OXFORD BAD FOR SELF SPONSORED?
Ground instructor
Join Date: May 2001
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There is a lot of good sense posted here and some bad, you should be able to tell the difference. In particular someone said that you have to set your own goals and reach them. . .. .Oxford Instructors will help you through the JAR exams, But who will pass them, You will. . . .. .Obviously they will help you as much as they can, but your self motivation and hard work are what really counts. As for the snob comment, well unfortunately life's a bitch and then you die. The Airline industry can be clicky and sometimes names swing it, right or wrong I'm not in a position to judge.
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Join Date: Feb 2002
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SO, has the numbers of pilots fallen at OATS? And those who are there now finding it easier to get up?. .. .And for those who have been through! How active was OATS in finding you a seat at the front of a plane?. .. .This great stuff guys. This debate is giving me a lot of insight! Thanks
Join Date: Feb 2002
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Batty has just told you that Oxford directly found him his job. I remember it. His airline approached us looking for half a dozen self-sponsored likely lads who were just coming up to the end of their training.. .. .Obviously, we didn't suggest just anybody. We selected from those students who we thought were pretty good and wouldn't let our reputation down. As many people have pointed out on this site, you make your own luck.. .. .Since Sep 11, we haven't had that sort of approach again from airlines yet. But I expect it will happen again when the airlines need new recruits again.. .. .Just a suggestion to Scroggs and WWW: As the majority of replies on this thread are clearly demonstrating, shouldn't it really be entitled "OXFORD GOOD FOR SELF SPONSORED"?. .. .Put a positive spin on it instead of the inevitable negative spin to the casual reader of the index who doesn't bother to read further?. . . . <small>[ 15 March 2002, 15:58: Message edited by: oxford blue ]</small>
Join Date: Feb 2002
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I'm just about to start at OAT in about 6 weeks and can't wait - I know that there'll be tons of hard work and I'll have to be extremely motivated - no flying at all for 19 weeks?!!! Eh?. .. .Anyway, I don't know for sure but I don't think there are many self-sponsored students on my course (only one girl). I am therefore hopeful that I won't experience any difficulties in competing for hours with people on my course. . .. .I'm 26 and have worked for several years - haven't had to use my brain for ages and am scared of the ground school stuff! I shall put the work in.......
Join Date: Dec 2000
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oh oxford blue please..... maybe you should look at the archives and see how many people have posted negative(yet constructive) posts about Oats.. .. .Stop trying to manipulate or put your own spin on this thread. Students have had both good and bad experiences. The thread was started to ASK people's opinions not to sell OATS!. .. .Sp
Join Date: Apr 2000
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Oxford Blue, posts like this really do show OATS arrogant nature. . .. .Batty would have got a job without your help - he's ex RAF. .. .In the interests of balanced feedback tell the good viewers of this thread about all the help you give to those who are not ex RAF.. .. .I'm sure you won't tell them about the 'pretty good' chap that nearly ruined your relationship with said airline - just goes to show, you don't always pick the best people for the job.. .. .Still, anyone going to OAT, go with the expectation that you get NO help to find a job - that way any help you do get is a bonus. . .. .The groundschool team are excellent as are most of the flight instructors and remember: there are plenty of ex-OAT guys (& girls) who go on to get good jobs despite a helping hand from OATS since most airlines are made up of decent folk who give everyone the same chance - unlike OATS themselves
Join Date: Mar 2002
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There have been many mixed experiences from ex-OATS students. I left OATS in Jan 2000 and have only just got a job. I have good and bad memories. The Instructors were first class and supported the students 100 percent. As a self sponsored student I was definitely put in second place behind the BA Cadets on my course. I had 12 singles Instructors, 4 Twin Instructors, 3 room moves (the second room I had had urine stains on the floor from the previous Kewait student, who then before leaving used the wardrobe to store his bowel movements. I compained several times about the smell and only after moving did OATS tell me what they found in the room before I moved in. It's nice to know I was storing food inside a toilet and not a wardrobe). I lost count of the A/C I lost to the BA Cadets. At the end of the day I have the qualification, made some good friends and am looking forward to a flying career. As for OATS, there customer service sucks and i'm glad to be gone.
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Grobit. .. .Well done in finding work at last, especially in the current climate. Since you have had to wait for quite a while to get that job, I'm sure that fellow Wannabees would be interested to know how many hours you had on leaving, and how did you manage to keep current-what did you do in the unemployed period after college, and what reactions you got whilst applying for work during that period?. .. .Did you get your job by networking or by good luck? Obviously, by the sound of it, the College had no hand in it!
