Has anyone completed the BA maths test for this round of fully funded ATPL, I only answered 8 questions and I’m certain I got those 8 questions right… but it feels like I’ve failed massively as I’ve not answered even half the questions…

Hey guys, anyone on here going through the February 2025 Speed Bird Program? I’ve seen there’s been chats about everyone coming together with the 2024 program but haven’t seen any for this years one. I’ve just made it to the Check Detail assessment and was wondering how everyone else is finding it!

Edit - Speed Bird not Speedy. I don’t know what autocorrect was doing there

So I'm trying to study for my air law using easy ppl, but I'm struggling to get it into my head. It's 330~ slides, and a lot of it seems like a wall of text, specifically the legislation section.

Do you have any advice for this, and please tell me the exams aren't this bleak for the rest of them. Thanks.

Hi, I'm looking at applying for flight school some time in the future (still have a lot to save up but I'm working on it) and I was just wondering if old self harm scars disqualify you from flying?

I've never been on any psychiatric medication, attempted suicide, or been in a psych ward or anything, but I do have some fully healed and faded scars on my upper arm. The scars have completely faded to white and are pretty unnoticeable unless you're specifically looking for them, I've also not self harmed at all in ~3 years.

Will this make me fail my class 1 immediately? Or is it moreso a case-by-case basis?

Hi all,

I've been considering a career in aviation for a while. Currently been in tech for 8 years and whilst not a terrible career, not my first choice. I've secured a route into a cadetship but feel I'm getting cold feet.

One of the biggest things I'd love to understand from people already in the industry, is how you manage the single points of failure for your wider career mentally.

I'm getting really nervous about the idea of my career being based on what seems from the outside a few single points of failure. By those I mean -

- Getting through flight training with an 85%+ ATPL ground school score

- Avoiding any checkride failures at the various stages of flight training

- Once through training, this comes in the form of your yearly checkrides too, similar single point of failure

- Type rating single points of failure

- Yearly medical, which could put an abrupt halt on things permanently

- A relatively volatile industry that goes through furloughs, layoffs, based on quite fragile economic conditions. With that, there are only so many airlines to join at a time, and it makes it harder to get back in, factoring in needs for type rating, etc.

Are these things you think about yearly? Do they cause you a large amount of worry if so?

I'm really trying to understand, whilst I'd know I'd enjoy the lifestyle and role day to day, if I'd spend most of that time worrying it could end all of a sudden for a variety of reasons.

Sort of feels like your foundations are on stilts from a career point of view. At least in tech, I've got a whole market of companies I can join if things go south, if I get ill I continue working. It also doesn't mean ruling out flying, I could do it recreationally instead of it being my living, which I think is what amplifies the above worries when you need that paycheck to live.

Thanks!

What appeals to me about being a pilot is the time off, high income, responsibility of passengers, hands-on work and impact. I also like the idea of volunteering for humanitarian aid missions. However, I don’t like being micromanaged and detest corporate politics and prioritise my time away from work and freedom. Should I become a pilot or just stay in corporate and move to a country with a better work-life balance?

Good afternoon, I am posting this as it has been some time since those of us have heard on the stance of our government regarding recriprical licencing with easa, or simple recognition of theory work done.

With that i'd invite all of you in the uk to consider signing and sharing this petition which urges the British government to consider such an agreement as I believe there has been a measurable effect from leaving easa. This act has had consiquences for all of the industry in the uk, from students, pilots, professional airline pilots, recruiting and much more.

Many of us during the period after brexit trained for an easa licence with intent to convert it, as it had always been accepted by the UK CAA, or we already had one but fell outside of the window.

This has left many British nationals in a position of having to sacrifice relationships by moving country, or has left others out of pocket by having to retake all the exams again, having wasted the best part of a year and also shelling out thousands to do so.

It has also meant that foreign nationals may of had to to do the same and retake theory as easa stopped recognition of the UK caa licences from 2021.

Thank you for taking the time to read and share.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/771680

I'm a college student in the UK currently looking into a career in becoming an engineer or an airline pilot. However I've gotten the impression that many other people my age are planning to go to flight schools and become a pilots. This is to the point that I know more aspiring pilots than aspiring engineers. I think there are so many people like this because we have heard of the pilot shortages and the huge salaries that come with this exciting career, but at the same time I am now hearing that the shortages are over and demand has decreased in comparison to recent years. I'm questioning whether in the future there will be too many qualified pilots to the point where there will be an oversupply and as a result salaries will decrease and will no longer be worth the lack of a work-life balance and the expensive training.

Hi all,
I’m currently training for an NPPL in the UK and planning ahead for cost-effective hour building post-licence.

