OAT / Bond Helicopter Ab-Initio sponsorship
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Aberdeen
Age: 37
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See you guys there as well
Was up at dyce last weekend to have a quick look at the helicopters. They really are magnificent machines. Congrats to everyone else who made it to stage 2.
Was up at dyce last weekend to have a quick look at the helicopters. They really are magnificent machines. Congrats to everyone else who made it to stage 2.
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Seems I may have been feeding you duff gen - sorry!
Just came back from the cinema to find my Stage 2 acceptance in my Inbox - sweet!
Hope to see some of you lot down in Oxford, once testing dates are confirmed.
Just came back from the cinema to find my Stage 2 acceptance in my Inbox - sweet!
Hope to see some of you lot down in Oxford, once testing dates are confirmed.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Leeds
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Just found my invite to stage 2 this morning. Get in!
It doesn't seem that there are many of us who didn't get through to stage 2.... or maybe it's just that those who didn't get through don't feel like posting it all over the internet (because I could understand that)!
L A
It doesn't seem that there are many of us who didn't get through to stage 2.... or maybe it's just that those who didn't get through don't feel like posting it all over the internet (because I could understand that)!
L A
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: UK
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Hi Folks,
Yep I got through too.
Look forward to seeing you all there in a few weeks.
Does anyone know how many people will sit the skills assessment per day?
Also, anyone know any info about Bond's pay structure? No worries if not, as it seems they 'anticipate' being able to give this info at stage 2.
Cheers,
Pete
Yep I got through too.
Look forward to seeing you all there in a few weeks.
Does anyone know how many people will sit the skills assessment per day?
Also, anyone know any info about Bond's pay structure? No worries if not, as it seems they 'anticipate' being able to give this info at stage 2.
Cheers,
Pete
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Airspace
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There is 12 places up for grabs lads and this was not a big competition as is proof as OAT are only running the assesments for one week and they only do about 5-8 people every 2 days.
Have heard a whisper that bond would like 20-30 people for final interviews
Have heard a whisper that bond would like 20-30 people for final interviews
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Aberdeen
Age: 37
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Think im going to have to do a marathon train trip down. 2 day courses soon become 4 days when you've got to travel from Aberdeen. Anyone else coming down from Scotland?
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Yep, coming down fae the West coast!
Might be stopping at Gatwick for a Class 1 medical beforehand, or have other business to attend to down south, so at least the trip will be 'worthwhile' - not that the OAT testing isn't worth going down for though!
Might be stopping at Gatwick for a Class 1 medical beforehand, or have other business to attend to down south, so at least the trip will be 'worthwhile' - not that the OAT testing isn't worth going down for though!
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: 50°-60°N
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Happily through too, look forward to meeting everyone there for st 2. Can't complain at OAT for getting answers out ahead of the game, even if it makes my earlier comment about their timings look a bit silly 
. Too chuffed to care !
. Too chuffed to care !
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: UK
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There is 12 places up for grabs lads and this was not a big competition as is proof as OAT are only running the assesments for one week and they only do about 5-8 people every 2 days.
Have heard a whisper that bond would like 20-30 people for final interviews
Have heard a whisper that bond would like 20-30 people for final interviews
20-30 for final interview sounds about right, but i'd have thought there'd be a lot more than 50 that passed stage one?!
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Earth
Age: 35
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The less the better!! 
I'm really looking forward to it, even if i don't pass stage two, which may be likely, it will still be a good experience at aptitude and psychometric tests etc...
First time i'll have done anything like this!!
I'm really looking forward to it, even if i don't pass stage two, which may be likely, it will still be a good experience at aptitude and psychometric tests etc...First time i'll have done anything like this!!
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Leeds
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It's going to be interesting sitting in a room full of my fellow candidates and thinking to myself:
'I wonder which one is Snowy Owl?' and 'Is that Scottish guy Taffer?'
I think you should all wear name tags revealing your PPrune pseudonyms!!
I guess I'll either drive down or get the train.
L A
'I wonder which one is Snowy Owl?' and 'Is that Scottish guy Taffer?'
I think you should all wear name tags revealing your PPrune pseudonyms!!
I guess I'll either drive down or get the train.
