Easyjet desperate for pilots?
 

So my old man says he heard on the radio this morning that Easyjet are so desperate for pilots that they are willing to take on anyone who's started training, even at the private level and pay for the remainder of it, anyone who holds any sort of ICAO qualifications and pay for their conversion / training / hour building etc. So the low hour FAA 250 hour person can apply and they will pay for their conversion to EASA credentials. This sounds highly unlikely to me and I can't find any information anywhere to back it up. He says I'm being negative lol......but I think I'm being realistic. I haven't flown since leaving Fresno in 2010 but I do have my ear to the ground on aviation matters. Has anyone heard anything similar?

https://easyjet.taleo.net/careersect...=GMT%2B01%3A00

I don't think they're that desperate yet

EasyJet might not be be but Ryanair certainly are!

Ryanair are accepting low hour ICAO commercial pilots or people at the private level to continue training? I know they were accepting experienced, preferably type rated ones in excess of 1500 hours to get a 1 year validation by the Irish authority if they held an ATP, but the former seems unlikely.

That's probably because BA haven't recruited any of our FO's this year, so CTC's sausage factory has come to a standstill. Entirely different 12-18 months ago and likely to be another mad rush to recruit when the BA guys eventually move over. Pretty desperate for Captains at some bases though.

Regards to CTC not being what it says on the tin, that's not really true is it. You'll end up with an airline just you might have to be a bit more patient, your time will come and you won't have to do a couple years at another airline to get in. That's if easyJet is where you want to end up.

When i graduated I was told we wouldn't get a type rating with easyJet for about 8-9months, 6 weeks later they were giving us start dates for the end of the month...it changes very quickly in pilot recruitment as you will find out! Best of luck.

Thanks byrondaf. Maybe you're right about the tin. But it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you rock up to an interview with people who have taken the modular route and spent half the cash. But you're right. I know what I signed up for. But I'm sure you'd feel the same in my shoes.

Maybe ctc/L3 is not ezy's preferred place to recruit cadets anymore?

Or L3 CTS now, but how do you mean?
Has L3 CTS gone the same way Oxford did after CAE bought them? Did something similar happen with Flybe recruitment through L3/CTC recently?

Whilst not wishing to fuel unfounded speculation, my university started an airline focused degree course and were looking to partner with a flight school, after inspecting and having meetings with ctc i was told they were not impressed at all. They wouldn't go into specifics with me but I could sense a very negative reaction from whatever dealings they had with them.

Another thing is my former airline with whom I had an office based role were looking to relaunch their cadet programme, they looked at ctc, and they had just the same negative reaction after inspections and meetings. Of course I wasn't gonna be told what was so wrong ...

The shortage of pilots, if there really is a shortage, is at the Captain/FO level and not at cadet level.
Most of the negative stuff discussed here concerning CTC (L3 as it is now) is factual

Can you, or anyone else, elaborate on the 'negative stuff' at CTC/L3?

I guess every dog has its day and just maybe some of the more "reputable" schools have had theirs. In almost every successful organisation you'll find that after a peak, things quietly ramp down as complacency sets in and they live off their reputation, then by the time they've figured out what's happening they usually pay some expensive audit firm to fix things but by then it's sometimes too late.

CTC have had their day. And the worst part is, those many hundreds there will now suffer at the end of their training.

Easyjet are currently recruiting they're taking cadets from FTE. Next month another bunch join and I even think CAE are in on the act. CTC's in bed love affair with Easyjet appears to be over. A certain number will still join, obviously. But the exclusive nature seems to have closed.

CTC were a great organisation a few years ago, unfortunately for them its went down hill quite rapidly. Expanded far too quickly and became a sausage factory and not a flight school and the negative vibe is getting about now in the industry.

Has L3 CTS gone the same way Oxford did after CAE bought them? Did something similar happen with Flybe recruitment through L3/CTC recently?[/QUOTE]

EZY have been recruiting from other flight schools, taking self integrated cadets as recently as this week. The same flight school that has the Flybe MPL scheme currently. CAE have an EZY programme as well.

Interesting how these things change, I remember a few years back FTE seemed to be getting a tough time on here and CTC were very strong. 18 months ago, would anyone have predicted the current situation?

Perhaps it's the case that when commencing training you don't just need to think about what the state of the industry will be in 18 months time but what the state of your training school will be too? Not what you'd want after spending £100k.

One had a rebrand and change of emphasis, one changed management.

Surely the rather substantial drive by easyJet at the moment to get cadets on board through their MPL with two major flight schools, which are offered with conditional contracts of employment upon completion of training, is a decent indication that easyJet in particular are a safe bet for potential cadets...

Adding my two cents;

Anyone considering training with any FTO should always do their research regardless and thus not choose based on one's glossy brochures. As a trainee at the so called "sausage factory" come L3 giant, I would say it's' little more than growing pains off the back of changes at the Lufthansa owned facility in Arizona. As those in the industry well know, EASA/CAA admin takes time and I suppose Florida can't come online soon enough.

In respect of the negative comments on here; yes.. I do worry as a Whitetailer as the state of the industry and that's coming from someone soon to leave NZ for the final few bits of training. In honesty though I see this extending far beyond L3 and more towards attitudes of airlines themselves. They seem to be gradually moving away from integrated whitetail-esque courses and to MPL etc. This shouldn't be new news to anybody, BUT, where easyJet's relationship with L3 and other schools appears to be changing is the point at which they come on board with a cadet. Those familiar with this scheme will notice easyJet is 'tagging' cadets from the get go and, I imagine, are therefore able to improve their forward planning in the sense they can go "Right, we have x amount of MPL coming on line on this date and x amount of Route 3's to join them this many weeks after". L3 is certainly full of tagged cadets at the moment with various coloured lanyards around the place.

The growing pains will subside in time, but I think it's more down to the route you take to the carrier really. If I were to start a course today I would seriously question the Whitetail investment especially since the largest recruiter at one specific school has slowed recruitment from the pool - perhaps down to the reasoning I gave above. However, you have to consider that British Airways have yet to actually take the majority of their DEP recruits from the orange bus company and when they do I imagine the industry will once again be asking for pilots. Take this and easyJet's future part-acquisition of AirBerlin into account and the future arrival of A321 Neos and I can see recruitment continuing down the road.

Do the research, consider your options, speak with people in training organisations as much as their marketing people and make an informed decision. Airline loyalty with flight schools can come and go as quickly their loyalty with ground handling agents to be honest. In fact, many airlines now recruit directly anyhow, so irrespective of school you'll be against the wider market anyway. The placement pools at certain schools are great value-adds, but are by no means the only routes in to carriers so don't be blind to that.

All the best

Welcome to the debate Mr CTC or L3 Airline Training Academy. Great blog.

Florida certainly cant come quick enough, cadets might be allowed to leave the UK. Instead of doing their entire flight training in Bournemouth which is now happening, that is not growing pains sir. That is mismanagement.

The industry needs pilots, did FR not mention roughly in the region of 600 within 10 months and currently cancelling 50 flights per day. Because one flight school is failing to get their cadets jobs as quickly as it once did, doesn't necessary mean the industry is going through a mini melt down. The fact two other flight schools are sending integrated cadets to Easyjet at the minute would support my statement, one user has actually suggested FTE cadets joined this week! What is more then likely responsible for EZY recruitment of CTC cadets is more in line with the soon to be death of flexi crew I'm not sure when it finally disappears. The comparison between CAE/L3 is clear to see and would be a fairly accurate comment to make.

I'm sure L3/CTC will find another partner airline, possible Wizzair or Jet2 to help their recruitment drive. Having hundreds of cadets unemployed would not look good.

In the context of this subject I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to take that. Genuine, or sarcasm?

In any case, I will not deny the change to L3 is creating complexities - some inherited might I add - but I'll certainly not be libellous for the benefit of the odd few. I've been nothing but honest about my own personal experiences throughout my online presence - which to put right the odd false claim is not done through financial reward by the academy in the slightest. My previous statement on the scheme you choose thus remain valid.

Sullysark, you may well be aware of these points but I'll post them here anyway to satisfy curiosities of those not so much in the know.

We’ve had meetings about it the hiccups with operations in Arizona. It's your standard stuff really, aircraft, climate and recently -- as being experienced everywhere -- airlines offering roles to experienced instructors. It would appear as though the DA40s don't achieve the performance otherwise claimed by manuals given the very hot summer which caused delays; many of which now rectified with amendments to SOPs for the fleet! In any case, the partnership behind the very operation in Arizona is to cease in 2018. Florida, i'm told, is currently undergoing approval for EASA and will replace it as the US base given L3 own it. The DA40 fleet is to be split between other sites. Single engine at Bournemouth is new, but at the aforementioned meeting we were told a future plan of CTC Aviation anyway. As far as the New Zealand operation is concerned I can't fault it it's the schools flagship. A second airfield is to become operational here in the next few months - as is public knowledge given L3's recruitment drive for instructors and staff, see L3cts.com - using some relocated DA20s or the incoming DA40s which is yet to be made clear. The delays this year on the NZ front, at least that i've experienced, are related to the very wet spring. For example, this September has been one of the worst for rainfall and convective activity for quite some time and as such there is only one course in the advanced phase of training. VFR has been practically impossible, but it's an annual thing this time of year according to instructors and now we're heading into October flying is picking up again. To be honest, it's not dissimilar to UK weather at times as far as flying would go and I feel it a better location given our eventual flying environment by comparison to Arizona.

Now I appreciate this was hugely off-topic but PPRune seldom provides the wider picture, especially to aspiring pilots. Back to the main point though, regardless of which FTO you enter from (as I know people from OAA and L3 in this position) it would appear the placement delays are linked to type-rating start dates. While you might land a job with the carrier today you might not start your TR until the spring. This is how I remember it being back when I started university. Cyclical.

Take it whatever way you wish, you're essentially a marketing tool. That however is not personal against you, having never met you. It's simply the reality, can you confirm or deny cadets may be encouraged to document their progress through various forms of social media.

Complexities? It's a rerun of the Oxford/CAE buyout.
'Odd hiccup' could you clarify how long the fleet was grounded due to mechanical issues then was it weeks, days or even months. Weather is a valid reason not to fly, of course. It seems you know alot about L3, so I will delve a bit deeper. It may of been a long term plan, one day. But just how immediate was the move to Bournemouth? From what i've heard, it was last minute with a staff member getting emotional. (As I know people in L3, in this position)

Placement delays? Don't you mean type rating delays, are due to that reason. You can still recruit cadets, which other FTO's are and begin type rating late winter. This question was on EZY. As a current cadet pointed out, no interviews until December at L3. Another has said EZY recruited this week from an FTO. Do you not believe the end of Flexicrew, plays a roll in the delay of L3 Cadets going to Easyjet at present.

I can confirm this, four of my friends at FTE Jerez who finished MCC/JOC after me went for an easy interview last week, heard back a day later for a January start. I'm currently in the hold pool at CTC L3 and easyJet interviews aren't on the table at the moment.

And Pilot George, your blog is really useful (genuine). I certainly read lots of similar blogs to yours before I started at CTC and they were a real help. Keep it up.

Just pray that Tom the pilot doesn't get hold of you.

That has already happened, not that it really matters! It is odd the L3 interviews are being held up mind you!

How many are in the hold pool? Surely its just growing monthly now by 30-40, meaning you're not only waiting months for a type rating, but months for an interview.

EZY took a good large amount from FTE, all starting in January (I believe) and will be returning again.

Those days are gone, CTC cadets are now being told there is no interview slots now as its been evident on this thread with two ex CTC students coming forward..
They're also waiting considerably longer for a type rating it would appear, yet having an earlier interview. Times have certainly changed, it would appear.

As I'm aware. Yet recruitment at the same school via Route 1, 2 and 3 remains as prevalent as ever. There's the confusion to be truthful. If the airline truly was changing its' stance and opinion on L3 then surely you would see the entire portfolio alter? Just got to sit this out and see what happens. I never expected an easy ride anyway and always planned to apply to third-party carriers too. :-) Time will tell. Let's not forget this forum is full of rumours half the time.

Currently about 70. How do I know? Got my seniority number last week and have added the number of cadets that finished after me to that.