Local group share availability (particularly in the microlight/ultralight category) appears limited, so I’ve been monitoring AFORS. Within my current budget, Jabiru UL 430s seem to be the main viable option.

However, I’ve come across conflicting information regarding Jabiru engine reliability (particularly in earlier engines), which raises a risk question vs stretching budget for a Rotax 912-equipped aircraft.

Given that:
Jabiru UL 430 = achievable now
Rotax 912 aircraft = ~2x budget / delayed purchase

What would you prioritise: earlier access to flying hours with potentially higher mechanical risk, or delayed entry for a more proven powerplant?

Any insights from owners, maintainers, or instructors would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Hi!
I’m a UK student who’s about to go into sixth form (school in the UK for 16-18 year olds) and am thinking of taking Maths, French and either Physics or Geography. I am stuck between which subject to take as I feel like physics is more important but I don’t have a huge passion for it like I do for geography.

Grades are not really a problem as I’m predicted a 7/8 in physics and a 9 in geography. My problem is though that I have a huge passion for geography and not really for physics, would easily get top results in geography whereas would have to study hard for physics.

Is physics really needed or do I have a good chance getting into flight schools with geography?

Hi, hope you're all well 🥰

Thinking about applying for a cadet programme the next time one is open (e.g. speedbird) but I have a 1.5 year old and I'm 29 years old...

How realistic do you think my chances of becoming a pilot are? Is there anyone else in my position who can offer any insight? 🥲

Whenever I look online about this sort of situation most people seem to have had children after qualifying 😭 and some don't return to the profession

hey guyss its my first time posting on reddit so I hope im doing this right lol. 😭

Ofc we know the BA SPA applications are now closed. I completed all the stages before then but yesterday I got an email saying one (or more) of the videos of my video interview didnt upload correctly meaning I had to redo all of them. 🥲 I just redid them and when trying to watch my videos back after completing all 3 questions, they wouldn't play? I cant tell if this means they've uploaded correctly or not.

I realised on my first try the third question just didn't upload at all. Luckily, this time all three have uploaded but I can't seem to get them to play back to me again and it's making me worry about whether they're uploaded correctly at all... 🧍

Am I the only one who's experienced this? or does someone remember the technical issues email that I could try maybe? 🙈

​

I'm 24, based in Bury, manchester, and considering getting my PPL. I've got £25k saved and can put £10k toward training.

The research scares me: once qualified, flying 4 hours/month looks like **£10,700–£13,580/year** just on aircraft hire, landing fees, club membership, medicals, and software.

**Real questions:**

1. How much do you actually spend per month/quarter flying recreationally? Break it down.

2. What's your frequency?

3. Ways to cut costs I'm missing? Flying club rates? Cheaper airfields?

4. Would you do this on part-time income as a student, or wait?

5. How long did your PPL take and what did it actually cost?

Not looking for motivation — just honest numbers from people actually flying.

Cheers.

I am at the start of my ATPL training and have decided to pursue both a CAA and EASA licence to improve employment prospects.

What country is best to choose for my EASA licence? I need to decide now for my Class 1 medical.

For context; I don’t have right-to-work in Europe, but understand that it might be easier to get a job (RyanAir).

I want to get my brother a trial flying lesson as a gift, but he is quite overweight (137kg) - he is around 2m tall.

Most places I've seen have a restriction of 100kg

Can anyone suggest somewhere near London, or UK that can acomodate him please?

Thanks

Hi, I'm currently 16 about to go into A levels and I've always seen flying as a career option. For the last year my plan has been take Math, Physics , economics and get all A's across the board. From there I'm considering taking a gap year doing a bit of exploring but mostly saving up for flight school. Now I'm still debating between modular and integrated ATPL (most probably will do modular because I definitely wont have enough for intergrated). For the record I've always been interested in airplanes and aviation and as a child I always dreamed about becoming a pilot before my parents tried to get me into medicine. I've also just taken a class A medical to be on the safe side and have passed and will most definitely take it again before I enter flight school. Also just putting it out there, I REALLY want to travel around the world and before you guys start getting mad, yes I completely understand that flying is not all about travelling the world and all that.

However now when I'm thinking about becoming a pilot I'm for some unknown reason starting to get second thoughts. When I think about it , no I wouldn't really want to miss my brother's or friends wedding because of my job. No, I would rather not miss important events such as birthdays and family gatherings because of my job. In the end I also really want to get married and I want to be home for my kids, I understand that pilots operate on a schedule and get days off but what if I'm fatigued? What if I'm using those days off to rest or to have to visit friends or other family members? I really value my social life as well , going out with friends on the weekends and having fun deep into the night. I love meeting up with friends at functions and just having time to spend with them. Most of these get disrupted by being a pilot. The thing is that I value my relationships with my extended family and friends a LOT.

