Hi everyone, I'm going to face for the CTC cadet pilot interview program next month. I went last time and got knocked out from the 2nd interview. They told me to improve on my group activity and the 1 on 1 interview preparation. I think that they will change the questions for the final interview this time so if anyone can help me with the questions they gonna ask , it will be a huge favor for me.. Thank you.

i.e. I can't be bothered to do any research myself so could people on here please collate a list for me.

Google non-technical skills and competency based interview questions. There's your help.

You'll be sent a link a couple of weeks before starting.

I suggest you sign up to the question bank 'aviation exam' now though and have a quick scan through it. The QB CTC issue is not as good.

CTC vs OAA FO employability rates + airline choice
 

Hi, been trying to create a thread, possibly not required after posting on here..

I'm looking to start the CTC whitetail program (integrated ATPL) in the upcoming months, I've saved up half the fee for the course and will be borrowing the rest.

I have a couple of questions if someone can help..

1) Is the success rate of CTC as good as they state? I have spoken to several advisors and have specifically asked if the stated 98% of graduates placed within the first 2 months have secured jobs as FIRST OFFICERS, the response was YES.

2) Would I get preference in terms of the airline I want to fly for once I've completed the course. I prefer Monarch due to their routes and FREE TYPE RATING. Which brings me onto another question, would I be better off at OAA for specific airline selection. I will be tight for funds after sparing 100k for the course at CTC. I need to know where my chances for employment would be the highest.

Please note my competency and ability to sit exams is not an issue or the subject in question..


P.S will have more questions in due course, if someone could guide me to setting up a new thread it would be great!

Thanks !

Bear in mind this includes MPL trainees, the 98% figure includes everyone not just Wings trainees.

Haha no. It doesn't work like that.

If successful at the trainee review board after completing AQC you're placed in the hold pool. Note being in the pool does not guarantee a route to any airline you like, there will be people in it right now who are eligible to be in it but won't be eligible to apply for easyjet for example.

Airlines will email CTC and say "we want 6 to interview next week" and CTC send out an email to eligible hold pool trainees asking if they want to apply. The 6 who respond with the highest seniority numbers go to interview.

You have preference in so much as you tell CTC if you want to apply to that airline when the airline come to CTC with their request.

Do not be under the impression that you tell CTC you want Monarch and they will send you there for interview.

I would respectfully suggest your first task before applying to Wings interview is to climb out of your own bottom. Cocky students get their wings clipped big time at CTC; the management have been flying for decades, they have seen it all before. You have no idea whether you have the competence and ability until you are well into the system. It is not uncommon at all for cadets to fall short and end up getting their training contracts terminated, or to balls up their AQC and restrict their eligibility for easyJet. There are guys who have good ground school results and then go to HN/PHX and totally balls it up, they can't fly to CTC standard. It happens.

You might want to do your homework before shouting. It hasn't been "Free" for at least 2 years. Budget something North of £30k now.

The 98% of GRADUATES statistic may well be accurate. The question to ask is how many fail to graduate in the first place. If you don't get into the hold pool then CTC won't call you a 'graduate' to preserve the statistic...

My 2 cents, go MPL if you possibly can. It's a much safer route.

Hi,

Thank you for your advice.
Sir(tech log) my intention wasn't to brag, I understand I'm just as vulnerable to be unsuccessful at any stage of the course as anyone. So I retract that statement.


GDAJB: I was not aware that Monarch charge for a type rating, I was just told by the CTC advisor that they are one of the airlines who do not charge but deduct from the initial pay over a certain amount of months, which I guess works out to be the same but that would have helped my situation by not actually needing to give the cash upfront. I the advisor was right!

In regards to the MPL, I was made aware by the advisor that you're provided with an airline specific type rating?? :S.. Would that mean I'd be unable to move airlines without having to fork out another £30k for a type rating? Also, I'm confident (not bragging) that I should pass the ATPL but worst case if I do not pass the interview with easy jet after completion, would I still have to pay the full Easyjet MPL fee (£109,000).. Or would I be refunded the difference of (£15,000). ATPL Whitetail (£94,000)..

Im sorry if I'm coming across not having done the appropriate research etc but thats why I've joined this forum to gain the knowledge of the experts. I've read many of the old forums but as I'm sure you're aware everything is changing so fast in this field and most of the figures and fees are out of date.


Tech Log: In terms of being selective with the desired airline, would I be better off going with OAA as they state they are not filling spaces on a first come basis with partner airlines, the way CTC do, they state that instead their graduate services will help create and modify applications to suit the graduates preference? I know it may be a sales speech.

My only concern is right now that I do not want to commence a course and potentially be jobless by the end of the 18 month adventure at the expense of circa £120k..


Thank you once again,

Willing to take on all the constructive advice anyone has to offer!

If this is a major barrier to you then I suggest you find another career, this industry is so volatile that it only takes another recession or major worldwide event for recruitment to collapse.
No one can deny that. You can get offered a job straight away after training for a major airline or end up working in the school's call-center selling others the dream as a "Careers Advisor" for many months despite the fact your career hasn't started! Both of them are realistic scenarios.

Though I believe the MPL can be transferred in very exceptional circumstances to another carrier, you have to be attached to an airline from the beginning and stay with them for a decent period of time, whether or not you have to pay for a type rating a few years down the line once your MPL becomes an ATPL is down to what individual airlines are offering at the time.


