Very interesting thread, and perhaps time for me to step in for a little updating and the straightening of a few curves.
salapilot you are right. In conjunction with Astraeus and the PPRuNe Fund, which I am sure you know I run, we ran a scheme so that five cadets could be selected for training and ultimately be offered a job with Astraeus. It was a fantastic idea and it worked well. All five cadets are now performing very well and enjoying their life on the flight deck with Astraeus, although one of them has moved to another airline. It was a resounding success for both Astraeus and the Fund. The cadets have made, and continue to make, a monetary contribution to the fund as part of the arrangement we all came to get them on their way.
In regards to a repeat of this with another airline it is at this moment in time improbable but would, in any event, cost a great deal more than it did with Astraeus who were very generous to the project, and gave it magnificent support. That it might be run again has not hitherto been discussed, but right now the plan is to get people on the first step of the ladder to an ATPL.....................
..........so the fund is fully engaged in getting 5 people to Bristol Ground School very soon to begin their ATPL distance learning courses which BGS so graciously donated to PPRuNe. We will also send these candidates for the GAPAN aptitude test which the fund will pay for. The interviews to select those candidates are expected to take place this month. Following this, the first scheme, we will continue to operate them. This will mean that the fund will be paying a much larger sum and while we plan to always have an arrangement in place for the original financial help, we do intend to get it back as soon as a candidate gets full employment.
In addition to the above the fund will, this year, support GAPAN's own PPL sponsorship scheme by donating £1000 for each of up to three of their usual four sponsorships. By being associated with GAPAN in this way, it adequately demonstrates PPRuNe's commitment to help wannabes onto the very first step in a flying career and will enhance our association with GAPAN..
Now just a brief word about type ratings. The fund cannot afford them. It is as simple as that. Whatever we do we do not have a bottomless pit. The fund builds from income from the likes of the scheme with Astraeus, the GatBash, the sale of badges, of merchandise and the sale of TSR2 prints. Some donations are also made to the fund from time to time from a few generous people who have the same view I had when I started the fund. 'We want to put something back into aviation.' We even have three people who have made regular monthly donations to the fund since it started. A marvellous gesture on their part wouldn’t you say. Anyway, the work I do in raising funds is hard work, but I don't give a jot so long as I and my colleagues get some people into a career in flying or aviation.
The fund is worth over £27,000 plus stock at this moment in time and will steadily increase for the next 8 months. After that, it is very much a question of income from sales, auctions and anything else I can turn into cash. But.......it is now going to be used and used sensibly and purposefully for the sole benefit of the wannabes.
That's it, no more to add so its time to get some worthy folk on their way.
Happy New Year to them - and to all wannabes.
IFR