Anyone here work at The Shuttleworth Collection?
 

I'm interested in going into vintage aviation as a career. What's the best way of getting started? A Levels? Apprenticeship? Degree?

Any (constructive) advice welcome. :)

Why not write to the Shuttleworth Collection direct? I think they're likely to be as helpful as possible. However they employ very few people indeed and rely on a mass of volunteers to do the donkey work including engineering I believe (under the staff Chief Engineer). All their pilots are ex ETPS.

I'm not sure what careers you might find in "Vintage Aviation" - pretty thin pickings I'd imagine as it's a tiny and rather specialised field but be prepared to get considerable relevant experience as an Engineer (wood and fabric airframes are not well covered in modern engineering training, I think you'll find) and then spend a lot of time volunteering.

Good luck, it would be fun!

Hi Wageslave, thanks for the reply. :)
I've tried smaller engineering companies/individuals in my area, none of whom have spaces and aren't sure of a path to get into the industry. At least Shuttleworth is slightly bigger.
Most apprenticeships in the area, as you have mentioned, will teach nothing about wood and fabric. Big shiny tubes of people don't really interest me (but can I afford to be that picky? :p ).

Most of Shuttleworth's pilots are current or ex military TPs (not necessarily ETPS, there are other schools), but not all. They are certainly all high ability professional pilots.

PilotZ - what's your current professional / educational profile? What professional activities excite you most?

There's more going on at Duxford in terms of restoration and operating companies employing people than at Shuttleworth, and there are other places - Turweston for example with quite a lot of people earning their living in the general field. There are also a great many museums around the UK, many of which have at-least some professional staff.

G

Ron Souch lives somewhere near Southampton and has earned a living turning out simply superb restorations of Moths and all sorts of other classics for years. If you haven't contacted him already, I wonder if he might be able to offer some advice.

Go to the airfield and have a sniff around. Become a volunteer and see where it goes. Worked for me.

C.A

Shuttleworth do run apprentice schemes for engineers, so if that's something you're interested in, it's worth enquiring and applying.

As someone else has already suggested, whatever aspect of vintage aviation, it's worth contacting them direct.

Thanks all for the replies!

Genghis - I'm in my last year of secondary school. I'm a glider pilot on an airfield that deals with a lot of light aircraft too, so I've been able to see and help out with the maintenance on some aircraft. Good lord have I fallen in love with seeing aircraft insides!! :}

Treadigraph - I've met Ron and his son Mike at their workshop. I fired them off an email some time ago regarding apprenticeships and where I should be looking but received no reply. Unsure if they saw the email or not.

I'm thinking I need to send off a few more emails. My previous email to Shuttleworth harvested no reply. A common theme :{

Another possibility is the RAF Museum. The Conservation centre at Cosford certainly has apprentices on its books........

What a sad reflection on plain human decency and politeness.

You sent an email to a bunch of wood/fabric grease monkeys?( meant in the fondest sense) You will have to try a lot harder than that!

Heheh yes I know ;) I'm making an effort to visit the Collection on their engineering open weekend in the new year.

I don't know them personally, but from Southampton especially, here's a bunch I'd have thought you want to go and visit. I have no idea at-all if they are taking on apprentices, but you can only ask.

About Us - Aerotech Solento Ltd

Also whilst you are still at school...

Volunteers You're presumably under 18, so the best bet is go and ask.

G

Cheers Genghis! Seems like Aerotech is a quiet company. I've been at this airfield nearly 3 years and never heard of them!!!:eek:

Hi,

We are in Scotland (far away) and don't have the work you want (sorry).

But I am of the generation that might give you work.

I despair of my children - in their 20s - who seem to think that an email or text message will lead to a job. Maybe that's how Hollywood portrays it?

You need to knock on doors. Most industries - and I would include aviation - are pretty traditional. To be frank, forget about any qualifications/exams. etc. What will probably get you the job is people seeing/hearing you. It is what used to be called: getting a foot in the door.

Phone and ask if there is a time - even during lunch break - that someone can spend just five minutes with you. Tell them you are going around a load of places, picking up information, asking for advice.

Even just knock on the door a few minutes before lunchtime.

You'll need to push!

But the great advantage you have over all the others - who will still be sending over emails - is you have come on here and got some advice.

ps. Later on in life, when romance starts to enter, you'll find emails, texts and telephone answering machines are great when it comes to breaking up! That's also why they are useless for getting jobs. Too remote.

ps Above means unsolicited emails etc. Obviously, some companies now only take formal applications via electronic means.

Hi Xrayalpha,

Thanks for the encouragement! I do try to make an effort to go to these companies when I can. The whole reason I love vintage aviation is because there's a sense of 'doing it properly'. :}

Hi all,
Incase anyone happens to see this:

I managed to get a part time job at Aero Antiques (Mike Souch's place) and have been to Shuttleworth for work experience twice now. I am applying for their apprenticeship when the application comes out very soon.

I was 15 when I started this thread and am now almost 18. Strange looking back at it!

We'll done, keep going.

Brilliant news, well done and good luck with your application!

