So what are you complaining about?

As far as Pay to Fly goes, yes if you look at it in the way that you give them money to fly yes.. but if you're not up to standards even though you've given them a lot of money ABY is not willing to risk the safety of 100's of others because you've got money... simple.

Return on investment? Let's say you've got F/O in 3 years of starting at Alpha and now on average AED35k/month (we won't include the time up to F/O making the "low salary" plus flying allowance); you're making AED420k/year all inclusive. Lets say you decide to rent a nice apartment and get a loan for a car you'd never get in the western world because if you did it would either get stolen or keyed, you're left with about AED250k. Now lets say you don't live in poverty but not blowing your money every week on stupid stuff, you spend AED50k/year on recreation.

You're left with around AED200k that you can put towards your debt of AED570k and have it paid off in 3 years whilst living the lifestyle that most go to Dubai to live.

Now lets take the Oxford Cadet scheme with lets say JetStar... It costs around AU$120-150k same sort of scheme and eventually you get into an a320. (we'll assume after 3 years) now you are on AU$90k/year, you get taxed around AU$21.5k leaving you with around AU$68.5k. I won't even bother doing that math on the same living the same lifestyle as you would in Dubai. Having an apartment in downtown Sydney or Melbourne is easily be $1,500/week!

Anyways, you all get the picture. In my mind, good return on investment...but what do I know.

Fly safe.

A380neo,

Do you get a contract before you have the 1,500hrs or after that? What are the thoughts within ABY? Do they want to keep the MPL students, or to they want to loose them? So they can have their scheme running...

Keep the blue side up dude.

Valid question,

A lot of the cadets going through the programme have said around the 750hr mark ABY will offer the contract to keep you after the 1,500hrs. If you're performance isn't up to standard they will continue to monitor your progress and re-asses at 1,000hrs then again at 1,500hrs.

ABY don't hire pilots other than direct entry Captain as they want all MPLs to fill in the other spots. They currently have 40 something 320s with plans on ordering 40 more. Recently got delivery of 4 so growth isn't an issue. At the end of the day they want to keep you.

40 more aircraft ? Really ?

Correct, not sure exact number but around that mark or in high 30's. Makes sense with all the attrition of MPL students.

Can you provide any evidence of this ? I might be mistaken but all I see is that they confirmed the 5 options from the original 44 aircraft order which will top up the fleet . Unless you know something on the inside

@380neo,

Firstly you don't earn AED35k for a very long time , it's an experienced base pay scale and you are at the bottom when you start .

Nice apartment ? You'll be staying in Sharjah which is a complete disaster , no infrastructure , strict rules and parts of it could be dangerous . Want to go to dubai and commute ? Minimum you are looking at 65-70k for an appartnebt that not good. Want nicer ones ? Executive towers/ dubai marina /Palm , at least a 100k. And landlords like one cheque

Yup Aby will cut you loose for any reason , even if they don't like you .

Admin at alpha is poor , not organized , a batch was stuck for months with passports in the Portuguese embassy .

Many instructors teaching ground school have limited experience

Just by the look of the place you can tell they've cut costs, ally harmony and they could have at least uograded facilities

Good stuff? I think Aby now has got training down to an art, I think most line trainjng captains are good and people are finishing finally, the long term viability of this with command upgrades , I don't know , I'm not very positive.

If someone wants to start now, the outlook needs to be positive for something like 4-5 years. Within this period, the candidate is already a FO with those 1500hrs. From that moment, it all depends on the person itself. Maybe he/she wants to fly for another carrier a la EK/QR/EY?

Air Arabia is not anymore an airline from Sharjah, but also from other places (Morocco, Egypt, Jordan). In my eyes, it is getting stronger.

AAA has never been an option for me (costwise), but for those who can afford, it can be a good investment.

Confirmed thru ops. Sole reason AAA taking on so many cadets with the 1500H promise.

Judging from your previous posts, you seem to be a newbie , don't let office rumours fool you. Things change quick

Professional Pilots Rumour Network

Maybe I missed the part in t&c's where it said office rumors strictly prohibited. :=

@psvspnf
If you were the FO who had that incident in KRT, I agree you had a hard deal.

Lol no I was not. I don't fly for ABY. I don't work in the sandpit, and I don't fly the a320.

I fly the bigger bus quite far away but have a very good idea on how the sand box works .

What happened in KRT? MPL incident ?

Okay thanks!

