If you are a veteran of the UK Armed Forces and have been medically discharged from the Armed Services due to injury or illness then you are eligible to apply by emailing a personal statement to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Please include information about your life before the military as well as your career in HM Forces. We'll also need to know about how you were injured/became ill, what your physical/psychological symptoms are (if any) and why you want to become a pilot.
We consider each application on a case-by-case basis. However, naturally, some injuries will be more restrictive than others.
Please do speak to us to find out, however, as you may be surprised.
Desirable characteristics:
Where does the training take place?
Currently, beneficiaries are able to complete their Private Pilot’s Licenses at their local flight school before attending Skyborne Academy, Gloucester commercial training phase.
How long does it take?
Typically students can expect to be training for between 12-18 months, some of which will be completed at your local flying school. Total time will depend on your individual aptitude, commitment and the weather.
When can I go home?
Although we are not able to fly every day (due to weather etc) we expect students to be in the classroom for theory training/self-study Monday-Friday 0900 - 1700 with weekends off. Additionally, we grant a minimum of 3 weeks leave per year with full consideration given to all requests made via our formal process.
What is the theory training like?
You will sit 9 theory exams during phase 1 (Private Pilot's License), following by an additional 14 exams during phase 2 (ATPL theory).
Classroom sessions are instructor-led initially and progressive in intensity, working over time towards becoming student-led with instructor/specialist support provided when required.
Theory exam topics include:
How much flying will I do?
WFW student pilots can expect to fly between 185 - 200 hours during their training with us. We facilitate a modular training process, which means the syllabus is split into the following stages:
Do people fail?
This is not an easy course and some people do not pass. That said, if you’re prepared to work hard and commit 100% then we will do the same for you.
Will I get a job?
Although the charity does network on behalf of new graduates, finding that first job can be tricky. We can provide you with the skills and training, however, for many new pilots this is only the beginning. Be prepared to travel, work hard and start at the bottom and you'll be on the right track.
We'll make you into the best pilot we can, but the rest is down to you!
Giving a wounded veteran the chance of a brighter future costs just a fraction of what was spent training them to defend our country. That said, real futures require real investments and so your support is invaluable to our work. Every penny will go directly into giving back to those who have already sacrificed so much for us. Please help!
The best way to help us help our veterans is to setup a direct debit donation. We use Go Cardless to allow you to securely set up a direct debit payment.
Wings for Warriors are committed to protecting the privacy of our website users. In this policy we set how we will deal with your personal details.
Any information collected and stored, including cookies will be of the following kind:
We may collect information about your visits to our website such as IP address, location, browser type, referral source, length of visit and number of page views. This information may be used to improve our website's usability and for marketing purposes.
Cookies are used on this website. A cookie is a text file sent by a web server to a web browser and stored in the browser. The file is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page form the server. This enables the web server to identify and track the web browser.
We may send a cookie which may be stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. The information we obtain from the cookie could be used to improve the website's usability and for marketing purposes. We may also use that information to recognise your computer when you visit our website, and to personalise our website for you.
Browsers usually will allow you to refuse cookies but this could have a negative impact on the usability of many websites.
Personal data submitted on this website could be used for the purposes specified in this privacy policy or in any relevant parts of the website.
In addition to the uses already identified we may use your personal information to:
We will not provide any personal information to a third party unless you have given your permission.
In addition to disclosures already discussed we may need to disclose the following information:
Information that we collect may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate in order to enable us to use the information in accordance with this privacy policy.
If you are in the European Union, information which you provide may be transferred to countries which do not have data protection laws equivalent to those in force in the European Union. You expressly agree to such transfers.
We will take reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. Of course, data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.
We will store all the personal information you provide on our secure servers. All electronic transactions you make to or receive from us will be encrypted.
We may occasionally update this privacy policy by posting a new version on our website. It is in your interest to check this page regularly to ensure you are comfortable with any changes made.
Our website contains links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies of any third party websites.
Some of the services we use such as Google Analytics, Clicky Analytics and addThis set cookies to allow us to gather anonymous data about your usage of our website.
You may instruct us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you. Provision of such information may be subject to the payment of a fee (currently fixed at £10.00).
You can request us not to use any of your personal details; you will usually ask in advance whether you agree to our use of your personal data.
These terms and conditions, together with our privacy policy constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your use of our website, and supersede all previous agreements in respect of your use of this website.
The terms and conditions below will govern your use of our website and all sub domains. You must accept these terms and conditions in full; if you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions please do not use our website.
Unless otherwise stated, we own the intellectual property rights in the website and material on the website.
In respect of all material that you post on our website, you grant to us a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate and distribute such material in any media, together with the right to sub-licence such rights.
