AL Cadet programme

Railjon

Tell me about it el tel. I remember a few years ago when Aer Lingus opened the base at Aldergrove I was very happy to see it - BA has pulled out for sometime leaving Belfast orphaned when it came to their carriers!

With British Midland and British European at City and the Shamrock at Aldergrove maybe the airports have their own agenda :P

el tel

BA once planned to locate their 777 maintenance hub at Aldergrove but the idea was canned and it was put in Cardiff instead. Not a lot of people know that

Dr.Crump

Im also one of the few privileged like you that knew this el tel :cool::D;):p:):eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::P

kona

XWB wrote: »

While college does help you to grow up(i didnt go but my children have), from a recruitment point of view it is dependant on the applicant. Some can be immature schoolboys while others are very mature young men who may have home circumstances that have forced them to be so. Aer Lingus from what I have seen in the past try and balance the age thing. They try and take a good few 18-22 yos as they want some young long service blood and then they will take another few college boys. When you talk about maturity as far as flying the plane goes, unless you have a 21yo captain it doesnt really matter. That being said if you are immature they will not take you. Age is not a measure of maturity!:D..we all know someone who is that proof of point!
The one thing I heard highlighted by HR and Standards and Training in Aer Lingus was that taking on college applicants was all well and good, but left the door open for an Engineering Master to decide he doesnt like piloting after 3-5 years and to go back to engineering. There are many in Aer Lingus who prefer their pilots to be dependant on flying and to have it as their only skill and way of feeding the nippers!

That is true, but Id imagine as a 18 year old cadet, your expected to give up alot of what your mates will take for granted, from that point of view it would be difficult.
Another point on the College lads, It shows their ability in the case of engineering, to learn a very complex diverse subject in a short space of time.
But as you say, they tend to take a mix of ages, so it doesnt really apply.

XWB

kona wrote: »

That is true, but Id imagine as a 18 year old cadet, your expected to give up alot of what your mates will take for granted, from that point of view it would be difficult.
Another point on the College lads, It shows their ability in the case of engineering, to learn a very complex diverse subject in a short space of time.
But as you say, they tend to take a mix of ages, so it doesnt really apply.

Yeh it's usually a mix.

Haha el tel i remember when I was training the BA lads were around but we couldnt talk to them and all the Aer Lingus lads had a curfew set down on us as a condition of being in Oxford...it was the 70s...and we were Irish:rolleyes:

Tenger

XWB wrote: »

Yeh it's usually a mix.

Haha el tel i remember when I was training the BA lads were around but we couldnt talk to them and all the Aer Lingus lads had a curfew set down on us as a condition of being in Oxford...it was the 70s...and we were Irish:rolleyes:

I do hope that curfew was bent during your time there.....after all ye were Irish!

XWB

Tenger wrote: »

I do hope that curfew was bent during your time there.....after all ye were Irish!

I may have been....though we wouldnt have wanted to upset the MI5!

Stovepipe

Hi all,
From what I've heard, the Company is not yet entirely sure how they are going to set up the student financial input; ie, a reducing bond for the Type or a quantity of cash from the student after a number of months into the CPL. Also, they have not yet decided how much they are going to pay as a cadet rate or how much the first proper salary will be. So I'm told.
regards
Stovepipe

inkogneetoe

Tis a bit amateur compared to the BA cadet scheme with their dedicated page with all the info including FTOs,costs and how you could finance this all out in front of you.

Railjon

Submitted my application yesterday and as if by magic got this email today:

The application form is currently being updated to make it easier for those who have completed GCSEs and A Levels to input their results. Please check the application form later this afternoon or tomorrow and hopefully this will be easier for you to input your information.

Kind Regards
Cadet Recruitment Team

Oh well...

