilot flying a Boeing 747 with 20 years experience will earn over £100,000. However with this in mind an entry level co-pilot flying on the same plane will be earning between £35,000 and £47,000.
Earning the big money takes many years of experience but when you get there your job satisfaction will definitely be at an all time high. Considering you will be earning in excess of £100,000 and travelling around the world, you must ask yourself why everyone isn't stepping on each other to get a job as a pilot. Well this is because the training that pilots take is quite long and very demanding. But it needs to be as everything you learn in training needs to be stuck in your head because if you forget a major check then you may find yourself the instigator of a plane crash.
Aspiring pilots generally need at least 5 GCSEs at A-C and 2 A levels. Although a degree or postgraduate qualification is not required some aspiring pilots get one to make themselves stand out over the others as competition is gradually becoming more fierce. You must have something called an ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot License) if you wish to fly commercially. This license is awarded to those who go through either an integrated course which is a full-time 18 month course that can potentially cost between £75,000-£90,000, or a modular course which is the same course that is completed in chunks. The modular course offers the option of completing the theory over long distance so you can work as you learn the theory which then means then you are able to complete the sections as you can afford them. So basically you can earn the money for the next section while completing the one you are currently working on. This also means that you can complete the modules over a more spaced-out period of time so you are more able to afford it.
As far as financing your training goes you will have an issue attempting to find the money required to go on the integrated course. Unless you have a sparkling credit report then in these times you will be more or less denied by every bank on the high street for your loan. This is mainly because in the economic climate that we are in it is nigh on impossible to find a bank that is willing to give you a loan of £75,000 on an interest rate of a normal loan because they know you won't be able to pay it back for over 18 months which means that you already would've had interest on the loan. This will make it a substantially higher loan.
A good thing however is that you may take out loans to pay for one or two modules then you can complete those, pay off your loans, and then rinse and repeat with the next set of modules until they are all off the board. It is often recommended that unless you have the money up front for any reason then you will need to look at the modular option. But this is no bad thing. You can take your time with modular learning which means that you can drill it all into your mind and then move on when you're sure that you know it all. With the integrated course it is faster-paced and therefore you will have a harder time remembering it all whilst learning something new over the 18 months.
A good pilot will have the following skills:-
A good understanding of maths and physics
Understanding of technical information because if you don't know how the aircraft works then you won't be allowed to fly one
Spatial awareness as it is a key skill to take-off, flight, and landing of a plane.
Co-ordination is another key skill
Good communication skills
Thinking on your feet is key to survival in the industry
Must people to react appropriately to certain situations
Discipline is a definite must. After all you are in control of a multi-million pound aircraft
Self-confidence because you must be self-assured in your choices and actions
Commitment because otherwise you are wasting not only your time and money but the training providers as well
Leadership is essential so you can give clear orders and instructions to both cabin crew and passengers
Another requirement is that you pass a Civil Aviation Authority class 1 medical. All pilots flying commercially must pass this medical before they can fly a plane commercially.
Should you be lucky enough to come across a bursary or scholarship then you are incredibly lucky. However any additional information can be found athttp://www.gapan.org(Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators)
