Excel APP Program ? Good Idea??
 

Need advice. I am a 120 hour hour pilot and sit my first set of ATPL exams in January, aged 31. Somehow, I have made it to stage 1 of the Excel APP, despite age. Is it worth going back to the beginning or do I battle on completeling the modular route? Having spent £10,000 with my extremely affordable flight school, not sure which way to go. Gut feeling is carry on my present route. ADVICE please.

Hi Wangus,

Well done on getting to Stage 1. If you can make it all the way through selection and interview then as far as I know you should secure a job offer with them (similar to the TCX scheme a while ago and Oxford will help you sort out an unsecured loan with HSBC). I have to admit that I tried to transfer to an APP a while ago with 150hrs TT and all 14 ATPL's in the bag. I'm lucky enough to work for an airline on the scheme (not EXCEL but the other one). I got in touch with the MD at Oxford to see if I could transfer. He in turn got in touch with the CAA but sadly to no avail as I was 'too far down the modular route to factor my hours and groundschool into an APP' whether sponsored or not. Therefore I'd be careful about taking the first set of exams as this seemed to be a sticking point with the CAA....My advice check with them first.

To cut a long story short I'd say take the XL APP as far as you can as it's a great opportunity to get a job shortly after qualifying. This isn't to say that the modular route doesn't work...I'm nearing the end of my modular training now and there are people getting through to the airlines (mine included) who have gone modular. Hopefully in a couple of months I'll join them!

Good luck with it either way!

RichC