Pre-entry Requirements

Most training providers will have entry requirements for their training programmes. Some of these requirements are handed down to the training provider from the CAA, others are defined by common sense and good practice. For example not investing large amounts of money in training before you are sure you can obtain a Class 1 Medical.

Below are listed some points for you to consider before you start training. Some are requirements laid down by aviation legislation, others are guidance and advice:

Minimum age of 18 years

The minimum age to gain a full ATPL Licence is 21 years. Given the duration of the training and time required to build the necessary hours, 18 is an appropriate minimum age to begin professional training. There is no upper age limit set for training and many people retrain for a career as a professional pilot in the 30s and 40s.

Class 1 medical certificate

All pilots are required to take a medical examination in order to hold a license.

The holder of a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilots Licence (ATPL) must also hold a CAA Class 1 Medical certificate. You should be fit, have reasonable eyesight and hearing, and have no current or previous illness that might interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges of your license. Furthermore, the initial medical examination must be done at the UK CAA Aeromedical Centre (AMC) at Gatwick. This initial Class 1 medical examination takes half a day.  The period of validity for a medical will vary depending upon the age and the type of work a pilot is doing.

Full information regarding the Class 1 medical plus the medical requirements for other CAA licences can be obtained from the CAA website at http://www.caa.co.uk/medical

Please note that a fee is payable for all medical examinations.

All students are strongly advised to ensure they meet the relevant medical requirements for the licence they wish to train for by completing the medical prior to committing themselves to substantial expense and training.

Sufficient level of knowledge of Mathematics and Physics

JAR Flight Crew Licensing requirements state that before being admitted to a modular theoretical knowledge course, the student should have a sufficient knowledge of both Mathematics and Physics to facilitate an understanding of the content of the course. Focus areas should be on trigonometry, algebra, understanding of equations, being able to read formulas, aerodynamics, how forces work and (of course) basic multiplication, subtraction, etc.

Acceptable English language skills

The ICAO language proficiency requirement requires that Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers be able to communicate proficiently using both ICAO phraseology (ICAO Doc. 9832) and plain English (ICAO Doc. 9835).

ICAO has established six levels of language proficiency:

• ICAO Level 6: Expert
• ICAO Level 5: Extended
• ICAO Level 4: Operational
• ICAO Level 3: Pre-Operational
• ICAO Level 2: Elementary
• ICAO Level 1: Pre-Elementary

The minimum language level for licensing purposes is ICAO Level 4. To be assessed at ICAO Level 4 or above, a pilot must achieve Level 4 in all six of the ICAO skill areas: Pronunciation, Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Interactions.

Financial Considerations

As you learn more about the training process, be realistic with yourself about how you intend to fund your training. Can you raise a single ‘lump sum’ sufficient for all your training or will you need to train in stages (modules) in order to spread the cost? These are considerations that may dictate how you go about your training.

Never commit to a module of training unless you feel sure you have funds to complete it. It is better to train in short, intensive periods rather than allowing a module of training to become spread out and diluted due to lack of funds. Long gaps in your training may mean repetition, and repetition costs money!

For every flight training facility and training programme you consider, ask both yourself and/or the Training Provider these questions:

• What is the true cost of the course you are considering?
• What exactly does the quoted cost include?
• What do you estimate will be the total cost of all the elements that are not included?
• Assuming the quoted cost is for training to the 'minimum hours' requirement, will you be able to fund any additional training that you may require over and above the minimums needed?
• What is the cost and availability of accommodation near to the training facility you wish to use?
• Will the Training Provider ask for full payment upfront? (This is NEVER recommended!)