A brief guide to becoming a Professional Pilot

To become an aircraft pilot the three main tasks you have to complete are:

• Practical training (flying),
• Ground studies (theory),
• Building up experience as a pilot.

These can be achieved in several ways which are listed below. It is also worth finding out as much information as possible by reading books, and magazines, such as "Pilot" and "Flyer".

• Join a flying club to learn to fly and obtain a private pilot licence
• A list of flying clubs in the UK may be obtained from the department or The Airline Owners & Pilots Association. (Tel:020 7834 5631).
• Attend an 'approved' organisation where you will receive integrated or modular training for both the flying and the ground studies, and build sufficient experience to be issued with a CPL. If you choose this option you should be prepared for an outlay of about £25-50,000. Addresses of the Professional Flight Training Schools, together with other useful addresses, can be found in "Flight International", the "Flyer", and "Pilot" magazines.
• The ground studies can then be done separately with one of the organisations offering ground study courses, such as London Metropolitan University.
• At London Metropolitan University full-time ground study courses are offered for the Airline Transport Pilot's Licence, with part-time evening courses for the Private Pilot's Licence, and additional ratings.
• Travel abroad, for example to the USA, where the flying can be done cheaper than in the UK, and then convert your licence to a JAA licence. You will need to do all the ground examinations and a flight test. If you choose this option you should make sure that the school you wish to attend has a good reputation.

NOTE: If you are serious about learning to fly, it is important to have a Class 1 medical before spending any money on flying.

Contact the Civil Aviation Authority Medical Dept at Gatwick for a list of authorised medical examiners (Tel: 01293 573685) www.caa.co.uk