The program itself is about 20k+ USD more than CTC's QR program, add the accommodation costs + the poor starting salary in comparison, you're running at about 225k usd debt, at a salary that pays 1500/mo usd to start...and then 5000 usd/mo basic FO...just wow....dont forget the bond with the type rating cost infused to make sure you dont leave!

Seem's like a scheme for the rich already living in the sandpits...

20K+ USD compared to the CTC Whitewings scheme. But in return 1500H on A320, provided you are passing to ABY's standard. I'm not going to rant and rave about the course but it beats what other FTO's offer in terms of frozen ATPL.

CTC also have a nifty clause which says 98% of pilots go on to be FO's. The catch being this also includes their own scheme which is far from meaningful employment as a FO.

Now it's up to you which you would prefer..

I'm not sure why you're such an avid fan of this scheme, it really is diabolical, but each to their own, I just couldn't afford it (even if I could I wouldn't go here though).

Becoming a pilot these days is almost like making an investment. This scheme is one of the poorer investments on all fronts. The school's attitude towards its students and those inquiring says everything you need to know about them anyway.

You are correct and the price is steep. Thankfully I am enrolled in a cadet program back home, but this would have been my main choice given the hours. Cadets that perform will make it, otherwise yes you are at the mercy of the airline.

What more is there to say?

You hit the nail with the schools attitude. They could care less and are arrogant. Part of the problem is the students themselves , just visit the place , rich kids , uniforms are worn poorly, talking loudly , excessive smoking and selfie taking is all present. Not professional

Excessive smoking yes. :ok: I was surprised by that too. As for attitude etc, I can only focus on myself and I believe its a big part. Accepting the environment and making it work no matter what.

Those who perform in the top of the batch have no problems or so I was given the impression.

I think this is a balanced view Aiza, thank you. As for delays do you think this is something that will get better over time? I agree it is costly to wait around. But last I heard there were only delays of 1mo after ground school waiting for visas to begin core flying.

I can understand that. Thank you for your insight.

excuse me? Failed cadet from the philippines?
Why state things that are untrue?

Never been an MPL cadet, never been enrolled in alpha, dont know what you get that from

Ive never failed an OPC or a line check (touchwood)

Is it not true that the school is an enlarged porta cabin?
is it not true that so many of its students are immature?
is it not true that the admin is slow and rude?
is it not true that you are not guarenteed a job and can be cut at anytime with no refund?

please dont accuse me when you dont know me.

Facilities are a located near the Sharjah Airport Cargo Zone. No porta-cabin, but far from the most luxurious 8 stars habbibi. Also, FFS facilities are provided by ABY itself.

Will the other cadets be sitting your exams? Just focus on being a great pilot. Each batch will have it's strong and weak points.

Can't comment too much. They can be slow but everything needs to pass the authorities, especially during the initial stages. Again I have never experienced rude, but I have experienced blunt.

Show me a FTO that guarantees you a job? It's all down to your own hard work. ICAO shows that ABY hires the most MPL cadets to date. (and all through AAG)

Thanks for clearing that up , I'm sure people that are joining feel much more at ease haha!

Ignoring other people's opinions. I'll give you an "A" for CRM, you must be a bundle of joy to fly with!

Easy boys easy! We don't need personal grudges here!
There are "good" as well as "bad" sides of any organization. In this case Air Arabia/Alpha. This is a platform where such issues can be highlighted. One has to be prudent enough to understand what suits him/her the most...

It's been a few years Alpha has been running and as of today, I offer my personal opinion below. Just for the record, I am long time with Air Arabia and all the info is first hand and not based on what I hear/read!!!! I will save the best for the last so I start with disadvantages first!

Disadvantages of Alpha / Air Arabia
1. MPL course is expensive! (But the fastest way to reach right seat of A320)
2. Delays in training. (All flight schools have delays! Name one school in the world which guarantees a license within the time promised!)
3. No job guarantee. (Most cadets still end up getting contracts. A small percentage don't. You still get your 1500h on A320 and MPL unfreezes to become a "full unrestricted ATPL" unless you yourself drop out of the course or don't make thru the training. So far I am aware of only one cadet who did not make it! Also remember, there are NO GUARANTEES in aviation. It has to be performance based and unfortunately there is no place for non performing guys. Harsh reality but that's how it should be!
4. Low salary initially
5. Some immature cadets (this has nothing to do with the airline/flight school or MPL/non MPL. These exceptions will be the same anywhere they go!)

