The above is all really good advice, and I would just add a little interview technique. Sorry if the following seems like common sense!

Don't be afraid to ask for a moment to think of the best example to a question-it's better to think and prepare than waffle! Also, they will offer you a glass of water. Take it as this can provide thinking time mid answer and also helps if you get a dry throat during the interview. Sounds basic but it really helps!

Oh, and also the question 'what have you been doing for the last 6 months as preparation for CTC' and (assuming you got feedback) 'was our feedback useful/how have you worked on improving, based on the feedback?'

Thanks
 

Thanks guys, appreciated!

Regards 'what have you done to prepare' if you were me, would you mention buying software to help me prepare for the PILAPT? Or should I totally ignore that.

If they ask be honest. I used skytest and told them during my selection and they had no issue with it.

Bryne11 send me a pm and I'll answer all the questions about the interview stage, being new to this forum I can't work out how to send pm's or even if I'm allowed to! Anyway get in touch if it is possible!

Thanks buddy,

I've send an email to yourself, i look forward to hearing any advice you have! :D

I've been looking through my notes, I'm comfortable on most questions. With the help of posts above I've been able to roughly prepare answers, which i'll try and make not sound prepared in the interview!

There's one that boggles me however, 'Tell me what a Pilot is about?' I assume the answer to this is talking the attributes of a pilot. Or is it hinting more towards daily life?

Learn both and then you're covered. As said before, if you prepare you will not fail. Practice PILAPT, prepare examples for interview.

If you aren't clear what they are asking in the interview then ask the interviewer to clarify what they mean, they can't expect you to answer if you aren't sure what you are being asked.

Byrne, I've replied to your PM as well.

Anyone here booked onto selection on 11th March?

You'll see my fine self there that day buddy.

An example of a day in the life of an airline pilot from report time to off-the-clock.

So all the pre-flight preparation and briefing (wx/NOTAMs, tech log, crew briefing) aircraft walk around and setup etc.

They want you to show you have knowledge and understanding of what a pilot does, other than just flying the aircraft (or monitoring the autopilot)

See you then! You travelling up the night before?

I'm still booked in for the 23rd Feb and looking forward to it!


Time to brush up on....well, everything :D

Hi,

I recently went for a selection day for one of the airlines and have been thankfully told I passed the day and interview but have to wait to hear if i have been shortlisted for the actual airline scheme, if i was accepted on the scheme I would definitely do it but i have also been told if unsuccessful i meet the standards for the White Tail scheme and can go on that unaligned to an airline.

If i was to do that the financial risk is obviously higher as i may not get a job at the end, i wondered what everyones thoughts were about the white tail scheme and typically these days if people ascertain jobs within a short time after passing, I know it depends on the current hiring market etc. but any advice would be much appreciated.

My other option may be to wait for another airline scheme and see if i am applicable for that i suppose. Any opinion would be great as I am just interested to hear what everybody thinks..

Thanks in advance...

Tricky decision. I've been through CTC and yes got the job, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without a serious amount of thought. Personally I have much more respect for those that go modular and get the job without paying way over the odds for the training! We live and learn though. As for current job market, it's very hard to say exactly. One thing I will say though, don't believe everything sales people tell you. Make absolutely no mistake, the people you talk to at CTC are there to do a job...sell places on the Wings course. If you look at recent photos on their FB page you will see the CPL/IR holders that went through the course recently...the majority are in the ctc uniform. What does that tell you? That they haven't (yet)got a job. If you can afford it then go for it. There's a good chance you'll go straight to the rhs of a reasonably shiny jet, and it's by far the easiest way to get there. I would not want to be left jobless with that massive amount of debt though. Remember, the basic cost (around 100K) does not include the cost of a type rating(around 30k). It's also a slow course, so you have a long time of not earning to think about as well. Takes around 18 months, plus another 2 for the type rating(ish). Modular that would be more like 12 months. No right or wrong decision, just go in with your eyes wide open. Oh yeah...one last thing. All the best.

Thanks TheManFromThatPlace useful advice, I think ill wait to hear about the airline aligned scheme then if unsuccessful have a difficult think.

Appreciate the advice!

I'm highly critical of a lot of the integrated courses and the FTOs, (as well as the kids who throw their parents money at a course like that with no consideration for the implications, and the parents who allow them to do so)...

but... in fairness to CTC, (and I asked this question of a friend who finished this year), the graduation they had (where most were in CTC uniform rather than airline uniform) was for all people who finished training and had completed their MCC in 2015. Once they finish the MCC then they are eligible to apply for airlines through CTC.

Assuming they are offered an airline selection day immediately upon applying, they usually have to wait a few weeks between being given the date and actually attending. Then assuming they are successful, they have to wait for the next type rating (and easyjet themselves now apparently have their own hold pool of CTC pilots who have passed EZY selection and are just waiting for a type rating date).
The wait from being offered a type rating date to actually starting may be a couple of months, setting up a big £30,000 loan for the type rating can take a number of weeks. Then the type rating itself is 2 months. You don't get your airline uniform until you're at the induction with the airline itself.

So that is potentially up to 6 months from finishing MCC to starting airline type rating. And I wouldn't expect it to be less than 4 months at an absolute minimum, assuming you have £30k ready to pay and get lucky with the dates.



So only people who finished their MCC by June could be expected to be at an airline and in uniform by December. Apparently of the ones still in CTC uniform, most of them had offers or start dates for type rating with the likes of easy, monarch, thomas cook and flybe. There were people who had no good news even after 6 months of waiting and applying though, but these apparently were the minority.





Having said all that, and made myself feel a little bit sick defending them, they are a business and they only care about profit. Much like airlines. They spend a hella lot on marketing, both advertising and marketing employees, so expect to be drawn in by all the shiny wonderful dreams they sell. And take it with a pinch of salt.



I would say if you are unsuccessful for one airline course, apply for another, and another. I believe you usually have to wait 6 months after failing one before you can reapply for the same one, but I think you can apply for the BA FPP, EZY MPL and Virgin MPL within 6 months of each other. Not 100% sure though.


But it's better to wait a year and be on an airline course with a guaranteed* job at the end rather than finishing then having to do the hardest part of all which is securing a job.


* Even on an airline scheme, the job is not guaranteed by any means. You have to meet all required standards throughout training. Only once you complete your line check are you "secure" as it were. (And even then you're still only as secure as any other pilot, if you consistently don't perform then you're at risk. But by the time you pass line check you're not likely to develop consistent problems that weren't already noted and fixed during line training) If you don't meet the requirements though, you'll get chopped. Apparently everyone knows someone who has been dropped by an airline, at all stages of training. I don't, but then I don't know many people from these schemes.

93k for CTC Wings + 30k for a type-rating now? :O Daylight robbery. If CTC can do exactly the same course/rating for 84k under the BA FPP scheme then how is an extra 40k justified? More importantly, who's signing up?

Wait a couple of years whilst maybe doing some gliding/PPL alongside uni/a job and apply for all the "sponsored" schemes you can. If you don't get in consider going modular - that's my plan/advice

I believe under the BA FPP scheme that once you finish the CPL/IR, then you're no longer CTC's "problem", and it is BA who fund the MCC and fund or provide the type rating.

At £30k these days for their type ratings, and £10k for their MCC/JOC, that is probably where the extra £40k comes from

True, if BA are funding the type-rating in full then that's 30k saved. I'm pretty sure the 84k covers the MCC though. And I wonder what an A320 rating actually costs Easyjet/CTC/other to provide......