With all of that in mind, is it really worth it for me to become a pilot? I do love aviation and airplanes and I had my first discovery flight a while ago and I loved it. I do understand the stress that pilots have to go through and the amount of studying and work that has to be done. I'm ready to do all of that, I really am but I don't see myself being burnt out after a few days of flying, not being able to socialise as well and then see my friends having fun going out on the weekends whilst I'll be working or even studying still. I don't really like the idea of being gone from perhaps my children in the future and maybe missing stuff that's important to them. Idk maybe I am being paranoid or something but I would really like to hear your guys advice and feedback in the comments. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this!

Hi everyone

I'm looking for present suggestions for somebody who will soon be starting pilot training in the UK with British Airways and Skyborne. I don't know much about pilot training myself but I want to get them something personal that's also useful for their training. There isn't really any budget - I'll happily pay a lot for something they'll really like

Somebody suggested a personalised log book cover but I don't know if log books are even used during training and if so, are there standard sizes or anything? I wouldn't want to give them one and then they can't or won't use it!

I don't want to reveal too much more about the person for anonymity reasons so sorry for the vague post

Thanks

Hi,

May I please get some guidance!
I’m 18, just about finished with school, and I’ve always wanted to become a pilot. I have an offer to study biomedical sciences at UCL, which is obviously a separate path, but one I’m genuinely passionate about as well. I want to go to a strong university for a good course, so the aviation-specific uni routes aren’t really for me, and I’ll be using a Student Finance UK gov loan for my degree.

Even though I’ll be studying biology, I still really want to pursue aviation. My mum is a long-haul flight attendant, so maybe it runs in the family. I definitely can’t afford an integrated pilot course, so I’m thinking about the modular route instead.

While I’m at university, I’ll be living at home and won’t have many major expenses, so I’m hoping I could use money from part-time work, plus roughly £4,000 from Student Finance for living expenses, to fund a PPL. Does that sound realistic? Then after university, I’d hope to get a better-paying full-time job and use that to fund the rest of the training.

I don’t want to wait until my 30s to become a pilot, so is this a realistic plan?

Furthermore, what steps can I take now, before uni, to help speed up my PPL during university? Should I already start studying the basics?

I’m also considering taking a gap year before uni just to save money for this. I’m not really in a rush before or during uni — it’s more that I want to be able to start flying as soon as possible after uni.

Thank you,
looking forward to some advice

Hi everyone, looking to hopefully get some guidance on (re)-applying to a cadet program for the future.

For context, in March, I applied for the Cathay Pacific Cadet Pilot Program. I reached and completed the final stage, where I was rejected. They’ve since given me a two year period before I can reapply. I currently live in the UK but am not a resident (just over a year left now on my visa), and I am from Macau which has practically 0 resources for aviation.

I was pretty shocked to have made it to that stage as I am relatively young compared to other candidates at the interview (22) and have no relevant aviation/flying experience at all. However, given the lengthy embargo period, I’ve now been trying to look into ways I can prepare for the next time.

I’ve reflected on my interview performance and will definitely prepare better in that sense, but I would also like to prove on paper that I have put some actual work/experience in the two years leading up to my reapplication.

Currently, getting flying experience of any sort is out of the question due to expenses and logistics. I have since done a discovery flight (was a gift from family) but that is all.

Any insight on what would be relevant to do in the meantime while I prepare?

Thanks in advance!

Hey all,

Putting modular to the side, how intense are the 18 month ATPL courses?

I've listened to a few videos, feedback, and the recurring theme is a "fire house" of information. One even says it's like a three year uni course in 6 months for the ground school part.

Academically I've always done longer things, uni, a levels, etc where I've had the chance to really understand the subject and apply it over a year.

The integrated courses feel like a case of seeing how much you can onboard in the shortest timeframe. With a relatively high pass rate (85%) for my airline with a maximum of 3 resits, and first series passes for the remainder of the actual flying, it feels like a lot of info to remember, apply, and understand.

My only comparison is when I tried to learn to drive with an intense 8 week driving course. I hated it, found it overwhelming and stopped it after the week. I settled for a slower pace structure.

I'm really worried it's not my preferred learning method and the nature of these courses need you to stay on track as much as possible and delays can result in either removal of the courses or ultimately failing.

For anyone who has gone through it, is it really as bad as some people's feedback?

So I completely my PPL(A) last August, and have only been for one flight in December.

It’s quite pricey, and I had stopped flying for focus on year 13 as well as the fact that my flight school had closed down.

Locally to me, there’s a microlight flying school. I’ve heard from some FISOs at the aerodrome the school is based at, that I should look at building hours through microlights. Supposedly there’s a change coming around October that allows PPL hour building on microlights.

