APPFirstOfficerPlus
AIRLINE OPPORTUNITY UPDATE
In my last message, only last Friday, I was unable to give you much by way of detail concerning the scheme on which we are working. Well, as you can see, even a few days can make a lot of difference, and no doubt the most obvious and important one you will already have noticed, namely the fact that we can now confirm that the airline involved is easyJet and the name of our new scheme is called APPFirstOfficerPlus
Given easyJet's reputation, I am sure you will not need me to emphasise the real value and quality of any scheme in which this airline is involved. OAA is delighted to be able to work with easyJet, and of course with our sister company, Parc Aviation, to put together a programme which will enable APPFO graduates to gain a flying appointment on the A320 aircraft. As I stated previously, I am aware that any such scheme which involves self-funding further training will rule out some well-qualified graduates. However, we believe it is in the interests of our graduates generally to facilitate such opportunities with enthusiasm; especially so in the current market.
The fact that you are receiving this update means that you have registered an initial interest in the scheme. Needless to say, we have received a considerable number of applications, well over 100, from which we are currently looking for 20 to enter type training in the New Year. As a reminder, the purpose of this e-mail is to give you more information to enable you to decide whether to confirm you still wish to be considered, and you need to do this by 1200 hrs on Thursday. The tight timescale is being driven by easyJet's keen requirement to conduct an interview programme on 5th/6th January.
Before going further, there is one additional key fact which I need to bring to your attention; this concerns the line training hours (LFUS) associated with the scheme. In my last message I indicated that 50 hrs was the figure, but the airline has now confirmed that you will be required to complete around 75 hours of LFUS (about 46 sectors) before you will be able to undertake a line proficiency check. As it is only after successfully passing this check that you can gainfully be employed and therefore start earning remuneration, the extension is obviously important, but it does mean that the overall cost of the scheme, including an allowance for some minor issues such as uniforms, Safety Equipment Procedures training (SEP), ID checks etc, will be £34,000 (inc VAT), which is higher than I presented to you last week. I trust the increase will not deter you from applying, and I can also advise that, should you require more than 75 hours to qualify to line proficiency check standard, then easyJet will not require you to make any further investment. This safeguard, added to the fact that I have already advised you OAA will extend your APPFO Skills Security to cover the type training delivered by us, represents a significant extension to the financial guarantee against training risk which you received during the whole of your ab initio training with OAA.
'Employment' for this scheme will be through Parc Aviation, and thus your eventual contract will be with them rather than through easyJet. In practice, you will actually be counted as self-employed and will be paid by Parc on the basis of the LFUs you complete with the airline. Your basic payment per LFU will be of the order of £50 during the first 12 months, increasing thereafter. In theory, you could be asked to work up to 900 hrs per year, although you would be highly unlikely to achieve this level in Year 1. As in any pool scheme of this nature, there is no legal obligation on the airline to provide you with flying after completion of the line training mentioned above. That said, from an airline viewpoint a primary purpose of the scheme is to ensure their supply of pilots, so you have reason for confidence that you will be used subject to satisfactory completion of line training and, as you are undoubtedly aware, similar schemes are in use already for other airlines in addition to easyJet.
Because the arrangement through Parc Aviation is complex, and as it is clearly important that you know exactly what you are signing up to, I have asked Sean Butler, Parc's Director of Sales & Marketing, to hold a briefing session for you at Oxford. This will take place in our lecture theatre on Tuesday 22nd December. Provisionally, this will start at 1200 hrs, but we will confirm exact time shortly. The session will last no more than a couple of hours; Ian Cooper, Oxford's Head of Training Development & Resources, and who will be overseeing your type training progression, will also cover the planned training sequence at the same session.
Obviously, not all of you wilt be able to attend the briefing, so we will be making further written information available, but I recommend you try to make it to Oxford on that date if at all possible. Please advise us whether you will be able to come when you confirm that you still wish to proceed with your application.
As a reminder, the table below highlights the key dates of which you need to take note, with the ones in bold indicating actions required by you; there are minor changes only from the summary I sent you previously:
December 2009
> Confirm application Applicant 1200hrs Thursday 17th
> Recommendations Board OAA Friday 18th
> Notify Selected Candidates OAA Monday 21st
> Briefing on employment scheme Parc Aviation Tuesday 22nd
> Confirm funds available and place deposit Applicant 1200hrs Thursday 24th
> Notify airlines of selected candidates OAA Wednesday 30th
January 2010
> Last date for withdrawal from the scheme Applicant
> Airline Interviews (Luton) easyJet
> Airline Interviews (Luton) continued easyJet
> Selections Confirmed to OAA easyJet
> Successful Applicants notified OAA
> Training Costs payable by first group Applicant
> First Group starts type training OAA
March 2010
> First Group available for base/line training easyJet
April 2010
> Last Group available for base/line training easyJet
1000hrs Monday 4th
Tuesday 5th Wednesday 6th Friday 8th Monday 11th
Thursday 14th
Friday 29th
Monday 29th
Monday 26th.
As you can see, the interviews with easyJet will take place at Luton. You should take note that they will last for up to 1.5 hours, with about 30 minutes of this focussing on what the airline describes as 'generic technical questions.' Some time spent between now and then brushing up on those ground training notes you hoped had been left behind for ever could therefore be time well spent. You should also, of course, ensure you are up to speed on the aviation industry generally as well as easyJet specifically. You will probably think I am pointing out the obvious but, regrettably, I have seen too many examples of good quality applicants missing job opportunities due to inadequate interview preparation. Being an APPFO graduate has got you this opportunity but you have still to convince easyJet that you are the person they are seeking, so sound preparation is key. We will, by the way, be sending 24 candidates for interview, but only 20 will go forward for training, so you must not assume that you will automatically be successful if your name goes forward to easyJet.
So far as the A320 type training is concerned, this will be undertaken at either our Gatwick or Heathrow centres. OAA instructors will cover the first 44 hrs with the remaining 8 being completed by easyJet themselves; all training will be using airline specific procedures. I will give more information on this, and subsequent activities including base and line training, when we notify successful applicants on Monday 21st .
On the issue of funding, a reminder also that although you have already provided written assurance that you have the funds available; given the increase now identified could you please reiterate your assurance as part of the confirmation that you still wish to continue with the application. You must also be able to pay the 10% deposit (£3,400) no later than 1200 hrs on Thursday 24th.
Please e-mail your confirmation response either to:
[email protected] or to:
[email protected]. As before, should you have any queries, then please feel free to include them with your e-mail, but we cannot guarantee an immediate response; please do not make telephone enquires at this stage as the staff here do not have the capacity to handle them whilst undertaking the considerable amount of administration associated with setting up this scheme.
I trust the above information will give you all you need to know at this stage. You will, I am sure, understand that the very tight time constraints, allied to the fact that final details of the scheme have yet to be confirmed between OAA, Parc Aviation and easyJet, necessarily limits what we can tell you at any given point, but I will provide further updates as we progress.
APPFirstOfffcerPlus does represent a new and worthwhile opportunity for you and we will be working with you over the next few weeks to ensure a successful launch.
Mike Langley
Director - Commercial & Employment Services
Oxford Aviation Academy
Oxford Airport, Kidlington OX5 1QX
'Parc Oxford