This thread seems to have moved away from it's origin of asking for advice on the sponsorship scheme offered by the Air Atlantique Group.
I have felt moved to post a reply due to the outrageusly arrogant comments made by Mad Jock at the beginning of this issue, where Air Atlantique were reffered to as being 'bottom of the pile' and the only advice offered to Career Girl was to stay well clear!
Meeb mentions the '21 year old who got a command on a multi crew pax aircraft' through the scheme. Well that's me (although not a passenger aircraft, an Electra all the same!).
Mad Jock, if you really do believe that an airline who would willingly take on a spotty 17 year old fresh out of his A'Levels, and put him through ATPL ground school, give him fully comprehensive IR training, AND an AFI rating, are at the bottom of the 'airline pile', then there can be no pleasing you.
I am very proud to have worked for Atlantic Airlines since 1997, and know of few other people who have several hundred hours on Dakota's, many hundreds of hours on low level pollution patrol C404's, and got a command on a 52 tonne turbo-prop at aged 21. All for free, and all thanks to Atlantic!
I'm not unique by any means, there are many other products of the sponsorship scheme who have been equally fortunate to have had the same or similar experiences, thanks to the training and expertise of many of the training staff in the group. I'm now 24, have over 3500 hours and haven't paid a penny for it. What a poxy employer I must work for huh!
Career Girl, don't listen to people like this, take ANY form of sponsorship going. But if you're lucky enough to get a 100% deal from Atlantic, then consider yourself especially fortunate. Good luck to you.
Karl