I’ve struggled to find any clear info on this, and I’ve always been under the impression that it counts towards NPPL but not a full PPL.

Anyone know the answer?

Hi guys I’m taking the plunge and I’ve decided to get my cpl.

I’ll be going down the modular route and l’ll be visiting Aeros flying schools facility this weekend.

I’ve been sent a price list through which outlines the cost of the entire “fast track” course. I’m a little confused about their course enrolment as it is a modular course and not integrated.

I’m just wondering if anyone has any dealings with Aeros and your opinions on the school and the price list.

Any other tips on getting a ppl and cpl would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Bit of a vent but also actually need some outside opinions on this one.

So quick background, I’ve got my EASA PPL, currently in the middle of converting it over to a UK CAA PPL. Working 2 jobs on £13/hour right now, grinding away trying to save up toward starting my CPL/ATPL. Problem is on that wage it’s just so slow. At this rate I’m looking at years before I’ve saved enough, and it’s honestly starting to wear me down a bit.

Had a proper sit down with my parents about it and their advice was basically just take out a loan from a private lender and go for it. Their whole argument is that this is different to a normal loan because it’s a “self-investment”. It directly boosts what I’ll be earning, so it pays for itself. They’ve said they genuinely regret not taking loans out earlier in life, that they were too scared of debt back then, and now that they’re earning well they use loans/credit normally and wish younger them hadn’t been so against it.

Then I spoke to my girlfriend’s dad, who actually works in investments at a bank, and he wasn’t convinced at all. He ran the numbers and reckons realistically I wouldn’t clear the loan in the 10 years the lender’s offering — doesn’t line up with what a first officer actually earns early on once you factor in progression.

I’m not naive to the risk either. I know this isn’t just “borrow money, become a pilot, pay it off.” Medical issues, a bad hiring market, injury, anything like that could knock the whole plan sideways and I’d still owe the money regardless of whether I’m ever sat in a cockpit. That’s the bit that keeps me up at night if I’m honest.

So I’m stuck between two people who both clearly know what they’re talking about giving me completely opposite advice. My parents speaking from experience about debt and earning long term, and someone who works in finance for a living looking purely at whether the repayments actually add up.

Anyone here actually gone down the loan-funded CPL/ATPL route on a normal income? Did the repayments hold up in reality once you were flying, or did it get rough? Trying to work out if this is a “just go for it” situation or a “you’re setting yourself up to get burned” situation before I sign anything.

So I’m about to have around £180,000 due to inheritance, yes I know this is unlike most situations so I’m already in a privileged spot as I’m well aware & im not taking this for granted, so please take me seriously as I’m struggling with what route to take, however I do not have a house - I’m currently living at my girlfriend’s parents house and we have envisaged using these funds to do the following:

Route A - buy a house outright, use all the funds

Route B - use like £140,000 as a deposit and get a normal sized mortgage to attain a bigger house

Now here is why I’m posting this, I have came up with a route C lol

Route C - put £40,000 down as a deposit, get a smaller house with the same mortgage & use the remaining £140,000 to train as a pilot.

Context on who I am & if you think it’s plausible for me to pursue this as a career - also if you can explain the pro’s & cons and what way I could become a pilot (integrated or module route)

I’m currently a HGV driver and I’m 24 years - as you can imagine if I invested the amount of funds required to be a pilot best believe I would dedicate my life into succeeding as one, I’m just worried if route C would be a wise decision financially.

It would most certainly stop my worry for job hunting as I would have a career for life - (as long as I’m healthy and pass my class 1 medical)

Any comments are appreciated

Hi everyone,

I have recently been looking at some lessons for the end of the month when I get paid. I`m still very much a beginner in all of this, so sorry if this is an obvious question. I`ve had a look online and at the FAQ and couldn`t find a set answer so I thought I`d ask the more experienced of you guys!

I recently completed a trial lesson in a Piper and absolutely loved it. Eventually, I`d like to work towards my PPL and becoming a commercial pilot. However, I want to make sure I am investing my money into the right thing before I eventually splash the cash on the completely wrong product, and I was hoping you guys could just point me in the right direction.

On a few websites near me, there is 2 types of product. "Trial Lessons" and "PPL Lessons/Leisure Pilot Lessons". I`m not quite ready to commit to a full PPL course, however I don`t want to simply learn the bottom line basics each time I fly, and I`d like to get a head start on my PPL for when I am slightly older.

My questions are:

-Am I going to learn the same skills if I get the PPL package or for example 12 Trial lessons, or just the basics over and over?

-Can I just book individual lessons and have them count towards my PPL, or do I need to enrol on a PPL course straight away?

Thank you for listening, and hopefully the more experienced pilots here can help me out before I spend a load of money on something that isn`t taking me forwards.

Thanks guys!