ATC IssuesA place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.
Yes, it seems B&B is the common choice. I live two roads away from where the current trainees are living. Some of them anyway. If you need any help with finding accomodation give me a shout, I know the area quite well so...
Coming quite a distance from Cambridge. My mother-in-law lives there, had a 5 hour drive there for Xmas. Hopefully won't have to do it again...
For anyone looking at start dates- course 219 is split- aerodrome starts at the end of april and area the beginning of may (6th). I've asked about 220 but they won't know the dates for a while, but might be another split with aerodrome starting late july, area early august.
Unless the college has a re-jig of dates and courses to allow area and aerdrome to start at the same time, it is likely to continue to being split. 216 (July 08) was the last "joint start" and it was problems in the area sims and lack of instructors for 216 basic that caused a back log and thus area 217 was put back a month, whilst aerodrome 217 could start as planned.
That is why there is now this split, and I don't see them being able to go back to the joint starts unless they have a serious fiddle around with the timetable to make up the lost time.
As far as I know, everyone's been assigned to the April/May courses (that was according to HR about 2-3 weeks ago), so for anyone getting their results of Stage 3 around now, I wouldn't be getting my hopes up if I were you!
I'm currently on list for July/August - still a fair few places and it doesn't look like you'll be bumped to October unless you want to be...
Well done to those who've passed Stage 3 recently - I passed my medical on Friday so now I can relax!
Okay just let me know. Who else has found out on here recently? I must have missed other posts.
For those who have gone through the recruitment process and failed once or twice; don't give up! I got through on the third and final attempt so...Keep going for it!!!
Yes, did you also get the phonecall from HR about the opportunity to swap dates? There'll be 6 of us unless anyone decided to go to Manchester - I'll still be at Glasgow.
I finished my medicals a few weeks back now, and everything has been sent off to HR. How long are people generally waiting to find out a start date. Again, some of the other guys have been offered places on courses without even getting a NATS medical over and done with....
Sure, it's only a conditional placement, but it is a placement. I am wondering if I should phone them up, just incase they have forgotten about me (again =( - they lost my paperwork after S3 and I had to wait the full, painstaking 15 days)
Anyone have any idea if it is normal to be waiting this long after passing everything I possibly could pass in preparation for the course :P
Just out of interest, are the medicals done anywhere specific or at the recruitment centres? I know they're slightly more onerous than a CAA/JAR Class 1, but if you already hold a Class 1 that does it help?
Also, does anyone know if it's a specific doctor or group of doctors? (I have a feeling my current AME does work for NATS).
Well done paperclip! So you think we are likely to be put on the July/August course? My interviewer said that there were only a few spots available and that it would most likely be October/November for me.
Last edited by ATCNoob : 8th February 2009 at 18:18.
I sooooo hope I'm going to b e joining you guys this year but considering I'm not even past stage 2 yet...think I may be jumping the gun!
Got my stage 2 coming up very soon...revising as much as I can when I can, thinking of different questions that will be asked at stage 2 (I went through it last year so roughly know what to expect) however I am still having trouble learning the difference between aircraft....aaaggghhh!!!!!
Well, if I'm the right material, I'll get through...!
Congrats to everyone who is through stage 3...Bournemouth is a lovely place to live!
Arrows, I'd say definitely ring up- basically everyone who had passed NATS medicals a couple of weeks ago got emails about the april/may courses. You're stuck in some NATS black hole
I might be wrong, but I think that the position in the queue for a course start date depends mostly on when you pass stage 3 rather than on when you pass the medical. Quite a number of people in the April/May courses had their stage 3 around last October.
However, I suppose there are situations where people, depending on personal circumstances and commitments, can potentially "jump the queue" if there are places available in an earlier course.
I am not sure if you had previously posted that info about the start dates, but I have definitely read it on these forums a couple of times before.
I would love to get on the early course, gets it over with quicker
However, Thomas Cook still want me back for this summer season to fly all over the world for them. Who am I to say no to that for a few more final months. It would give me the chance to say "Thanks!" to all the pilots who helped me out too
As there seems to be a lot of talk about it.... I asked after my stage 3 results (Thursday) and was told on Friday that they "still have spaces in the April course."
That was on Friday - I couldn't do April which is why I assumed would be Julyish
Hi everyone. Just discovered this site yesterday, but has been very helpful so far. I just took and passed my stage 2 last Wednesday (Feb 4th). I got given a choice of either 12th or 20th Feb for my stage 3. Can't get the 20th off work so it'll have to be the 12th (this Thursday!) at CTC. I'm quite worried that i may not have enough time to prepare as fully as i can and thinking to call HR tomorrow to see if any later dates are available.
One thing i'd really like to do before stage 3 is a tower visit. I work at Heathrow already and have an airside pass (blue pass, internal & external airside, zones 1-2-3-4-5). How easy might it be to arrange a visit to the Heathrow tower? I could literally make my own way to the glass walkway connecting it to T3. I'm sure i wouldn't be able to get one by Thursday, but maybe if i can push my stage 3 back would it be possible?
Dave Z: they seem to be updating the system all the time with new dates - as far as I know, if you haven't picked a date within 2 weeks of receiving the "congratulations, you're through Stage 2" email, they'll take you off the system. HR never seem too sure when new dates are added though, but I'd wait a week or so and check again. I'd definitely recommend a visit to an aerodrome and an area centre (as many before me have said, the chances of working at Prestwick/Swanwick are high, so it would be wise to see what they do over there).
Jack.raven: I now have no idea what's going on with start dates. At my stage 3 (end of Jan) we were told we'd be lucky to get to start in September/October, but to be prepared for December/January (not good for me)!! I speak to Hr a week later, and I'm told April full but July empty. I don't know.......
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