CTC's ATP and AQC course

[PA-28 CLOUD SURFER]

From looking at CTC's website and speaking to a few who know of this course can anybody shed some more light on the CTC Airline Training Partnership Scheme where the lucky students pay for their AQC course which entails a MCC and JOC course and then on successful completion get put into a holding pool for an airline job.

I am seriously considering attending this course as my MCC even if i don't get accepted onto the ATP scheme, i may pay for it independently.

Is there anybody out there who has attended this course either via the ATP route or by paying for the AQC course separately and can you tells us all if the job did come along having completed this course.

surfer :ok:

[Topgun 4122T]

Personally I never have and to be quiet honest never would !!!
Cant see the point of lashing out 60k to ctc when if done right you can get the very same training for 30k + keep in mind that these guys are not guarantied a job just an interview which we can get without ctc ..
I met quiet a few ctc guys throught the course of me atpl's , and one thing I noticed that in general there was negative views from the students ... Top gun

[boeingbus2002]

Topgun...I dont think anyone would pay £60k for the ATP scheme, seeing as they advertise it for £6k!! You are confusing it with the Cadet scheme..two different kettle of fish.

[silverknapper]

I met a few CTC guys at Bristol and found them all positive about the cadet scheme Topgun. You weren't knocked back were you?!
I know of a couple of Dutch guys at EZY who got in through the ATP route. They had nothing but praise for the scheme. I'll try to find out more specefics from them. Have always thought it'd be a route I'd try.
Will be back as soon as find out

SK

[PA-28 CLOUD SURFER]

Thanks for the replies folks!

I too have heard it is an excellent scheme. Seeing as a MCC course is a pre-requisite for any pilot interview and they generally (and i say generally) work out between £3000 and £4000, i feel the AQC course, which is the course we would all have to pay for if we were accepted onto the ATP scheme, which includes the JOC and MCC for £5500 (without housing) is a bargain.

It also has the added bonus of being put into a holding pool if you get selected for the ATP scheme.

Surely this is a good deal?

surfer

[Bobby Guzzler]

My dearest fellow Surfer,

The ATP scheme itself is right ruddy marvellous and I can't give it enough praise. Where else do 200 hr guys and gals get to fly a jet and be rated for essentially 4.5k (you get 2k of the initial 6.5k back after line training completion). Not bad I think you'll agree.

Then when your 6 months has been completed on subsistence allowances you go onto full and not reduced salary, and you're not bonded - how good is that. Don't listen to people slagging it off in these forums, do you think they might not have got in?

Anyway, it's the best route in, the training is superb, and the people you deal with are even better. Any other questions then please pm. :)

[Send Clowns]

I suggest you talk to some Brittannia, EasyJet or Monarch line Captains about the quality of the output before committing yourself. I have done in passing, but I can't comment impartially on a rival school. It would be a good idea for you to know. The satisfaction with graduates will determine whether any more airlines drop out of the scheme, and ultimately whether you will get a job from it.

[Robthestudent]

Clowns,

Are you suggesting that the quality of instruction at CTC is not great and how many airlines have dropped out of the scheme so far???
Knowing somebody who has graduated through the scheme he had nothing but praise for it and is well on the way to flying an airbus for greasy. Furthermore his understanding is that
that the IRs are all first time passes but in your eyes maybe the guys at CAAFU are not keeping their eye on the ball.

If I was you I would concentrate and promoting your organisation whichever one it is. If I recall correctley one of your last threads was critical of some EPTAs students.


Rob

[Bobby Guzzler]

Bournemouth instructor eh? :suspect:

[Send Clowns]

Rob

I am not saying anything about the quality of the instruction. I am advising people of the sort of research they should be doing before commitment. As far as I know only one airline has dropped out of the programme.

Knowing a graduate (as you do) and talking directly to line pilots for the client airlines (as I am suggesting) are slightly different things. No, sorry, they aren't. They are completely different things. I seem to recall the same suggestion was made here of CTC's old scheme, the one with just the MCC and JOC. I am repeating the suggestion for the new scheme, for which it is even more valid, as candidates are relying on airlines still taking graduates in a year's time.