If you join EasyJet on Route 2 you will be paying the ATPL fee of £94k to start with, after the ATPL exams if you are upgraded you will then be adjusted to £109k, so no need for a refund as MPL Upgrade is not guaranteed at any stage, you pay if/when you're upgraded.
If you were not to pass the interview you would then be given the opportunity to join Route 3 EasyJet ATPL (subject to an offer) which would be £123,800 (30k for Type Rating which can be bonded) unless you wish to prefer just continue as a regular whitetail cadet (or do not meet pass EasyJet ATPL interview).

As you can see, there's a lot of opportunities and a lot of pitfalls on this path. Take the glossy brochures with a pinch of salt, get constructive advice from everyone, get out and do a bit of grassroots flying now (light aircraft/gliding) to show your passion and consider all options and schools, not just the ones with the best marketing skills.

It's Cost vs Risk. You might get employed straight away out of CTC after paying well north of £100k or you might be unemployed for a year doing it modular for £55,000.

Best of Luck.

I mean yes anything can happen as planesandthings said. We're living in a world where nothing is certain anymore.

I doubt though there would be another recession so soon, banks have made sure that won't happen (hence the difficulty in taking loans), and also if you read up a bit about the airline industry, its at its strongest its probably ever been (warren buffet has just invested billions into airline stocks). Airlines are more careful now with over capacity and with handling crises.

Another 9/11? Highly unlikely. Though 2015,2016 saw the shooting down of a malaysian airlines flight over russia, the mysterious dissapearance of MH17, a suicide air crash into the alps and a few other note worthy crashes (flydubai,air egypt etc)...yet here we are, and they barely affected the industry. The truth is the industry is more cautious now and certain events are protected against. Many airlines have consolidated and have become more robust.

It is more likely the airline you might join is to go bankrupt due to misaporopiate handling rather than other external factors...though airlines like EasyJet are known to plan ahead, hence applying for an EU AOC years before they even know the impact of Brexit (which could be years away)

Is anyone doing the course on the 17th April in New Zealand? Let me know! :)

Omg I want to apply too!!! I contacted CTC aviation they told maybe around April or May just like last year. Do sign up for course updates :)

Hi all I'm in my early 30s and was wondering if there was any guys or girls same sort of age group who have gone down the integrated route i.e. Ctc fte oaa either mpl or whitetail who have gained employment with ezy ryr etc do these airlines prefer younger cadets or do I stand the same chance as someone fresh out of education I am 31 to be precise and currently an engineer in the motor industry but aviation has long been a passion of mine any information would be greatly appreciated many thanks

I've known of several older Cadets.

I must be honest with you in saying that you probably will find the course tougher at your age, in terms of information retention and the speed at which you'll pick things up. It's just Biology, unfortunately. It is very true that Teenagers brains are like sponges.

But it can be done.

Your best bet is an MPL where you have a little bit more security.

I always find it worrying when people post on here seemingly intent on spending insane amounts of money, without actually knowing what they are paying for. There is no ATPL route at CTC, or any flight school. You cannot go to a flight school and leave with an ATPL. You will get a CPL with an ME-IR, ATPL theory complete and an MCC/JOC (affectionately called AQC by CTC). That aside, there seems to be some kind of perception here that the course at CTC is a difficult one and that the standards are high. Please don't be fooled by the sales pitch. The standards are just are just as low as anywhere else. You will find people passing and getting jobs who have little to no theory knowledge and very little in the way of flying skills. A lot of people here need to open their eyes to the reality.

Scouse, I started a white tail integrated program at CTC the week before my 36th birthday. Been on the line with easyJet now for over a year, and was successful in the BA direct entry pilot selection at the end of last year, just waiting for a start date.

So, age is definitely not an impediment! In fact out on the line, I'd say it was a significant advantage, skippers appreciate talking to a bloke (or girl) who has a bit of life experience and not someone who's 20 and just fallen out of school and into a training school on the back of Mum & Dad's ££.

Don't get me wrong, it's bloody hard work, and living with a bunch of 'kids' for 18 months while you complete your training who are 10 plus years younger than you and have a very different outlook on life is not easy. But it's relatively short term, and when you finally get sat in the right hand seat you will appreciate it much more.

I spent 10 years in the motor trade too, albeit in sales (don't hate on me! ;)) and during a difficult day, I often think to myself "I could still be selling cars!" It definitely helps to put the tougher times (and there will be some) into context with your previous career, which makes them so much easier to deal with.

Hope that helps, good luck!

There are obviously more people in their early 20s on the course, but plenty of people slightly older too. You certainly won't be on your own. If you are good enough to pass the airline interview then they don't care how old you are.

Like someone has said don't believe the whole sales pitch on "ultra superior standards" and that BS. If you can pass the tests and come out the other end you have just as good a chance as anyone else.

Older cadets
 

I started training with CTC just before my 31st birthday and was employed by easyJet for four years without even an interview (I left to go to a different carrier with a different lifestyle). Passing the ATPL exams was hard work because there is so much to learn but very achieveable. If you put in the time you should get the results.

Having attended the CTC Open Day on Saturday my biggest concern was the removal of/modification of (both were mentioned) their Performance Protection. So far i've been unable to get a clear answer, both on the day and after from their career advisors, of exactly what it will look like post 1 July so this is a potential game changer for me. Did anybody else pick up on that and get any clearer answers from anyone at CTC?

Sorry but this is incorrect. If you were not to pass the any assessment for Generation easyJet then you could be offered whitetail in the best case, or in the worst rejected from the school altogether. Each of the three routes lead to the same position, but are offered depending on easyJet's confidence in you to be able to complete the course, with Route 1 (MPL) indicating a high level of confidence, and Route 3 being lower, but still enough.