So, you've just graduated from university or finally completed 6-years of school. You've invested time and energy into ensuring that your next plan of action is full of opportunities and open doors. But at times, it's choosing which one to explore that can be one of our biggest challenges yet.

For many school leavers or graduates, adjusting to life after school or university is difficult. As you return to familiar routines or spend hours contemplating your perfect career, it's easy to feel like life has become a pressure cooker that's running out of time.

But at L3Harris, we want to stress that this is entirely normal. Here, we'll discuss the measures you can take to ease off the pressure and why becoming a pilot is a brilliant next step.

Deciding what to do next is no mean feat, especially when up until now you’ve been reliant on educational institutions to guide you along the pathway.

We’ll help you soar to success in your next adventure by breaking things down into four simple steps:

• Concentrate on what you're passionate about

Everyone's dream is to have a job that they not only genuinely like, but love. To ensure this happens, focus on what motivates you and brings you happiness. You can also try remembering

what fascinated you as a child to go back to your roots.

• Ask yourself what type of person you are

Evaluating your skill sets can help point you in the right direction. For example, do you have a good understanding of maths and physics? Are you a team-player and natural-born leader? Can you stay calm in difficult situations?

• Do your research

When embarking on a career hunt, research is your best friend. Try checking out FAQ pages and corporate resource hubs for all the stats and facts that will confirm you're making a sensible choice.

• Don’t panic

And finally, don't panic; this takes time and consideration, and you’re not alone on this journey.

Talk to our team

Taking your 9-5 to the skies is full of adventure and curiosity. Not only will it offer you freedom, but becoming a pilot will guarantee you stability and jumbo-sized opportunities for the future, such as:

• The ability to build lifelong friendships
• Support from renowned trainers & an expert graduate placement team to secure your Co-Pilot role
• The chance to work anywhere in the world
• Receive recognition, career progression and a good Return of Investment (ROI)

Explore our case studies and find out about people just like you who have changed their lives with an L3Harris qualification.

See what our pilots have to say

At our L3Harris Airline Training Academy, we have a range of successful pilot courses.

Of these, we offer our Integrated ATPL and Integrated ATPL Essential courses. Designed to prepare you for the role of Co-Pilot, both programmes will give you access to state-of-the-art facilities and expert-led, innovative training to help your dream become a reality.

On successful completion, you will graduate with a frozen ATPL issued by the UK CAA or Irish IAA.

Both courses will prepare you for flying for one of the global airlines we work alongside. The key differences between them are the course cost and access to Airline Pilot Placement Pool. In response to global events, our new ATPL Essential course is at a lower price to help catch your flight to freedom. Here are some more details:

• Cost: £79,950 (ATPL Essential) & £86,000 (ATPL)
• Location: United Kingdom and Portugal
• Status: Full-time
• Duration: 18-24-months
• Entry Requirements: A minimum of five GSCEs (or equivalent) including Maths, English, and Science
• Required Experience: Little or none
• Pass rates: 97% (First-time)
• Access to Airline Pilot Placement Pool: No (ATPL Essential) & Yes (ATPL)

Learn more about our Integrated ATPL courses

If you're keen for more flexibility, then our Modular ATPL programme may be the set course for you. It offers a range of flight school courses to complete in segments, allowing you to work alongside your studies to fund course fees. The courses are as follows:

• Theoretical Knowledge Training (Ground School)
• CPL MEIR (Commercial Pilot License with Multi-Engine Instrument Rating)
• Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) Training.

To qualify, you'll need to secure your Private Pilot License (PPL) (learn how to become a Private Pilot and obtain your PPL), and you must have logged 150 flying hours before kickstarting your CPL course. The details are as follows:

PPL:

• Cost: £13,000
• Duration: Approx. 10-weeks
• Location: Portugal

Hours building:

• Cost: £20,000
• Duration: Approx. 15-weeks
• Location: Portugal

Theoretical Knowledge:

• Cost: £6,950 (Classroom-Based) or £2,400 (Distance Learning)
• Duration: Approx. 29-weeks
• Location: Gatwick (Classroom-Based) or Home (Distance Learning)

CPL MEIR:

• Cost: £39,500
• Duration: Approx. 23-weeks
• Location: UK or Portugal

MCC:

• Cost: £5,699
• Duration: Approx. 3-weeks
• Location: Gatwick

For those who have enrolled in the Integrated ATPL programme, you can also undertake a BSc in Professional Aviation Pilot Practice. This industry-endorsed undergraduate degree will complement your professional flight school training, enabling you to develop higher-level knowledge in preparation to become a Professional Pilot.

It's time-efficient and practical; you'll gain two professional qualifications and start flying within just three years.

Course details:

• Cost: £113,750 (£27,750 payable directly to Middlesex University & £86,000 payable to L3Harris)
• Status: Full-time
• Duration: Approx. 3-years
• Type: ATPL & BSc (Hons)
• Required experience: Little or none
• Location: UK / Global academies
• Entry Requirements: At least 2 A-Level passes or equivalent to a minimum of 64 UCAS points

Learn more about our combined University training

Once you've learnt how to become a commercial pilot, our priority is landing you with your first job as a Co-Pilot at a world-class airline.

Your flight to freedom begins as soon as you secure your license. Then, our dedicated Airline Pilot Placement Pool will help secure your first role with one of 22 global airlines we work alongside. Once our expert graduate team places you with an airline, you'll start as a First Officer; second in command to the Captain.

With more flying hours under your belt, you'll progress onto the role of Senior First Officer. After this, you can start applying for a Captains role or fly for a larger aircraft.

Becoming a pilot is highly rewarding — after all, who wouldn’t say yes to an office in the sky? Although it’s a considerable investment, you can expect to enjoy an attractive salary, starting from £22,000 to £28,000 per annum.

Don’t take a gamble, use our earnings calculator to see how you can build a career for life.

At L3Harris, we recognise that pilot training is a hefty investment. But the cutting-edge facilities and industry-leading training are what puts us on the map.

All of our training courses are self-funded by either finance, savings, or loans. While we're unable to offer any pilot training financial advice, we do suggest that potential candidates speak with their families, banks, or independent lenders for guidance.

Learn from the best, unlock opportunity and soar to success with L3Harris today.

See more information on funding

Which ATPL course is right for you?

Talk to our team