Being a member of BALPA gives you greater access to relevant information that can help you on your journey to becoming a pilot.

As a trainee member, you can benefit from free membership for the duration of your training. Current services include:

•    Career preparation and training courses
•    Advisory service run by senior pilots (Crew Connected)
•    A secure forum to chat with other pilots
•    Guides and toolkits
•    Latest job vacancies
•    Quarterly magazine, The Log
•    Industry-leading Loss of Licence insurance (fees apply)
•    Introductory personal legal advice
•    Access to BALPA Financial Solutions (BFS), our independent financial advisors
•    Networking opportunities for those undergoing training

What does this support include?

We have several great tools available to trainees and aspiring pilots, one of our most popular being our Inside Track which has been written by pilot members. You can download a copy from the BALPA website and get an insight into what’s involved from a pilot’s perspective – warts and all. This booklet includes some great information about becoming a pilot from choosing a training school to the lifestyle.

Crew Connected

Our Crew Connected service puts you in touch with experienced pilots if you’re looking for some advice on training and career progression. If you’ve secured an interview or assessment day BALPA can arrange for you to speak with an experienced pilot within this airline, to help you be better prepared.

Airline factsheets and employment guides

The BALPA website has a wealth of information on airlines. Information that will be useful in interview preparation.

Latest job vacancies

Throughout the BALPA website, you can find our regularly updated pilot job vacancies, which include UK and overseas opportunities. New vacancies are uploaded every Friday.

CV and Interview Guide

We have produced a guide based on the current trend in aviation CV and interview practices. The content has been gathered using feedback and advice from airline recruiters and recently employed pilots. Reading this guide and rehearsing the interview questions should make you feel more confident at interview.

Preparing for an interview

For many pilots, preparing for and passing competency based interviews, group exercises and other assessment modules that may be presented to you can be a daunting task. Therefore, BALPA provides a limited number of free places on our training course, which includes opportunities to practice and experience:

•    Numerical reasoning
•    Group exercise
•    Technical assessment
•    Competency

All can be accessed via your BALPA careers area. Remember, the trainee membership is free for the duration of training.

BALPA forum

This forum enables you to communicate with other trainee members and the nextGen steering group. This is a more effective and secure way of discussing any questions you have with regards to your training or if you want to raise any issues. The forum can be accessed at by logging in using your BALPA membership number. If you do not have it to hand or have forgotten your password, please contact: repsandmembersservices@balpa.org

How can I become a BALPA member?

The application process is quick and easy just visit the BALPA website and complete the form. Alternatively, please call the Membership and Career Services team on 0208 476 4000.