How to become a pilot without money
How to become a pilot without money
This is one of the most commonly asked questions in various forums. “I want to become a pilot but I don’t have money.” Not everyone has parents that can afford to pay for pilot training or nor everyone is lucky enough to inherit large amounts of money. So you may be one of many that don’t come from a background where the money for pilot training is there. That is why we have gathered a few ways to become a pilot that are lighter on your wallet in this blog and you can also watch out youtube video about how to become a pilot without money.
Military
Becoming a pilot in the military is free in most countries. You can expect it to be difficult to pass the selection process. You will rarely be able to decide yourself which kind of plane you fly (fighter, transport, helicopter, etc). What you end up flying will usually depend on how well you do and where the military needs you and think you fit.
Usually military pilots sign a service contract that ties them into the military for 15-ish years. If you want to leave early you can sometimes do that but you can expect to pay a large sum of money to buy your freedom.
When you are free of your service contract with the military you can change to become a civil pilot. You can expect to have to complete the theory to become a civil pilot and you will also have to pass a few civil pilot check rides. Of course, your flying experience from the military will be a great help. The process to become a civil pilot is more a matter of spending time and money than a real challenge.
Going from Military to Civil
Many military pilots decide to stay in the military which they can do by extending the contract. A lot of military pilots have, by the time they are free of their service contract, settled with a family. Changing to become a civil pilot is not without risks and changes in lifestyle. Military pilots used to get a fast track into a lot of airlines. In recent years it has become the norm that most military pilots don’t get any preferential treatment. Also, the job uncertainty for civil pilots and the poor terms and conditions for most civil pilot jobs makes many military pilots decide not to change.
Scholarships
You are unlikely to find a scholarship that will pay for all of your training. You can find some that pay a contribution towards your training. Some will pay around 1000 EUR or some might pay for the whole of your PPL (private pilot license) training. The hardest things about scholarships are finding out which ones you can apply for. Then it is about writing a really good letter of motivation.
Your chances of getting a scholarship is likely to vary depending on things like gender, race, age, family back ground, geographical location and income level.
Most scholarships will have a website where you can read more about what the scholarship is set up to support. It will also say who can apply, how you apply and when you can apply. You may also be able to find a directory that has a list of all the scholarships you can apply for in your area.
State-funded schools
We know of 3 state-funded schools in the Nordic countries. There is one in Norway, one in Sweden, and one in Finland.
You may never have heard of them and this is because these schools don’t do a lot of advertisement.
Even with no advertisement they still get 100’s of applications for maybe only a few openings per year. If they did advertisement their recruitment would simply become a mammoth task. Also naturally the private-run flyings schools will not talk about the state schools as that would be like turning a potential customer away.
Getting into state-funded schools
Going to a state school is not always completely free. You can still expect to pay a little bit towards your training. For example, if you get into the school in Finland you can expect to pay around 30.000 EUR. To get into one of the state schools you need to go through a long application process. The first stage of the selection process is usually done based solely on your academic results and where you are from. So unless you have very high grades and you are of nordic origin you are unlikely to get past the first stage. The next stages of the selection process tend to be similar and just as hard as those you go through as a military pilot. Many of the state schools will add more academic content to the pilot training. You can expect your pilot training to take 3 years vs the “normal” 2 years. Some airlines give pilots from the state schools preferential treatment as the quality of the students is well respected in the industry.
Cadet schemes
A Cadet Scheme is usually run by an airline. Sometimes the scheme is partly sponsored by the airline. The idea is that you will complete the pilot training and then fly for the airline. To make this happen as smooth as possible cadets are normally training using the specific airline’s procedures. A lot of the time a type rating and line training program is included at the end of the “normal pilot training”.
Often cadet schemes are a lot more expensive than normal pilot training but because you have a higher chance of employment at the end, banks tend to be more willing to support your request for a loan.
Historically cadet schemes have had a mixed success ratio. 2 years (the time it takes for you to complete your training) is a long time in aviation. The airline could have gone from “needing a lot of pilots” to “not needing any pilots”. If this happens the cadet pilot ends up in a “holding pool”. Usually, you don’t get paid anything in a holding pool. It can be a tricky situation for the pilot as you cannot really commit to anything else. The worst-case scenario is if the airline decides to close the cadet scheme. In this case, you sometimes still have to pay for your training.
Save up by working
Of all the options this one is probably the most realistic one. This might not be what you want to hear but basically, you need to work your ass off. It could be that you will have to have two jobs for a few years in order to save up.
It varies how much the bank is asking you to save up yourself. This could be 10%, 20% or 30% of the total cost to become a pilot but it depends on the financial market.
If you cannot get a loan at all, you can still become a pilot if you go the modular route. The modular route is where you are in charge of your own pilot training and you complete your training module by module. If you have to work alongside your modular pilot training then of course it will take you longer to become a pilot. The plus side would be that you could become a pilot without a training loan.
If you found this interesting you may also like:
Integrated or modular training
Or if you have any questions or would like to have some help, why not get in contact – +45 53527700 or email contact@askapilot.net
Happy landings,
