BitMoreRightRudder

You need to look at it from CTC's point of view. One of the biggest concerns they have with any potential cadet is your motivation. New Zealand is a long way from home, the course is not easy and you will have non of your regular surroundings or friends/family around you when the going gets tough. So they want to see you demonstrate that you 100% want to do this career, as that is what will keep you going during the periods of the training that are tough and during the times you may doubt yourself - it happens to most guys on the course (whether they would admit it or not) and it's the fact that you are working towards your dream that keeps you going.

Don't get me wrong - if you love flying, want to be a pilot more than anything and have the right attitude towards the whole thing you will have a blast in a great country surrounded by like-minded people and you will come out of it with loads of good friends and the job you always wanted. But there were guys who quit while I was in NZ and it was because they were struggling with the course and it turned out they weren't that mad about being a pilot after all. That is what they will want to know from you - are you going to grit your teeth and deal with the low points or will you throw in the towell and cost them money in the process?

Look at it from their perspective and go into the interview knowing they want you to succeed and go to NZ, but only if they have no doubt you have the desire and motivation to last the course. Unless you feel ready and in a position to demonstrate this to them, delay your stage 3 for as long as it takes you to feel ready.

Best of luck to you, I'm sure you'll do fine

Bambe

Nice post man, simply nice!

dannyv

Well, I didnt get through stage 3. I'm not considered to re-apply either. Very gutted. Think I was nervous throughout the itnerview and didnt come across as i wanted to. End of the day it wont stop me becoming a pilot. I would have not better satisfaction then to come back in the ATP scheme and show them what they had missed out on. My advice to anyone taking stage 3 is to brush up on knowledge of their aviation partners and the planes they use etc. Wondering how everyone else yesterday got on?

adc3891

Sorry to hear that Danny. I'm figuring out from your username that it was you who was last to be interviewed...I didn't envy you having to wait around for that long but I guess there wasn't a great deal that could be done about.

I didn't get through either but they've given me the option of reapplying which I'm definitely going to take up and work on the areas where I've fallen short in the meantime.

I got the impression that all of us there yesterday had the passion to succeed and hopefully those of us who didn't get through and those who did will hopefully all make it someday.

Keep you chin up and use this experience to your advantage.

All the best for the future.

equinox_code

what sort of questions do they ask you about the partner airlines? i know who they are, but not much more. any other particularly unexpected or unprepared for questions?

i failed the maths test at phase 2 but get to resit at 3. does anyone know how similar the maths program available from cockpitweb is to the sort of questions ctc test us on? i'd rather not splash out til i knew whether it was of any use

PPL152

Research. Research. Research.

There are numerous posts here on typical questions asked at phase 3.
I've never been there and I can tell you that, from what I read here, they might ask you what routes the airlines operate to and from, their current aircraft, maybe their management, how do you think one particular airline compares with the other, what should that airline do to compete more successfully, and also they might ask you which airline you'd like to work for and why.

Don't want to sound like I've been through it all and I know a lot about it, but at least do make a better effort if you want to ace the CTC interview.

greywind

For the maths Speed Mathmatics by Bill Hanley is a good book to pick up to brush up on your maths skills.

Again though if you read through some of the posts you may find some other useful suggestions

socloss

Dont take this the wrong way Equinox_Code but I would suggest that you have ample info already from this thread to go onto the internet and do your research into these partner airlines. Print off everything you can find out about them on their websites from the 'About Us' section and everything else. Get base info, route maps and fleet info.

Then sit outside in the sun with your Aviators on and read it all and make concise notes. Buy a copy of Flight International too and read that through. Also workl out in your head why you want to be a pilot and what your answer will be. Know what a typical day in the life of a pilot consists of too.

Then have a cuppa and you will feel relaxed and ready for the grilling at Phase 3!

Sorted

config-2

Hi,
I've looked on the CTC website but can't find the answer. Does anyone know if failure on the selection process for the wings programme prevents you from applying for the wings ATP programme? As I cant see anything saying that it does, I would assume that no such prevention exists- but I just wanted to be sure.
Thank you for your help.

Sagey

Config-2 it probably depends at what stage you failed. ATP people take the PILAPT tests as well, so if you dropped out at stage 2, that might prevent you from progressing onto the ATP scheme but I guess it does depend on how you did overall. Stage 3, I don't really know to be honest, it is also the same for both Wings cadets and ATP people, although you can guess that the interview is more technical for ATP applicants.

Troy McClure

I'd have thought that demonstrating the commitment to getting a CPL and IR after failing to get through Wings would make you an ideal candidate for the ATP option at a later date. You've proved you've got the ability and determination that might have been lacking first time round.

