CTC McAlpine Sponsorship Selection Dates
 

The first selection (and training) dates for the CTC McAlpine Sponsored Cadet Scheme have appeared on their website

Wow, they're in a hurry, and seem confident of being ultra-efficient. Applications don't open until Monday, December 2nd, it will involve awaiting an email acceptance and then mailing in a full written application along with copies of all your qualification/ID/medical documents, yet somehow the first aptitude tests will be on Saturday 7th. :eek:

CTC dates
 

I agree, but I think it will work out to our advantage.

However as I do not have a Class 1 medical I will need to provide a medical and ophthalmic test report, signed by GP. I have a valid Class 2 and was going to send a copy of a recent eye examination, do you think this will be sufficient?

:confused:

I'd have thought so, maybe a good idea if you also tag on a note to the effect that your AME's opinion was that he didn't expect you'd have any problem getting a class 1 certification also.

Depends how merciless they intend to be with enforcing their made-up rules. Personally, my paperwork is all in order, but for the EasyJet or CTC streams I'll have to hope that being 3 months over-age can be overlooked. As I may have mentioned on another thread ;)

Thanks for the info mate.

I think if you have what they are looking for, then 3 months won't make much difference, or I hope it shouldn't.

All the best and will hopefully see you at somepoint during the stages?

Southampton is a long way for some applicants i'm sure.
I don't envy guys applying from Scotland!

Good luck all:D

Aye, its not going to be fun but its got to be done.....providing I get that far!

:)

Ideally needs an overnight, but it's feasible in 24 hours: take the sleeper train down to London (£30 single for bed & breakfast by booking on Scotrail's website), connect by train to Southampton Central, then return by late-evening low-cost flight from any London airport.

Or, if 4 candidates in the same far flung corner of the nation get together to rent a Warrier or 172, departing, say, Belfast, Prestwick, Dundee or Newcastle at 5am/6am-ish, destination Southampton Airport, that should work out at reasonable cost, would just need two PPLs on board of which one night & IMC rated, and could be a very satisfactory day in it's own right! Count me in from southern Scotland.

Anyhow good luck to all in getting to that stage.

What do you suppose they mean by, "evaluate your physical attributes"? I've heard people dismiss cadet selection processes as beauty contests but I didn't think it was literal!! They can already screen height/weight on your application form so what is planned for the testing day... parade down a catwalk in pilot uniform?... or is it strength and endurance: suffer 5 Gs then break out of a simulated burning wreckage, absail down the fuselage, drag out the only other survivor - let's assume for the exercise it was a cargo or positioning flight - swim to safety, then run for a mile to get help, within 90 seconds? or do they just mean hand-eye coordination and stuff? :confused:

Nicely put mate.

I don't have my PPL yet, but if you do then count me in for a Prestwick departure!

The physical attributes had me going as well, after all we're not going for the trolley dolly positions......
:D

I am only 18 years old and according to the JMC website they require you to be at least 18 years old but on the CTC McAlpine website you have to be at least 19 years old, can anyone clear this up for me?

You should be alright, if you read the script on the CTC-McAlphine site carefully, it goes on to state that their airline sponsors may have differing requirements. JCM is one of the airlines and they have published different age limits on their own site, which presumably will be reproduced within the online application webpage on the CTC-McAlphine site when it allegedly appears on Monday.

However, if you were wanting to apply for EasyJet and/or CTC-McAlphine, I'd suggest you just try regardless. The men in pin-striped suits have probably calculated that if you are under 19 then you must be straight from A levels, thus haven't done anything else with your life yet and thus probably aren't quite mature enough. However you may well have completed your schooling early, had a gap year already or been working or just be simply outstanding. So, go ahead and badger them with an application, let's all send a clear message that whilst we're happy for age to be a consideration during selection, we're not going to be taking any notice of this arbitrary date-of-birth brick-wall stuff.

Also... I don't know if those on the inside would agree at all with this thought, but I'd guess also it might potentially help with future applications should they remember an applicant as having been hassling them when they were 'too young'. Pilots need to be confident and strong, if we let the people in recruitment go around drawing up age limits -- since they can't all agree on what they are then it clearly shows they're truly arbitrary -- and applying them strictly just for beaucratic convenience, then what's to say that a few years down the line when Captain Grey-Hair is seriously messing up, First Officer Whatever-You-Say-Guv isn't just going to defer to the skipper's obviously better knowledge of all things and let him go ahead... as happened to the extreme in various historic accidents...

carb

You've really got a bee in your bonnet about this age thing, haven't you? You need to understand that it's the employer, not the candidate, who sets the criteria for selection. These criteria are set for a number of reasons, some of which I've mentioned to you before. There are so many applicants for each flying or sponsorship position, that there is absolutely no reason why any employer should or would stray even one day over or under their predetermined limits.

As for pestering a potential employer when you are ineligible for a particular scheme, you would be doing yourself no favours at all. If your name is remebered, it won't be with affection or respect! It will probably be encapsulated in the phrase 'that f***ing w*nker of a pest, carp (or whoever)'. What do you think your chances of being invited for an interview then would be?As for your suggestion that this tactic would show confidence and strength, sorry mate, ut no way. It shows a serious lack of judgement - as does your attitude generally.

Take it from someone who knows, don't p*ss your potential employer off.:rolleyes:

Yes I know, and the bee in my bonnet has nearly stopped flapping about now I think. Obviously by 'pestering' I don't literally mean making a nuisance, this is just the carb style of dramatic writing. I'm merely thinking that if you actually send in an application when too young, and it bounces, then you can say at future interviews, "well, I was so keen I tried to apply early" and I can't imagine anything than warm fuzzy feelings in the hearts of the interviewers at that moment. ;)

As for employers not straying off their predetermined age limits by any margin, well, we'll see what happens, I'll be making no apology for trying. Though, if you're perceiving I'm having an attitude problem as opposed to determination then I certainly accept that as helpful criticism.

I agree with you CARB that there is no harm in applying even if you are a month or two out.The only thing I would say is that they dont have a false impression of your age and decide to act on it at a later stage!
With regards another point.Do you think those 4 dates for phase 2 are going to be the only ones.They mention that if you want to be considered for the early courses to keep any eye on that page. Does this mean they might be quite open with the later dates if your unavailable. Im hoping so because if not Ill be cancelling a Christmas holiday!

Website says applications will open at 1000 on 2.12.02, hope CTC have a good server and are prepared for a massive number of hits at around that time!!

Good luck to everyone who's applying!!