OAT / Bond Helicopter Ab-Initio sponsorship

[hollingworthp]

For those of you interested in helicopter training - OAT's site has this posted today.

http://www.oxfordaviation.net/bond/bond_info.htm

[flyboy1818]

Pay 30K to do PFI Search and Rescue over the North Sea, you have to be joking!


Guys if you wanna fly Helicopters then join the RAF, Navy or AAC, its just as dangerous, and you won't have to pay to train, plus the training will be better!

I know people will have a go at me for saying the above, but sorry its just true and someone had to say it sometime soon!

[Adios]

Flyboy,

I don't disagree that military flying could be great, but there is the small problem of how bloody hard it is to get one of those seats. Of course, these could be just as hard to get, so it comes down to whether or not one considers themselves cut out for the military lifestyle or not. I don't think it's for everybody and fortunately for those of us who depend on the military to keep us free and safe, neither do the services. As professional flight training goes, £30K is a damn sight less expensive than almost anything else out there though.

[G-HALE]

Well said adios :ok:

[flyboy1818]

Guys I'm not trying to create any competition here.

Just trying to make anyone who is looking aware of the other options available. Considering the fact the nature of flying that Bond do its well likely to be closer to Military flying than to Civil VIP Helicopters. The lifestyle will also be very Miltary at times, as Bond have many Helicopters based on Oil rigs.

A large majority of Search and Rescue services will be outsourced under Private Finance deals during the next five years, effectively leaving Bond and a few others to fill the gap.

You as a cadet are likely to end up in this role, and this is why I think its a right Con. Previously you would have been a well looked after and respected member of the Military, now you have been reduced to paying for the honour. I'm sorry but this is not the same a paying 30-90K for fATPL fixed wing/Helicopter and then going into a job flying pax or cargo around. Pilots of this type have always paid for their training.

Thats my 2 cents thats all. If you wanna apply goahead and good luck, but I would advise a serious look into the Military first.

[Bravo73]

flyboy1818,

I suggest that you wind your neck in and leave your comments for matters that you actually know something about.

but sorry its just true and someone had to say it sometime soon!

Nope, little of what you have said is actually 'true'.

The majority of the cadets from the Bond scheme will go straight on to 'crew change' duties. ie flying too and from the rigs, changing the crew. Very few of them (if any) will go on the Jigsaw contract.

And how on earth can you compare this type of flying as being 'just as dangerous' as military flying? The conditions might be a little bit rougher than you are used to in your armchair/bedroom but North Sea pilots (of any flavour) rarely get shot at. :hmm:


Considering the fact the nature of flying that Bond do its well likely to be closer to Military flying than to Civil VIP Helicopters.

What a load of tosh. How much do you actually know about what Bond do (compared to either military ops or onshore charter)? Have you actually ever been in a helicopter?



A large majority of Search and Rescue services will be outsourced under Private Finance deals during the next five years, effectively leaving Bond and a few others to fill the gap.

The MCA contract (which I presume you are refering to) has actually been awarded to CHC, not Bond. And rest assured, any SAR ops are not the place for a 200hr newbie.



I'm sorry but this is not the same a paying 30-90K for fATPL fixed wing/Helicopter and then going into a job flying pax or cargo around. Pilots of this type have always paid for their training.

That is exactly what the job will entail. Shipping people and things to and from rigs. It's as close to an airline that the helicopter world gets.



but I would advise a serious look into the Military first.

Judging by how wrong you've been so far, I doubt that anybody is going to take your advice on any topic. :ugh:

[hollingworthp]

Whilst military training is no doubt a suitable route for some, others may not be inclined to shoot and be shot at. For them, this may be a viable option once they have researched it adequately.

[clanger32]

Further, some may simply not be able to pass the military entrance requirements....for those with a burning desire to fly rotary, either civvy or military, clearly paying £0 is a better option financially speaking, but paying £30k [as opposed to >£100k as my very limited knowledge of Rotary goes] is a good second...

[Propellerhead]

Fair to say Flyboy1818 has just taken a direct hit to his gearbox from Bravo73and has been shot down in flames :) Mayday,Mayday....... Hope he's better at avoiding fire in the desert!:}

[scruggs]

Well I for one think it's a great opportunity and hope/look forward to seeing schemes akin to this in the not too distant future!

Bravo73 - nicely done :ok:

S.

[Adios]

There is of course that other tiny little matter that if you had a cold at age 5, the military will fail you on their medical exam. Heaven forbid if you should have less than perfect vision.

