It appears they have put asside a week to get through all the candidates....

If each candidate is paying around £200......The cheaky sods will be making a fair bit of money out of this wont they?


I cant help feel that almost everyone who applied at stage 1 will have been "asked" to go to stage 2 making it more of a lottery/con job than an actuall application process.....:*

Comments have been made in the past on the wannabe forums regarding the fixed wing OAT schemes saying that pretty much everyone who meets the outlined criteria for application are invited to Phase 2.



I’m not singling out OAT for attack here, I understand most Flight Training providers do the same thing.



S

But who is going to say that they didn't get through? You can't really tell!

Cheers

Whirls

I guess you pay your money and take your choice.....


Now then, do I go to testing...Buy 200 lottery tickets, or put the money towards a type rating....hmmm....:ugh:

I'm through too.

Good luck to everyone. See you down there!

L A

Selection
 

Can anyone point me in the direction of any threads / posts that contain detailed information on the selection process. I would like to be as prepared as i can for the selection.

Daz

I wonder how many who have been called for the second stage actually have a PPL(H) or even just a few hours in the book towards it? Just from the point that, if you don't, what the hell do you actually say when the board ask you why you want to fly helicopters for a living?!?!

I don't think 'Because it looks like a fun challenge' would quite cut it:}

memories of a long ago AIB when they asked why I wanted to join the navy, hence the question!

As posted on the advertisement for the Bond sponsorship scheme:

Is previous flight training experience or a PPL required?
No. It can sometimes be a useful indicator of an applicant’s interest in flying, although we do understand that many applicants may not have had the means or opportunity to take flying lessons.

I don't think the lack of a PPL(H) or rotary hours should count against a candidate. Fixed-wing training still develops skills relevant in RW flying, and not everyone knows they want to be a helicopter pilot from day one (we all want to be jet jocks when we start - that's how it works, right? :))

As for the military comment - even they start off with FW training!

I hear that Taffer, but regardless of the advert, it's a question your going to get asked. When I joined the R.N., the nice man that came to school also said it didn't matter if we hadn't been on a Yacht before, but I sure as hell got asked why I thought it was for me at the board!

Okay, I'd been Sea Cadets etc beforehand, so I had a bit of a clue, but you get the gist of where I'm going with this! But hey, at £200 a skull going in the coffers, they aren't going to give a crap if you sit there and talk teletubbies, are they:} Kerrrrrchhhhiiiiiing

Didn't get that question at my AIB - got the standard 'could you take a human life?' one. Boring.....:}

I agree with your point - while no experience is not necessarily a hinderance, anything that you've done to look into your career path or try it out is a bonus.

You got that one to?:O

Do they still do the 'point to the country' thing as well? We had one lad think Iraq was next to India:ugh:

Daz,

I suggest that you start ploughing through the Wannabes forum and read any thread with 'OAT' in the title.

Use of the search function will also help. Unfortunately, the search function won't pick up 3 letter words (ie OAT) but searching for 'Oxford' and 'selection' should be a good start.

Who knows, the interviewers might even appreciate those who show a bit of initiative... :p


Best of luck with the interviews.



PS To all those knocking the application fee, do you think that these tests are free to run? :confused: Why shouldn't the organisers recover some of their costs?

Information regarding OAT testing.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...oxford+testing

If anyone has applied for the Bond ab-initio scheme and has NOT been asked to attend for stage 2, please send me a PM and I will publish how many, if any, PM's I get.

Sorry to hear that dude!....Its a lottery im sure:=

TJF97,

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get through, and have got a lot of respect for you for having the balls to admit to it, where I'm sure plenty of others would not.

However, I do feel that your criticism of L A James is a little unfair. I think he was merely suggesting to Martin1234 (and anyone else reading this thread) that one might not feel inclined to share such news with a wider audience.

As tegwin says, it's a bit of a lottery. You appear to have plenty of skills and experience neccessary for a career in the aviation industry, and I am sure that this will be recognised sooner or later.

To this end, I wish you all the best,

Pete

FWIW I think many posting on pprune would do well to consider all the users of these forums. More importantly some forum users will no doubt be involved in any selection process. (Be it Bond OAT or where ever)
With a little effort it is not normally that difficult to attach an identity to the user name (especially with a detailed listing). With a selection of poorly worded posts and some play ground back biting and oneupmanship I'd be asking myself some serious questions right now if I was interviewing candidates for this opportunity, And then probing a little deeper during any selection process to see whether it's simply internet bravado or a character trait that may cause later problems :eek:
Perhaps some hoping for future good news should do similar. Nothing worse than realising too late that you've shot yourself in the foot :uhoh:
Not a rant. You either take advice from those you aspire to join or you don't.
Whilst I feel for those who didn't get past stage 1, and wish luck to those attending stage 2. I hope those that get these coveted places DESERVE them.:ok:

AND rapidly editing or deleting posts just proves the point :ugh::ugh:

Just returned from Hols, and found the Stage 2 Invite in the multitude of spam, anyone know when we are given/pick our dates for that week.
I too suspect that there are going to be a hell of a lot of us.
I've done the OAT selection before and I have to say its bloody good fun!!

Hi Buzz,

We should get our dates by about Weds / Thursday next week apparently.

Regards,

L A

Redeye, you been away? There was a post in between that was deleted (hence flingingwings comment) to which the commiserations apply!!

Cheers

Whirls

Flingwings, how true! Not just for this stage of the game either: many pilots would do well to consider the old adage "don't sh*t on people on your way up, as you never know when you may come accross them on your way down!"

Or, perhaps more likely, what those people may say about you to those who you later come to, asking for a job :=

HR - There are at least two posts that the authors have wisely (IMO) removed.

Like Redeye, I never had a chance to read any of the deleted posts.