L A
haha.Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Manchester, UK
Age: 42
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Bond Sponsorship Package + SAR
Hi everyone, just joined this site, so go easy on me 
.
How gutted am I - I came back from a trip to the US Coast Guard and totally missed the application date for the training by 3 days! I shall keep a sharp eye out for future developments. Best of luck to all those who are fortunate enough to get through!
FYI (a reply to a post by FlyBoy a while ago), the SAR activities in the UK will be undergoing a period of change in the near future (I've been privileged enough to be a part of the UK SAR force conferences). As you may know, SAR at the moment is done by RAF, RN and CHC. The CHC contract is called "interrim SAR", because it only lasts until 2012. The schedule is for a PFI called SAR-Harmonsation to come into effect from 2012. This is currently out to tender with the bid consortia - all the major players are there (CHC+Thales, Brisow+FBH, Bond+AugustaWestland).
This means that the intention is for SAR operations to be moved away from military ownership. Military aircrew WILL be part of SAR-H, but the exact proportion of civil-military is unknown (it'll vary from bid-team to bid-team) - it will be vastly reduced from that of the present. If you're ex-military, you'll be needed whoever wins the bid. If you're civvy, once the bids go through, there could be a big drive to suck aircrew into SAR from other areas (you may need 500hrs as aircraft captain I think, but don't quote me on that), depending on how the winner decides to staff and run the AirStations of course. Current plans (I think) are to keep all current SAR locations running, with these Civy owned, jointly manned aircraft running from there.
Just to keep everyone informed, and a little bit of speculation on my part in the last para there
.
good luck everyone
bigjim
.How gutted am I - I came back from a trip to the US Coast Guard and totally missed the application date for the training by 3 days! I shall keep a sharp eye out for future developments. Best of luck to all those who are fortunate enough to get through!
FYI (a reply to a post by FlyBoy a while ago), the SAR activities in the UK will be undergoing a period of change in the near future (I've been privileged enough to be a part of the UK SAR force conferences). As you may know, SAR at the moment is done by RAF, RN and CHC. The CHC contract is called "interrim SAR", because it only lasts until 2012. The schedule is for a PFI called SAR-Harmonsation to come into effect from 2012. This is currently out to tender with the bid consortia - all the major players are there (CHC+Thales, Brisow+FBH, Bond+AugustaWestland).
This means that the intention is for SAR operations to be moved away from military ownership. Military aircrew WILL be part of SAR-H, but the exact proportion of civil-military is unknown (it'll vary from bid-team to bid-team) - it will be vastly reduced from that of the present. If you're ex-military, you'll be needed whoever wins the bid. If you're civvy, once the bids go through, there could be a big drive to suck aircrew into SAR from other areas (you may need 500hrs as aircraft captain I think, but don't quote me on that), depending on how the winner decides to staff and run the AirStations of course. Current plans (I think) are to keep all current SAR locations running, with these Civy owned, jointly manned aircraft running from there.
Just to keep everyone informed, and a little bit of speculation on my part in the last para there
.good luck everyone
bigjim
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
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I'm new to PPRUNE so apologies if I'm repeating stuff you guys already know............
I guess I'm another lucky one who has been accepted for stage two. I'll be at OAT on 1st and hopefully 2nd October.
Congrats to everyone else who has made it through and look forward to seeing some of you there.
When I phoned to confirm my place I was told that they were expecting around 70 candidates over the week.
Rumours from contacts at Bristows Academy seem to imply that they are expecting four to six Bond candidates on each of three intakes next year.
So I guess the maths would imply somewhere between 12 and 18 places up for grabs.
I guess we'll all have to just wait and see what happens.
Good luck to everyone concerned
I guess I'm another lucky one who has been accepted for stage two. I'll be at OAT on 1st and hopefully 2nd October.
Congrats to everyone else who has made it through and look forward to seeing some of you there.
When I phoned to confirm my place I was told that they were expecting around 70 candidates over the week.
Rumours from contacts at Bristows Academy seem to imply that they are expecting four to six Bond candidates on each of three intakes next year.
So I guess the maths would imply somewhere between 12 and 18 places up for grabs.
I guess we'll all have to just wait and see what happens.
Good luck to everyone concerned