[L A James]

This looks like a great opportunity, thanks for posting Hollingworth as I'd missed the ad.

Flyboy: sunk and destroyed! Shut up, you muppet. How can you consider SAR flying to be 2nd rate... I've only ever been in a Sea King once but it was enough for me to appreciate the skill needed to maintain the hover in strong wind for long enough for the air loadie / winchman to haul people out of the drink.

Bravo, Bravo!

L A

[Flingingwings]

B73,

Couldn't have said it better meself :ok:

Any option that helps guys and gals get a foot on the ladder is good :D

Flyboy with what appears to be a postage stamp sized wealth of experience please do enlighten me about onshore VIP work :E Or elaborate your thoughts, given that many (but not all) onshore VIP pilots are Ex Mil.

You are however right that there is always 'one' :ugh:
I know some excellent civvy trained pilots and some lousy military trained pilots and unsurprisingly your generalisation helps nobody.

[L A James]

How many of us have applied for this, I wonder?!!

As an experiment, post a reply if you've applied... I bet this will become a 10 page thread at least!

"In case you're wondering, the plaque for second place is in the ladies room" !!

Good luck everyone.

[snowy_owl]

I've applied for it :O lol, i just got my NPPL from the air cadet (well De Havilland to be precise) 'John Cunningham' scholarship, so i've been looking all over the web for sponsorships etc, CTC didn't want me lol, but hopefully someone will say they're interested.

Having only flown fixed-wing aircraft i'd love to try helicopter flying, never been in one but they fascinate me! I saw a bond super-puma practicing at dundee airport. - They're very skilled pilots to keep it in a hover with 20kts crosswind!

[Adios]

A crosswind makes little difference to a rotating wing, especially whilst in a hover!

[snowy_owl]

Meh, still looked impressive lol. The pilot kept turning it 90-degrees and hovering, then another 90, etc etc.

[r44flyer]

Hovering crosswind can be tricky, but even more so on twitchy little things like the robo.

As for the Bond scheme, it's an excellent opportunity for anyone who wants to get their foot in the rotary door. Funding this training yourself up to ATPL level costs far, far more than the equivalent training for fixed wing, and when you think about the hoo-ha that goes on over people paying £60k to fund their own integrated trainingon planks, you can imagine how virtually impossible it is to get started in the rotary game without financial help or taking the military route.

As for offshore work, yes it'll be tough, yes it's in the North Sea, yes the schedules and shift patterns may not be to everyone's liking, but it's a first job and should be treated as time served if you're dreaming of bigger and better things.

[snowy_owl]

Has anyone heard back from OAT yet?

[Taffer]

No, but Stage 1 (initial 'sifting') isn't complete until 6th Sept, next week.

Patience, young padawan.

Will be interesting how many applicants they get compared to the NJ/Excel/TC schemes. Will the thought of flying with 16 stone roughnecks instead of tidy young stewardesses be enough of a draw? :ooh:

[snowy_owl]

i'm sure a couple of oil drillers would be up for being your 'air hostess'!! :bored::eek:

yeah it says you can get a reply up until 6th sept! Didn't know if they'd send the 'no' ones out fairly quick!?

[L A James]

I'm still waiting, wasn't expecting a reply until Sept 6th... it'd better be good!

L A

[BusinessMan]

In my experience with OAT they'll usually let everyone know at a similar time, via email, usually about the day they said they would, not earlier. Could be wrong on this one of course but that's what I've seen before.

[snowy_owl]

OK cool cheers, well its only 3 days away now anyways.

On holiday in rhodes so i'm all chilled about it!! :ok:

[mash240]

Hey all,

Ive also applied - so another pair of crossed fingers here :)

[Chukkablade]

Considering they are charging money (£150?) to sit the 1st stage application, I'd expect a lot of bodies at that event.

[BusinessMan]

It's stage 2 that they charge £195 for, and I expect there'll be as many as keen as always to pay for the chance at stage 2 ... I hope to be one of them too. Cracking scheme.

[mash240]

I had the pleasure of speaking to a Bond Eurocopter EC135 pilot yesturday whilst at a fundraiser for the air ambulance. Just thought id share that :8

[Chukkablade]

Errrrr, yeah, cheers for that Mash. I'm sure you made a big impression on him to.:confused:


I AM SOOO GLAD I HAVE LOCKS ON MY DOORS AFTER SEEING SOME OF THE HUMANITY THAT POSTS ON THIS INTERWEB THINGUMY!

