Remembering all the details regarding the aircraft is time consuming but certainly not impossible.

Look at the way the info is displayed, some of the descriptions jumple and waffle the info a bit rather than cutting to the chase. (Intentional?)

Eg "Seating on the A300 252 and on the A300-600 a maximum of 375 standard seating is 266. :hmm:

This can be re-written as Seating: A300 - 252. A300/600 Standard - 266 Max - 375. :ok:

Sooo... if your prepared to (I was) think like a journalist and cut away the chaff and re-write the info and attach a photo or two. This really makes it less daunting and easier to remember. I can do all the Boeings now and it took me aprox 7 hours to learn them, and there the ones with the most info....

When you get accepted to the college you have to learn 400 bits of information about 50 different aeroplanes. I have done 300 bits so far off by heart, so yes it is possible...it just takes time and effort...don't forget that when you get to the college you have to appreciate being there otherwise you will get complacent! Study EVERY opportunity you get!!!!

now that is a fun game - struggling to get over 130 at the moment :( grrr

Wait, what? Since when? I didn't know there were 400 bits to know about a plane.

And I would say that "Study EVERY opportunity you get!!!!" is a little over the top. Our course did a fair bit of group studying when approaching an exam. But we also did a fair bit of drinking & socialising at the weekend (and sometimes during the week after summatives had finished ;)). Work hard and play hard but most of all do it as a group and you'll be fine.

NATS - Heathrow House
 

Kitkat86 - for someone driving from near Heathrow, I wonder why u would go all the way to fareham a day before for stage 1 when you could book for it at Heathrow house; which should be more cost effective and time efficient?

Heathrow House dates are available just in case you were not aware from the 9/10/09

A question for new starters :

are they still streaming new courses into Area / Aerodrome, or is it just Area at the moment ?
Heard a rumour that the Aerodrome requirement might have been met for the time being.

(Heard other rumours about the Aerodrome courses too... But best not get carried away just yet, eventhough this is still, after all, a news and rumours forum) ;)

I think its more or less decided ad-hoc when you get onto the course depending on projected/present requirements, so I'd imagine you just have to wait and see. I'd be suprised if they were training no new aerodrome controllers... but who am I to know. You could ask HR, they might be able to give you an answer.

I was down for an aero course starting this october but it was cancelled. We were given the opportunity to switch to novembers area or hold out until jan for another aero one.

Currently I beleive there are spaces on the november Area course. The next Aero course is January as Octobers was cancelled.

Go on, what are the other rumours about aero (since I am currently booked onto the Jan course).

Hi guys. I'm Shaun from Ayrshire. Must say, absolutely fantastic forum. Picked up some brilliant points. I have my stage 1 at Prestwick this coming Friday (11th September). Having spent a good few days reading through the document ... hardest part being the whole list of aircrafts! Suppose I better get used to it. lol. Could anyone tell me roughly from stage 1 how long the application process takes. I'm aware of the different steps, but how long does it take? I simply can't wait as its been something I've been looking forward to for months now! Be on here more often as well I think to see how everyone's getting on.

I've got my stage 1 at Prestwick this coming Friday too. Good Luck!

ShaunL
 

Its a combination of yourself (how quickly you want to proceed following each stage) and HR (if you can make the dates they have).
Bear in mind process time for results (up to 15 working days).

Aircraft - plural. :ok:;)

What's this about the Feb Aerodrome Cse being brought forward to Jan? I'm (at least I was) pencilled in for the Feb course. How certain are we of this?

Pretty certain, I was told 18th jan is the start date. But no one mentioned that it had been brought forward at all..

Hi,

With my stage 3 coming up i was looking to do a tower visit. Stansted is closest to me. Can someone please tell me how to arrange this.

Thanks

Seb

Hi everybody,could anyone tell me how far is Heathrow house from Heathrow airport?,I would like to know if it is possible when I arrive to the airport the day before to have a look where the test will be,thanks.

ShaunL
 

Related to the application process,what do you mean? the test?

SebbyK,

I've just been arranging a visit to Southampton control tower. There doesn't seem to be any centralised process for it, but if you can get through to the staff at the tower in question I found them to be really helpful. In the end I just phoned the airport help desk, got the number for the admin office in the control tower, and left a message for the watch manager. They got back to me that day and arranged a visit for the following week (though I had to cancel because of swine flu :\.. but I'm just waiting for a call today to confirm they are ok for me to come in this week). If you explain that you are sitting the selection tests they are quite understanding and happy to help.

Shaun L,

When I sat my stage 1 the lady overseeing the tests told us it generally takes most successful candidates about a month per stage (so three months). But this will depend on how fast you want to progress (i.e. do you take the soonest available date as soon as it is offered... or do you take it at a slightly more leisurely pace). Also depends on how fast HR process your results at each stage, they can take the full 15 working days (3 weeks), which obviously slows things down a little, or on the other hand if you're really lucky they can get then back to you super quick (think someone said they got their S2 results back on the same day!)

Once you've got your S3 you've also got to get your medicals and security clearance and then wait for the next start date at the college (think they said they run 4 courses a year, so if you're unlucky that could be a 3 month wait, meaning the whole process could take over 6 months from S1 to starting the course)

Whitelighter...I don't think there are any more spaces for the November Area course. I say this because two weeks ago I passed my medical and was put on the Area course for February.

