I am currently in Year 10. It’s always been my dream to become a pilot, what’s the best pathway to take after GCSEs?

Hi Jake, It's great that you have an ambition to be a pilot - I was exactly the same at your age! There is no set path of study to become a pilot so I would always say do the subjects that interest you because you’re more likely to do well in those. Maths is used every day when you are a pilot but it’s no more than mental arithmetic so please don’t feel you have to do it past GCSE if you don’t want to. If you have an ambition to join our Speedbird Pilot Academy then you can find all the information you need on our careers page here - https://careers.ba.com/speedbird-pilot-academy-preparation.
Being able to show a real passion and motivation for flying is important. Things you could do to help might be going to airshows, getting a job at a local flying school or joining the air cadets. Also do whatever you can to learn everything you can about the industry to show any potential employer that you are truly motivated and that you understand the career you aspire to.

Hi Jake. I agree with Ness. Actively getting involved in aviation in any way shows motivation when applying for flying roles in the future and hopefully will also give you an insight to what it is like to be a pilot. While an understanding of maths and physics definitely helps I think it is far more important to study subjects you love. Being an effective part of a team is really important in our job so any experience you can gain working with others be it socially or professionally will be beneficial too. I was a qualified paediatric nurse prior to being a Pilot which has given me many skills that are beneficial in being an effective Pilot and gave me great life experience. Good luck with your studies and following your dream!

Thank you for the responses everyone! i’ve found them very helpful :)