What do airlines prefer - FTO or Hours?
 

Hey guys. I'm pretty new to the forums and I was wondering if anyone could help.

I'm 18, from the UK and my career aim is to be a commercial airline pilot (big surprise there eh!!)

I'm hoping to start applying for ATPL training sometime soon however, there are 2 main choices I have open to me - CTC Wings iCP and (DCA) Delta Connection Academy's 1 year International Student program (based in Orlando Sanford, FL). What I don't know is whether the CTC Wings iCP program gives you the hours and licenses you need to apply for jobs with the airlines etc. And if so, would going with CTC and having less hours be better than going with DCA but having much more hours but eventually getting the same result.

Any feedback or recommendations would be really appreciated!! ;)

I read on a thread there are 800 ex-airline pilots with no jobs (XL / Zoom etc) so you'll be at the back of the queue behind these pilots and behind the hour building instructors, air taxi pilots, TP pilots, bush pilots and so on.

I'll be delaying my training until the above pilots start moving up the ladder first. Take a look at a few threads on here so that you get the feel/mood of the airline industry. :ok:

Good luck

The 'feel/mood' of the airline industry and the 'feel/mood' of PPRuNe can sometimes be considered as two separate entities, so beware! Everyone has their individual circumstances :ok:

Good advice..

Go modular in the current climate.. :E

James, if the CTC course gets you the JAA CPL/Multi/IR and frozen ATPL. You will also need an MCC. Then you can apply to airlines. Most other schools produce the same thing.

The Delta connection course will only give you FAA licences and ratings which are no use in Europe. You will need to convert to JAA when you finish there which includes doing all 14 ATPL exams. That means more expense. But it can still work out cheaper in the long run. There are schools in America where you can obtain CAA approved JAA licences. Perhaps they might be a better option.

But as the others pointed out, things are a bit slow at the moment on the recruitment front. Don't be in any hurry to make up your mind.

I would also recommend the modular route the way things are. I may be biassed as thats the route I took but it's all down to your circumstances IMO.

Some airlines are a little funny if you have been to different schools for say CPL to IR. I think they prefer training all in one place. While others are more open.
Having said that I think the more hours you have (700+) that starts to become less of an issue.

You certainly have age on your side but if you do go modular you need to be quite motivated otherwise on the theory side it may start to drag out in time. The increased cost of the integrated route in my case was not worth it.

Also keep positive! There is alot of negativety on here, don't let it get you down. People will always need to fly and things will turn around. If you really want to do it, it will happen.

I've found a place in Canada that does JAA training. If it's of any use and alot cheaper. Check out the place

JAA - Joint Aviation Authority - Obtain your JAA PPL or ATPL in Canada!

All opinions are welcomed

Thanks

Harv's Air are not JAA school AFAIK. They do state 'partnership' with one UK school on their webpage that would credit some training towards issue of JAA certificates/ratings.

Not much different to structured individual modular, where one gets ICAO PPL, does ATPL theory, then CPL/IR module/s.
Route many have done and will do as many of us are not that rich to pay/waste money on integrated.

I've read here that Moncton (MFC) has or had temporary halt (staffing??)on their JAA approved training (IR etc with Cabair). Not sure if there's any other like it in Canada.

Approvals
 

Harv's Air is not an approved JAA FTO. The only training facility in Canada that used to offer JAA training was MFC. They recently pulled the plug on JAA training.

The document that contains a list of JAA approved FTO is available here.

(Note: These are JAA approved under the UK CAA)