UK or US?
08-21-2014, 12:58 AM
#1
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Aug 2014
Posts: 8
UK or US?
I currently live in the US and have wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember. (I'm 16). I have a job and I'm saving up for college and flight school. I basically know generally what I need to be doing to stay on course. But then I find out that I will most likely be moving to England (West London if it matters) but basically I need to know the differences between becoming an airline pilot in the US and UK (like in the US you pretty much need to get a 4 year degree to get into the major airlines. Is that the case in England?) Also, we're not exactly "wealthy" at all. So money is a huge issue. If it really is way more expensive or way harder to become a pilot in England then maybe I can somehow stay here. Oh and I read somewhere that school grades matter as well which could really be a problem considering my grades are from the US. Anyway, the more information the better. My apologies if this is the totally wrong place for this question but to be honest im kind of desperate at the moment. Also, your opinion on which is a better option would be great. Thank you in advance!
08-21-2014, 06:25 AM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,666
Congrats for having a job and saving up for school and taking the initiative in life. That's a great attitude to have and will determine your success regardless of what you do for a living down the road.
I learned to fly in England and then moved to the US, so I would be happy to offer my perspective. Firstly, just because you are moving to England, doesn't mean you will have to learn to fly and become an airline pilot there. Once you are done with school you can always move back to the US to do all that.
Secondly, it is a LOT more expensive to learn to fly in the UK if you are paying to do it yourself. In fact, a lot of people from the UK come over to the US to learn how to fly because of that very reason.
You do not need a college degree to be an airline pilot in England, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to make you more competitive and open up additional job opportunities in the airlines down the road (like management pilot positions).
School grades do matter, but I wouldn't worry about the fact your grades are from the US. People transfer between the US and UK educational systems all the time and know how to "convert" grades. Having said that, school is quite different over there, but that is another story.
The process of becoming an airline pilot in the UK is actually quite different from the US. You will find airlines in the UK offer a very streamlined path from zero hours to the flight deck of an airliner. It is very competitive however, with lots of testing and interviewing to get into those programs, especially with the top airlines like British Airways.
It sounds like the move has you a little worried that your plans of flying aren't going to pan out the way you had planned. Like I said to start with, don't view the move to England as changing your goals of becoming a pilot, and don't view them as changing the process either. You are simply adding options into the mix which is always a good thing.
To ensure the best possible chances of success, since moving to a new country is always quite different, concentrate on school right now, and doing as well as you can in school, especially as you transition to a new system. Once you are done with school in a couple of years you can re-evaluate your options on the flying side of things and decide which path looks best for you.
All the best!
I learned to fly in England and then moved to the US, so I would be happy to offer my perspective. Firstly, just because you are moving to England, doesn't mean you will have to learn to fly and become an airline pilot there. Once you are done with school you can always move back to the US to do all that.
Secondly, it is a LOT more expensive to learn to fly in the UK if you are paying to do it yourself. In fact, a lot of people from the UK come over to the US to learn how to fly because of that very reason.
You do not need a college degree to be an airline pilot in England, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to make you more competitive and open up additional job opportunities in the airlines down the road (like management pilot positions).
School grades do matter, but I wouldn't worry about the fact your grades are from the US. People transfer between the US and UK educational systems all the time and know how to "convert" grades. Having said that, school is quite different over there, but that is another story.
The process of becoming an airline pilot in the UK is actually quite different from the US. You will find airlines in the UK offer a very streamlined path from zero hours to the flight deck of an airliner. It is very competitive however, with lots of testing and interviewing to get into those programs, especially with the top airlines like British Airways.
It sounds like the move has you a little worried that your plans of flying aren't going to pan out the way you had planned. Like I said to start with, don't view the move to England as changing your goals of becoming a pilot, and don't view them as changing the process either. You are simply adding options into the mix which is always a good thing.
To ensure the best possible chances of success, since moving to a new country is always quite different, concentrate on school right now, and doing as well as you can in school, especially as you transition to a new system. Once you are done with school in a couple of years you can re-evaluate your options on the flying side of things and decide which path looks best for you.
All the best!
08-21-2014, 07:24 AM
#3
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,035
As a newcomer to the UK but a US citizen, your best bet will probably be to return to the US for college, flight training, and flying employment unless for some reason you really prefer to stay in the UK.
Will you have right-to-work in the UK? If so you could try to do well in school and apply for the "ab-initio" programs of UK and other EU airlines (those programs take you from high school to an airliner cockpit fairly quickly). But if you can't get into one of those and have to work your way up through the aviation ranks, the US would be easier and cheaper.
Will you have right-to-work in the UK? If so you could try to do well in school and apply for the "ab-initio" programs of UK and other EU airlines (those programs take you from high school to an airliner cockpit fairly quickly). But if you can't get into one of those and have to work your way up through the aviation ranks, the US would be easier and cheaper.
08-21-2014, 10:43 AM
#4
New Hire
Joined APC: Aug 2008
Posts: 4
How much aviation experience do you have to be sure that you enjoy flying enough to be a career pilot? You are at a good age to start training but first get some flight time in to be sure you want to continue.
When I was in West London I used to train at High Wycombe on weekends but I had my own car and was able to drive there. I ended up completing my training in Florida due to cost and weather. Training once a fortnight (or less) due to weather is not a cost effective way to progress your training so I saved up and got it done full time, one rating at a time, in Florida.
As was pointed out above it is much cheaper training and flying in the USA but if you want to fly in Europe they will want European certificates. Plenty of advice is available elsewhere on how to go about getting those after you have your FAA certificates. The systems are quite different, in particular have a look to compare the requirements for the ATP written in the two jurisdictions.
Study hard and if you are really enthusiastic you will find the time and money to do some flying. There are plenty of fields around southern England you could get to on weekends and holidays where you potentially could find paid work, meet people, explore work and career options.
Your presentation, enthusiasm and general attitude will determine how you are received and whether or not you are offered work or flying time. Just be careful you are not exploited. After spending time around the hangars you should have some idea if you want to train in the US or Europe and of how you could afford it.
When I was in West London I used to train at High Wycombe on weekends but I had my own car and was able to drive there. I ended up completing my training in Florida due to cost and weather. Training once a fortnight (or less) due to weather is not a cost effective way to progress your training so I saved up and got it done full time, one rating at a time, in Florida.
As was pointed out above it is much cheaper training and flying in the USA but if you want to fly in Europe they will want European certificates. Plenty of advice is available elsewhere on how to go about getting those after you have your FAA certificates. The systems are quite different, in particular have a look to compare the requirements for the ATP written in the two jurisdictions.
Study hard and if you are really enthusiastic you will find the time and money to do some flying. There are plenty of fields around southern England you could get to on weekends and holidays where you potentially could find paid work, meet people, explore work and career options.
Your presentation, enthusiasm and general attitude will determine how you are received and whether or not you are offered work or flying time. Just be careful you are not exploited. After spending time around the hangars you should have some idea if you want to train in the US or Europe and of how you could afford it.
