jb5000

I'm not sure how you could possibly call CTC anything other than 'spoon feeding'?!

- Flights/transfers/accommodation to NZ booked for us.
- Flight case containing headset/pens/ruler etc. given to us
- Uniform ordered for us
- PPL theory instruction given
- Mass Briefs at every stage of the course. (Never see that at a PPL school!)
- Each flight's objectives publically available so you knew exactly what to expect
- Laborious solo 'sign out' procedure
- Flight with an instructor every 3 flights during the solo hour building phase
- Online ground school for us to do whenever we wanted to. (Don't forget how everyone moaned when they actually had to come into the airport rather than sit in Clearways and do it).
- Don't even get me started about BGS! That's more duck foie-gras style feeding.
- IR profile after IR profile after IR profile in BOH. I went to Alderney for my IR, my 170A and the two flights before it. (As well as in the sim a month earlier)
- AQC to get us ready for a type rating.

Quote from JM (CP39) : "I just turn up when I'm told and do what I'm told", after revealing he didn't actually know what priviledges an IR would convey.

Yes, I appreciate it was 'hard work', but it was a sausage-factory and the resources available meant that you could get away with thinking about life on a week to week basis, if not day to day.

Personally, I don't see the advantage of making life difficult for yourself and have no opinion as to whether modular or integrated makes you a better pilot.

'Spoon-feeding' is most definitely not an insult, it's just occasionally dished out by the 'you had things easier than me so I'm a bitter old man' brigade. (WWW excepted, of course...!)

air_wolf

it was total spoon-feeding, from start to finish.
has to be one of the most pointless discussions i've seen on pprune tho.

any ideas what the ctc hold pool is up to now? must be around the 100 mark.

The African Dude

Nowhere near, air_wolf - less than a third of that figure. Plus, quite a few cadets have been placed recently.

Which is always nice..

bjkeates

I suppose it depends on one's interpretation of the word.

When it was first mentioned, it sounded like cadets were being accused of turning up, paying a lot of money and being given a licence for not very much effort, input and application.

I prefer to think of it as paying a premium to take away a lot of hassle!

EZYramper

The hold pool currently consists of CP's 47 48 and 49, no?

That's about 36 cadets if I'm not wrong.

air_wolf

where are cadets being "placed"? BA arent taking anyone, nor are monarch as far as i know. can only be going to thomas cook or easyjet type ratings + 6 months line training (then shown the door?)

if you take all those who have finished the wings course and dont have permanent contracts in the right hand seat of a jet must be way more than 36. hope im wrong.

sharpclassic

When you say cadets have been 'placed', have they been given proper placements or are they on course to Shaftsville via the FlexiWings scam?

I don't believe that there are only 36 cadets waiting to be placed after those who were let go at the end of last summer are taken into consideration.

PAJ

36 is fairly accurate. Another 10 or so are likey to join the holdpool at the end of the month though. Communications from CTC indicate that those released after line training have mostly either already found alternative employment with other carriers or they have an interview coming up. Aer Lingus have invited 13 for interview I believe. TCX took 8 on a year long contract initially, all of whom are now on the line. TR's are on-going at present on both the A320 and B737NG.

air_wolf

does that 36 include all those sitting in the BA hold pool? must be a fair few of them. and are easyjet still taking on cadets for 6 months then just dumping them?

bjkeates

easyJet's - and BALPA's - communications to staff (including an e-mail to me personally from one of the BALPA company council reps) indicate that any intake for 2009 will be through the FlexiCrew 'initiative'. I have no idea how many this affects, or whether it takes into account those who were on the 737 type rating with easyJet before FlexiCrew was announced.

Also it goes without saying that being invited for interview does not guarantee a job nor constitute removal from the hold pool...

BitMoreRightRudder

bjkeates have you got something else sorted since ezy let you go? If so well done. Any idea how the other guys are getting on, I knew a few of the guys who were with us up in LPL....

bjkeates

Yep, I'm one of the lucky few to have done. I know a few others have as well, but to the best of my knowledge there will be a fair few going back in summer on FlexiCrew (although will stand corrected if anyone has different info). Check PMs shortly...

PAJ

Not 100% on whether that includes the BA lot - either way, as long as circumstances don't change, they will be on TR in the next fortnight.

Chilli Corneto

I'm very very apprehensive over this 'Flexicrew Initative'.

As someone that is intending to join a course in 2009 I would not wish to sacrifice all that money, time and effort into being trained as an airline pilot, only to be offered part time summer work at the end of it.

If I wanted a part time summer job I would have trained to be a life guard and gone down to Cornwall every March - September!

At least I would be a bit slimmer!

air_wolf

BA type ratings in the next fortnight - would be amazed. where did you get that info from?

sharpclassic

BA are not doing any pilot recruitment before the end of March and that is a fact. Thereafter, they are going to review the situation and see how many, if any at all, they need. Im pretty sure that goes for both newbies and DEPs

PAJ

Its not a BA type rating, it's another CTC one.

Wee Weasley Welshman

This is a total guess, not defamatory, call it an hysteric rant by a mad man...


There's at least 60 in the CTC hold pool and the number will grow by a dozen a month until I decide its safe to by a Porsche again.


This will be some years into the future.


WWW

The African Dude

WWW: not quite that number, but getting closer when you start including ATP pilots in the figure. Wouldn't you prefer a DB9, though?

Wee Weasley Welshman

What? Some Ford engineered Arab owned piece of 1950's nostalgia? Not likely.

Anyway. I'll be unemployed as the Depression wipes out airline after airline so hold pools and supercars will all become somewhat academic.

People have no idea how bad this will become.


WWW