Self-funded cadet pathway, from CPL to ATPL eligibility
AvailableCPL and Instructor Rating at a partner flight school, with a planned route towards the hours needed for ATPL eligibility. You pay for your own training.
Type rating is not part of this programme. Airline-linked cadet programmes are described separately.
- LicenceCPL with Instrument Rating and multi-engine.
- Instructor RatingAvailable on request.
- HoursTracked against your regulator's ATPL experience.
- FundingSelf-funded, with loan application help.
- ConversionPlanned from enrolment.
- Honest scopeNo type rating, no job promise.
PAWhat you get
A route, not just a licence
CPL training
Commercial licence training at an independent partner flight school under its national regulator.
Instructor Rating on request
The qualification that lets you teach while you build hours, available on request.
Hours, tracked
Hour building logged against the ATPL experience your regulator requires.
Conversion planned
Your home licence mapped while you are still training abroad.
Costs in writing
A written cost breakdown before you commit to a school.
One advisor
The same Pilots Assist advisor from enquiry to licence.
PAWho it's for
Is this pathway for you?
Your advisor checks your profile against the school and regulator before you apply.
- You want to build towards an airline career and are ready to self-fund your training
- You have finished secondary school with physics, mathematics and English
- You can hold, or are ready to take, a Class 1 medical
- You want a route that goes beyond the CPL, including hour building
PAStep by step
Five phases, one continuous route
- 1CPL ground schoolThe theory papers your licence requires, plus radio-telephony.
- 2Flight trainingSingle-engine, multi-engine and Instrument Rating at a partner school.
- 3Instructor Rating (on request)Flight Instructor certification, the qualification that lets you teach.
- 4Hour buildingHours tracked against the ATPL experience your regulator requires.
- 5ATPL eligibilityA competitive, hour-qualified profile ready for airline applications. Hiring is the airline's decision.
The full route, with destinations and costs, is on the Airplane CPL page.
PAScope
What the pathway covers
Included
- CPL ground school and flight training
- Hour building tracked against the ATPL threshold
- Finance, visa and conversion support throughout
- A written cost breakdown before you commit
Available on request
- Instructor Rating certification
- Help towards an instructing role at a partner school, where the school hires
Not included
- Aircraft type rating: usually relevant once you are ATPL-eligible or airline-hired
- Living costs beyond those in your finance plan
- A guaranteed airline seat
PAFunding
Pilots Sky Lend and loan guidance
You pay for your own training. Students from India can use Pilots Sky Lend, our education-loan application support: collateral and non-collateral routes, a lender-ready file and disbursement planned against the school's fee stages.
How Pilots Sky Lend works
PAQuestions
Questions about the cadet pathway
Is there a fee to talk to you?
No. The first counselling call to check eligibility and map your route costs nothing, and there is no deposit to talk to us.
Is this an airline cadet programme?
No. You fund your own training. Airline-linked self-funded cadet programmes are a separate programme, agreed with each operator.
Am I guaranteed a job at the end?
No. This is a route to becoming a competitive, hour-qualified candidate. Airlines make their own hiring decisions.
Is a type rating included?
No. Type ratings are aircraft-specific and usually make most sense once an airline has committed to you.
Is the Instructor Rating compulsory?
No. It is available on request for pilots who want to teach while building hours.
Who delivers the training?
Independent partner flight schools under their national regulators. Pilots Assist coordinates.
PAQuick answers
Quick answers
What is the self funded cadet pathway?
It is CPL and Instructor Rating training at a partner flight school, with a planned route towards the hours needed for ATPL eligibility. You pay for your own training, and the pathway runs in five phases as one continuous route. Type rating is not included, so plan and budget for it separately.
What is included and what is not?
The page lists what the pathway covers, what is available on request and what is not included. CPL training is covered, Instructor Rating is available on request, hours are tracked and conversion is planned. Type rating is not included, so ask your advisor for written costs before you decide on anything.
Can I get loan guidance for this pathway?
Yes. The page covers Pilots Sky Lend and loan guidance, which is our education loan application support for students from India. Loans are subject to lender approval, and we do not promise any outcome. Costs are put in writing before you pay anything, so you can compare funding options with your family.