Every week I do a Q&A on Instagram, and my most asked question is still:

"How do you become a pilot? I don’t even know where to start."
Closely followed by:
"What’s the lifestyle like?"
And the big one:
"Is it still worth it considering how expensive it is?"

So, here’s a blog I’ve written that covers everything — and what I’d do if I had to start again. I’ve been an airline pilot in the UK for 10 years, from cadet to captain. If my son told me one day that he wanted to fly, this is exactly what I’d tell him.

This is a bit of a long one so, here's a natural break to go and make yourself a lovely cup of coffee. Honestly, if you haven't tried some of our Jumbo Jet beans, you're seriously missing out!!

Step 1: Try Flying First (Seriously)

Before you do anything, go book a trial flight. Every flight school offers them. You sit up front with an instructor and take control of the aircraft. You’ll know straight away if you love it — or if it just looked good on TikTok. I had my first trial lesson when I was 12 (for my birthday present), I couldn't reach the pedals and sat on a couple of cushions to see out of the window but, I absolutely loved it and I couldn't wait to do more of it.

Then, book your Class 1 Medical. This is essential — without it, you can’t fly commercially. They’ll check your eyesight, hearing, heart, and general health. It’s not scary, but it’s important to do this early so you don’t waste time or money. There isn't a minimum age to get a Class 1 medical but the youngest age to fly solo in an aeroplane is 16 years old. As a kid, I went to get a Class 1 medical and after a dodgy ECG I was told by the CAA I wouldn't be able to get a medical until the age of 21. I appealed the outcome, went to multiple heart scans to prove I was fine and luckily I got my Class 1 medical to fly a Piper PA28 at 16 years old. So, go and get it sooner rather than later and that will put any questions you have to bed.

Step 2: Understand Your Training Options

Once you’re hooked and medically fit, you’ve got a few different routes to becoming an airline pilot. Here's the breakdown, without the sales pitch:

Option 1: Integrated ATPL (Fast but Expensive)

• Full-time, structured training course — everything in one package.

• Takes 18–24 months.

• Costs around £90,000

• You come out “airline ready,” often with job links through the school.

The main two schools in the UK at the moment are CAE & Leading Edge. You have to finance the study yourself and it takes 18-24 months which makes it very hard as an option if you have kids, need an income, going for a career change. If you're fresh out of school/Uni and can get your hands on £100,000 or get a loan, this is a great option.

🔹 Option 2: Modular Training (Flexible but Slower)

• Pay-as-you-go. You get your licenses in stages: PPL → hour building → theory → CPL/IR → MCC.

• Costs around £60,000–£80,000 total.

• More freedom, can work part-time, less upfront debt.

• Takes longer/go at your own pace but still gets you to the same destination.

This is a cheaper option and probably better option if you have other life commitments.

🔹 Option 3: Sponsored Cadet Schemes

• Airlines like easyJet, Ryanair, and British Airways sometimes run these.

• Extremely competitive.

• Some offer part-funding or job guarantees at the end.

Very hard to get into, but 100% worth trying for a few years to get onto ANY airline scheme (don't be selective on what airline you want to work for initially), you will have a job at the end of it and most likely no debt. Yes, you'll take a reduced salary probably for the first 7 years but no debt. I started my training in 2016 and in 2025 I am still paying back my training debt, compound interest isn't fun when its working against you!

🔹 Option 4: Military Route

• RAF or Royal Navy.

• No training cost, but you’re signing up for a completely different lifestyle and commitment.

I have no experience on this option so I can't really comment!

Step 3: Training Timeline (Simplified)

Here’s what your rough journey looks like:

1. ATPL Theory 

2. Go Flying

3. PPL (if modular)

4. Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) 

5. Instrument Rating (IR) 

6. Multi-Engine Course (ME) 

7. MCC/JOC 

8. Type Rating (After you get a job offer *probably*)

What About the Money?

Let’s talk real numbers.

💸 Training Costs:

• Integrated: £90–120k

• Modular: £60–90k

• Either way, it’s not cheap. Most people take a loan, get family help, or work alongside training.

• Some airlines offer bonded type ratings or training finance, but read the fine print.

🧾 First Jobs & Salary:

• Cadet/Second Officer: Around £55k–£65k starting

• First Officer (3–5 years in): £70k+

• Captain (7–15 years in): £120k–£150k+ with pension and bonuses

You’ll pay off your training over time, and yes — it’s a big investment. These numbers are based on easyJet in 2025. easyJet are one of the leaders when it comes to pay in the UK at the moment but other airlines offer other benefits which create roughly the same overall remuneration package. Flying turbo props or for regional airlines will come with a smaller pay package (about 40% less roughly).

What’s the Lifestyle Really Like?

Let me be straight with you: the pilot lifestyle looks amazing online — and some days it is. Other days, it’s tough.

I fly short-haul in the UK. My typical week looks like this:

• 5 working days, early starts (like 4am alarm early) or late finishes (like 2/3am in the summer) or a mix of early and late duties. Minimum rest between duties is 12 hours.

• In Europe you'll fly up to 4 flights a day or you might be on a standby duty at home or the airport.

• Roster patterns vary — I’m on a 5/4/5/3 schedule (work 5, off 4, work 5, off 3)

• You miss birthdays, weddings, sleep… but you also get a lot of random weekdays off when nobody else does

It’s can be physically and mentally demanding especially during busy holiday periods (summer and public holidays) The other massive perk? Travel. Airline pilots get discounted or free standby travel worldwide — great if you’re into spontaneous holidays or seeing family abroad.

So... Is It Still Worth It?

It's a personal question that only you can answer!

This job still offers amazing long-term rewards:
✅ Strong salary/pensions
✅ Career progression
✅ Flexibility
✅ Insane views from the office
✅ Being able to tell everyone you're a pilot (just joking)
✅ Freedom to travel the world

But it’s not going to make you a millionaire and in my opinion its not "1960s, Jumbo Jet Glamorous!". You’ll sacrifice weekends, sleep, and stability but overall you'll get a lot more days off than the '9 to 5s' and if its always been a dream of yours, of course its worth it.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve read this far, you're probably serious. My best advice? Start small. Go fly. Get your medical. Don’t worry about the full path yet — just take the first step. And reach out to people in the industry — most pilots (me included) are more than happy to help you find your way.

If you love coffee, try some of our Jumbo Jet Coffee. I'll keep writing, if you keep drinking coffee! Deal?

Nathan Raab
Airline Pilot | Better Coffee Advocate | Jet Bean Founder