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Old 25th Sep 2017, 21:57
  #18 (permalink)  
gbotley
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: UK
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Adding my two cents;

Anyone considering training with any FTO should always do their research regardless and thus not choose based on one's glossy brochures. As a trainee at the so called "sausage factory" come L3 giant, I would say it's' little more than growing pains off the back of changes at the Lufthansa owned facility in Arizona. As those in the industry well know, EASA/CAA admin takes time and I suppose Florida can't come online soon enough.

In respect of the negative comments on here; yes.. I do worry as a Whitetailer as the state of the industry and that's coming from someone soon to leave NZ for the final few bits of training. In honesty though I see this extending far beyond L3 and more towards attitudes of airlines themselves. They seem to be gradually moving away from integrated whitetail-esque courses and to MPL etc. This shouldn't be new news to anybody, BUT, where easyJet's relationship with L3 and other schools appears to be changing is the point at which they come on board with a cadet. Those familiar with this scheme will notice easyJet is 'tagging' cadets from the get go and, I imagine, are therefore able to improve their forward planning in the sense they can go "Right, we have x amount of MPL coming on line on this date and x amount of Route 3's to join them this many weeks after". L3 is certainly full of tagged cadets at the moment with various coloured lanyards around the place.

The growing pains will subside in time, but I think it's more down to the route you take to the carrier really. If I were to start a course today I would seriously question the Whitetail investment especially since the largest recruiter at one specific school has slowed recruitment from the pool - perhaps down to the reasoning I gave above. However, you have to consider that British Airways have yet to actually take the majority of their DEP recruits from the orange bus company and when they do I imagine the industry will once again be asking for pilots. Take this and easyJet's future part-acquisition of AirBerlin into account and the future arrival of A321 Neos and I can see recruitment continuing down the road.

Do the research, consider your options, speak with people in training organisations as much as their marketing people and make an informed decision. Airline loyalty with flight schools can come and go as quickly their loyalty with ground handling agents to be honest. In fact, many airlines now recruit directly anyhow, so irrespective of school you'll be against the wider market anyway. The placement pools at certain schools are great value-adds, but are by no means the only routes in to carriers so don't be blind to that.

All the best
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