XWB

Stovepipe wrote: »

Hi all,
From what I've heard, the Company is not yet entirely sure how they are going to set up the student financial input; ie, a reducing bond for the Type or a quantity of cash from the student after a number of months into the CPL. Also, they have not yet decided how much they are going to pay as a cadet rate or how much the first proper salary will be. So I'm told.
regards
Stovepipe

I would imagine they will secure a loan on behalf of the cadet, or maye just offer a longer bond. I heard they would have say 15-20 loans ready to go and when they have 15-20 cadets there they take down whatever funds they need to train them in lump somes. When everyone is happy in their nappy and an a320 FO and earning a wage they start paying back their bond and continue to do so for a forseeable time haha

Bearcat

XWB wrote: »

The one thing I heard highlighted by HR and Standards and Training in Aer Lingus was that taking on college applicants was all well and good, but left the door open for an Engineering Master to decide he doesnt like piloting after 3-5 years and to go back to engineering. There are many in Aer Lingus who prefer their pilots to be dependant on flying and to have it as their only skill and way of feeding the nippers!

......go through all the years going back to your time of all the cadet groups. Pick out all the graduates of engineering etc, only a handful left to pursue their respective degree skills (be in engineering/medicine etc); the majority stayed with their career in AL. Your post is not based on actual reality and hard facts. Graduates on the other hand have had those years to mature in college and bring a more balanced not wet behind the ears package to the table.

We beg to differ.

BostonB

TBH all these ideal theories sound nothing like the AL we've seen lurch from one HR disaster to another over the past 20 yrs. (especially with pilots). The Labour Relations Commission is like a 2nd home at this stage.

donkey balls

:rolleyes:Check this link out EI are looking for cheap labour yet will go ahead with a caadet scheme I'm confused.



http://www.aerlingus.com/aboutus/careersvacancies/jobbridgeinternship/

el tel

donkey balls wrote: »

:rolleyes:Check this link out EI are looking for cheap labour yet will go ahead with a caadet scheme I'm confused.



http://www.aerlingus.com/aboutus/careersvacancies/jobbridgeinternship/

Don't get your post...why confused? Airlines have had internships for ever, and at the same time funded cadetships. When I was a teenager I did internships at various airlines during my summer holidays, doing so certainly boosted my chances of getting a cadetship with Aer LinguS. when you fill out the application or go for interview its nice to be able to drop that

donkey balls

These are not summer jobs that someone from school could do have a look at some of the jobs there for people working in ops etc Full Time jobs IMO,My aul crowd never had people in on job experience for the summer from school due to security restrictions etc.
My point being if there looking to get free labour for those jobs funded by the likes of my private pension fund and everyone else who has one what sort of deal will they make with the cadets regarding training costs?
At least MOL&co haven't yet jumped on the band wagon regarding free labour.

XWB

Bearcat wrote: »

......go through all the years going back to your time of all the cadet groups. Pick out all the graduates of engineering etc, only a handful left to pursue their respective degree skills (be in engineering/medicine etc); the majority stayed with their career in AL. Your post is not based on actual reality and hard facts. Graduates on the other hand have had those years to mature in college and bring a more balanced not wet behind the ears package to the table.

We beg to differ.

That was the case up until about 5 years ago. However with the pay cuts for pilots a lot have left for jobs with aerospace companies etc. 27 alone left on 2010 for higher paid jobs in their respective degree sectors(and i retired in that group) and that sort of loss was a serious factor in fleet staffing. They will look for 3rd level qualifications in cadets, however my guess will be that they may weigh a little more than usual on the side of those who will only have practical aviation as a vocation. They will probe those with degrees at interview also to see who did a degree for education and self advancement, and who did them to get on the future liver transplant list! :rolleyes:

I dont want to be discouraging people so I wont get specific as to the type of degrees have bled out of the company, but there were broad similarities.

Delta Kilo

I would have expected more applicants than this to be honest, especially with people applying from overseas. Maybe the lack of leaving certs and €100k deterred some people.

MORE than 1,000 people have applied for just 20 positions to train as pilots with Aer Lingus.

This is despite prospective applicants being warned that the gruelling 14-month course, likely to be held abroad, will offer little free time and only a handful of opportunities to return home for visits. Cadets will also be expected to part-fund the cost of their training. The course will cost a total of about €100,000 to complete.

