View Full Version : College start dates, holidays etc.
smellysnelly2004
5th Nov 2006, 19:30
Hello all,
I'm due to start at Hurn in March and have some questions that hopefully some helpful chaps/chapesses can answer.
Firstly, I got my medical certificate from the CAA last week but have heard nothing from NATS. Presumably the CAA inform NATS or is that something I should do?
Secondly, I spoke to HR about a start date and provisionally it is March 25th but obviously they are still sorting out the Dec course at the moment. My question is this - the in laws have asked if I want to go on holiday with them at the end of May but I can't say yes because of not knowing when the breaks from college will be. Anyone know if the terms are a standard length? How long before the first holiday is there and how long is the time off????
All help gratefully rec'd
:ok:
250 kts
5th Nov 2006, 19:59
Suggest you give any thoughts of planning a holiday in the 1st year a miss.
Yep, forget the holiday
Rgds
AyrTC
smellysnelly2004
5th Nov 2006, 20:51
Thanks guys!
Because of the workload?
Also, anyone shed any light on the medical stuff?
NATS have nothing to do with the medical. CAA will inform them you have passed, and from now on it's your responsibility to ensure you renew it and inform the CAA Medical Section if you have any doubts as to its validity.
On other other question, yes because of the workload perhaps, but also because depending on which course you get selected for, the dates are different (without even considering the possiblity of having to resit exams/courses etc).
smellysnelly2004
6th Nov 2006, 06:29
Thank you muchly people.
foghorn
6th Nov 2006, 12:57
Just to expand on what has been said, you'll get holiday, but it will be on prescribed dates depending on what course you are on and what discipline you are streamed into. However no matter what discipline you do, the leave will be subject to cancellation at short notice, particularly if recourses are needed, so don't book anything (as I found out the hard way having to forego a trip to the Costa due to a medical recourse).
So you can go on holiday, it'll just have to be a last minute type thing.
smellysnelly2004
6th Nov 2006, 16:30
Another college question if you don't mind,
I've printed out MATS part 1 and found a couple of previous posts that disagree in how useful learning/reading this would be for the college.
Any advice on which parts to concentrate on or any other pre learning that would be useful. I'll be a bit of an old duffer at 28 when I start and it will be the first full time education for 10 years so I could do with a decent headstart!
I would hesitate to recommend attempting to understand the MATS pt1 before arriving at CATC. Personally, I'd go for some of the AFE PPL study books, on Nav, MET, R/T etc. That would give you a good aviation grounding rather than trying to decipher a document which many ATCOs have problems interpreting!
jay_hl
7th Nov 2006, 10:57
MATS = CAP 493 = Manual of Air Traffic Services Part 1
Can be found at CAA WEBSITE - CAP 493 (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP493Part1.pdf)
GT3 was trying to be funny. :=
jay_hl
7th Nov 2006, 11:06
OH :D
Note to self: In future, never take GT3 seriously :ok:
:ugh:
fly bhoy
7th Nov 2006, 15:33
GT3 was trying to be funny.
I'm not so sure!!!!:} ;)
FB:ok:
Whilst I am a man of distinguished wit.
I really do not know what Mats1 is :confused:
smellysnelly2004
11th Dec 2006, 07:08
Ok, whilst I underatand now that it would be arrogant to book a holiday during breaks my wife is making noises about making sure we have time off together.
From what I can gather the basic course is 3 months (12 weeks?) long and then followed by 2 weeks gap?
Quincy M.E.
11th Dec 2006, 07:55
Yep, well ours is/was.
With the greatest respect smellysnelly you wife will have to get used to a hell of a lot of sacrafices over the next 2 years or so between college start and validation. Life as a trainee atco isnt all I can do what I want when I (or the wife) wants. I understand where she might be coming from but there is a real expectation for trainees to work damn hard and make some choices that in the short term those outside work may not like.
Best of luck at the college
fly bhoy
11th Dec 2006, 10:02
With the greatest respect smellysnelly you wife will have to get used to a hell of a lot of sacrafices over the next 2 years or so between college start and validation. Life as a trainee atco isnt all I can do what I want when I (or the wife) wants. I understand where she might be coming from but there is a real expectation for trainees to work damn hard and make some choices that in the short term those outside work may not like.
Best of luck at the college
Couldn't agree more. There is some time off factored into the course, but i'm afraid it'll be your wife who has to organise her leave around yours and not the other way about, but thats only for the first couple of years.
Its all worth it in the long run though, and the amount of time off after validation more than makes up for it.:}
Stick at it and good luck.
FB:ok:
smellysnelly2004
11th Dec 2006, 11:32
Thanks for the honest replies people. I do appreciate that sacrifices have to be made in the short term and there are some things I'l just have to suck up and get on with. Was just trying to make things easier for Mrs Smelly - already moving away from friends, leaving job etc :{
Will have to think of some other ways of making her happy;) ;)
Thanks again guys
Ryan