bjkeates

Jazmin82 - best bet IMO is train Southampton Airport Parkway - Christchurch then probably a taxi from Christchurch station to CTC. Not sure what public transport links there are from the centre of Bournemouth to the airport, but Bournemouth is further away than Christchurch and also you'd have to get a taxi from the airport terminal to the Eastern Business Park anyway.

jazmin82

Thanks for the information guys I should have plenty of time to spare.

I have a question regarding salaries and the speed at which you can progress with an airline. I am using EasyJet as an example as they have their salary figures easily available. (http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Jobs/Pilot/pilotrecruitment_oursalariesandbenefits.html)

If you are selected by EasyJet from CTC I can see that you start on £24,445 after you loan re-payments, this then rises to £32,740 when you become a senior First Officer. Does this happen as soon as you have over 1500 hours or does it work a general 'promotion' type system where the airline decides when you are ready (obviously this can only happen after 1500 hours flying). How long does it roughly take to get the 1500 hours?

Is it realistic with an airline like Easyjet to be a Captain within 7 years or does it take a lot longer? I believe that the contract with an airline for a CTC graduate is 7 years minimum before you can leave (without any financial penalties), so after this time do you remain on a cadet salary or would you automatically move up to the direct Entry Pilots salary? Presumably if they do not increase your salary at this stage there is no benefit to remain with them as you could move to another airline as a direct entry pilot on a higher salary.

I would appreciate any ones comments on my thoughts above, especially anyone who is working for an airline after CTC to clarify things for me.

Thanks,

Ben

Mooney12

I hear Citijet (owned by Air France, operate 146 type aircraft out of London City) are looking for 6 CTC guys...if they pass tough Citijet selection procedures of course....
The pay?
£15,500 basic and maybe £6000 in allowances if your lucky. (You enter as a Second Officer and have to unfreeze your ATPL to get promoted to FO. As they only do 650hrs a year that will take a while)
Pay rises to £18000 in year two.
Now, how are you expected to pay back £1000 a month on that wage?

Well obviously you couldn't. So that 65k debt starts to look more insurmountable than it already is!

EZYramper

I earn more then that as a baggage handler.

Where did you hear this?

Mooney12

Got hold of a CTC email that was sent to current cadets detailing the new "opportunity" to them.... (Im an ex cadet)
I think its amazing really, its 23000 euro basic (i.e. £15,500). Now, £12000 out of that after tax won't leave much!! So you'd effectively be getting about £2000 basic + some allowances.
You may as well beg on the streets.
This job is a brilliant opportunity for many people. i.e. those who have gone through the self improver route, have been instructing on light aircraft etc..
But cadets who have a £65k debt to clear. Don't think so.
This all stems from the fact Ezy have frozen training courses for the time being, so delays are going to be rife with CTC pushing loads of cadets through.

It should be noted though, that nobody is being forced to do this. It's just an option thats been presented by CTC to those interested

Fair_Weather_Flyer

What Mooney12 is saying is 100% true. At present (in my opinion) there are far too many cadets coming through the system, with the number of jobs reducing. If you enter into the WINGS scheme you must open your eyes to the fact that placement is far from guaranteed. Be careful, it's become a risky proposition.

Barcelona cadet

Does someone know where can I find a complete description of the FO duties?

Thanks

kieranmp

Surely there is an element of risk in training anyway. But for new cadets starting their training now for example, wouldn't be ready for placement for another 15 months. If you can predict the demand for pilots that far in advance I am impressed!! Easyjet have something like 100 aircraft on order surely they will need someone to fly them!?

mattkcraven

Indeed they do, but as FWF said it is a risky business and things are far from guaranteed. Then again in 15 months CTC may not be able to supply enough cadets to the airlines....who knows!

One thing still holds firm and that is you have to be in it to have a chance, just aware that a job may not be waiting at the end to walk into!

