CTC holdpool (ATPers)

[londonmet]

Was the co-pilot job on a business jet for CTC's own new business jet venture?

[ReallyAnnoyed]

The 6 month contract is standard and has, to the best of my knowledge, always been used. It is up to the operator to decide whether or not they want to keep the pilot after the 6 months, but if they decide not to keep him, then the pilot will have a TR with several hundred hours on type with no bond and CTC will help with placement in another airline.

Some of the charters have used the guys for 6 months and then let them go as winter season approached. EasyJet has kept all of its CTC pilots after the 6 months and offered permanent contracts. In fact, a bunch of guys who flew for Thomas Cook under the CTC scheme just joined us in November this year.

So, be happy I went through the same scheme, but at a time where there was about a 1 week wait between finishing the AQC and starting the TR. I have only good things to say about CTC that provided me with an easy entry into the elusive first job with less than 200 hours.

[Fly_My_Pretties]

To be fair to CTC the 6 month contract was made pretty clear right from the beginning so its a bit late to be complaining about it now. In regards to the Jet2 scheme check their website for details; however it seems to be a fairly standard HSBC loan, 3 year contract and a bit deducted monthly from your salary after the bond is passed to Jet2. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is a common way for low hours pilots to get a big jet job and certainly something to be considered. Whether this is better/worse than the normal CTC 6 month contract is a matter of debate.

Happy to be corrected by those more intelligent than myself

[Troy McClure]

at a time where there was about a 1 week wait between finishing the AQC and starting the TR.

ReallyAnnoyed - sounds like you need to change your user name. Spare a thought for the rest of us who've waited up to 60 times longer.

Come on, let's get me moved up the list to be snapped up by Easyjet in the new year. I feel a surge in the industry coming on......

[ReallyAnnoyed]

Troy McClure, I may remember you from such threads as... My choice of username has nothing to do with CTC but with pprune, actually. The system asked me to register as it thought that I had viewed too many threads So, as I could not be bothered to delete cookies I caved in and created a username instead of lurking in the darkness. That really annoyed me

Hang in there. You will get placed by CTC all of you And yes, they are right at the manor: After a year of flying airline you will all be whinging pilots

[Troy McClure]

Be right there with you soon buddy.

[Fly_My_Pretties]

Thanks for the positive outlook Annoyed. I think the frustration from the holding pool is understandable under the circumstances, however as long as there is movement and guys are starting to get interviews there is light at the end of the (very long) tunnel. That makes me a happy bunny .

On a related note would anybody who has successfully been through the holding pool recommend reading material or have any revision suggestions for the interview? Obvious question I know (ground school notes, Flying the Big Jets, specific airliner info etc...) but any advice gratefully received.

p.s and in relation to an earlier post, yes the business jet job is for the CTC venture.

[ajd1]

TOM/FCA pilots are being told no pilots joining the airline from CTC or anywhere else.

[pushapproved]

After the recent 'outburst' everyone has gone strangely quite again?!

[cortilla]

i'm wondering if the holdpool is suddenly looking decidedly empty at this moment in time.

[Fly_My_Pretties]

Not empty but certainly emptying.

In addition to the First Choice/Jet2 stuff already mentioned 10 swimmers will shortly be starting 737 type ratings for a 6 month contract with Easyjet. Combined with all the other opportunities that became available in the last couple of weeks that should mean a total of 17 swimmers leaving the pool.

All in all very good stuff. As the Guinness advert tells us, good things come to those who wait

[Troy McClure]

So Easy are still recruiting for the 73's - thought their plans were to go all Airbus. Let's hope they want a few more in the new year - I must be in the top 6 now if all that's been said is true.

[flan]

easyJet's website states that they are starting courses some time in early to mid 2008 for people already in the hold pool, who may have been waiting already for 12 months or more, and if current pilots on type apply now they may have to wait until probably 2009 for a start date.

My question is why would easy be taking non typre rated pilots with NO jet experiance, with such a delay already with typed guy's and girls in their own hold pool.

Do you think CTC may have agreed some type of deal with easy to get some people out of the CTC hold pool before the wheels come of this course?

flan

[ReallyAnnoyed]

Any airline prefers to have a mixture of experience, as it will reduce bottlenecks. If all pilots have the same number of hours they all need the same thing at the same time e.g. a command. A spread of age is also desireable.

Anyway, be happy to join easy although it is on the tractor The fixed roster really IS nice! The money is not bad either after the 6 month initial period. Bad news is that you will get either LTN, BFS or NCL but you can apply later on for a type conversion if you prefer other bases without any pay cut. However, you will be bonded though.

[pushapproved]

Quote: "Bad news is that you will get either LTN, BFS or NCL"

When you've been in the pool long enough, none of the bases are bad, maybe less desirable than others!

[Fly_My_Pretties]

"Do you think CTC may have agreed some type of deal with easy to get some people out of the CTC hold pool before the wheels come of this course?"

My bold.
Do we have any evidence that this scheme has problems? My understanding is that delays have been caused by consolidation (First Choice/Mytravel, Flybe/BAConnect) either releasing pilots in to the traditional airline partners (i.e. BAConnect staff to Easy) or reducing the partners immediate requirements. This is unfortunate but hardly unknown within our industry and not CTC's fault.

I know its easy to be negative about the delays; I've been as frustrated as anyone else over the last twelve months. However I think we should look positively on the recent developments and remember that CTC makes money out of putting pilots in airlines, NOT by putting them through AQC courses. I'm off to do the Easyjet 737 rating soon and can't wait. In the end CTC has given me the opportunity as a low hours pilot to get in to a jet job and that's worth its weight in gold. It would of been nice if things had been quicker, and I certainly know guys who have given up on waiting and done other things, however thats the nature of the industry we've decided to join.

Good luck to all those starting the 737 ratings and hoping for many new opportunities for the rest of the guys in the pool. CTC has kept its promises to me so far, I see no reason why this will not continue for others in the future.

[cortilla]

yes there have been alot of frustrations from everyone in the last few months, but as FMP says, this can hardly be blamed on ctc. The industry has experienced alot of consolidation in the last year, and as we all know it is never recruitment needs that drive recruitment, but rather the finance side who purely look at cost vs benefits.

I believe a significant number of holdpoolers have been taken up in the last few weeks with partner airlines. Yes it was quite a while, but all good things come to those who wait. Also as FMP says it's the best way for a low houred person to get into a jet job without paying for a type rating.

[Superpilot]

So

When's the application page for CTC ATP opening up again? Now that there's supposedly 20 something people left swimming.

[test]

In response to Fly-my-pretties remark about CTC not making money from not placing pilots. In fact they charge for interviews, sim checks, and over the odds for an MCC course. Like all the training organization's the bank balance is very rosy making money from students wanting to live the dream!
They will all be doing deals with the airlines to get their pilots in as do Oxford, It is big business and I wouldn't be at all surprised of a few back handers going in the right direction's. Good luck to those in the pool as I am sure you will get jobs, but a lot of money is generated from those not getting through at any stage, just look at the volume of applicants. Sounds like a CTC email to me!

[cortilla]

excuse me, uhm feeling a bit embarrased but i seem to have lost my towel. I do apologise gents but am in particular need of it at the moment. i do believe i left it around the corner just under the springboard.

Yes yes, i'm out of the pool. Happy days