Multi Engine Training at Oxford

[Aerospace101]

Hi

I understand that Pilots in training who are re-streamed off FJ to ME go forward to Oxford Aviation Training at Kidlington/Oxford Airport.

What do students do there? aircraft/sim/hours/ground training?
How long does the course last?
How often does the RAF send students through there? and how many?

Many Thanks

[Phil_McCrevis]

Hi Aerospace,

I'm in that situation and have been given a date for Mexoc @ Cranwell. So I guess not every1 is going. Although I understand there are places at Oxford this year for said ppl.

[6foottanker]

Aerospace:

At the time when 45 Sqn at Cranwell were changing to the King Air (end of 2003), there was an enormous backlog of studes waiting for the course there. So when I and several others were restreamed from Valley (and a couple from the end of Linton), we were sent to Kidlington for a MEXO course. We lived at Brize, commuted daily to the airfield. Groundschool was the common core METS groundschool, 4 weeks done at Cranwell. We had a couple of days of it at Oxford, but it was really for them to find out what we knew, and if there was anything we wanted to know.

The flying consisted of around 30 hours on the PA 34 Seneca, twin prop bag of sh1t! It was all single-pilot ops, which meant we were flying and doing the radios and navigation every sortie, similar to basic flying training. We would go up on a trip with another person from the course in the back. We landed away, or swapped in the air, so we got a sortie done each on each trip.

There are 2 instrument training sims which are cockpit only, and they had just installed some new PC based training aids which were based on flight sims.
The course began with a few hours general handling to get used to the aircraft and to reacquaint us with prop aircraft (it was a while since the bulldog!). Lots of square circuits and engine failure drills were next, and then a solo GH trip, and 2 night flying sorties. This was followed by progressive instrument and procedural flying, the main thrust of which was to prepare you for the 'FHT' which was the civvy instrument rating. This involved getting airborne, joining airways near Bristol, flying to somewhere like Filton or Cardiff for an ILS to go around. There then followed an engine failure, the drills and a diversion to another airfield for a non - precision approach (NDB) to overshoot into a visual circuit. Once this was done, there was a bit of an instrument scannex, followed by some turns on the e2b compass.

After that was passed (not a guarantee!), we burnt up a few spare hours going to places like Alderney, Liverpool and Belfast to build up our experience, all very relaxed and chilled.

The flying course was followed by a week of multi crew course groundschool, and then a week of 5 boeing 737 simulators, which was really very good experience, and introduced us to the multi-crew environment.

Before we left, we had a dream sheet to send to 45 Sqn back at Cranwell, and we left to go back for our streaming once we had finished the course. The whole experience at Kiddy lasted about 3 months, but it went quickly as we were effectively our own bosses, with no RAF instructors with us!! The tuition was solely by a group of ex-raf instructors flying for the school there, most of which were multi engine guys with CFS qualifications, and in the main were very good. There was none of the 'Student filth' attitude that we used to get at linton, and in fact the chicks there quite liked some 'professionals ' swanning around in flying suits! We were treated very well by all the staff.

The chief instructor looked after us, and we were told we would almost certainly a) pass the course, and b) get our first choice of front line aircraft, which bar 1 person was true. I sure did!!
On my course were 4 guys, the next course had 5, and they started about 2 months after us, and were flying there at the same time. There was a bit of a break for a while, but I know loads of people have since been through the course. There were also a couple of course before us, but they finished before we got to Kiddy. It may have changed slightly, but the basis will be the same.

Hope I've satisfied your curiosity! Any more info you require, feel free to ask!!

6' :ok: