OAT / Bond Helicopter Ab-Initio sponsorship
 

For those of you interested in helicopter training - OAT's site has this posted today.

http://www.oxfordaviation.net/bond/bond_info.htm

Pay 30K to do PFI Search and Rescue over the North Sea, you have to be joking!


Guys if you wanna fly Helicopters then join the RAF, Navy or AAC, its just as dangerous, and you won't have to pay to train, plus the training will be better!

I know people will have a go at me for saying the above, but sorry its just true and someone had to say it sometime soon!

Flyboy,

I don't disagree that military flying could be great, but there is the small problem of how bloody hard it is to get one of those seats. Of course, these could be just as hard to get, so it comes down to whether or not one considers themselves cut out for the military lifestyle or not. I don't think it's for everybody and fortunately for those of us who depend on the military to keep us free and safe, neither do the services. As professional flight training goes, £30K is a damn sight less expensive than almost anything else out there though.

Well said adios :ok:

Guys I'm not trying to create any competition here.

Just trying to make anyone who is looking aware of the other options available. Considering the fact the nature of flying that Bond do its well likely to be closer to Military flying than to Civil VIP Helicopters. The lifestyle will also be very Miltary at times, as Bond have many Helicopters based on Oil rigs.

A large majority of Search and Rescue services will be outsourced under Private Finance deals during the next five years, effectively leaving Bond and a few others to fill the gap.

You as a cadet are likely to end up in this role, and this is why I think its a right Con. Previously you would have been a well looked after and respected member of the Military, now you have been reduced to paying for the honour. I'm sorry but this is not the same a paying 30-90K for fATPL fixed wing/Helicopter and then going into a job flying pax or cargo around. Pilots of this type have always paid for their training.

Thats my 2 cents thats all. If you wanna apply goahead and good luck, but I would advise a serious look into the Military first.

flyboy1818,

I suggest that you wind your neck in and leave your comments for matters that you actually know something about.

Nope, little of what you have said is actually 'true'.

The majority of the cadets from the Bond scheme will go straight on to 'crew change' duties. ie flying too and from the rigs, changing the crew. Very few of them (if any) will go on the Jigsaw contract.

And how on earth can you compare this type of flying as being 'just as dangerous' as military flying? The conditions might be a little bit rougher than you are used to in your armchair/bedroom but North Sea pilots (of any flavour) rarely get shot at. :hmm:


What a load of tosh. How much do you actually know about what Bond do (compared to either military ops or onshore charter)? Have you actually ever been in a helicopter?


The MCA contract (which I presume you are refering to) has actually been awarded to CHC, not Bond. And rest assured, any SAR ops are not the place for a 200hr newbie.


That is exactly what the job will entail. Shipping people and things to and from rigs. It's as close to an airline that the helicopter world gets.


Judging by how wrong you've been so far, I doubt that anybody is going to take your advice on any topic. :ugh:

Whilst military training is no doubt a suitable route for some, others may not be inclined to shoot and be shot at. For them, this may be a viable option once they have researched it adequately.

Further, some may simply not be able to pass the military entrance requirements....for those with a burning desire to fly rotary, either civvy or military, clearly paying £0 is a better option financially speaking, but paying £30k [as opposed to >£100k as my very limited knowledge of Rotary goes] is a good second...

Fair to say Flyboy1818 has just taken a direct hit to his gearbox from Bravo73and has been shot down in flames :) Mayday,Mayday....... Hope he's better at avoiding fire in the desert!:}

Well I for one think it's a great opportunity and hope/look forward to seeing schemes akin to this in the not too distant future!

Bravo73 - nicely done :ok:

S.

There is of course that other tiny little matter that if you had a cold at age 5, the military will fail you on their medical exam. Heaven forbid if you should have less than perfect vision.

This looks like a great opportunity, thanks for posting Hollingworth as I'd missed the ad.

Flyboy: sunk and destroyed! Shut up, you muppet. How can you consider SAR flying to be 2nd rate... I've only ever been in a Sea King once but it was enough for me to appreciate the skill needed to maintain the hover in strong wind for long enough for the air loadie / winchman to haul people out of the drink.

Bravo, Bravo!

L A

B73,

Couldn't have said it better meself :ok:

Any option that helps guys and gals get a foot on the ladder is good :D

Flyboy with what appears to be a postage stamp sized wealth of experience please do enlighten me about onshore VIP work :E Or elaborate your thoughts, given that many (but not all) onshore VIP pilots are Ex Mil.

You are however right that there is always 'one' :ugh:
I know some excellent civvy trained pilots and some lousy military trained pilots and unsurprisingly your generalisation helps nobody.

How many of us have applied for this, I wonder?!!

As an experiment, post a reply if you've applied... I bet this will become a 10 page thread at least!

"In case you're wondering, the plaque for second place is in the ladies room" !!

Good luck everyone.

I've applied for it :O lol, i just got my NPPL from the air cadet (well De Havilland to be precise) 'John Cunningham' scholarship, so i've been looking all over the web for sponsorships etc, CTC didn't want me lol, but hopefully someone will say they're interested.

Having only flown fixed-wing aircraft i'd love to try helicopter flying, never been in one but they fascinate me! I saw a bond super-puma practicing at dundee airport. - They're very skilled pilots to keep it in a hover with 20kts crosswind!

A crosswind makes little difference to a rotating wing, especially whilst in a hover!

Meh, still looked impressive lol. The pilot kept turning it 90-degrees and hovering, then another 90, etc etc.

Hovering crosswind can be tricky, but even more so on twitchy little things like the robo.

As for the Bond scheme, it's an excellent opportunity for anyone who wants to get their foot in the rotary door. Funding this training yourself up to ATPL level costs far, far more than the equivalent training for fixed wing, and when you think about the hoo-ha that goes on over people paying £60k to fund their own integrated trainingon planks, you can imagine how virtually impossible it is to get started in the rotary game without financial help or taking the military route.

As for offshore work, yes it'll be tough, yes it's in the North Sea, yes the schedules and shift patterns may not be to everyone's liking, but it's a first job and should be treated as time served if you're dreaming of bigger and better things.

Has anyone heard back from OAT yet?

No, but Stage 1 (initial 'sifting') isn't complete until 6th Sept, next week.

Patience, young padawan.

Will be interesting how many applicants they get compared to the NJ/Excel/TC schemes. Will the thought of flying with 16 stone roughnecks instead of tidy young stewardesses be enough of a draw? :ooh: