Questions for mature students who did Oxford Aviation Integrated.

[CharlieLima]

Just wondering if there are any guys/gals 30 and over who have managed to go through oxfords integrated course, and how the experience was.

Would you recommend the distance learning method instead?

Was it intimidating to have to keep up with the younger folks straight from school and drinking like fish?

Did you find a class environment patronizing at all? (school flash backs ;)

Any other hurdles or suggestions, would be a good help in deciding what to do when Its finally decision time next year.

oh yes one more question, did u get a job out of it.

[heli_port]

- Half way through the course so far it has been brilliant. Don't get me wrong i didn't get on with some of the gs instructors and i hate some of the flying instructors but on the whole OAA has delivered what it promised.

- Depends upon your personel circumstances. I'm single and no partner to 'weigh' me down so the full time course was perfect for me however if i had to do it all again i would choose the distance learning modular route due to the depression.

- No it isn't.

- Sometimes

- It all comes down to money

- interview with ba

Good luck and remember their are other good schools out there- multiflight, sfc, bristol, bournemouth etc... :cool:

[nick14]

I know of three ranging from around 30 to 36.

One is with Netjets, one with Air Asia and one with Ryanair.

Graduated sept 08, and jobs within 3 months (or hold pool but all with dates)

They didn't have any problem in keeping up with the drinking or the ground school. All top notch blokes that I will hopefully have the pleasure of flying with in the near future.

Nick

PS Oh one 38 year old who had a wife and small baby, got on similarly well, don't think he has a job yet.

[hollingworthp]

I finished at OAA recently.

[Tongue firmly in cheek]

A mixed experience but on the whole it was ok.

Difficult to recommend any other training method as OAA Integrated is the only one I have any experience of.

Why would you be intimidated by your peers - it worries me that you would ask this question.

Yes we were made to do GroundSchool in our Vest & Pants if we forgot our books.

General advice would be to ensure the market has actually picked up before embarking on a costly course. Although saying that, I started in August 2007 and not TOO many people (WWW asside :ok:) could see the writing on the wall.

Yes I start next month but I was on a tagged scheme from the beginning - otherwise I personally would have found the whole course too costly to risk (but that is just me).

[demomonkey]

CL

I went through the sausage machine which is ATPL training and at OAA Integ too. I was 33 when I started and of a course of 24 there were 4 of us who were 30 plus upon graduation. All 24 of us managed to get jobs quickly I am very thankful to say (mind you that was back in the heady days of 2007!).

If anything, I would say that my life experience helped me alot in all aspects of my training and in finding employment.

The atmosphere on my course was brilliant. The age range was 18-33 but everyone got on, had a laugh and respected each other. The lecturers and instructors are pretty much the same, be reasonable with them and work hard and you will get on fine. It's just like life! Most of the old school attitudes have been flushed from the system now and if you put the work in, they'll support you.

I have to say that I did select an integrated course because of my age and I thought the price premium was worth the stretch because I needed to compensate for it. However there are tales of low hour pilots of 45 getting employment with the big airlines. Airline recruiters do like hiring people with more 'world experience'. :)

[CharlieLima]

Great Information guys really appreciate it, thanks a lot for taking the time to respond. Also It seems you all got on pretty well which is very nice to hear.

Just to respond to the question from hollingworthp about why would someone be intimidated by a younger bunch, basically for just that reason, they're younger - fresher - more agile. In a sense that they are usually straight from school or college so they are probably in that zone - used to studying(and probably remember a lot of helpful material), used to classrooms, used to drinking sessions - so when you get a little bit older it might be harder to catch up with them in those arenas.

Personally I'm going to order the maths and physics refresher so at least academically I'm pruned so to speak. I guess its a fear of under performing or at least appearing to be under performing while standing next to some hot shots. Im sure there is plenty of Ford / Ferrari analogies and what not i could use, but you get the idea, nothing to be overly worried about, its just a concern and i think a fairly natural one at that. Also it's one I'm accustomed to; having started an engineering degree some years prior. Albeit a different, larger and more competitive environment, it was not an easy transition at the time. All things considered maybe "intimidated" is the wrong word here, i use that loosely. Anyway good on ye for spotting it, it makes me think about it more and expand on the reasons a bit. If you still think its worrisome to be concerned about such matters perhaps expand on why you think so too, perhaps your right!

Any more info from you OAA' ers would be very cool, really helpful stuff.

[clanger32]

I was on the same course as HollingworthP and am even older than he, if that's possible....

There really is nothing to worry about in relation to working with a younger group....the thing I'd suggest remembering is that for every bit where you're a bit slower, There'll be a bit where advanced years put you a little ahead - I'd actually agree with Demomonkey in that overall I think my age was more benefit than drawback. Overall, it evens out and largely, you'll be taken as you choose to come across. If you 'refuse' to talk to the "petulant, know nothing, adolescents" then yes, you'll struggle. If you take them as you find them, realise age is nothing but a number and have a laugh, then....well....you'll have a laugh, like we did.

