What do you think of this one?

I just don't think it's necessary to have a degree for an Airline Pilot.  I think what I should have will be enough. 

I will do, and I think by the time I leave school I will have enough qualifications to 'stand out from the crowd'. 

I don't want to go into the RAF.

The RAF doesn't interest me though,  I'd much rather be a commercial pilot.

UBDERWOOD made a success as a CPL after the RAF he was on on TV, doing team sport is a plus in civey life

TomA320 wrote: I will do, and I think by the time I leave school I will have enough qualifications to 'stand out from the crowd'.

I wouldn't bargain that.  You'd be very surprised by the amount of entrants the flying schools get that have degrees and the age of them too.  Only a very small number of successful entrants are younger than 21, and the vast majority have degrees.  It's not just the academic ability they're looking for - it's the independence and the life experience they're looking for too, and having been to university that will develop. You're also not considering a fall-back.  What are you going to do if the flying schools don't accept you?  What are you going to do if you reach the end but can't get a job?  What are you going to do if at some point down the line you loose your class 1 medical and the CAA revoke your ATPL?  An ATPL counts for nothing other than a flying career - yes it's an amazing qualification, but it isn't going to excite the head of HR in a software company for example.

twright wrote: TomA320 wrote: I will do, and I think by the time I leave school I will have enough qualifications to 'stand out from the crowd'.    I wouldn't bargain that.  You'd be very surprised by the amount of entrants the flying schools get that have degrees and the age of them too.  Only a very small number of successful entrants are younger than 21, and the vast majority have degrees.  It's not just the academic ability they're looking for - it's the independence and the life experience they're looking for too, and having been to university that will develop.   You're also not considering a fall-back.  What are you going to do if the flying schools don't accept you?  What are you going to do if you reach the end but can't get a job?  What are you going to do if at some point down the line you loose your class 1 medical and the CAA revoke your ATPL?  An ATPL counts for nothing other than a flying career - yes it's an amazing qualification, but it isn't going to excite the head of HR in a software company for example.

twright You're also not considering a fall-back.  What are you going to do if the flying schools don't accept you?  What are you going to do if you reach the end but can't get a job?  What are you going to do if at some point down the line you loose your class 1 medical and the CAA revoke your ATPL?  An ATPL counts for nothing other than a flying career - yes it's an amazing qualification, but it isn't going to excite the head of HR in a software company for example.[/QUOTE wrote:   I have, of course I'm, not as fullish to only focus on one job, I've got many other plans if I don't become a pilot.

Hi TomA320 in 1972 Lynn Rippelmeyer she was a flight attendant to pay for her PPL&CPLshe became Captain for People Express Airlines and first female 747 Captain to the across the Atlantic ocean July 18, 1984 .and being featured in a BBC documentary,Reaching for the Skies, she had an article in flight international at the time she was a team player. last I did hear she was the head of pilot recruitment and training  still with People Express you can get information by going on Wiki it gives a link to U TUBE clip from Reaching for the Skies in flight international she told of all the problems she had just to be a pilot her flying must be over now as it must be over 30 years. she must be 60 or over. Some airlines will help cabin staff to be pilot but most all you are part of and must fit in a team.'TEAM PLAYERS WILL WIN.       

The harsh reality is that anyone can be a pilot. If you have £100k, OAT will sign you right up there and then.

What you have to ask yourself is if you don't have a degree, will you be able to pay off the £1k a month loan when you don't have a pilot job. You'll likely need a degree to get a job which pays enough, remember the £1k is after tax, so to get enough to cover your loan you'll need to earn £15k, and that's without money to eat/live etc.

The aviation industry is stuffed. There's no rush to get into it - go have 4 years of fun, live a little, get used to way the world works, then see how it goes - at least you'll have a fall back.

If you can afford do to the pilot thing with no debt, then fair play. But it's a massive undertaking.

Borrowing that much money to put on a house is difficult enough, getting it to train with no guarantee of a job at the end, is major cahoonas stuff.

Bankruptcy, as many freshly minted fATPLs are finding out, is not a nice thing.

But up to you!