"The initial training course will lead to the granting of an Airline Transport Pilots Licence," the information for cadets says. "The course is very intensive and involves a significant amount of additional study. Time off from the course is limited to set times during the programme."

This is the first cadet programme Aer Lingus has undertaken in a decade. A company spokesman said they were "not surprised" at the high number of applicants.

"We're delighted but I wouldn't say we're surprised," he said. "It's a very attractive position. With most unemployment concentrated among young people, 1,000 (applicants) would seem a lot, but it's our experience that previous numbers have applied in the past.

"The cost of the course will be advised to the successful applicants. In some cases, trainees have to pay for the full course.

"In others, companies pay the full amount but have a bond in place so where the pilot leaves, they have to pay some of the training costs back.

"It's a long time since we had a pilot cadet programme, probably 10 years.

"Experience would show that recruiting pilots can lead to increased loyalty with many choosing to spend their careers with the company."

A training venue has not been decided, nor has the portion of training costs that cadets will be expected to pay.

While there are no "cast-iron" guarantees of a job at the end of training, the company expects to offer all successful applicants a position as co-pilot, initially flying shorter routes.

Sources said that starting salaries of €60,000 a year were likely.

- Paul Melia

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/1000-apply-for-just-20-pilottraining-spots-with-aer-lingus-2847452.html

xflyer

I think you're right DK, the cost is putting off the casual. 'Hmm, I fancy being an airline pilot' crowd.

This line is interesting:

In some cases, trainees have to pay for the full course.

Will they have a choice, I wonder? I have met people who turned down cadetships. I could see one or two doing just that once the grim financial facts become clear.

1000 seems a lot to the casual observer. But I would imagine the initial tests will wreak great slaughter among the applicants and reduce it to a few hundred. It was always that way.

XWB

xflyer wrote: »

I think you're right DK, the cost is putting off the casual. 'Hmm, I fancy being an airline pilot' crowd.

This line is interesting: Will they have a choice, I wonder? I have met people who turned down cadetships. I could see one or two doing just that once the grim financial facts become clear.

1000 seems a lot to the casual observer. But I would imagine the initial tests will wreak great slaughter among the applicants and reduce it to a few hundred. It was always that way.

The company classes an "application" as someone who applies and meets the standards for advancement to the next stage. There may have been many 1000s but only about 1000 met the standard.

I would agree that some may turn down the cadetship when they hear the cost and the repayment regime etc.....experiance tells me that directly or indirectly there may well be a young crop...as people in their late 20s-30s with morgages in these testing times just not be able to take another 100k!

thekiddfran2

hi guys, I have been reading this thread and there are some great comments which have certainly shed some light on this cadetship, thanks guys. I just filled out the aplication form there but I got a bit worried when XWB said that they might not look favourably on college graduates.....

I have a degree in astrophysics and I am currently doing a H.Dip in applied physics......I am screwed if that is the case. I also have 20 hours flying lessons done but I only briefly mentioned that because I know they do not look too favourably on people who have got flying lessons. Do you guys think I have a chance?

eurokev

thekiddfran2 wrote: »

hi guys, I have been reading this thread and there are some great comments which have certainly shed some light on this cadetship, thanks guys. I just filled out the aplication form there but I got a bit worried when XWB said that they might not look favourably on college graduates.....

I have a degree in astrophysics and I am currently doing a H.Dip in applied physics......I am screwed if that is the case. I also have 20 hours flying lessons done but I only briefly mentioned that because I know they do not look too favourably on people who have got flying lessons. Do you guys think I have a chance?

You kidding, that sounds pretty impressive to me. Only thing you need to worry about is having confidence in yourself

FlutterinBantam

thekiddfran2 wrote: »

hi guys, I have been reading this thread and there are some great comments which have certainly shed some light on this cadetship, thanks guys. I just filled out the aplication form there but I got a bit worried when XWB said that they might not look favourably on college graduates.....

I have a degree in astrophysics and I am currently doing a H.Dip in applied physics......I am screwed if that is the case. I also have 20 hours flying lessons done but I only briefly mentioned that because I know they do not look too favourably on people who have got flying lessons. Do you guys think I have a chance?

