Meet Madison, 25, a trainee pilot at Skyborne Airline Academy in Cheltenham. Find out more about the job of a commercial pilot and the route she's taking to get there.
Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
I'll get to travel the world and I'll get get paid to do it.
Madison:
My name is Madison and I am training to be a commercial pilot. When I'm qualified I'll get to travel the world and I'll get paid to do it.
My path into aviation hasn't been direct. After my A-levels I went on and did a model making degree, this allows me to do a lot of problem solving with a more creative aspect, so I can think outside the box when it comes to needing to come up with solutions in the cockpit or in the classroom.
There are multiple pathways into becoming a commercial pilot. You can go through a training school like I'm at here, or you can go through the RAF and then convert into being a commercial pilot.
Once I graduate, I will go into an airline as a first officer. The more experience you have, the further up in an airline you can go. My goal at the end is to become a commanding officer, to be a captain.
During ground school we learn all sorts of subjects, from meteorology when we learn about the weather and the clouds and how things like the temperature and the wind can affect your flight massively. So understanding basic Physics and basic Maths from GCSE has massively helped.
So I get to go down and use our simulator and practice flying a plane. I learn skills such as teamwork, which is going to help in the cockpit. I'm going to be in a multi-crew, I'm going to be with at least one other person so being able to communicate properly, work as a team is massively important. We've got to be able to solve problems quickly, we've got to know how to do it safely.
My day consists of a briefing before I fly, then I get to actually fly the aircraft, I'll come back in, have a debrief, talk through what happened and what I can improve on.
Becoming a pilot isn't cheap. There's a lot of financial commitment throughout so to help with this some airlines do sponsor cadets through, which means at the end of your course you then have a job to go into with that airline that's paid for you.
Aviation is a male dominated industry but that hasn't stopped me at all and I'm here for the same reason as all the men, but throughout the flight school there is a lot of women and the industry is changing. We are getting more women as pilots and as high level pilots.
Clare, supervisor:
Right from the start Madison had a really good work ethic. She works incredibly hard and you do need that when you come and train as a pilot because it's really intensive.
She's got a huge amount of common sense and she is able to problem solve, and she can manage her own workload, which is another important skill that we need as a pilot because in the aircraft it can get really busy at times.
Madison:
I have a family history in aviation and my dad is currently a commercial airline pilot, so I have always loved aviation. I have loved plotting on charts, looking at maps. Just because I have got an aviation background, a lot of the guys here don't, so you don't need a background in aviation to be a pilot, you've just got to want to do it.
Things like going to aviation museums, going to local smaller airports, becoming a member of flying clubs, all these things, get as much out of it as you can. Becoming a pilot isn't easy but at the end of it you get to fly planes.
You get to go up above the clouds and wherever you go it's a sunny day.
- Madison is training to become a commercial airline pilot. Once she completes her training and is fully qualified, Madison's future job will involve flying aircraft, engers and cargo around the world.
- The route she has taken involves completing an Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) course, a type of course run by specialist private training organisations.
- Training to be a pilot is expensive, and involves a mixture of training in the classroom, in flight simulators and flying different aircraft.
- The main skills Madison uses in her role as a trainee cadet are team work, problem solving, and communication.
- Maths and Physics are useful subjects as they provide understanding of how flying and the aircraft works.
- After A-levels Madison wanted to try something different so she studied model-making at university before enrolling on the training course.
- Once she completes the training, Madison can go on to apply for jobs with an airline and gain more flying experience on specific aircraft.
- Her ambition is to become a first officer and then a commanding officer, also known as a captain.
Top tips
- Take every opportunity to be a part of the industry. Go to local flying clubs, do trial lessons, or volunteer at aviation museums.
- what you're working towards. It's a lot of hard work to become a pilot but it's worthwhile.
- I have a family history in aviation but you don't need an aviation background to train as a pilot.
Once Madison completes her training course, she will obtain her Commercial Pilot's Licence. She will then be able to apply for airline pilot jobs.
What to expect if you want to be an airline pilot
- Airline pilot average salary: £24,000 to £110,000 per year.
- Airline pilot typical working hours: 39 to 41 hours per week.
What qualifications do you need to be an airline pilot?
You could get into this role via a university course, a trainee scheme, applying directly, or through a specialist course run by private training organisations. You could also gain flying experience in the armed forces and apply directly to the Civil Aviation Authority to become a commercial pilot.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service.
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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