The simple answer is apply (when it reopens) and see what happens. If 2 years have passed, they will no longer have your records on file anyway. Think data protection act prevents that.

equinox_code

another question from me

been trying to research the partner airlines, and recal a lady at phase 2 telling me that british airways was one of them. can anyone confirm this? i ask because it makes no mention of british airways on ctc's website

SA242

Yes, there is mention of BA on the site. Read the page link below.
http://www.ctcaviation.com/wings/0405.html

FlyingTouch

Hi Mates!

I'm proud to say I read the entire topic from its first page on! It took me so much time, but I think it was very informative and valuable. I think I will apply to CTC soon. Thank you to all who provided so much information to newbies like me

However, one question remains in my mind, as I'm not very clear where CTC (or airlines?) sponsors the course. Apparently, cadets should subscribe to a bond of £60.000 + NZD12000 for fundation course + £5000 per year as cost of living.

I appreciate the bond goes to the Airline when the cadet is employed, and I understand airlines pay £1000 back per month to the cadet as repayment of the bond, but when I look at EasyJet website about salaries, it seems cadets earn a lower salary than others (£26k vs £31k when frozen, then £32k vs £39k, probably as participation to training cost until the bond is paid back?).

Do I miss something or the £60.000 are actually the cost of a training which cadets must participate in? I would have entierly understood the sponsorship if airlines would not do any distinction between cadets and other pilots, but base a salary on seniority !

I don't know if my calculation is clear to anybody

Thanks for sharing your understanding of CTC's sponsorship!

MajorYaw

FlyingTouch,

Here's what I understand, as someone about to head down under.

You're right about the costs involved to the individual, and as others have confirmed to me, as a cadet joining EZY you are paid about £12k (before tax) less than a direct entry FO. That cash goes to service your loan, so yes, you effectively pay off your own bond. If you leave the airline, that £60k stays with you, whether you go on to flip burgers or fly rubber dog doo out of Hong Kong.

From what I understand, the course is "sponsored" in the sense that to progress beyond ME CPL/IR into advanced training, jet types, CRM etc a Partner Airline is brought in. You need to have passed eveything thus far to a suitable standard and may then still be subject to other Airline-specific selection procedures (or not, depends on the airline). Provided an airline is happy to take you for your 6 month probation period, they effectively "sponsor" the later stages of your training. CTC tell you that despite the £60k loan cadets are liable for, it costs a considerable amount more to fund an ab initio course that leads to the RHS.

greywind

As far as I understand it (somebody correct me if I'm wrong here) Easyjet pay cadet pilots £31K a year. The lower salary of £26K is reflective of them paying the bond payment for you.
So rather than paying you £31K and then having the bond payment come out of your bank it will go straight from Easyjet to the bank and you won't see any of it, just your £26K a year minus all that the government wants to take off you.

Wing_Bound_Vortex

I refer you to post 555 a few pages ago as to how the money situation works each month. Further to that, basically, as a cadet your pay is 12 grand less a year basic, then 12 grand is added tax free. That's what goes to paying off your bond. Obviously you've got another £7000 ish a year as sector pay on top of that.

So effectively you're paid exactly the same as a regular direct entry F/O ( actually it works out slightly to your advantage as you don't pay tax on that 12 grand ). This all goes into your account, there is no link at all between easyJet and the bank. Then you'll have set up a standing order that takes out the loan repayment the same day as your pay goes in.

So yes, the bond payment does come out of your account.
Bear in mind that with current rates you'll be paying a few pounds extra ( bout £40 at the mo ) from your taxed salary on top of that tax free £1000.

So to summarise, yes, you do pay for your training, but that's what you'd expect. Being on the scheme allows you to get the financing in place for the course with the minimum of hassle, that's the key.

WBV

RS999

This may seem like a very daft question but for the time that we are (or in my case, could potentially be) in NZ is it possible for Spouses and children to be there too (at our own cost of course)?

MajorYaw

Yeah it's possible to bring your partner out. Talk to CTC about this as it's mentioned in post-selection information.

You're basically free to make your own arrangements with regards to family, but your commitment to the programme remains the same as a single person, and costs per cadet beyond the ones covered by CTC are your responsibility. That's essentially how I interpreted it.

chrisychomp

Hi,

Im Chris and have been reading the forum for months without making a post-so heres my first:

I want to know more about the test conditions for Phase 2 (which I am due to take in July), I have read the 2 massive threads on the Wings programme but none really answers my following questions:

1) Is the entire test covered on a computer?
2) Are you in a office with loads of other people/distractions?
3) Is someone behind you breathing down your neck for the whole 1:15 min?

This is so I can mentally picture what the atmposphere will be like.

Thanks in advance

Chris