The course is demanding and I do have to admit - albeit begrudgingly - that I did find it a little harder to pick up on some points than I'd thought I would, but it is still very dooable. FWIW, I commuted around 150 miles a day for the entire duration of the UK based portion of the course and still achieved pretty good results, so it's not beyond the ken of us old farts.

Would I recommend distance learning instead? Hell no. Personally I thought that Ground school was fairly tortuous - and that given day to day tuition from very good instructors. The concept of going through that lot (when you DON'T have someone telling you that you don't need to learn the whole lot!) would be utter hell. That said, I freely admit that time was an issue for me and I found that the intensity of the G/S worked best, whereas for some, being able to take a slower pace through distance learning is better.

Did I get a job - not yet. I'm also intrigued by Heli port - if you're "half way through" how the hell did you get a BA interview, given they aren't hiring at all and that there's a bloody great queue of courses from 275 backwards waiting for that opportunity...

And Phil, the thing with the pants and vests.....that was just a wind up that you bought into....I'm suprised you didn't catch your death through the winter of M&B with EW

[Mr Grimsdale]

As a 36 year old going to the OAA open day next Saturday this has proved invaluable. I'll brush up my Ali G impressions to blend in with the youngsters.

clanger32 - What bits of the ground school "don't" you need to learn? I only ask as the distance learning option is my preferred route.

[nick14]

There is large amounts of Air law and Ops that is interesting reading but is not in the exams.

Same with some other subjects too much to list on here.

N

[clanger32]

Nick14 beat me to it....I think pretty much all of the subjects have bits you don't "need" to know for the exams. That's not to say that if you had the time, capacity and inclination those segments wouldn't be extremely useful.


Put it in context, the shortest exams are 23 questions (IIRC) yet there is a whole book dedicated to the subject....hence there is a LOT of stuff you don't NEED to pass the exam...the rest just helps round your knowledge a bit better..

[john.o.pilot]

dont be tempted to go to a smaller or modular schools if you can afford a proper school. I went to a modular school because it was more convenient etc. Rubbish training, miserable instructors and not a chance for an interview or a job so far (over 2.5 years now).
Mate of mine started at the same time with (OAT) and got job with flybe upon the course completion. :}

[quant]

dont be tempted to go to a smaller or modular schools if you can afford a proper school.You're entitled to your opinion but a mate of mine has just finished his training at one of those smaller schools and has just managed to secure a job with Flybe :p I'm sorry you had a bad experience but don't condemn all mod schools :=

Good luck

[fabbe92]

Do Flybe and Easyjet still hire from modular schools?

Cheers and sorry for hijacking!

[disco87]

Is Fabbe the new Afraz?

[preduk]

I went to a modular school because it was more convenient etc. Rubbish training, miserable instructors and not a chance for an interview or a job so far (over 2.5 years now).

No wonder you haven't got an interview with idiotic comments like that, I find it amazing that because you had bad experience with one (of the many flight schools out there) and you think that allows you to express an opinion on the quality of instruction from the other schools.

Is Fabbe the new Afraz?

Not yet, but getting there. :ugh::ugh:

[Gentle Climb]

I am currently at OAA and I am significantly over 30, in fact I am terrifyingly close to 40. I endorse what has been said previously. If you have the right attitude within the classroom there really is no problem Sometimes it is hard I confess, the other guys seem to absorb so much so quickly. I did anticipate this and promised myself that rather than be intimidated by my class mates (who are a great bunch) I would not be afraid to stick up my hand and ask questions about anything that I don't understand. It is pleasantly surprising how often other people tell me that they are glad that I asked what I thought was a daft question. The instructors are fine.
In short, I have not found my age to be a problem, I averaged mid 90's in the first set of exams and overall I am happy with the course. It might not suit everyone but I am pleased with my choice.
Got to go, I have two hours of Air Law ahead...
If you need more info, just ask.

[Artie Fufkin]

Did you find a class environment patronizing at all? (school flash backs http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/wink2.gif
I passed through Oxford at roughly your age. At one point I was told off for having my hands in my pockets. :uhoh:

Shocking, but good preparation for the daily onslaught from the left hand seat of the flight deck :}

[CharlieLima]

Wow Artie thats a bit much isnt it? I take it you got a good Job out of it in the end if your having daily onslaughts from the lhs :D

Gentle Climb, thanks a lot for your input very refreshing to hear your experience, If I think of anymore specifics I'll be sure to PM you. I guess you don't have the time to blog your experience?There is a chance for me to go modular here in Asia at the moment but i think the prospective of actually getting hired in the end has to be with hat your doing, I'm sure you went through that whole decision process before hand too. I wish you the best of luck on the rest of the course. It sounds like you really gotta eat sleep and shower aviation.

[poss]

From what I understand at the minute the only airline that is been picky with cadets is BA with their intergrated only approach. Every other airline I've come across doesn't decide based on what route they went through. Pick the option that suits your needs go to OAA and decide whether that route is for you, if not perhaps a modular approach is better suited to your needs. :-)