Case studies : Airline pilot: Andrew

Andrew has a Diploma in Computer Sciences and works as an airline pilot for a major airline.

After obtaining a Diploma in Computer Sciences I got a job in the IT sector. Then at the age of 26 I decided to learn to fly. I called local flying schools and eventually flew seventeen hours, including ‘going solo’, before deciding to undertake an integrated course at one of the major flying schools.

There are several routes into the profession of an airline pilot. You can take the modular route, where you would work towards your Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL), build hours flying as and when you can, then take your Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) and add the necessary ‘Ratings’, such as your Instrument Rating (IR), along the way to ultimately obtain a ‘frozen’ Air Transport Pilot’s Licence (fATPL or CPL/IR) with which you can apply for a job with an airline. That is the practical side of the course and whilst that is happening, you must take 14 theory subjects and of course, pass them.

Another option is to undertake an ‘Integrated’ course as I did. The process is exactly the same but the training tends to be more intense as most schools aim for students to complete in approximately 18 months from zero hours to frozen ATPL. You could also consider the Royal Air Force and after service, apply to civil aviation.

My advice to anyone thinking of committing to this career would be, before spending huge sums of money on whatever route you choose, have a few flights at a local school first, it’s amazing how many people think they would love to do the job only to realise they don’t actually like flying.

The course I took involved six months of ground school, in two phases with seven exams after each phase. It was then out to the USA for five months to undertake the first flying phase. It is worth noting that most schools involve several months away from home to take advantage of the better climates enjoyed outside of Britain.

After my training I was fortunate to have an interview with a major airline. This meant more psychometric tests, interviews, group exercises and a simulator check, similar to those undertaken for entry to the training school. Like everything in aviation, it is about preparation and after a lot of revising and practice, I got the job and started my type rating on a Boeing 737.

The good bits? Yes, ultimately, the salary will put you in the top few percent of earners but it is so much more than that. The other day I went to work and used my highly skilled training to fly a multimillion pound machine across Europe. I did this with the responsibility of over 150 people’s lives in my care and while I was eating my breakfast, the view out of the window was the Alps - sound like the best job on the planet? It is to me….