1) How long is the CTC Wings course in total (i.e. zero - graduation)? Is it 14 months?
Like i said you will meet twists and turns on the course. Zero to fATPL took me 22 months. Then youve got type rating base training plus any time in the hold pool - you may finish right in the middle of recruitment season and go straight to type rating or you might finish at the end of recruitment season and spend several months in the hold pool. Alot of people made it through quicker than others. Id say 2 years is a realistic target. It depends on so many things; if you are trying to learn all your initial visual flying mid winter and your unlucky with weather it could take you months and months to complete very little, if you do it mid summer you could do it in weeks. youve got aircraft goundings, course restructuring, fleet changes etc etc that could happen. You could need remedial training that might put you behind. 2 years is a reasonable estimate.
2) What percentage of the course is flying and what percentage is theoretical teaching towards written exams? Is it 50/50?
Alot of the theory is learnt on your own time so the ratio ground work:flying is whatever you make it. Id say 50:50 is reasonable. I managed to keep the course a 9-5 thing most days with the exception of the odd early/late flight.
3) Is the theoretical side (i.e. exams etc) as hard going as, for example, a final year on a degree course in university etc?
The concepts are easier in the ATPL's but there is a massive amount of info to assimilate in a relatively short period of time, its a case of putting the hours in. Id say a similar amount of work to final year at uni if your aiming at averaging high nineties (%).
Last edited by dragonfly6; 7th Jul 2008 at 22:14.