Is Cabair First officer direct respected???

[airbuslit]

Really just a quick question to anyone who has trained at Cabair and done the first officer direct course. What is it like? And what are employment prospects like after finishing. Its interesting how a lot of mention is made of the others i.e. - OAA, FTE and CTC.

Do the airlines consider Cabair to be as good as the others.

Cheers!

[hollingworthp]

<Disclaimer>This is my own personal opinion and not based on anything else and I am not a Cabair student</Disclaimer>

I would have thought that it doesn't really matter which school you trained with as far as the licence is concerned as we are all working towards the same end.

Whether you will get the same assistance in getting your CV on the right desk or not is a contencious one as the big FTO's claim they can help land that illusive first job but there are plenty of people on here who dispute how much help their FTO was in this.

[chris-squire]

Cabair FO Direct is a well respected course. Its a very personal thing how you view CCAT, OAT, FTE & CTC. They are all very well respected FTO's and backed by a financial loan arrangement in one way or another which says it all. If the banks have faith in them, particualry in the current financial climate, then I would say you're safe training with any of the above. I'm with Cabair (Mod) so am slightly biased but you need really to assess which FTO suits YOU best, not what other people think. I chose CCAT because they suite me, I got on with the place during visits and generally liked all round feel of it. Also helps that I live about 15 mins away so no relocation. Big bonus!

Like anything, you will get the best results if you are happy with the training provider and the learning environment.

Good Luck!

CS :ok:

[airbuslit]

Thanks for the advice guys!

My situation is that I'm 31 yrs old, married with two young children so Cabair appeals in that it is only two months away from home compared with Oxford's 6 months. However I realise competition for jobs is severe so I would be prepared to make some sacrifices. And I think you are right in that the licence really is the same at the end and it is how you prepare and come across for airline selection that matters.

By the way what was interview like with Cabair? Any tough questions?

[hollingworthp]

If you had not already considered it, you might want to visit Oxford and Cabair + any others of interest as this will probably be an important factor in your decision.

[chris-squire]

The assessment day is fine. I quite enjoyed mine once the Maths & Physics exams were over. You do those 1st thing so PILAPT after lunch and then Interview at the end just to assess your personality and get a bit of background info about you. Its fine honestly.

I'm 22, working as an accountant (for the next 2 weeks anyway!) so good mental maths skills but found that I had to work hard on revising the GCSE Maths and Physics because I haven't done it in 6 years.

My circumstances are much different. Have a long terms girlfriend but no kids and we dont live together so my choices were much broader. Cabair is a good FTO. I've literally only just started with them and am happy thus far. Spoke to a few mates who have been to a variety of FTO's and the common thought is that you need to go somewhere that you are happy with, provides the best quality of training you can afford and ultimately make you the best pilot that you can be. From what I've heard Airlines respect hard work, sound piloting ability and your overall personality above the name of your chosen FTO.

If you need any info on CCAT PM me.

CS :ok:

[SkyCamMK]

If you have circa £60k to hand over do not expect to fail many interviews for acceptance onto the course or hear too many poor reviews. Can you be relied upon to put in the work required over a long period whoever you go to? Have you grasped just how much is required when studying and flying on an integrated course. Not many fail, most get jobs eventually. It is a business an industry even. You must visit and meet all contenders and try to evaluate how you would fit in to their training regime, environs and whether or not you have enough self belief to knuckle down, study and learn in a competitive world. All of the providers have successful students. Culture is key for many. I would expect that when there is a pilot shortage the field is broader for students from lesser known schools. There are enough threads to give advice - check the "Sticky" and read the reviews. A visit will help a lot. Marketing plays an inportant part in attracting students to courses and CabAir spend a lot. I have heard nothing derogatory about them but I do not work for an airline. They were good for me when I did my modular ground school.

[woskam]

Airbuslit,

I attended Cabair assessment this week and I was offered a place to start in July, but I have upcoming assessments with CTC and OAA, so I'm having the same thoughts as you in regards to which school would be best for me.
The conclusions I have come to are that (as pointed out by SkyCamMK) the FTOs are in this for the money at the end of the day, and marketing forms a key part of their business as they rely on a steady intake of students. With this in mind I've started looking beyond the marketing and looking at what you get for your money, how the course is structured etc and trying to decide which school I'd fit in at. For example, Cabair have a well structured course but don't include a type rating, whereas CTC do. But then the CTC course requires you to spend 12 months in New Zealand - something I'd love but I guess it's down to individual circumstances.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that rather than being influenced by the marketing spin that each FTO puts on its information, look a little deeper to see which course would suit you better. At the end of the day, all graduates of all FTOs leave with the same license...

[Flaperon75]

airbuslit - check your pm's