Jerez. FTE.
 

Hi. I am about to finalise my application to FTE. I have completed the selection procedure. I have heard various stories about "changes" there, including redundancies etc. I would be very grateful if any curent or recent student could tell me what is happening before I forward my money. Any advice would be very welcome. Thanks. :8:8:8

I am not a current student, however my friend was recently made redundant by them (he was an instructor). All I can say is, you'd be a fool to hand over any money in advance.

If you're going to pay for training. Pay as you go. In other words, modular.

Globespan has just gone down the pan, and a big Italian family who own another UK charter airline have just pulled the plug on funding. Now is not a wise time to start an integrated scheme, no matter how much money you have.

..but that's just my opinion. Good luck either way.

Wouldn't it be more sensible to wait for a couple of years?
A glossy brochure is not a job offer.

I take it we are making reference to MON?

Can you elucidate on this? This would be news indeed.

Anyone?

A fool and his money are soon parted. Flying schools being a common mechanism.

There are zero jobs.

You won't get a job.

Not in a years time.

Not in two.

Not in three.


In four years time there might be some jobs but your skills will be so rusty and your IR so lapsed that it won't matter. You still won't get a job.


Just trying to be unambiguous.


WWW

If you pay money in advance for an integrated course in the current climate you need psychological assessment.
Even the modular root is not worth the hassle at the moment, keep your cash.It will be at least 5 years before things start to pick up.

WWW

Over the years I've found your posts invaluable. Your own particular insight is of particular relevance to anyone in a wannabes shoes at the moment....and it has been this way for some time now, and will always continue to be given your esteemed position and experience.

However, advising someone that there will be no jobs for upto 4 years?!

I sense you are almost on the brink of suggesting we are going to be going back to sailing or similar as our primary means of inter-continental travel.

Why on earth should I, a mere wannabe bite, on such a thread you may ask. Afterall, by putting off fellow wannabes surely you are delivering to me a premium service.

Maybe so...or maybe you are just giving your own informed opinion...to those whom will listen. Well fair enough. It makes for an interesting read, albeit sobering...and for a wake up call to many....but come on...

4 years?

:eek::ugh:

CF

Even though I agree with 99.9% of WWW's comments, I think he is very optimistic with his 4 years estimate.

I personally would use the 2014 guide to START your flight training, hopefully the industry will prove me wrong, but I fear it wont.

In my opinion from 2016 onwards we will start to see a slow and steady recruitment drive from the airlines. I dont think we will see the 2005-7 recruitment levels return until the middle of the next decade (2025 ish).

Ryanair will be everybody's best bet for a job, even though their bubble will burst and they will stop recruiting for expansion within 2-3 years, as soon as the rest of the industry starts to pick they will loose their pilots extremely fast.

Good luck, and remember there is no rush! Get another job and watch the industry whilst saving.

2025 ! How anyone can believe to have the ability to predict economic developments 15 years ahead is laughable.

John Smith speaks the very refreshing, cruel truth. To the original poster, I think FTE have a very good product - I wouldn't touch them for a few years though, that is if they are still around.

Hit the nail on the head here with regards to a lot of wannabes attitudes, including mine until recently. Denial of what really is happening is quite a common factor and one which FTOs thrive on. Lots of people go into training these days with the attitude that they'll have a saving grace, thrust upon them in the form of a job a few weeks after they're finished.

Nuh-uh.

Wrong!
 

john smith, you are completely wrong. The money should be placed on red.

On the matter of pilot training, you are completely right. Time CTC fessed up and shut down. They've done well enough out of the mugs in the last 2 years.

Helena - save your money and do the course modular!!!!! then with the money you have saved!!!!! go and get your type rating!!!!!!! - i also completed the selection procedure at FTE - altho you finish your training quickly - i managed to complet my training zero to ATPL frozen within 11months of starting so it can be done!!! and next wk i go to have a sim chk with ryanair and i've saved 22 thousand pouns so far x

this is several months I am looking for a job, and I got nothing, NOTHING!
it 's useless to look for a flying job at this time.

It will take 2-3 years for the airlines to be back on "line". You just need to look at the situation in the USA. if it's not good in the States, it' s not good in the world!

In 2-3 years, airlines will start to recruit experimented pilots. I believe we have thousand of experimented pilots waiting to get their job back.

in 6 years, yes , maybe they will look at low time pilots again.MAYBE!

The aim of the game is to get a job is it not? There are no jobs and will not be in the near future. There is no point wasting your money on training at the moment. No matter how good a cadet you turn out to be at Jerez it will be in vain and you will be servicing an ever increasing debt and will then have to make the difficult choice as to whether to stay current or let your ratings lapse thereby invariably incurring significant retraining costs when the time comes.

If you agree with my first point regarding getting a job as being the overriding factor then you need to consider whether your proposed school is really where you want to be. People joining my outfit found it tough getting a recommendation out of the school irrespective of the fact that they had first time passes and better than average reports from the instructors. Oxford on the other hand was more than happy to send a bunch of CV's off willy nilly. They still do this to the day as far as I am aware with the pay to fly schemes and also Ryanair.

Consequently when the boom was at its peak about 3 or 4 years ago we took on loads of Oxford people but not many FTE. I don't think there would be any difference in the calibre between the two schools nor the others that joined from a modular background either. We all passed the same entrance tests and so on. Fortunately for my fellow colleagues they went outside of the normal referral routes, got their CV onto the right desk, got interview, selected and are now in the RHS.

Now I realise there is a significant difference in price between these two schools which may be influencing your decision. I wouldn't rule out modular in any case as it will cost you a hell of a lot less and give you the same bits of paper but its moot point as I wouldn't be embarking on any professional training at the moment. Instead do your PPL and build some hours. Consider buying a share in something small and cheap and keep yourself current. Even better if you can get into a "no capital" group. Take your holidays somewhere like the US and do some flying which will add to your experience and fill up your logbook.

This year might see a few commerical schools fold assuming last year potential students could not get bank loans and the number of class 1 initials decreasing.

Perhaps start looking into the ATPL exams slowing and save your money for the moment.

For anybody that has money to spare, doing the PPL Licence is a good idea at this time thus hour-building at your leisure for a few years. I have my PPL ticket on Helicopters and I don't plan on going to the next level anytime soon.

My halfpenny's worth.

First, FTE are an excellent outfit and if I was starting my training now they would probably be my first choice.

But, before you go and shower them with gold, bear this in mind. The 2008 JN Somers ATPL scholarship winner graduated her course with FTE a year ago and still hasn't found employment. This is an individual who beat hundreds of other applicants to be awarded the UK's only fully funded ATPL scholarship. It is an extremely prestigious award and historically those who win it are pretty much guaranteed employment with the airline of their choice. So, I ask you, if she can't find a job, what chances do other, lesser mortals have in the current and ongoing climate?

Regards, jez