[mash240]

Alrite, behave Chukkablade.

I apologise for sharing information i thought was relavent.

Surely you would consider talking to someone who is in the position you aspire to be in as quite valuable.

[scruggs]

It’s just your post didn't really have much of a point. It would be like me posting:

"I had the pleasure of speaking to a complete stranger yesterday whilst walking down a street I've never been down before, right at the top of the street just on the left. Just thought id share that".

You could have at least said how the conversation went, if he mentioned the Bond sponsorship scheme, if he gave you any advice etc.

S

[Chukkablade]

Scruggs, nail, hammer and head there mate.:ok:

[mash240]

My plan was to see if anyone was interested in our conversation - but since you seem more eager to criticize than to gather info, perhaps ill refrain from sharing.

[scruggs]

I'll indulge you then. Please share your conversation with us. Tell us everything! Don't leave out a single detail!

S

[Taffer]

Had a look at the application page on the OAT website again - the Initial call for 2nd Stage Selection is 6th September, so that ties in with what others have been saying.

Expect your letter/e-mail on Thursday.

And your bank balance to decrease massively if you get through. :uhoh:

[mash240]

It would appear that OAT are telling people a tad earlier...just got my email :} see you guys later on this month :ok:

[G-HALE]

also made it to stage 2! But am having second taughts about the whole thing! Im 19 and in college, how on earth am I gonna get the £30K? :ugh::{

[Chukkablade]

Good man Mash, best of luck:ok:

Hopefully, with the sense of humour back on, you can see what Scruggs and I were getting at:}

[mash240]

I dont really know a great deal about bank loans and such, but when i went to my bank tday to discuss a 30k loan they were more than helpful.

They suggested different ways of going about it - and im only 18 !

Just go in and have a word :ok:

[mash240]

Cheers Chukkablade

You and Scruggs may have had a point :rolleyes:

[scruggs]

Hey mash240 - congrats mate! And congrats to all the others progressing to stage 2 as well.

Best of luck!

S :ok:

[snowy_owl]

Woop Woop - see you guys/gals there!! :D

[Tom W]

See you guys there as well

Was up at dyce last weekend to have a quick look at the helicopters. They really are magnificent machines. Congrats to everyone else who made it to stage 2.

[Taffer]

Seems I may have been feeding you duff gen - sorry!

Just came back from the cinema to find my Stage 2 acceptance in my Inbox - sweet!

Hope to see some of you lot down in Oxford, once testing dates are confirmed.

[L A James]

Just found my invite to stage 2 this morning. Get in!

It doesn't seem that there are many of us who didn't get through to stage 2.... or maybe it's just that those who didn't get through don't feel like posting it all over the internet (because I could understand that)!

L A

[mash240]

To be honest - i thought there would have been way more people posting that they did get thru...

How are you guys gettin down there just out of curiosity ?

[petethebeat]

Hi Folks,

Yep I got through too.:)
Look forward to seeing you all there in a few weeks.

Does anyone know how many people will sit the skills assessment per day?

Also, anyone know any info about Bond's pay structure? No worries if not, as it seems they 'anticipate' being able to give this info at stage 2.

Cheers,

Pete

[petethebeat]

Whoops - just noticed that there are answers to my questions already posted in another thread. Sorry!

:oh:

[G-HALE]

There is 12 places up for grabs lads and this was not a big competition as is proof as OAT are only running the assesments for one week and they only do about 5-8 people every 2 days.
Have heard a whisper that bond would like 20-30 people for final interviews

[Tom W]

Think im going to have to do a marathon train trip down. 2 day courses soon become 4 days when you've got to travel from Aberdeen. Anyone else coming down from Scotland?

[Taffer]

Yep, coming down fae the West coast!

Might be stopping at Gatwick for a Class 1 medical beforehand, or have other business to attend to down south, so at least the trip will be 'worthwhile' - not that the OAT testing isn't worth going down for though!

[BusinessMan]

Happily through too, look forward to meeting everyone there for st 2. Can't complain at OAT for getting answers out ahead of the game, even if it makes my earlier comment about their timings look a bit silly :O. Too chuffed to care !

[petethebeat]

There is 12 places up for grabs lads and this was not a big competition as is proof as OAT are only running the assesments for one week and they only do about 5-8 people every 2 days.
Have heard a whisper that bond would like 20-30 people for final interviews


5-8 people every 2 days? That's a lot less than I'd thought. That would suggest that no more than say 40 to 50 of us made it to stage 2.

