Sir - I can sympathise entirely with Christopher Stone, who is having difficulty finding an airline to sponsor him to fly. I have been trying since I was 16 (I am now 23), with no success.
Despite having spent a fortune on my private pilot's licence, I have found that pilot sponsorship still boils down to one issue: that of money. You've either got it or you haven't. The "haves" may be able to afford to train for their air-transport pilot's licences (ATPL)s, but the remainder are confined to a life of "what if-". People should not have to re-mortgage their grandparents to fulfil this ambition.
Mr Stone is quite right - as time goes on, I become more convinced that it is near impossible to become a UK airline pilot.
Richard Phillips
Barnt Green
Worcestershire, UK
-Sir - Mr Stone's letter "Plea for the young" (Flight International, 20-26 August, P51) properly assumes that the future lies with the young. Improperly, however, he seems to assume that the major airlines should pay the piper.
It would be better if the plea were addressed to the UK Government, which should make it easier for youngsters to begin a career by giving flying schools a financial break. The road to the left-hand seat is long and expensive, and young people should start on that route early.
In Canada (which is less dear than the UK, but more expensive than the USA), students can solo at the age of 14 and gain a private licence at 16.
At the Billy Bishop flying club in Owen Sound, some youngsters have continued on and are making a living as commercial pilots. They will certainly make it to the right-hand seat with a major carrier soon, so, until there is relief, young people should hoard their pennies and spend it on that all-important first hour of dual.
Barrett Lumby
Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
-Sir - I, too, have written countless letters seeking sponsorship and employment as a commercial pilot. I have a file that goes back to 1978, when I passed the aptitude test for airline cadetship, right up to instructor/ ATPL today - if that is any consolation!
As far as "-breaking into the industry goes", I have completed eight type technicals and several airline-induction courses which were within my means, but, alas, that elusive flying-job offer still eludes me. Even if one had 2,000h because "-canvassing will qualify, not disqualify", I see year after year pilots pulled into jobs with far fewer qualifications and less experience than I have.
I think that the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) should take a pro-active role to assist its 53 unemployed professional pilots to get jobs, and to represent them, because I think that, legally, they come first, even if IALPA seems afraid to have a policy statement on airline cadet recruits.
Sean McCabe
Dublin, Ireland
-Sir - I was interested in T S Rafter's response (Flight International, 3-9 September, P59) to Mr Stone's letter.
One might have thought that his "depth of outside experience", together with a presumed study of the flying world, would have taught him that pension contributions for a 20-year-old are minimal. They increase at age 40, almost as the "sum of the square", making it very expensive to employ such a chap.
Additionally, most captains do not relish flying with elderly co-pilots, particularly if they are professional first officers - ie, those who have no ambition (or no chance) to get to the left-hand seat.
Capt F Newton (ret)
Saffron Walden, Essex, UK
[This correspondence is now closed. Ed]
Source: Flight International
