CTC Cadets - Any regrets?

[Ian_Wannabe]

Hi all,

I'm considering this route into the industry again and I was wondering about the realities of the whole process.

For those who have taken out the huge loan, gone through the training and are now looking for or are in a job - Has it been worth it?

Thanks.

[Ian_Wannabe]

Thanks for your response, it's good to hear the other side of things.

Would you say that you feel this way because you're the type of person who requires a constant challenge/different aims once you've got what you want or would you pin it entirely to the job itself?

Forgive me if this is a personal question, I'm just trying to sum up both sides because I've always been plagued by the notion that I should keep flying as a hobby or I'll just end up hating it as my job, which in turn sounds like what you're saying.

Any other views?

[Training Risky]

Don't normally post here, but my 2p worth on an interesting topic...

As I come to the end of a 16-year RAF career (last 10 of which spent on ground jobs) I find myself looking back with a more critical eye on my initial pursuit of a flying career. What John_Smith has written resonates with me somewhat.

I flew the Chinook prior to being chopped for low-level nav deficiencies. Before transferring to a ground job I had a golden opportunity to leave the RAF and do a CPL and fall into exactly the kind of trap that John has illustrated. I had 500-odd hours and I wanted to keep flying no matter what the cost. It was the twin blockers of 1) a growing family/commitments and 2) uncertainty of the post 9/11 airline economy, which kept me from making the jump.

Nothing beats an exciting and variable flying job. I had the supreme honour of being paid to wazz around the length and breadth of the UK and Europe doing a mix of aeros, low-level, SAR, mountain ops, underslung loads and even boring procedural IF. It is not for everyone, but military flying, along with GA instructing and corporate bizjet flying, are the only jobs that can keep your interest level high, if the routine 'drudge' of airline flying turns out to be insufficient.

I for one am very glad I didn't invest an extortionate amount of money in a CPL/fATPL in order to line the pockets of O'Leary et al and become quickly disillusioned with flying. Sure, a ground job was hard to get used to at first, but it was the best of a bad deal for me.

After my kids have grown up and I have more available time/cash/pink chits, I intend to fly for fun by buying a share in a Pitts special or Sukhoi...but hey - that's just my take on things!

[tom775257]

On a tangent, at the airline I work for, as time goes on the CTC cadets are perhaps 'believing their own hype' more and more. A bit of humility serves people well at any stage of an aviation career.

One less controversial recent story that made me laugh. New CTC cadet giving long rambling briefing to the training captain (a brief should be, well, brief). After a few minutes of this, to prove a point the captain turned and looked out of the window. Cadet tugs on the captain's shirt and says "OI! The briefing is in here not out there!" Fantastic

[Ian_Wannabe]

Good thoughts, I'd be interested to hear from newly placed CTC cadets?

[Up North Like]

What I can say is that the hold pool is pretty much empty right now. I myself finished AQC and straight into an easyJet assessment. They need a lot of pilots and they are coming to CTC for them.

Not looking back so far because I haven't had time to. Will that change once I'm in the job - I don't know but I very much doubt it.

If it is what you want to do and can manage it - go for it.