Have you ever considered changing your career for a new exciting challenge? Are you about to graduate from high school/college and wondering what to do next? You can opt for a career in the skies! You didn't see that coming, didn't you? 😅😏
When I started my aviation journey at 19 years old, I was exactly in that position! Like many youngsters about to graduate high school, I was unsure about what to do next. Career orientation seminars, meetings with teachers and professionals, endless discussions with family and friends - too much information to digest in a short period (and nothing mentioned about the pilot career?! Is it even an option?😅Definitely!). If you consider becoming a pilot, these are the major 3 challenges you will have to overcome.
Finances 🤑
Let's start with this one: according to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the pilot training fees are high (60-100k euros,). If you are interested in an integrated full-time pilot course (''0 to Hero''), expect additional costs: accommodation, food, and extras during a 2-year study period. This is an intensive program, with daily 8-hour classes, flight hours and simulators so no time for side-jobs.
There is another bottom-up approach alternative, the modular pilot course: start by obtaining your Private Pilot License (PPL), and continue with the following ratings until you reach the Frozen Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). Expect slightly lower training fees, but also more hidden fees: flight equipment, exam fees, license fees etc. It is a pay-as-you-go scheme, so it allows you to maintain your job. However, full-time employment might be hard to match a busy flight training schedule so organization is key if you want to lower your training fees and duration with the modular training!
My advice is to check different flight schools and compare their training programs, duration, price, reputation and future airline employment perspectives. Check the flight training organisations with lower training fees from Poland, Lithuania, Greece or Spain.
After obtaining your frozen ATPL, check also the next steps: Type Rating and Base Training costs. Unless you sign a biding training commitment with your airline, expect as much as 35k euros more for these 2 trainings.
Math, Physics and English knowledge
Before integrating a flight school, you will have to pass an online pilot aptitude test. This assessment is commonly known as the ''Compass Test'' and it assesses your psycho-motor, psycho-technical, mathematics, physics, multitasking, spatial orientation and English skills. It is accompanied by a psychological assessment, meant to identify if you have the right personality traits to become a pilot.
A top-of-the-class mathematics and physics level is recommended, but there is no need to know more than that! Luckily, flight schools offer many brush-up courses at reasonable prices, for as little as 200 euros. Alternatively, there are also cheaper online courses or mock exams that can train you for the Compass test.
Practice makes it perfect so I would suggest covering all the grey areas before the exam. In case you fail the exam, you might be required to wait 6-12 months before reapplying so it is better to start preparing well in advance! Try to improve your mental math abilities by working on basic math operations and equations. Consider also training your short-term memory and English skills. Passing an English certification exam or talking to your friends in English can help if English is not your mother tongue.
Class 1 Medical Check
The best advice I would give is to pass the required initial class 1 medical check before investing in your training. Although you might start your PPL with only class 2 medical, if you aim to fly commercially, double-check you don't have any medical condition that could disqualify you from doing it. According to Annex 4 - Part MED (ED Decision 2019/002/R), a class 1 includes all privileges of a class 2 and LAPL certificates so you will not miss anything in passing directly the class 1. The class 1 certificate is to be revalidated every 12 months, for a candidate below 60 years old (or 40 years old if involved in single-pilot commercial air transportation), so it is important to maintain your health and fitness level throughout your entire career. Always check and remain compliant with the latest regulations.👀✔
It might be a challenging exercise to take care of your health while dealing with a busy atypical pilot schedule but with a bit of planning it is perfectly doable. A good solution is to practice physical activities multiple times a day and eat a balanced diet. Easier said than done...however what I enjoy doing is training early in the morning - even at 3 a.m. before an early duty! Exercising before flights makes me feel rejuvenated and improves my focus throughout the day. Start developing your own strategies but always prioritize your mental and physical fitness 😁.
To conclude
Unfortunately, an aviation career is often overlooked by many people. However, it remains one of the most rewarding industries in the world. Although the challenges are proportional to the rewards, the aviation industry continuously searches for skilled and ambitious individuals to be able to deal with the increasing travel demand, so why not give it a try? 🛩✈If you are curious about 5 things I wish I had known before embarking on a pilot career, consider checking my previous post.
And you? Are you considering a career in the sky? Or are you already in the middle of your pilot training? Let me know 😁🤩
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