When using our website you can view, download for caching purposes, and print pages, however, there are conditions:
All information on this website is given free-of-charge, we cannot be held liable in respect of the information given on this website.
We will make every effort to ensure that the information on our website is correct, however, we do not guarantee its entirety and accuracy.
We do not guarantee that our website will remain available or that all the material used is kept current.
We exclude all representations, warranties and conditions (including, without limitation, the conditions implied by law of satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose and the use of reasonable care and skill) to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
We will not be liable for direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising under these terms and conditions, whether arising in tort, contract, or otherwise, including, without limitation, any loss of profit, contracts, business, goodwill, data, income, revenue or anticipated savings.
We will not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising under these terms and conditions or in connection with our website, however, nothing in these terms and conditions shall exclude or limit our liability for fraud, for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for any other liability which cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.
Access to certain areas of our website is restricted. We reserve the right to restrict access to areas of our website, or indeed our whole website, at our discretion.
If at any time we provide you with a user ID and password to enable you to access restricted areas of our website, you must ensure that that user ID and password is kept confidential. You will accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your user ID or password.
We may disable your user ID and password if you breach any of the policies or terms governing your use of our website or any other contractual obligation you owe to us.
You must not use our website in any way that causes, or may cause, damage to the website or harm the usability of the website.
You must not use our website in any way which is unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful, or in connection with any unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful purpose or activity.
You must not use our website for any purposes related to marketing without our express written consent.
You must not use our website to copy, publish or send mass mailings or spam.
You must not use our website to copy, publish or send material which is illegal or unlawful, or material which could give rise to legal action under English, Scottish and other applicable law. All material you copy, publish or send via our website must not be defamatory, obscene, indecent, hateful, discriminatory or inflammatory; such material must not infringe any person's intellectual property rights or rights of confidence, impinge upon any person's privacy, or constitute incitement to commit a crime; further, material must not be misleading, deceptive, sexually explicit, threatening, abusive, harassing or menacing.
We reserve the right to edit or remove any material posted upon our website.
We may take such action as we deem appropriate to deal with the posting of unsuitable material, including suspending or cancelling your account, restricting your access to our website, or commencing legal proceedings against you.
We may occasionally update this privacy policy by posting a new version on our website. It is in your interest to check this page regularly to ensure you are comfortable with any changes made.
These terms and conditions, together with our privacy policy constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your use of our website, and supersede all previous agreements in respect of your use of this website.
Wings for Warriors,
East Whitehill,
Tarland,
Aboyne,
Aberdeenshire,
AB34 4YJ
Email us on:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or
Call us on:
07760 154074
Charity Commission for England and Wales: 1148093
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR): SC046266
Wings for Warriors is a unique charity, which believes wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women deserve the best opportunities even after military service has ended.
By working with military rehabilitation units, other charities, businesses and the public, our aim is to inspire our wounded warriors to move past injury and achieve new, bright and sustainable futures. Nobody should ever feel like they have already achieved their best, which is why, for our students, the sky is merely the beginning.
In order to move past a life changing injury or illness it is imperative that our veterans continue to work for themselves and not be 'spoon-fed' or simply offered short term projects or challenges. This is why we use the exciting, demanding and sustainable world of commercial aviation as an incentive to keep moving forwards, stop looking backwards and find a means to continue supporting their families for years to come.
Our opportunities require veterans to challenge themselves holistically and places emphasis on physical, psychological and social development.
Over time veterans will re-build their own confidence, capability and pride at the same time as working towards recognised civilian qualifications.
"I'm actually pretty lucky. Getting injured has actually enabled me to pursue my dreams"
Private Christopher Kirk (5 Scots) - Injured IED blast
Our graduates must be commercially employable, which means training them to the highest possible standards. We do not specially adapt our aircraft, instead requiring veterans to adapt themselves, overcome their injuries and demonstrate 100% commitment to earning themselves bright new futures where the sky is merely the beginning.
Simulator training, 'engine-off landings' and night navigation are all part of the process, not to mention thousands of hours spent studying in the classroom.
Success with us must be earned, which makes it even more valuable.
Wings for Warriors is a UK registered charity, which gives wounded, injured or sick servicemen and women a future worth fighting for, by training them as professional pilots.
For many soldiers, life outside the forces can appear challenging and uncertain at the best of times. Add a life changing injury to the equation and the future can quickly become a dark and depressing place.
Instead of a short term project or challenge, we provide our wounded warriors with the skills they need to achieve an exciting, rewarding and sustainable future for many years to come. We rebuild confidence, capabilities and pride and help veterans continue providing for their families well beyond the horizon.
