Well, as my Username suggests, I "Nearly" got there again….received a letter today from AA to say that I didn't meet the requirement laid down by Britannia. Not to worry, I'd only been promised a telephone call Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to confirm whether or not I had got through - even Tuesday, (apparently) AA were still calling people for today's' assessment but each time I spoke to the nice lady who answered the phone, I would get the same response "…you will definitely get a call tomorrow to confirm the situation…". I guess in the end I was a little too optimistic - until I had received some sort of rejection there was still a chance of that call up, wasn't there??? Although, I was a little surprised that considering there was a strict "no hard copy" approach to the whole application phase they decided to write to me to advise me of my rejection??? I guess I expected there to be some continuity from AA i.e. an e-mail, but considering the amount of queries about the application form in the beginning, I know that I shouldn't be that surprised….
Well, I have read with great interest the many different opinions on this thread. I, like many others, have gone to the trouble of getting my PPL with IMC rating and currently have over 80 hours. In particular I would like to understand the reasoning behind my rejection but seeing as AA are probably still going to "call me tomorrow" I figure I won't find out too soon. I have read peoples comments about number of hours but still have no "official" confirmation that this was the reason in my case - I might not have the right qualities to be an airline pilot but I just don’t know. Although I know that there will have been a lot of people receiving the same news as me today, AA are the company taking that pressure from Britannia and, in my opinion, should provide some feedback (positive or otherwise). It would just be nice to get some opinion to put my mind at ease and know whether or not I'm wasting my time in applying. I would have thought though, that in Britannia's Basic entry requirements or the 'Trainee of Choice' sections of the initial application, they should have included some detail about hours (if that is why I have been rejected)??? I know that even if I had seen that there was a maximum of say 50 hours for the application, knowing that I could still satisfy the other criteria, I would still have applied but I would have done it in the knowledge that there would be a likely refusal at the end instead of being upbeat, meeting all of their advertised requirements and then feeling that maybe I shouldn't have begun to spend so much time completing the application form in the first place. I didn't get the opportunity to show them what I am capable of and maybe that will be to their detriment and someone else's fortune.
I do understand why airlines don't like people with hours under their belts but I have to say that I don't see anything less than 200 hours being "excessive" to warrant a refusal for this or any other application. I understand that they want us Wannabee's to not have any "bad habits" but as far as I can see, I got a glowing report after successfully completing the CAA skills tests (the bench mark for all UK pilots) and certainly from where I come from, flying is a constant learning curve - I don't relax knowing I've got the piece of paper to prove I can fly - I see that as the beginning of (hopefully) a long and exciting flying career. There aren't many times that I go to the flying school and don't come away without having learnt something new through my own experiences or by talking to those around me. Also, I have to be assessed every 2 years to extend the Certificate of Experience expiry date so surely the "bad habits" would show and I would be advised of additional training to get back to making the grade and getting my CofE extended.
I have also been led to believe that the Psychometric and Aptitude testing would always be "smart" enough to provide the assessors with the ability to see beyond the tests i.e. they could tell if I was the kind of pilot who flies around the country without a care in the world, the window open with the radio blaring out!!! As far as I know, they can see from these tests whether or not I would be trainable so allowing them to realise that I am committed, enthusiastic, able and willing to put my whole life in their hands for the rest of my career???
Well, to those that have attended the assessments over the last few days, I genuinely wish you all good luck. Seeing as there will only be 25% of you going through to the next phase and eventually only 5 people being chosen, I know that there will be a lot of people like me who will be disappointed. My advice if any, would be to keep your heads up and keep applying, never losing sight of where you want to get to. I too must get back to the drawing board to figure out my next move but will do so in the knowledge that I am committed to this career path and will get their in the end - its just been delayed for the time being!!! As for getting ahead of the game and getting some flying experience - before this application I would have advised anyone to do it but now I'm not so sure. I continue to thoroughly enjoy my private flying (when weather and money permits!!!) and wouldn't normally not encourage anyone to get involved. If it is true that airlines prefer none or low hours applicants then keep your thirst for flying under strict control cause you could end up just like me - an OAP (Old Aged Pilot) at 24 years old (in sponsored piloting terms anyway) and past it!!!