You look very good to me.

XWB

thekiddfran2 wrote: »

hi guys, I have been reading this thread and there are some great comments which have certainly shed some light on this cadetship, thanks guys. I just filled out the aplication form there but I got a bit worried when XWB said that they might not look favourably on college graduates.....

I have a degree in astrophysics and I am currently doing a H.Dip in applied physics......I am screwed if that is the case. I also have 20 hours flying lessons done but I only briefly mentioned that because I know they do not look too favourably on people who have got flying lessons. Do you guys think I have a chance?

I apologise. You seem to have got things somehwhat the wrong way round here. I was not saying that they will bin all degree applications, far from it. What I was saying is that they may have more of a 60:40 split in favour of people without degrees or something similer. Just more of a leaning toward degreeless people than previous years have seen.

I took the time(out of boredom) to read this whole topic the other day and from what I can see(my opinion) there are many people here speculating it would seem more to assure themselves than anything else. One of the main poo pooed issues is flight time. I dont know who decided that it was a handicap to have time but I can tell them they are very wrong. If anything Aer Lingus will expect a serious applicant to have atleast 5-10+ hours(given that you have had altleast a year off as they wont accept this year's LC). Anybody who seriously wants to be a pilot these days will have been up for a jaunt or an hour or 2 in a Light Aircraft at some stage. If you really want to be a pilot you will have tried to get hours in. When I was in Oxford there were 2 "greenhorns" with zero hours. They got airbourne and were not at all fans of flying. One left after a week of flight training as he just could not stomach it and another hung in there but left after another couple of weeks. Now you must bear in mind that we had been there 7 months doing groundschool before this and the company had footed the bill for bedding and lodging etc.

If I was to make a statement on the flight hours issue in relation to this modern cadetship, from what I hear.....a PPL matches a degree and a couple of hours will catch their eye. Long gone are the days of the "educated pilot gentleman"...the game has changed and so have airline pilots...airlines now want a guy to fly the plane, if he meets the standard they set relating to maturity, personality, education and apptitude then he's in. Flight hours show you want it and have worked at it. A licence shows that you can fly and have a pilot's apptitude, and when it comes down to it that is what Aer Lingus want overall.

Stovepipe

@donkeyballs, MoL has been using unpaid labour for years now, at the pointy end of the aircraft. New pilots, to my knowledge, did not get paid anything or get a contract until they had finished their Line Training period, which was a minimum of six months. New pilots/engineers/cabin crew are not allowed to become Ryanair employees directly. They must join a recruitment agency, such as Brooklands (pilots) and operate as self-employed sole traders. They must fund everything themselves(uniform, pension, medical and lots more) and must position to where ever they are sent at their own expense. They have no labour rights or protection whatsoever.It is MoL's stated policy that he will reduce the pay in the cockpit to Eu 50K for Captain's pay and half that for FOs.
regards
Stovepipe

francie81

Can someone tell me how long of a wait for a response or is it a case of 'meeting the criteria' because am just an ordinary fella with abit of money who's looking at possibly getting into flying?

Thanks,
Francie

XWB

francie81 wrote: »

Can someone tell me how long of a wait for a response or is it a case of 'meeting the criteria' because am just an ordinary fella with abit of money who's looking at possibly getting into flying?

Thanks,
Francie

People got replies after about 10 days or so i think....

francie81

XWB wrote: »

People got replies after about 10 days or so i think....

Ahh right thats grand thanks mate.

C172R

fishtank101 wrote: »

Does anyone know if you can split the assessments over more than one day? for example do 3 today and 5 tomorrow? or by "breaks" do they mean small breaks but finish them all within the one day

I'm afraid not.But it does'nt take long at all,about 80mins max.

XWB

fishtank101 wrote: »

it looks that way to me, it doesnt state anywhere that you can't leave the assessment area it only states that you can't leave mid test

As it happens I was talking to a young fella who lives down the road from me about his application about an hour ago. He split them over 3 days and it didnt say anything to him about it! You have 5 days to submit all 8 back to them and the breaks between can be as long as you'd like within that time frame.