Other training facilities use DA40's in the Phoenix area without significant temperature related issues - is this genuinely weather related, maintenance or management? I appreciate that you are in NZ but is this what your classmates have been told? That said, it has been a particularly warm summer.

As far as weather is concerned, Florida is in fact poorer than the SW USA particularly for coastal airfields; the incidence of CB activity, high winds and the occasional hurricane makes ab-initio training difficult for a large part of the year. The geography is largely featureless leading to benign and repetitive navigation exercises and, as with Arizona, there is a high concentration of other traffic.

Look at the history of European commercial flight training conducted by large schools over the past 20 odd years and you'll see there's a reason why they left Florida for...well, Arizona.

Who is Tom the pilot and what is the deal with him if you dont mind me asking? Just putting two and two together here....

I would describe him as the Banksy of the trainee pilot world. Follow him on Instagram and see for yourself.

'tomthe.pilot'

A lot of what he mentions, has a lot of truth to it. And it's hilarious.

Tom the Pilot..... So much truth and is hilarious. Also, L3 moving ops to Florida is just weird, Arizona is a stable weather environment with no chance of a Cat 5 hurricane blowing through a couple of times a year. Also, using NZ as "fair weather" training is just bonkers, it's just a UK climate. Someone needs to help them out a bit with training locations....

Could the lack of eJ interviews be because they are using the MPL programme to effectively project going forward the pilots they need?

I think that is certainly the case for cadets at CTC. They're being frozen out due to the MPL route. EZY could choose CTC to do 90% of their MPL students and use another FTO for ATPL students which appears to have been FTE. TR in Amsterdam in a few months. I do believe the closure of flexi crew plays a very large role as well, remember at CTC you were still employed with CTC but basically working as a contractor for EZY.

Interesting how times change as another member posted. Swings and roundabouts.

Maybe EZY had an issue with some of the whitetail cadets? in terms of standards, who knows.

Sullyarks,

Despite how it often seems; we're not - funnily enough. Most people who do write blogs, make vlogs etc do it as their proud to be on their journey they're on.

The last post I made is the extent of my knowledge of the management decisions in respect of Bournemouth. I'll not share anymore simply as it would be speculation. I do know that Arizona, Phoenix in particular, has had a very warm summer this year and some days where turbulence at altitude would prevent flight operations. So AZ was compounded by multiple things. This Florida position, namely in Sandford, is already operational under Aerosim L3's other flight school subsidiary since brought under the "L3 CTS" banner. But we'll have to see how it fairs with hurricanes going forwards eh!

A fair few cadets were getting mainland Europe. Flexicrew is on the way out, yes, but I've no idea if this is a reason for anything slowing. I'm not at that stage of training yet so can't really comment. The growth of MPL is a concern from a Whitetail standpoint; but most of that growth is happening behind my specific course in new groups starting training a few months after me. I would question a Whitetail investment today; if I failed to get Routes 1, 2 or 3.

Well, thats a lie. #CTCTAKEOVER I'll say no more.

It's strange, I've never come across a CAE blog, nor a FTE blog, nor an Aeros blog, nor an Atlantic Flight Training blog. It's continuously been L3. I'm sure you're proud, having been on that journey myself and now at an airline, I quickly realised I'm not any different then the 500 people to do the course before me or the 500 who will do it after. It's a job, I don't see Lawyers making blogs or Vlogs.

'It would simply be speculation' - Small plane crash lands in Goodyear field - 3TV | CBS 5 Are you sure it was just weather related now with a touch of wake turbulence? Or maybe mechanical... if an aircraft manages to fall out of the sky.. who knows, its all speculation after all.

I'm aware of the flight school, it was formally Delta's many years ago. As another user pointed out (Reverserbucket), flight schools left that area due to the serious weather issues.
I wonder why they left Arizona and done the complete opposite. Any ideas?

'The odd L3 interview' has turned into 'slowing' within a few posts. It's all speculation. Either way what we do know is if you're with L3 you're currently waiting a long period to get an Easyjet interview, and even longer to get type rated. Think carefully, before you have a change of heart a few posts down and start back tracking on answers.

