Right then, in order;
Humpty - Thanks, that's what I wanted to hear, the swear words have been ommitted from the original in 'Word' and it does look better (even if it's not as accurate an account of what went through my head when I stood on the ramp and looked up at the 75 for the first time!!!). The couple of typos were quite a few and it probably needs reading through by the missus now as I've been through it a few times and can't see any more. Ah yes, my age. Well as you can tell I'm rather bashful, but I'll add it in to the original and let you lot work it out for yourselves (I was born in March 1967).
Tarmach - I looked at the 509 schools as I thought that getting the CPL/IR issued asap was my best move (ie at 250hrs as opposed to 700hrs non-509). I chose OATS because Prestwick had bad weather, I'd never heard a good word said about Cranfield and they were the ones who wanted to stitch me £6k for a PPL and the one at Bournemouth had such old aircraft that a friend of mine had spent nearly 9 months trying to get his upgrade finished! So from that point of view it was an advantage, but don't believe the 'it'll look good on the CV bull'. It doesn't make the slightest difference. What does make a difference is how many hours you have total time and the quality of those hours. Oh, and by the way, give my regards to Guilford; the wife used to love shopping there!
Si - If you are taken on 'direct entry' you are paid from the day you start, no matter how they use you. If however you join via CTC you are not paid until six months after you officially start (which I think is after sim training is complete) They do pay the CTC cadets Flight Duty Pay and expenses which you can support yourself on, but only just.
Ham - By ray dome I mean the nose cone on the pointy end which houses the weather radar, so you may well have found another typo! Death rays are only issued to training captains and above..............
GSXTY - hey, less of the 'wobbly', I like to refer to it as 'temporarily unstable'
