Pathways & Possibilities: From Classroom to Cockpit

In recent years, Cheltenham College has seen an increase in interest from our U6 leavers in taking up places at commercial flight training schools. Aided by College’s proximity to both Skyborne Airline Academy, which operates out of Gloucestershire Airport, and Leading Edge Aviation in Oxfordshire, along with a growing awareness of the connection between post-18 choices and careers and vocations, five pupils in the last two years have taken up places to train to fly for commercial airlines. This year we are delighted that Tom and Isla will be joining them.

For post-A Level students with the ambition to pursue a career as a commercial pilot, Skyborne Airline Academy and Leading Edge Aviation offer two outstanding routes into professional flight training. Both academies welcome students with no previous flying experience and provide structured, full-time training designed to take them from beginner level towards airline readiness. Skyborne students train in the UK before moving to Skyborne’s fair-weather base in Vero Beach, Florida, while Leading Edge students benefit from training across Oxford and Alhama in southern Spain, providing them with international experience as part of their journey. Both programmes also offer the opportunity to gain a degree alongside professional pilot training: Skyborne’s Integrated ATPL can be combined with a BSc Honours degree in Aviation Management through the University of West London, while Leading Edge’s LEAP course includes a BSc in Air Transport Management with Airline Pilot Training.

Tom and Isla can expect much more than time in the air: this is a demanding academic and professional training route, with substantial classroom-based ground school covering areas such as air law, meteorology, navigation, aircraft systems, and principles of flight. They will also develop the broader skills that airlines look for, including decision-making, teamwork, leadership, resilience, communication, and professional discipline. With modern aircraft and simulators, expert instruction, strong cadet communities, wellbeing and graduate support, and routes into airlines such as British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and others, these academies offer a serious, degree-level, career-focused pathway for students ready to take their first step towards the flight deck.

Our Pathways & Possibilities series celebrates the journeys of our pupils as they take their next steps beyond College, while supporting current pupils and parents with expert guidance along the way. Each week, we will share a mix of success stories and practical advice from our Higher Education and Careers team to help inspire and inform future pathways.

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