Advantages
1. Still the fastest why to reach the RHS of a A320
2. Top notch training. Even a brand new FO I fly with does an excellent job!
3. Excellent exposure. One of the finest places to fly in terms of experience. Air Arabia exploits entire envelope of the A320! Hot wx ops, cold wx ops, ETOPS, monsoon, complex airfields, escape routes, uncontrolled airfields, etc
4. Excellent cockpit / management culture. We have open door policy! Free to walk to chief pilot/ director ops anytime! Very friendly atmosphere with ground staff, engineering, cabin crew, etc. Very good CRM, capts don't give hard time to FOs :D
5. Decent career progression. Several MPL guys successfully flying in EK/EY/Qatar etc. The initial batches who continued to stay back, nearing their command!!!
6. Supportive management. Cadets (if required) are given extra training, observation flights, extra simulator session, extra training flights.

Yes, there are few problems in the company (like any other company) but the fact is Alpha is a successful course for cadets as well as Air Arabia and most people are extremely happy to be here!

Hope this helps!
Happy Holidays and safe flying!

A known friend of mine wanted to get in this course, he had been saving for it past 3 years.. back then it was only AED 1500/- for the one time assessment fee, which turned to AED 3000/- till early this year and now apparently excluding Class 1 medical (which is around 2500/-) it's around AED 7000/- just for the "selection" assessment only, the overall course fee (excluding assessment and Class 1) went up from around 420,000 couple years back to recently till now something about AED 570,000 and now for next year they are revising the prices (unconfirmed) don't expect anything less, maybe a 600k+... The training centre in Greece for core flying is no more and its currently with G Air in Portugal.. They have a few delays between coreflying and line/base training.. starting salary as junior F.O is 5k AED/month till you do your sectors. Overall costs are excluding accommodation, visa, uniforms, transport to and from the academy etc,. In my honest opinion its too pricey for a Pay~to~fly program but if you've got daddy's money or extra cash to pool out, it's not a bad option as this gets you typed on a A320 with 1500h ATPL. Don't drain down, I've heard better from CTC. It all comes down to personal choice. It is an expensive course but you'll make it through.

K.Swiss!
 

[QUOTE=k.swiss]
I have sent you a pm. Can you please check it?

Hi everyone, I'm doing the AAA assessment on the 24th Jan and am currently prepping. Appreciate is may not be the most difficult of tests but still would like to be prepared as much as poss.

Does anyone know if you are able to use a calculator on the maths and physics sections? It says we are in the instructions but I'm still not 100% sure if it has changed since the last 'restructure' and they just haven't updates their collateral.

Also are the numerical and scientific reasoning questions or simple questions?

thanks in advance if anyone has additional info.

James

Practice up to a-level standard and you will be fine. It's not a walk in the park, the information is correct. MCQ and calculator allowed.

They just want your money , most people will have no issues

Guys this programme is a royal rip off.

Have you guys lost your minds?

1500H guranteed, are you factoring that in to price? I still agree with you, but your looking at roughly the same cost even for other MPL's out there. Although they are still a little cheaper.

This thread is going around like a circlejerk with the same discussion.

So is this a Pay2Fly scheme now? Paying cos you get 1500 hours?

It is absolutely mad, the cost of the course is absolutely through the roof at £130,000 and that does not even include visa costs (how greedy are this school!? - that is a new low)
The starting pay is not enough to live on at all in that area and so you will likely have to borrow more cash to survive even AFTER training.

Oh and the selection is £700!? It leaves a reasonable thinking person speechless.

Sorry, I am totally lost as to who in their right mind can see this as a good deal.

You are being fleeced. Plain and simple. Add up the MPL costs, what you are paying, compare salaries on this scheme to others - it is very clearly the worst deal of the lot. Unless I was not accepted anywhere else/failed on all the better courses I would not go near this place - it will be a backup for severe failure.

It's a bunch of rich kids with a fancy toy that happens to be an a320.

To answer the posters question the assessment shouldn't be difficult at all but you must be warned of Alpha and ABYs constant change in policies and unforeseen delays.

When the pilot factory continues at the pace they're going at , there's not going to be jobs for everyone and to even get to 1500 hours might take a long long time

Good amount of female:male ratio. Not 1:1 but it's not bad.

Female doesn't matter , no discrimination like that, most important thing is your ability to pay the money.

Are there delays for the base training and line training again ? Out of curiosity where does ABY do base training ? OMSJ or OMRK?

How many hours a month are the MPLs flying during training ?

Does anyone know if Alpha is looking for Technical Knowledge Instructors?

5 month - one year...