Good for you!
I worked for a few years in the trade in the early 70s. Joined with no real experience ( lots of DIY and rebuilds on cars and a short stint with a crop dusting outfit) Within a short time I was doing rebuilds on DH, Austers, Miles, Stamps, along with the modern tin a/craft. There was not a lot of money in it then (is there now?) But an event took me elsewhere. I sometime wonder what might have happened if I had continued. Got a lot of 'hands on' airtime and met some interesting people.
Good luck.
DW

Very well done Z, delighted to read that.

G

Pilot Z
Good luck with the upcoming apprentiship application. You seem a sensible and articulate young man.
My advice is to never give up. If you want an apprentiship at Shuttleworth (or anywhere), if you miss out this intake, keep applying and keep attending in any capacity so they know your face, and are impressed that you really, really want an apprentiship there.
I have worked in a different profession, and getting into training was highly competitive. The people who controlled who got in were always impressed by someone who put in the time to volunteer, and kept on applying till they succeeded.

I believe someone who claims to have flown all over the world solo also claims to have flown for the Shuttleworth Collection.

You could ask her, but I wouldn't hold your breath for any enlightenment. I believe her name was Tracey Curtis Taylor. I believe she will happily tell her tales of daring do to anyone who'll listen.

Z,

It looks as though you are already on the right path. A previous poster said 'never give up' - I agree, that is very good advice. I would also say 'knock on doors and go and see people'.

Also, always be prepared to do even menial jobs, keep making yourself useful, keep learning as much as possible all the time throughout your future career and seize opportunities whenever they arise, you never know where they might lead to.

I wish you the very best of luck!

Thank you all for the encouragement! Wasn't sure if anyone would see it or not but this is a pleasant surprise.

I've been told the only way to really make money in the industry is by having your own business. But right now I'm not in it for the money.

The menial jobs don't bother me so much - if anything its nice to get something menial once in a while.

Perhaps if I am successful at Shuttleworth I will make a post on here although I'm sure the media will want a slice (Shuttleworth's first lady apprentice?)!

Happy landings
Zoe

Zoe,

Even better!! I was taught to fly by a great lady back in 1959. She went on to become the first woman civil ATCO in the UK and then the first jet captain in the UK.

So let's hope you achieve another first.

Well done PilotZ! Your most direct path to working with, and flying vintage airplanes is to be where it's happening, and meeting the people.

Zoe

Sorry for my inexcusable gender assumption.
As you can see there is a good deal of interest here in your success. Please do post on your progress over the forthcoming years.
You will go far. Best of luck.

John

Perhaps I used to work in a much more structured industry with much more rigorous procedures both in terms of recruitment and in supplier purchasing.

But this sort of semi-cold calling would get you nowhere.
In fact it might actually get you worse so to speak in a negative sense.
If we wanted people we would advertise for them.
If we did not then we would not.
The endless letters/calls whatever from individual and from recruitment agencies/head hunters all telling us how wonderful they of their candidate were were all totally pointless.
They would all end up in the bin/not interested reply regardless.
The recruitment industry seemed unable to understand we did not have positions mysteriously left open ready for the possibility of a suitable candidate to appear from the woodwork one day.

The same applied to bids. I keep on hearing how important it is to personally follow up your bid and how meetings to discuss your bid are so important as "people sell to people".
Not in my industry they did not.
We bought according to umpteen rigorously applied factors including a financial risk assessment of the suppliers - and their salesmen wanting to meet up to "discuss" their bid was view as akin to an attempt to pervert the procurement processes.

I think that perhaps dsc that is the difference between seeking a permanent job, and seeking work experience.

G

Hi All

It's been the best part of 4 years since I first became interested in working for Shuttleworth.

I'm so pleased to say I've been accepted as one of two apprentices to start at The Collection this September for three years.

Hope to see you all there!

Zoe

Very well done and very patient!

Maybe see you at Airshow on September 1st?

Brilliant news! :D Look forward to more updates if you can.

I am usually at the UK Junior Gliding simulator so do please come and say hello!

Absolutely Brilliant Zoe. Well done, and I hope that this is the start of many years of fun with aeroplanes.

A passing thought - sadly women in engineering are still more of a minority than you should be. You might find some benefits in joining the Womens Engineering Society, or WES. You'll certainly be in good company.

G

Great to hear quine, you'll be an asset in checking for fouled gear linkages ;-)
You are also rather a good stick under pressure, hope you get a chance to show them that.
You throwing Pawnee's at the ground now?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....12f10259c7.jpg
Winnie Drinkwater - 1930s mechanic and world's first female commercial pilot.


Congratulations Zoe!

(Strathaven Airfield is the product of The Scottish Flying Club, where Winnie prospered.)

Very heartening to read this thread and the success you've had Zoe. Aviation is one of those quirky industries where through sheer will and determination, the world is your oyster. I started my work experience at helicopter company based at my local airfield in May 1989 a few months before my 14th birthday and this has led to an amazing 30 year experience in aviation.

Excellent news Zoe. So pleased for you.