OATS-Oxford......

[AILERON TRIM]

Good Day Mates,

My question to you all concerns the new Integrated Course started by OATS. Do they really give cadets from top notch airlines such as BA preferential treatment, or do they treat sponsored cadates and self-sponsored students equally? I plan to attend this school very soon as a self sponsored student...so I am asking the opinion of those who are currently there as self-sponsored and those who have left recently. Do they still send there students to the US for the intial phase of training? If so...where to? How is the instruction both in the air and the ground? Is it worth the money?

Does anyone attend or knows someone who is doing the JAA Integrated Course at Western Michigan Uni? If so...please drop me a mail....all opinions are welcomed.

Finally, if there are aany pilots from the Caribbean among us...please drop me a mail...I have several questions and advice to seek...thanks!

All opinions are welcomed....thanks

[superman]

I qualified from oats last year and thought like my fellow self sponsored classmates that we were given a second class service. The technical subjects were very well taught as there are many ground school instructors for these 6 subjects, but when it came to the Nav subjects we kept losing quality instructors to our sponsored counterparts. It became very frustrating as sponsored students tended to be really pushed and given the best a/c and flying slots and there would be no more than 3 students with a flying instructor whereas we were sometimes 5 students to one. When it came to starting the Twin flying I had to wait 3 wks before i was given a slot whilst sponsored students were rushed through and some finished the twin trainig and IR in 3-4 wks being given 2 slots a day. Now there is a reason that sponsored students get lookde after, its because if they don't finish the course on time oats get fined by the airline and with the airlines sending their cadets its repeat business and oats do their utmost to keep them happy even if it risks p****g off the rest of us. Oats has got some great instructors who know the situation and try their best to help but in most cases you have to constantly push to get things done even to the point of arranging slots and tests which is very frustrating and tiring.

[CaptWinky]

Well I left OATS just over a month ago, and though there was talk in the self sponsered camp about students getting preference I never really saw it or experienced it, except once when I went to the person responsible and laid my position down and things were smoothed out quickly and quietly no problem :)
You have to be able to stand up for yourself if you don't then as with many things in life people will walk over you.
As for the twin course I passed Prog 4 (final singles test) and was on twins effectively the next week.
I am not singing the praises of OATS totally but I found that they did their jobs well and as soon as I land my first job I am sure i will feel I got value for money :)

p.s. sorry about the spelling :b

[This message has been edited by CaptWinky (edited 20 April 2001).]

[tailscrape]

Gosh, we've heard this old chestnut on here before.....I left OATS last July.

I never experienced any such problems in Groundschool or Flying Syllabii. In fact, I and a good few others on my course actually finished ahead of several BA cadets from the course ONE MONTH AHEAD of ours.....

The one problem is that OATS are no good at helping you get a job. But, they (and the world for that matter) DO NOT owe any of us a living......

If you look hard enough you will get the breaks eventually. I did and so have others. Not everyone admitedly, but there are jobs about for self sponsored.

Back to the subject: It would appear at OATS that the more you want it, the more chance you have of getting it. But, that is life isn't it.

No Problem surely?

[Chirpy Pilot]

Left last July myself. I think Oxford is the best of the bunch, and I agree that BA cadets got preferential treatment. Best Nav ground instructors BA cadets got and also they where allocated a twin instuctor per two cadets. Self sponsored students, had a ratio of 3 students per flyig instructor hence the sponsored guys leaving before the seld sponsored. They do sod all to help you look for emloyment, unless you pass all exams in excess of 85%, and pass every flying test first time. Very few sponsored guys can claim to do that. Still, Oxford still good on your CV, and only took me 6 months to find my first airline job

[Anti Freeze]

OATS have only just started using one of its ground instructors to find pilots jobs, you must have a good record though (dont make waves, or upset them, even though you pay the dosh)

However and there is always a however they will not touch any of thier students that have left more than 6 months ago, Why?

I would like to know how many of them they are, not just from OATS, but all schools, maybe you would like to post if you have left in the last 6 months, to see how many.