VFFX
 

Good to luck to you also. Make yourself known to me, good to get to know people. Probably wearing black trousers and white shirt with a tie. Pat 42, definately take the earliest available date. Aircraft .. not aircrafts ... thanks for that. :ugh: :ok:

Interview Process
 

Hi Guys,

Quick question....I am applying at the end of October, as this will be a year after my first attempt where I fell at the last hurdle :bored: :confused:...anyways they have changed the selection process slightly with Stage 2 at Whiteley for a day of comp tests and then stage 3 at one of there centres for interviews...whereas last year stage 2 was held at NATS headquarters for computer tests and the interviews all in the one day.

I was just wondering if NATS pay you for you to travel to Whiteley for stage 2 and then for Stage 3 to travel to one of there operational centres?? Its just they paid for my stage 2 last year but the comp tests and interview was all subsidised to 1 day??

Thanks very much

Cheryl :p

Cheers for the replies everyone ... and for my english lessons lol. VFFX please make yourself known on Friday, I'll be wearing white shirt and black trousers. I was thinking about maybe phoning Glasgow Tower (which I believe is a NATS run tower) and asking for a visit ... would anyone advise this? Cheryl, hows best to get the far south of England fronm Glasgow ... I'm far from you.

Hi ShaunL,

Where abouts in the England are you wanting to travel to??? Last year when I sat my Stage 2 it was based at NATS Headquarters at Southampton I flew down which was the easiest and cheapest option.

Cheryl

Thanks. It was Whiteley I was thinking about for Stage 2. I see that Swanwick train station isn't far away, but would cost an arm and a leg! Just thinking ahead thats all. lol

Hi ShaunL

Nothing bad about planning ahead!! Whiteley is where I went for my stage 2 last year and I managed to get a flight from Glasgow, return flight for about £120 im sure. And I flew down the night before and got a cheap hotel to make sure I was awake and fresh for the day!! But I would recommend flying. Do you know if NATS reimburse you for your travelling expenses for stage 2 as they did so last year?? I got my money back about 4 weeks after stage 2.

Cheryl

Shaun - If you fly to Southampton apparently there is a free shuttle bus to the CTC from the airport (I don't know the details, but you can read back through the thread to find them). I don't think flights from Glasgow are too bad price wise if you book far enough ahead and don't mind travelling at slightly obscure times of day, but you're probably still looking at over £100 :uhoh:.

I think you have to get through to stage 3 now before they offer reimbursement for travel expenses, there are certainly none offered for stage 1 and I'm fairly sure I read that it was the same for stage 2.

"Cheers for the replies everyone ... and for my english lessons lol. VFFX please make yourself known on Friday, I'll be wearing white shirt and black trousers."

Lol! I aint Columbo mate! Reasonable to believe a lot of people will be wearing a white shirt and black trousers! :ok:

Myself, Im male, medium height, medium build, brown hair, no distinguishing features - can't miss me...

Roll on tomorrow for Stage 3. Good luck for anyone else going tomorrow and see you there

For those asking- i made my initial application on March 17th 09, and Found out on August 15th that i had passed stage 3.

Needed another month to book a medical appointment and answer security questions, as well as obtain exam results- going right back to GCSEs!

Have been offered a start date on area for the beginning of feb unless i want to start aerodrome where i might start January. LIkely that the whole process will have taken at least 10 months by the time i start college.

Expect it to take 3 years from point of application before you fully validate.

Does anyone know where you would go for stage 3?? Or where the nearest option would be from Glasgow??

Cheryl

Stage 3 dates all currently seem to be held at the Swanwick LACC, presumably to give candidates a tour as part of the programme.

I've booked my Stage 3 for the 19th October. Will anybody else be attending on the same date?

Thanks ILS RWY27L

So if you are applying from Scotland then and you are required to go to Whiteley for Stage 2 and then Swanwick for Stage 3...do you only get reimbursed then for Stage 3??? :rolleyes:

Also the 24 page NATS info that you can obtain from the NATS Careers site, is this info for Stage 1?? And does anyone know if you get supplied with further NATS info leaflets after stage 1, for 2 &3?? :confused:

Thanks

Cheryl :)

Pugwash...were you given the option of area or aerodrome? I was told aerodrome for January was full so I've been put on area for Feb.

Hi folks...

I've got Stage 1 at Heathrow on Friday, but due to the death of a friend, I'll be unable to go as the funeral is on Friday.

When I clicked on the link that was on the invitation email on Monday night, the 9th Oct was available at Heathrow, but after getting into work yesterday morning, and checking that I could have that day off, the date had ben removed. On the invitation email it says I can contact them on the tel number below, but there is no number.

I emailed "HR ServicesRecruitmentATCO at NATS. co uk" yesterday to let them know, but they still have not replied. I'm a little worried as the previous two emails that I have sent to them have been answered within half an hour. I have just emailed them again, but was wondering if anybody had the contact number so that I can give them a call. The last thing I want is to be unable to contact them and they think I just havent turned up to the tests.

Thanks
Inchy

i was sort of given an option! They said thar aerodrome was likely to be full by the time i had passed medicals etc, but i could possibly delay if i REALLY wanted aerodrome.

As it is i'm really not fussed and am quite happy to go on an area course- want to be based at Swanwick if i possibly can be!

Re accommadation
 

Hi
i had my s1 there a couple of weeks ago i would reccommend staying at de veres hotel its really nice and inexpensive. they have a lesuire centre and restaurant on site so you dnt need to travel, and its only 20 mins from the centre. good luck

stage 2
 

Hi
was just wondering for s2 i know that there are more cubes and maths, but what else is involved? Just wondering as want to prepare as much as possible
thanks

Not much you can prepare for stage 2 really. It is a case of reading the instructions and doing the tasks!