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Tosh, I had around 400 hrs. Since leaving OATS I took all sorts of temp jobs (had to pay those career development loans). After 6 months I decided that I would have to put myself into areas of work that would give me some experience in an airline. I managed to get some work in recruitment for a major carrier which gave me an excellent insight into pilot recruitment as well as other trades within the company. After that, I got a job in a pilot training facility as a result of getting to know someone that I was recruiting for the major. I met lots of crews from the UK & overseas . This didn't get me a job, but gave me lots of useful contacts so I could talk directly to the right people. I also got some valuable sim time in. The job was a result of being recommended, passing the interview and sim test. The whole process can be very disheartening, but persistence pays off along with hard work. Be pro-active and try any approach to get noticed (I even sent Christmas cards to Chief Pilots with my CV printed on the inside). I wish all the luck to those still trying to get that first job. It's a tough place to be, but I really do think things are going to get better in the next few months.
Join Date: Dec 2000
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Well done Grobit. It just shows no matter what school you have been to that if you are proactive and have the personality the chance will come to you. I've realised (the expensive way) that OATS on you CV isn't worth what it was several years ago.. .. .sp
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Sponsored students do get priority over modular students when it comes to seats at Oxford to sit your exams. Before somebody post a message saying that OATS have no control over allocation of places I heared this directly from the head of modular training at OATS. Modular students often find themselves having to go to examination locations elsewhere at thier own expence where as Oxford do not want to foot this bill as they have been paid a set ammount for each sponsored cadet, hence they get priority. OATS marketing will not tell you this unless you ask.
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Personally knew someone who found the BA boys had preferance. Gave him big problems when it came to test time. Cant really blame OATS though, but none the less a bit naughty.
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Sorry to trouble you again, Grobbit. Another couple of questions. . .. .Since you left Oxford with 400hrs, I guess that you must have started the course with 200+-hrs, since you only come out of the integrated course with 170+hrs.. .. .Secondly, did you manage to keep current with hour-building, IF, etc during your attempts to find work between then and now? How many hours have you managed/afforded to build up during that time?
Join Date: Aug 2000
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I was self sponsored and did the old Upgrade course back in 1998 at OAT. They offered nothing in the form of assistance to get a job after qualification to me, but to be fair I didn't really push them on this. . .. .It's a training provider that will get you the qualification you require. If you choose to spend what they ask for a full course and that suits you then fine, no problem. Remember though that everyone else will have the same shiny licence in their hand, wherever they trained. OAT on your cv as your training provider is just that. Don't expect chief pilots to be drooling over your cv with 200hrs from OATS on it. In the current market you will require lots more than that and by the time you get it OATS will be in the dim and distant past, employers want to know what you are currently doing and the quality of what you are doing, not really who trained you a couple of years ago.. .. .If you are one of the VERY FEW lucky ones who gets a job with 200hrs then great, but don't be fooled into thinking that OAT on your cv will open doors for you. It won't. Determination, perseverance, dedication, hard work and HOURS get the doors open to the chief pilots office. When I was there many of the self sponsored students(including me) thought that it would make a difference on our cvs, what we were doing was justifying to ourselves why we were at OATS and that suited their marketing team very nicely......I see they still use the slogan about having OATS on your cv.. .. .So if you haven't guessed it already my opinion would be that if OATS is the best option for you then go there, if it isn't for whatever reason, then don't go there for the only reason that you will have it on your cv.. .. .Best of luck. .. .PP
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Forgot to mention, when I was there short courses was also on the airfield and we were certainly treated as second class, you had to make sure that nobody nicked your aircraft! The other thing that narked me was they wanted my upgrade fees in 4 payments over the 8 week course. That sounds fine, but with lots of crap weather about we had slipped well behind schedule by the time the second payment was due, by the time the third was due I had refused to pay it until I'd flown off some of my now considerable credit!!!! They didn't like that and tried to block us on their computer system so we couldn't book aircraft out but seems as there were so many of us in the same position I think the numbers made them think again and see some sense. In the end the upgrade took something like 14 weeks.. .. .PP
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Hi Tosh (again),. . Not sure what happen just then, but looks like I've posted an introduction. I had a PPL before OATS, with the usual mix of circuit bashing and local area hours. After OATS I continued with this as well as training as an instructor for the Air Cadets on motor gliders. It's all VFR stuff and my IR has lapsed. I did think about going to the USA to do it again, but finances have stopped me. I'm just very lucky to have been given an opportunity.
