While being a pilot is a long term job with good pay, the upfront costs are enough to put many people off.
Flight school is expensive, and there are costs of equipment that pilots will be expected to cover themselves.
Becoming a pilot is both a large financial commitment, and a significant time commitment. It’s not something to attempt if you aren’t passionate.
You may be wondering if you can train via a scholarship. Flight school is generally a trade school, and many businesses offer scholarships to entice people to the trade.
This is somewhat true for pilot training, but scholarships are difficult to obtain.
If you wish to apply for a scholarship, be prepared for hard work. Places are tough to find, and heavily contested. But if you get one, it’s worth it.
Do airlines sponsor for commercial pilot training?
It is possible to get sponsorship from an airline for commercial pilot training.
However, there are pros and cons to this choice. The airline will offer sponsorship based on certain conditions.
Most likely, if you are sponsored by an airline for your training, you’ll be expected to work for them once you’re qualified.
The upside to this is you have a job immediately. The downside is the contract may be long, and you might be expected to work for a low salary.
The airline sees the sponsorship as an investment, so they’ll be thinking long term. If you wish to receive sponsorship, then you need to think long term as well.
If you’re starting out young, a sponsorship may be the ideal way to get into pilot training. This way you’ll be able to qualify and complete your minimum term while still young.
From there on out, you have the qualifications and experience to look for a higher paying job.
Unfortunately, what sponsorships are available are down to the health of the industry. Since 2001, airline travel has had to suffer through several setbacks, hindering growth.
It costs an airline a lot to sponsor, so if they’re suffering losses they’re unlikely to make the investment.
Can you get sponsored to become a pilot?
You can get sponsorship to become a pilot, but the availability is generally fairly limited. There may also be a lot of hoops to jump through to qualify.
However, a sponsorship may pay the full cost of your tuition, and offer a guaranteed job at the end.
For those interested in becoming a pilot, it is worth looking for any available sponsorship. While there is a commitment required, the cost of pilot training puts many off applying.
Locating a scholarship takes off a financial burden, and provides a future income.
How do I get an airline sponsorship?
If you wish to get an airline to sponsor your flight training, first you need to find what airlines are currently running the program. This will change, year-on-year.
An airline will only want to sponsor as many pilots as they need, so if they’ve suffered a year of poor profit and low flights, they won’t be looking to train.
If you can locate an airline, they’ll need to know more about who you are and your financial situation.
As these sponsorships are rare, you’ll likely be up against fierce competition. Flight school is expensive, so many applicants are after financial aid.
Any airline willing to sponsor will likely be looking for a commitment in return. This could mean that for five years after qualifying you’ll be required to work for them on minimum pay.
When this time is up you can likely go elsewhere, for better pay. An airline won’t offer the scholarship simply as goodwill, they do it as a financial investment.
They need to earn enough back from whomever they sponsored to make up for the initial cost.
To qualify for a sponsorship you’ll need to be passionate and committed. As mentioned, there is heavy competition for this funding.
You’ll need to make yourself stand out as a candidate.
Is there any free pilot training?
There is no free pilot training. Flight school is a long, difficult process, and that’s reflected in the cost.
Any free pilot training would likely ask for a huge commitment in return.
Anybody offering free pilot training should be regarded with suspicion: to fully qualify as a pilot is not a short course.
The closest thing to free pilot training is to find a sponsorship that will cover the full costs. Even these may still expect you to cover certain equipment costs.
Flight school is generally not a four-year course, but living and housing expenses can still add up.
A sponsorship will not necessarily cover the full cost of training. Many will only part cover. It’s still up to you to pay for the rest.