20-30 for final interview sounds about right, but i'd have thought there'd be a lot more than 50 that passed stage one?!

[snowy_owl]

The less the better!! :ok: I'm really looking forward to it, even if i don't pass stage two, which may be likely, it will still be a good experience at aptitude and psychometric tests etc...

First time i'll have done anything like this!!

[L A James]

It's going to be interesting sitting in a room full of my fellow candidates and thinking to myself:

'I wonder which one is Snowy Owl?' and 'Is that Scottish guy Taffer?'

I think you should all wear name tags revealing your PPrune pseudonyms!!

I guess I'll either drive down or get the train.

L A

[snowy_owl]

Tell you what, i'll wave crazily in the 'waiting room' lol, and if you see me then you know thats me!!! :} haha.


Maybe we should make up a secret hand-shake!?

[bigjim_SAR_Nut]

Hi everyone, just joined this site, so go easy on me :rolleyes:.

How gutted am I - I came back from a trip to the US Coast Guard and totally missed the application date for the training by 3 days! I shall keep a sharp eye out for future developments. Best of luck to all those who are fortunate enough to get through!

FYI (a reply to a post by FlyBoy a while ago), the SAR activities in the UK will be undergoing a period of change in the near future (I've been privileged enough to be a part of the UK SAR force conferences). As you may know, SAR at the moment is done by RAF, RN and CHC. The CHC contract is called "interrim SAR", because it only lasts until 2012. The schedule is for a PFI called SAR-Harmonsation to come into effect from 2012. This is currently out to tender with the bid consortia - all the major players are there (CHC+Thales, Brisow+FBH, Bond+AugustaWestland).

This means that the intention is for SAR operations to be moved away from military ownership. Military aircrew WILL be part of SAR-H, but the exact proportion of civil-military is unknown (it'll vary from bid-team to bid-team) - it will be vastly reduced from that of the present. If you're ex-military, you'll be needed whoever wins the bid. If you're civvy, once the bids go through, there could be a big drive to suck aircrew into SAR from other areas (you may need 500hrs as aircraft captain I think, but don't quote me on that), depending on how the winner decides to staff and run the AirStations of course. Current plans (I think) are to keep all current SAR locations running, with these Civy owned, jointly manned aircraft running from there.

Just to keep everyone informed, and a little bit of speculation on my part in the last para there :8.

good luck everyone

bigjim

[snowy_owl]

Hey,

When are people's interviews starting? I'm on the 28th!

Has anyone stayed in oxford accomodation before?

[BusinessMan]

Anyone else heard? I've not been given a date yet

[Capt Budgie]

I'm new to PPRUNE so apologies if I'm repeating stuff you guys already know............

I guess I'm another lucky one who has been accepted for stage two. I'll be at OAT on 1st and hopefully 2nd October.

Congrats to everyone else who has made it through and look forward to seeing some of you there.

When I phoned to confirm my place I was told that they were expecting around 70 candidates over the week.

Rumours from contacts at Bristows Academy seem to imply that they are expecting four to six Bond candidates on each of three intakes next year.

So I guess the maths would imply somewhere between 12 and 18 places up for grabs.

I guess we'll all have to just wait and see what happens.

Good luck to everyone concerned :ok:

[BusinessMan]

I just spoke to Claire at OAT and she advised it could be a couple more days before they finish notifying everyone of their stage 2 dates. With so many other guys posting what dates they're going I was beginning to wonder if Hotmail had swallowed my email, wouldn't have been the 1st time :bored:

Best of luck to you guys going next week

[snowy_owl]

First set of interviews must be over by now.

Was anyone from here on the first lot? - If so, did you enjoy the 'experience' or was it dead hard? Also how many other people were there?

[snowy_owl]

Hey, is anyone at oxford tonight for tomorrow's assessment??

[BusinessMan]

Sorry mate, I'm not up yet

Anyone staying Saturday at Oxf, whether for the Sep 29th group or the 30th group? My assessment starts Sunday morning so staying the night before on site. Anyone else doing the same who wants to grab a quiet meal that eve feel free to PM me - gonna be a dull evening otherwise :)

[Capt Budgie]

I guess they're trying to keep the pprune'rs seperate!

I'm going to Oxford tomorrow night for the Monday session.

Anyone gonna be around Sunday night?

Hope you guys that have already been got on ok.