DAVID LEARMOUNT / LONDON
Training organisation CTC McAlpine offers airline customers no-risk guarantee on supply of type-rated flightcrew
"Sponsored" ab initio airline pilot training has been given new life by a UK training organisation that numbers EasyJet and JMC Airlines among early customers for its graduates. CTC McAlpine is "guaranteeing" airlines their money back if any of their graduates fail to come up to standard in line flying, and offers aspiring pilots training with nothing to pay until they have a job.
Students that pass CTC McAlpine's stringent selection procedure sign a bond with the training company that passes to the airline when it accepts them on to the line, then the airline repays the bond and the student receives a "cadet entry" salary for the first seven years. This arrangement, says CTC McAlpine managing director Rod Wren, means airlines do not have to finance training in advance and are "guaranteed" a "no-risk" supply of type-rated pilots.
UK charter carrier JMC says it has committed to the plan because the first of the new courses - beginning next February - will produce line-ready pilots in 2005 when the expected economic upturn will create a demand for new crews.
CTC, experienced in supplying multi-crew jet conversion and airline-tailored type-ratings to pilots, has teamed up with McAlpine, better known for helicopter training and operations, to provide an ab initio course designed to produce type-rated airline pilots who are familiarised with company standard operating procedures.
The scheme, says Wren, entails 30% more single-engined flying, 50% more twin-engined time, and takes what he calls "more of a cerebral" approach to flying training than traditional instruction. Time from beginning of the course to airline acceptance is estimated at two years, says CTC McAlpine, at a cost of about £100,000 ($158,000).
Basic flying training will take place at Ardmore near Auckland, New Zealand, using Diamond Katana and DA40 single diesel-engined types, followed by multi-engined and instrument rating training in the UK on the new DA42 twins with full glass cockpits.
Students converting to the Boeing 737-300/700 will undertake type training on CTC's simulators near Southampton. For other types CTC will hire simulator time from training centres where necessary. Students will then conduct - as part of their training - six months unsalaried line flying under supervision before final airline acceptance.
Source: Flight International
