Firstly you should be allocated a base before you start training. They used to keep you waiting until 1 month before your start date. I would imagine that if based at LGW then you may not get hotac for a CAE course..but then again thats what BA and BMI do at LHR. As for only 50 pilots needing recruited, you seem to have forgotten that this company is expanding at circa 15% pa. That will mean an ongoing requirement for hundreds of pilots. Recruitment will only be constrained by the training department's ability to get them online. They're even assessing pencil jet capt's now for DEC. That would suggest the company has a large requirement on its hands.