One things for sure though, to all those who applied for it and got through, bloody good on ya! If I were 15 years younger, I'd have put my own hat in the ring. I'm a bit long in the tooth to be anyones Cadet though:uhoh:

Also, if the numbers getting tested are as low as some have made out, then hats off to Bond as well for keeping it tight. They deserve some serious praise for bringing this scheme to the industry:ok:

Good luck, the lot of you.:O

Whats the age spread after stage 1 ?
 

Hi all,
Just wondering the age group, as you can guess i'm not the youngest but i got through stage 1 and i've recently passed OAT selection. This was after doing the GAPAN test's at RAF Cranwell and passing those very well.

As long as you've got a decent level of math's and physic's just give it YOUR best, the two day's are about finding out if you have the basic's to go for it.

It's not just about what you know or how you do, OAT will be looking at who you are.

All the best to all of you and enjoy,

Nick.

It's easy to be cynical but welcome to the real world. Surely it's better for more people to get to stage 2 and have a shot at proving themselves. In reality there will be a set number of slots for that week and the best x number of candidates get those slots.

I spent over £1000 on attending aptitude test and interviews (including travel costs) before I secured sponsorship, but now I fly a shiny jet and earn that in less than a week so I think it was a good return on my investment!

You could think of it as another 'filter' - I wouldn't spend £195 unless I was committed. Even if you don't get through the tests are a proven indicator of likelihood of success on a flying course so it's still a worthwhile excercise and could lead to being accepted on a self sponsored course or being considered for other sponsorships in the future.

You can either put your thoughts into how 'unfair' things are or you can devote those energies into revising for the assessment and giving yourself the best possible chance of progressing. I think I know which person is more likely to succeed!

Good luck to all. I didn't walk into my first sponsorship opportunity. I still have a collection of rejection letters to remind me of how hard I worked to get where I am, and the setbacks I had to pick myself of the floor from and move forward to the next opportunity wiser and better prepared.

We all need a bit of 'luck' but to a greater extent the harder you work, and the more determined you are, the 'luckier' you get!!

selection
 

could anyone that has alreday done the 2 day testing at oat, give me any idea of what to expect?

cheers

Expect it to be quite a fun atmosphere it was last time! and nothing to be nervous about really!!
Get onto the BBC Bitesize Maths and Physics websites and brush up on Trig, DST, bearings, SUVAT formulas etc etc...
There is a link in a post above to some other OAT selection revies.
Also try googling Pilapt and Compass as they are the Tests OAT use...(I think!)..
..Hope that helps...has anyone got there dates through yet?

Congrats
 

This is really good to know Im 31 and thinking very seriously about a complete career change. Ive taken a couple of test flights which I really enjoyed but have been really nervous about my career prospects given my age. Should I be nervous? Given that I've missed the OATS/Bond deadline do you know if Oats run this course as a standalone CPL(H) ATPL course. Given my home commitments I'm not really in a position to spend 12 months at Bristow( but could manage 4 if I could do the ground school this end) which seems to be the best school especially for those ultimately seeking North sea careers This is what Im guessing from reading various info. It could well be s**t. I would guess that those on this site are sick of these questions but would really appreciate some sound advise

great site by the way

31 is a fine age.Nothing wrong with it.

Yes you can do the CPL on your own so to say but it will cost you up to £80.000 and beyond but don't quote me on that number. Lets put it this way it's a lot of money.

I wish you and all the rest of you the very best of luck with it all.:ok:

I am 43 and did not get throught stage 2.

I have worked with helicopters for years, I worked on the ramp, in ops and work part time at Oxford Airport; so with that in mined what sort of people are they loking for?

I imagine they are looking for younger people they can 'mould' into their type of employee.

I'm sure you would be an ideal candidate, but it's the "get them while they are young" mentality.

I don't think age has much to do with it; I know someone who's 42 who did get through.

There were three questions which had to be answered in around 200 words - I would suggest that there was more emphasis on the answers given to these rather than age.

However, it does seem that a PPL helps!

Well I had my date for stage 2 assesment through the emails today...


Have I missed some vital piece of information here, is there any more solid information about the scheme, training, career expectations etc?...I was actually expecting a more detailed outline of the scheme with the dates for stage 2 assesment.

I am a bit apprehensive about paying for the assesment when im not totaly sure what I might be letting myself in for:ooh:

I know it sounds trivial, but lets face it, im a tight arse git!

Not sure which paper i read this in, the details seem to be 3 years offshore, 3 years onshore then a further three years offshore. Called the work experience plan. The paper may be full of it! but people seem to forget it is Bond who are sponsoring so it may not be offshore, it may just be onshore work, as a result the pay may be onshore pay with a different paying off period. I suppose it depends on logistically who needs the pilots more, offshore or onshore.

Yes, I have read the same as Tortuous, 3,3 and 3. Think it was on another flying website news section but can't remember....

3 years, multicrew, offshore. Then 3 years, singlecrew, onshore. Then 3 years, multicrew, offshore.


From a wannabe's POV, it sounds great. But not sure how much sense it makes, operationally... :confused:


I smell a rat. :E

Good on ye Bravo73 the more suspicious people are the more will pull out leaving more opportunity for the rest of us who got through.

:rolleyes:


But, have no fear, GtheG. The bond will be for 9 years. :}

I concur the more people put off the better!!...MY thinking is nine years is nine years, the "bond" for the military is currently 12-18!!

My biggest worry is how the lucky people are going to find £30k in this environment of rate rises, and insecurity:ugh:

Anyone else heard their dates yet?

Really!Since when?

Guys you can't have your cake and eat it!!!!! Just say thanks, and think yourself lucky if you get accepted.

Or do it the old way and pay for it all..............:ugh:

I got my dates through this morning.

I agree with Brass, at least the opportunity exists!

L A