'I spent £70,000 on pilot training but can't get a job'

'I spent £70,000 on pilot training but can't get a job'

Timothy Short loves flying and SLOT XO has dreamt of being a pilot since he was a child.

It's seen by many as being a glamorous and exciting job, flying to beautiful locations with a big salary.

But like many other qualified pilots, he is no longer in the aviation industry, which is now facing a very different reality after the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Pilots have been made redundant or had schedules reduced, while there are few new opportunities.

What's more, the training costs a lot of money - and newly qualified pilots have been telling BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme they are now in significant debt, with no jobs to go into.

"There's an urban myth that all pilots' mums and dads are multi-millionaires," says Timothy.

His training cost more than £70,000, but he's been hit twice by turbulence in the industry.

First, his employer Flybe went into liquidation in 2020. Then, just as he changed jobs to British Airways, flights were grounded by the global pandemic and the work dried up.

Timothy took out loans to pay for his training and is now paying back £800 a month.