And on that note (as somebody in the application process), then once in the holding pool are you able to say start work in another job whilst awaiting placement? I have a short engineering background but could still walk into contract work if need be. Just keeping plenty of options open.

matt

Gator32

I've heard it on good authority that an easy trainer was quoted as saying that half the courses set aside for ctc cadets next year have now been cancelled. I've no idea whether this is due to overcrewing this year or whether the hold pool is bursting at the seams, but either way not good news for those coming through. Additionally with the recent merger of other partner airlines it could be a long wait for many & for those who turn their noses up at cityjet...

Bambe

Let's see the ecoconomics fluctuations, seem to be good for the next 10 years, but nobody can tell you for sure that every CTC cadet will find a good position.
As far as I can remember, none of those who completed the training are unemployed at that day and the past 10 years were probably the worst for a pilot's career.

As long as CTC keeps on training some new cadets (more and more year after year) we shouldn't worry that much...

Are some of you could tell us ow we coose the airline? Do we have the choice? Can we refuse an opportunitie for any reasons?....

Bambe-Phase 3 in 6 weeks

See you

EZYramper

Bambe - you don't choose the airline, CTC assigns you an airline according to their demand. You can turn down an offer but only twice (why would you want to?!).

With the mergers going through at the moment I don't think there has been much uptake from those particular partner airlines. However as things are consolidated hopefully their need for pilots will increase. I won't have passed through the system for nearly 2 years so I am optimistic that things will be different.

Is there a hold pool at the moment for WINGS cadets? I know there is for ATP cadets but I wasn't sure about the Wings course?

Gator - I wouldn't say ''turning your nose up at Citijet" but seriously, with £1000+ loan repayments a month, how on earth are you meant to live on £15,500 a year?!

one post only!

jazmin82, the promotion to SFO is automatic. Once you have 1500 hours TT and have completed a LPC you can apply to the CAA for a full ATPL. On receipt of this you are promoted to SFO. Depending on the timing of your sim check (LPC) will depend on exactly how many hours you have. As far as I remember you can claim up to 100hrs sim time so you can apply with 1400 hours. It will probably take between 18 to 24 months to get promoted.

At the moment it would be realistic to achieve a command within 7 years of starting. Maybe slightly less if market conditions are still good. After the 7 years you are transferred across to the DEP salary.

As I understand it you are allowed to leave at any point. There is nothing to force you to remain with Ezy for 7 years.

Hope this helps.

CraigR1989

Hi,

Just booked for my Phase 2 on the 11th September @ 09:30... Could any one let me know approx how long this will last for.

Live opposite end of country so need to sort out travel.

Cheers

Craig

GWidgery

I did stage 2 yesterday, and it lasted from 1 till about 4, so 3 hours long. So you'd probably be done by 12:30ish. The last part of the stage is tests, and different people work through them at different speeds, and you're free to go as soon as you're done, so the end time does fluctuate a bit!

Does anyone else have stage 3 on 3rd October?

tommy604

Hey everyone who sat their phase 2 yesterday. It looks like the dream has come to an end for me . For anyone who did get through good luck in the future.

To everyone else who hasn't yet sat phase 2 I will be posting further comments regarding this stage so you dont f*** up like me.

Off to drown my sorrows for now !

Irish_Stu

Bad luck Tommy.

Don't be giving up on the dream just yet, there are loads of other options apart from CTC! Use it as a learning experience to see where you can improve, and bear in mind that the CTC pilapt tests are quite a bit harder than a lot of the other schools...

tommy604

Thanks for the encouragement, any suggesstions on where I go next, somewhere which is not self funded as cash is an issue at the moment.

I also thought about the modular route but with my age I think time is against me. Can anyone HELP!

Shakuri

The only other major FTO's I would suggest to look at are, Oxford Aviation, Cabair and Flight Training Europe. However in terms of finance they are different to CTC and most likely you will have to take out a secured loan, though I know this isn't an option for some people, but they are the only other schools I can think of unless you go modular.

PPL152

Those are only a few of the many schools around. In fact those are the most popular and most mentioned. They are also the most expensive I guess.

If you want a cheaper route - you must go modular. This does not necessarily mean you will take longer than the integrated route. You can take even less. It depends on how much time you have to study etc etc.