Due to its recent expansion, Ryanair is looking for cadet pilots in the UK. Contrary to what many people think, the airline needs pilots with a licence issued by the EASA, not the UK CAA. At the same time, the job requires an unrestricted right to live and work in the UK, so it’s unavailable for most EU citizens (who are naturally equipped with an EASA licence). This is another side effect of Brexit. Therefore, young people from the UK starting their flight training now must choose between a UK CAA and an EASA licence and between training locally or abroad. Some British schools offer both UK and EASA courses, but flight training in the UK is generally much more expensive than on the continent – you need to spend as much as £100,000 – 150,000 for the “frozen ATPL” licence that allows you to apply for an airline job.
So, with Ryanair intensively recruiting cadets with an EASA licence, more and more young Brits opt for training abroad. There are several renowned pilot schools in Europe offering quality EASA flight training for a fraction of the UK price. One example is the Poland-based Bartolini Air – a Ryanair-approved training partner – which offers integrated frozen ATPL training (from zero to hero) for less than £53,000. The licence can be acquired independently or as part of the Ryanair Mentored Programme, where students are trained according to Ryanair standards and procedures, and so get priority for recruitment by the airline. Over 98% of the Programme graduates successfully pass the initial assessment at Ryanair. Given the price, duration (18-21 months), assessment pass rate, and the recruitment need of Europe’s largest airline, the Ryanair Mentored Programme at Bartolini Air seems to be the surest, fastest, and most affordable path to an airline pilot job in the UK at the moment.
The training is also available for students who already have a UK-issued Private Pilot Licence. With the school’s help, a candidate may convert their licence to an EASA one and continue their training with Bartolini Air, either by joining the Ryanair Mentored Programme via the so-called Gateway 1 or opting for independent modular training (which involves acquiring each licence or rating during a separate training course and at a pace convenient for the student).
What is the training at Bartolini Air like?
Bartolini Air is one of the largest pilot training centres in Europe. It is based at Łódź International Airport: a modern commercial aerodrome in the heart of Poland, equipped with instrument approaches.
The school’s fleet consists of new (up to 5 years old), comfortable, and safe aircraft made by Tecnam. All are equipped with state-of-the-art EFIS (glass cockpit) avionics, which accustom students to the primary flight display layouts of modern jet aircraft.
Bartolini Air is focused on training airline pilots. From day one, students are taught to use airline-level standard operating procedures, both in the aircraft and during pre-flight preparations. The instructors make sure that the flight training is as similar as possible to a qualified airline pilot’s work in a Boeing or Airbus aircraft. From the first flight onwards, each Bartolini Air student takes off from a controlled international airport, communicates with Air Traffic Control, and learns to coexist with regular airline traffic.
Thanks to a large homogeneous fleet, in-house maintenance, and the location in an inexpensive and thoroughly cosmopolitan EU country with no Value Added Tax on professional flight training, Bartolini Air can deliver top-quality training in brand-new aircraft, while charging students significantly less than schools in Western Europe and the UK.
Bartolini Air has successfully trained almost 200 pilots from the United Kingdom. The top-notch training program is renowned for producing skilled and competent pilots who are fully equipped to take on the challenges of the aviation industry. So, if you’re looking to take your passion for aviation to the next level, look no further than Bartolini Air.