You recall incorrectly. I have never made a comment on EPTA's students online. If you would like, I am happy to meet up and let you know my direct experience of some of them.

[PA-28 CLOUD SURFER]

I don't really understand how this topic got on to EPTA students?

But while we are on the subject I know of a few EPTA students and they had nothing but praise for the School!

Obviously everybody has their own opinions but this topic has been brought up again and again, surely it is time to let bygones be bygones?


:ok:

[Send Clowns]

Absolutely. I have checked out students who trained at each school. No problem at all with their flying. Rob brought up EPTA, I had to correct his misapprehension.

[PA-28 CLOUD SURFER]

If you can't play nicely together then just don't play at all, that's what my parents used to say to me!!

Reading some of your posts Rob they do seem a little unjustified so lets get on with the subject at hand, AQC course at CTC.

How much truth is there in that the holding pool is empty and there aren't getting enough applicants. Surely this can't be true??

Somebody must know the answer to the question so if you do please post it!

surfer:ok:

[TRon]

The pool is certainly not empty. At the moment the only airline taking from the ATP pool is easyJet.

easyJet require all ATP Pool candidates to undergo their full selection day. Due to the nature of selection and some are failing some are passing, thats just the way it goes. There is then a 'pool within the pool' for easyJet at CTC.

With 40 or so experienced guys going to easy via TRSS a month there are a few that pull out last minute. Cue the ATP Pool candidate who bridges this last minute gap.

easyJet have also got the first influx of CTC-McAlpine cadets coming through. There are also quite a few CTC McAlpine cadets that have not been assigned to an airline and will go into the ATP pool once they have completed their training so in terms of the pool being empty, I am sure there is a reason for this. Reason being it is going to fill up nicely with Ab-Initio Cadets very soon.

In terms of airlines pulling out, I have no idea on this. Monarch emptied the pool in Feb and seem to use CTC for all their low houred pilots. I have not heard that any airline has pulled out, but then this is a rumour forum, lets not forget that.

Speaking to a flight crew manager last week he said they were very happy with CTC indeed simply because it took the risk away from them until such time they were happy with said pilots performance and were then willing to pay for his training. Albeit a bit more than normal, but then they have hedged their bets on this guy/girls failing. I know there is a captain from Monarch where Send Clowns works so Imagine that is were he is getting his info from, and a CTC guy from Monarch had a tail-strike a few weeks ago. Bear that in mind. Only a fool would believe every guy that comes out of CTC was top drawer, far from it. But FACT airlines keep coming back. easyJet charge pilots for their TRSS and they pay for CTC ATP guys.....

You will hear many on here saying 'CTC are a ripoff...' 'Conartists' etc etc I challenge you to find the majority of 'cadets' who feels they were ripped off by them.

The fact of the matter is with 160-250 hours you go straight onto a jet, they dont recruit for any TP operators, and after 6 months on 1k a month (thats how you pay for your Type Rating in essence) you go straight on full salary and a full time position. You 'save' 3-4 years on turboprops on 20k a year. As well as all those on £10 an hour instructing just to get on a TurbProp. All that time you are on nearer 40k-50k. The catch is if you go on Turboprops you wont be able to get onto a jet with less than 3-4 years experience so you are 'stuck' down that route. Please note I am not belittling TP drivers one iota, for older guys this is a big consideration as to whether they will ever get on a jet past a certain age and CTC allows them this opportunity as well as younger guys looking for their first big break.

There are companies charging upwards of 50k for a Type Rating and 300 hours line training and have people cuing up, yet we never hear about them.

Nature of the beast there will always be more pilots than jobs, and with any scheme there will be people that fail it. CTC are starting to become quite a force and naturally there will be those that despise the place. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I would suggest you actually try to speak to people that have done it and those that have failed it, you will soon get a better idea rather than an anonymous forum where people can get in slanging matches from the comfort of their own armchair without having to look each other in the eye. I would imagine things would be a lot more civil and you would get more answers by actually speaking to people rather than on here. Certainly dont base your decision on it!

At the end of the day 4.5k is not bad for a jet job is it?