Who do BA use for training?

[DB6]

I gather BAe at Jerez and maybe Oxford have BA cadets and somewhere in USA, anyone know who else and where the groundschool training is done?

[Paul Hickley]

At present BA have discontinued sending sponsored cadets for training until their requirements following Sep 11 become more clear. However, students already on a course are completing their training. We still have some here at Oxford.

Up to the point when new training was suspended, BA used Oxford, Jerez, and the University of West Michigan (at Battle Creek, not too far from Kalamazoo, if you're interested).

All the best,

Paul

[ 21 January 2002: Message edited by: Paul Hickley, Gen Nav Spec, Oxford ]</p>

[julest]

Bristol Flying Centre located at EGGD has recently been awarded the contract for West Michigan, taking over from Oxford. BFC will be providing "finishing" for the IR for further details see <a href="http://www.b-f-c.co.uk" target="_blank">www.b-f-c.co.uk</a>

[Paul Hickley]

Don't quite understand your post, p/t aviator.

1/How can bfc have "been awarded the contract for West Michigan, taking over from Oxford"? If they're taking over the West Michigan contract, then they can't be taking over from Oxford.

I understand that it is normal BA policy to always sub-contact to at least 3 suppliers, no matter how satisfied they may be with any one supplier.

So which is it that they're "taking over from"?

2/ How can they be "taking over" if all they're doing is the finishing stages of the IR? The courses provided by Oxford, Jerez and West Michigan are for the full groundschool and flying for a frozen ATPL.

More clarification, please. By the way, I've just checked the bfc website, and I couldn't find this news item. Perhaps I wasn't looking in the right part. Could you indicate which page it's on?

all the best,

Paul

[ 21 January 2002: Message edited by: Paul Hickley, Gen Nav Spec, Oxford ]</p>

[Meeb]

As the IRT cannot be taken anywhere other than in a JAR state, there has to be somewhere for these overseas students to go in the UK to, as p/t aviator says, 'finish' their training. The guys and gals from WMU used to do this at Oxford (although various locations including Dundee), but maybe they are now going to Bristol, but is there any official notification of such?

[ 21 January 2002: Message edited by: Meeb ]</p>

[Lucifer]

I assume it is as the Michigan guys used to come back to the UK to do the IR due to CAA rules, on Oxford aircraft and instruction, often at Perth, and now Bristol has this contract.

Edit: Posted at the same time as Meeb so no duplication intentional

[ 21 January 2002: Message edited by: Lucifer ]</p>

[SuperTed]

Paul,

How come BA always sub-contact to at least 3 suppliers? I thought it would be a lot easier for everyone concerned if they stuck with just one FTO.

Regards,

ST

[BillyFish2]

Interesting question.

Aer Lingus were doing exactly the same up to September. They also had cadets in Michigan, Oxford and Jerez.

[Meeb]

Its called not putting all your eggs in the one basket... <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> Also puts the major players in the FTO world up against each other, top sport! <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

[Paul Hickley]

Meeb's got it right. What if one FTO went bust? If you were BA, you'd still have the other two on-line, and you'd put a few more students through them as a temporary measure till you'd found the next best FTO to replace the one that had gone to the wall. Whatever happened, it wouldn't leave BA in difficulties.

Seems sensible to me.

I've been a sub-contractor to BA, in a previous incarnation (I haven't always worked as an instructor at Oxford), and the BA contracts officer that I was dealing with at the time actually stated that it was their policy then. I can't speak for now, of course, because I'm in a different line of business and I don't negotiate contracts any longer, but I should be surprised if their policy has changed.

Paul

[ 21 January 2002: Message edited by: Paul Hickley, Gen Nav Spec, Oxford ]</p>

[rolling circle]

British Airway's ab-initio training has, traditionally, been split between two or more schools - the 'eggs in one basket' analogy is valid. Lately, one of the chosen schools has been IPTC, otherwise known as Western Michigan University, based at Battle Creek, Michigan.

Since JAR-FCL1 requires that the IR Skill Test is conducted in the airspace of a JAA Member State, it has been the custom of WMU to send its students to the UK for some 10-15 hours training and the IR Skill Test.

Initially, students were sent to the FSI facility at Dundee and, when this was bought out by Oxford, the WMU contract went with it. Unfortunately, the crap management for which OAT is renowned then took over and training was first transferred to Gloucester and then to Oxford with predictable results - training quality went through the floor!

WMU, in common with a number of other major players, have now realised that that OAT can no longer deliver the goods and have taken their business elsewhere.