It’s very true that there are lies, damned lies and then statistics, any statistic can be made to say anything that you want it to. 100% placement for CTC Wings cadets, try telling that to those who have been sat in holding pools since finishing their courses, unpaid waiting for placement with loan repayments approaching fast. Equally try telling the same thing to those that were placed for 8 months and were released, again now unpaid with loan repayments to service.
One thing to consider is that if you start today with CTC or OAA then you will qualify in about 18 months time, what will the recruitment/ placement situation be like then? If you know the answer to that one then please tell us, in the past Thomson have recruited their cadets from CTC but we are now hearing that the Company Council in Thomson have negotiated a deal where future cadet recruitment will be open to all with an MEIR regardless of where and how they trained. This is one less place for CTC to place their graduates, will other airlines that take CTC/ OAA cadets also employ a similar policy? Again no-one knows but an awful lot can change in the 18 months or so that you will be training and are you willing to gamble your property or the property of someone close to you to secure a loan for that gamble? It would seem like an insanely foolish risk to me, paradoxically pilots are supposed to be excellent decision makers who avoid risk but in order to qualify they have to make a huge risk and some very risky decisions.
Honestly CTC/OAA/FTE are great if you’re on a mentored scheme backed by an airline with the chance of a job at the end of it, otherwise in the current global financial and employment situation I would save my money.
By the way future-pilot, these comments are not just directed at you personally but at anyone considering their options and your English is very good.