djnick: the course format has been like that for a while now - HR ask you when you're successful in passing Stage 3 whether you'd like Area or Aerodrome. No guarantees, but they seem pretty good at trying to please everyone (unlike the later times when we'll probably all be posted places we don't want to be!)... The starts of the courses are also staggered - at the moment Aero is starting about 3 weeks ahead of Area.
jfriday: there was some stuff about this a few pages back - you can reapply 12 months after your last application date (so not that long to wait for you it seems). I also mentioned in one of my earlier posts that people such as yourself might have a case in asking for your application attempts number to be reset to zero, as the tests are no longer the same, but you'd have to talk to HR about that one...
As for the interview itself, it may no longer be in Stage 2 but I can guarantee that there will be some resemblence remaining in Stage 3 - questions asked at 2 have been asked again at 3 before, and I don't know why they'd stop... if anything, they'll probably ask more. As for why you failed, I obviously can't help with that one but I know for some it's been because you're personality isn't right, it doesn't match your OPQ results, or just your examples or responses weren't good/relevant/appropriate enough. That type of HR interview catches lots of people out who haven't had practice or time to think about their life experience in that way, so if you've not been interviewed in the past much, that might be why. Try Nikki at HR - she's definitely the nicest (in my opinion) and if anyone would help with feedback, I think she would.
Shugs/Gordon - I seem to be the only one on Aero at the moment on here for July! Argh!