Simplified Guide to becomming an Airline Pilot in the UK

• First you need to join a certified flying school.

• Starting your training for your first license, which is called the Private Pilot License (PPL). You require at least 45 hours to gain this license. On average a student will need a more. The average price for this license is around £6000.
  

• When you qualify and attain your PPL License the next step is to get your night rating which to state the obvious, allows you to fly at night. This is a 5 hour minimum course.

• Next, you need to build 100 hours as Pilot in Command (P1), which is flying time when you are the pilot in command that is solely in control of the aircraft.

• Before the hour building or after you will need to sit 14 ATPL exams of different subjects.
  

• Then you need to have a total of 150 hours of time logged into your logbook to start the second license and passed all 14 ATPL exams. This license is called the Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and will allow you to fly for money. It is like your initial training but will raise your standards and sharpen your flying skills.

• After completing your CPL, you will the need to do your Instrument rating, which allows you to fly solely on instruments inside the aircraft and without any outside visual references.

• Nearly done, you will just need to have your multi engine rating and do a Multi Crew Co-Operation Course.

• Now you can then choose to do a type rating on an aircraft of your choice e.g. Boeing 737 but many pilots do not do this because of the high cost.
  

• You are now ready to join the airlines after spending around £60,000 (excluding type rating).