It's been interesting to see the change over the last year of whitetail cadets posting Instagram photos of AQC passes and then very soon after job offers and TR training to now many drying up after AQC with the odd photo of some entry level airside aviation jobs, hardly 'living the dream'. I can't imagine it is a comfortable place to be in considering the looming repayments in the distance for those without bank of mum and dad, poor souls.
I see some who are struggling to get jobs even have the honour of working for L3 as "Airline Pilot Careers Advisors", though I notice this is a sales position with targets rather than based on the honesty of those cadet's experience, can't be easy selling the dream you're not living yet.

L3 sure appears to be the place of choice to be on a tagged scheme and I'd go with them on a heartbeat for that, but for those enrolling on whitetail the odds are turning, it seems not a fortnight goes by when another CP starts. I wonder how much these new people know about the hold pools filling up, I have friends who have resigned themselves since April to wait an entire year for an interview with a partner or otherwise have to compete against modular cadets, many now asking "What did I pay extra for."

Seeing as L3 has rebranded now, maybe the new brochures can be redesigned to spell out the risks of whitetail a bit clearer, it's only fair rather than the smoke and mirrors "Training Sponsorship", ultimately on whitetail you are a paying customer, no scholar.

In the last year I have been totally put off whitetail and have advised others to consider the same as I can foresee the hold pool turning into a hold ocean as tagged cadets on large schemes take all the places whitetails once took and CP after CP backs up into the pools, while once again the debt looms, which is a shame as there are some great individuals, some of them friends, in whitetail.

I hope you come out of L3 with all the luck you can get Gbotley after writing such fantastic and honest blog posts. I think you might need it! :}

Sullysark,

Your tone is coming across as a bit direct. You can have all the distaste towards me as you wish for I have never once felt to be far superior to anyone else. Nor will ever pretend to be if I’m ever so lucky to find an airline placement. The fact is, regardless of the school all of the three have had negative moments in history. I’ll leave the link you provide down to your own pondering as it’s not my place to comment. Why would I need to ‘think carefully’? Nothing I have written now, or in the past, has been a lie. I hope you enjoy your career considering you’re lucky enough to be in one. I’d encourage you to not forget your roots and the thoughts and concerns you may have had during your own training. Many people on PPRune forget that once they’ve the keys to their 320/737. As for the Arizona question, Florida is already established and has been run as AeroSim for some time. That school is also rebranding and will soon take on L3 EASA ops too. Not so much a decision to go there, more a decision to use what's already there.

Planesandthings,

Thank you for your best wishes. You’re right, I may well need it but I hold hope things change in the next 6 months. All it takes in this industry, as you know no doubt, is one thing to change and all these comments could’ve been for nothing. Blog or not though, I consider myself no different to the man next to me.

All the best

Of course it's direct, its' aimed directly at you.

Great, thanks for the personal background. Let's not get off track, CTC/Easyjet/L3. You'd need to think carefully as you back tracked within 3 post, yet with other cadets telling you their personal experience.

All 3 have negatives correct, but we're not discussing the other 2. One of which I attended and it went through what CTC are now experiencing a few years ago and its never got it's reputation back. 'My roots' Well, I didn't write a blog, nor become a marketing tool for a flight school. Keys to an A320/737? I certainly didn't call myself 'Pilot so and so' nor do I, yet I am a pilot! :ugh:

You told the viewers on this forum, it was weather related and suggested it. Utter nonsense, an aircraft fell clean out of the sky. You're aware of that, if I knew. Due to a failed component of the aircraft which grounded the fleet for months, cadets actually flew home the delay was that bad! Secondly, they're leaving Arizona due to a falling out with Lufthansa, was that in CTC Aviation long term planning? Or the the company has had to pay thousands to the instructors so they will remain until the move base. :rolleyes: You've left this all out! Don't leave out the truth now, the truth will set you free.

You actually begun a thread to tell the good people about the rebrand a few months back, only no one replied to it. If you're going to be an unofficial spokes man, lets be honest and say it like it is. 'Odd hiccup' someone could have died, I'm not sure thats the phrase i'd use. The fact you won't pass comment, says all we need to know.