Bristow Cadet Programme
 

Hi folks,
Apologies if this is in the wrong place, new here. I am hoping maybe some of you might be able to help with some info on Bristow's Cadet Program. I am highly interested in applying for its next intake and I am looking into how I can make myself more of a candidate.
A little about myself:
Im 34 (maybe I'm too old?) and work in aviation as ground crew for a Helicopter utilities company, HESLO work of all kinds, from moving building materials to mast building etc. I have no flight experience but I obviously spend a lot of time in and around the machines. I have no time at the controls but I am thinking of taking the Helicentre pilot selection day in hopes of making myself more employable as being able to pass this is/was a requirement for potentially being offered a job. there is a bit of expense to this, around £1500 plus paying for some preparation materials for the psychometric testing and interview prep.
I am worried about potentially not having enough formal education, i.e. A levels, and making all my preparation useless in the long run. I think Im capable of any of the academic work involved but don't want a high school certificate to be the thing that holds me back.
I feel that as I work with helicopters on a daily basis that I may be in a much better position than many others applying for the role but maybe not.
Is this something realistic or am I barking up the wrong tree? You can be brutally honest!

Id love to hear from anyone either on the Cedet program, who works for Bristow, or done Helicenters pilot selection testing. feel free to private message me or just drop a comment below. Im keen to hear all the good or bad about your experience and if I'm making the right decisions.

Cheers

I think you are too old. They really only want people to under 30.

I suspect you are right but employment law forbids stating ages.

In addition:

So, I think that if you apply your application would not get through the initial screening. Unless, you have made yourself known to key individuals, and they have formally agreed in advance that your experience in the industry can be used as an offset. The academic requirements for license exams are not that onerous, but you certainly need reasonable maths and physics to understand some of the technical subjects like electrics, electronics, piston engines, gas turbines, weather, principles of flight etc They are not engineering degree level, by any stretch, but with no formal technical academic qualifications they will be difficult and - more importantly for this kind of scheme - may hinder your progress if you fail the exams. Bristow wants to have reasonable certainty that its selected candidates will progress successfully at the planned timescale throughout the entire course, and be available for conversion training a year (or so) after starting.

My advice would be to visit in person and discuss this face to face - not sure where in the UK you are. Certainly don't spend 1500 quid, without any more info.

Good luck - I was on HP34......(1989)

Go for it. You'll never know unless you try. Got to be in it to win it my friend.

Thanks 212man, as I understand, the program receives a very high number of applicants for only 4 spaces, and I imagine that many of those will be university graduates. I don't think ill have too much bother with the academic side of things but obviously, I can prove this with A-level results as I never took any. I am further educated to what is the equivalent level and accepted to university but decided to go a different route. perhaps a visit to speak in person would be good so I don't waste my own time and money. Thanks again for the info.

Don't be put off by the presence of university graduates. You'll probably interview far better, be more mature and have the all important motivation.
Go for it ! I'd take you on...........

I think a more practical form of advice is required. If the application stipulates mandatory requirements, and you don’t have them, you will be eliminated in the first screening and won’t have to worry about being put off by graduates face to face! Hence I suggested making personal contact and, possibly, having an entry to the application process that has recognised an alternative means of acceptability (to the mandatory academic requirements).

Always smiled at the requirement for formal education requirements, we did our flight training with the USN which required either two years college, or perhaps a degree, I forget which, of its locals, yet we had a couple of 17 year olds straight out of high school who had no trouble coping, one of those going on to fly the North Sea with Bristow on S-61 for many, many years. On that basis, to the OP, go for it, they may well see the Man, rather than an inconsequential piece of paper. See some of the major US airlines have now dropped the college requirement also.

Sadly without the required grades, as 212man already said, you will have little chance if just applying. There are loads of people applying and looking at their educational qualifications is the easiest way to thin out the herd.They will miss out on some good pilots doing it this way but just like the military they have the luxury to pick and choose people that meet/exceed the require academic qualifications.Think twice before going for the Helicenter pilot selection day unless you can financially stomach it because it won't improve your chances to get over the first selection hurdle because it concentrates on the back end of the selection process.

Except they won’t “see the man”, because his application will have been sifted out automatically! I don’t understand what is difficult to understand about this. As an aside, the qualifications being asked for are those of a high school leaver - not graduates, so 18 year olds (as stipulated in the application requirements) can “walk in straight out of high school”.

I’m not trying to be negative or a pessimist - I’m trying to describe how this will be working in practice. By all means ‘go for it’, but, in my personal opinion, the only way to stand a chance of passing through the first filtering of applications (if you do not have the written mandatory requirements, which also include holding a Class One medical) is to be already known to those involve. Obviously the medical will be non-negotiable……

I’m happy to be proved wrong!

What do you get for £1500? It seems a big amount to spend. There are much cheaper pre-interview 'prep' courses out there. All the oil companies seem to be hiring at the moment, and they are not particular about where their students come from, no matter what the school says.

You'd be better off contacting companies directly to see what their thoughts are on hiring people with your background.

Look elsewhere
 

212man is absolutely correct in how he describes the process.
HR departments nowadays run the show, not necessarily for the better of the industry, however, that's how it goes.
From my point of view, there are better opportunities in other fields than helicopter business. But then again I had the privilege of being paid for my hobby for the best part of 45 years.
That was when flying helicopters was fun.
Best of luck, whatever you choose.

You are well placed to know how the system works 212, other than military it's never been a system I've been subject to, academics might have been an asset though when entering the USN system where all students were given astronaut application forms at the beginning of flight training.

Is 34 too old to start as a pilot, definitely not.
But for a cadet program where many pilots apply and you don't meet the requirements, like 212 said, you won't even make it through the first selection.
Reality is, they get quite a few applications and the first selection before they even look at your resume details is to check if you meet the basic requirements. If you don't meet them, it's straight into the bin and not even a thank you for your interest in blabla.
Only solution could be, visit them, introduce yourself and that could put you back on the pile for the 2nd selection.

Other option is an investment, pay for the training yourself, PPL-CPL-IR and then knock on every door in Aberdeen. Will cost you something north of 125k (been a while since I checked) I guess but being 34, you'll probably return that investment in a few years and current regulations let you fly the big stuff till you are 65 so still a very good timeframe to have a great career.

1500 for a pilot selection day, well guess that's them in Leicester....

Contact Matt Rhodes, I would suggest. He's on a well know professional social media platform.......

Adding to 212man's note that an employer cannot set a max/min age, there is also no requirement to put your date of birth on your CV

no, but they want co-pilots in their 20s

Well, they may do but they can’t say that in print!

Not sure why they do, though, as a 30 year old still has 35 years of useful service and they may bring qualities and experience suited to future management roles. Historically HP cadets have always been selected with a view to progress within the company.

Anyone familiar with the G-TIGK ditching, following a lightning strike in 1995, will know the handling pilot was the co-pilot, who was 39 at the time (admittedly not BHL sponsored - joined after a marine career).