AL Cadet programme

el tel

Railjon wrote: »

Secondly, el tel, you have completely missed my point. I'm not moaning or girning about having to pay for any training costs during a prospective Aer Lingus Cadetship. What I am taking issue with is having to pay for a PPL to make myself look attractive because of my circumstances detailed previously. Maybe you didn't read that bit - I would have to 'stump that up' myself. This seems to go against the mantra of 'helping those out who don't have the money' which I recall from earlier in the thread. Read my post (#458) again if you still don't know what I mean.

railjon

Wow. You "take issue" with the fact that you *may* have to do something that could help your chances in getting a cadetship?

I've read your post #458, your circumstances seem to be that you can't presently afford to do a PPL.

Have Aer Lingus stipulated that they will only entertain people with PPLs or x-hours of flying behind them? I don't think they have. Even if they did, how could you take issue? Requirements are requirements. You could also take issue with the fact that you were not born in 1972 and thus were not eligible for the fully free cadetships in the 90s.

Secondly, how on earth could anyone have any justification in taking issue with having to do something that improves their chances?

It's like me wanting to be a millionaire but taking issue with those lottery bástards who expect me to buy - fúcking BUY GODDAMN IT! - multiple tickets to get my odds down from 1:14mil to 1:10mil.

Or me wanting to be a bus driver but taking issue with the fact that I have to STUMP UP for my basic driving licence first - THE BáSTARDS!

'Taking issue' is a strong emotion. Maybe you didn't mean it like that :pac:

Here's how it can pan out:

You could rock up to the interview and just give it a lash, tell them you saw the ad in the paper and thought 'why not?' They might like the cut of your jib, you do well in the tests, and you get selected. This has happened to a quite a few people.

Or, you could explain how this means everything to you and that in the absence of funds you did some other stuff to develop yourself and make you the ideal candidate. They like you, take your interest seriously, you pass the tests, they appreciate that you are young and that 99% of young people don't have the readies to do a PPL or have been too busy studying or doing other awesome stuff. Of course you tell them that if you don't get selected you will save like mad and do a PPL and one day make it on your own. And they select you. This is what happens in the majority of cases, mine included. And that's what is going to happen to you too.

Or, you could spend the money in getting a PPL to make yourself look attractive, go to an interview and explain that you want to be a pilot and that PPL is first step and one way or another you will make it. The like you etc. and you get selected. This happens now and again. Alternatively, you have the PPL, but maybe can't pass the tests or come across as a right plum and you get kicked to the kerb. This happens now and again. Probably more often it's the latter rather than the former.

My advice overall would be to cool the jets and not get too far ahead of oneself. Best thing you can do is get some evidence to back up your love for the company and for a career in aluminium tubing and be prepared for whatever may be asked of you in the process.

One test you might well be given involves some convoluted passages and a list of statements and are asked whether or not these statements are true/false/can't tell based on the information in the passages. I suppose it is a gauge of your communication, observation, inference, deduction and information analysis skills.

Judging by this thread there are quite a number of candidates who seemingly can infer a whole load of sh1té from the merest stinky whiff of rumour or morsel of hearsay. I dare say such candidates are so going to fail that part of the test! :P

Jim236

delta_xray wrote: »

This seems to be the path BA re taking anyhow.

Not for everyone, for some cadets BA will be guaranteeing the loan for them.

@Those who are claiming there will be a bias towards those who have their PPL and against those who have a degree, none of you know for sure what Aer Lingus are looking for either, regardless of what your 'inside sources' are telling you. Its all hearsay at the end of the day.

What we do know is that Aer Lingus themselves put their desired candidate on the cadetship webpage as "someone holding or in the process of attaining a third level degree". So I find it hard to believe that those with degrees will be less likely of getting a position on the cadetship for fear of them dropping out at a later date to pursue a career in their respective area, which makes no sense at all. Theres nothing stopping anyone, with or without a degree, from dropping out of this cadetship at some point. Its up to Aer Lingus to make sure there'll be some sort of liability clause in the contract that will allow them to recoup most or all of the costs of training that cadet, and for the candidate to convince Aer Lingus in the interview that they won't be that person.

And this idea that Aer Lingus will only want to take on those with PPLs and plenty of hours built up was based on nothing other than the fact that the course will be 14 months long. None of us know whats been decided and if Aer Lingus HR know what they're doing, they'll wait till the interview stage before deciding who they want for this cadetship. We all know Aer Lingus have a serious pilot shortage and they knew this long before we did, so if it really was the case that they needed pilots by Jan 2013 as some are claiming, they'd have either set a requirement for flying experience or would've opted for direct entry pilots before pursuing this cadetship in order to reduce the lead-in time towards filling that shortage.

So can we stop pre-empting what Aer Lingus do and don't want?

Dr.Crump

Bonds will not stand up in court these days!

You cant legaly bond a person to a job for X amount of years. In short, Bonds dont have a legal leg to stand on to hold someone down to a Job for X period.

There are ocean loads of pilots that have proven this :rolleyes: Quick search on pprune and you will find lots of threads on the "Bond" topics.
Under EU law, you cant bond people to a job. The only bonds these days are when you get sent to prision!!

Aer Lingus havent a notion for paying for this cadet scheme upfront, the cadet will (for the most chunk of it anyways). The old cadet scheme was funded by the tax payer.

bombs away

Just out of curiosity I'm half way through ATPL exams, would I be required to sit them again if I was accepted?

I was under the impression that you cant resit atpl exams if you have already passed them, could be completely wrong on that info though

eurokev

Dr.Crump wrote: »

Bonds will not stand up in court these days!

You cant legaly bond a person to a job for X amount of years. In short, Bonds dont have a legal leg to stand on to hold someone down to a Job for X period.

There are ocean loads of pilots that have proven this :rolleyes: Quick search on pprune and you will find lots of threads on the "Bond" topics.
Under EU law, you cant bond people to a job. The only bonds these days are when you get sent to prision!!

Aer Lingus havent a notion for paying for this cadet scheme upfront, the cadet will (for the most chunk of it anyways). The old cadet scheme was funded by the tax payer.

I still dont know what the issue is with this. I would quite happilly pay for it, if I was lucky enough to be selected. Its not even the greatest sum of money for someone in their early to mid 20's with no commitments earning 60k a year.

There must be a way Aer Lingus can tie you in though surely. By stipulating a penalty in a contract or something. Would that be legal?

Dr.Crump

eurokev wrote: »

There must be a way Aer Lingus can tie you in though surely. By stipulating a penalty in a contract or something. Would that be legal?

Yes there is. Its called "Fear".
If you fail or get sacked, then you will have the worry of not having a job and been in HUGE debt for a very long time. This fear alone should be enough motivation for the cadet to make sure that they pass and scrub up!

Anyone with a LASORS would be smart and have not mentioned there ATPL's or having alot of hours. You cant do an Integrated course if you have more than 60 hours PIC already!

I know 2 CPL's that have applied but have put down they only have a PPL with 59 hours

donkey balls

If what XWB& EL TEL are saying about the training costing around 75k lads that is dirt cheap,My mate did all of his training the mod way and got first time passes for PPL ATPL CPL MEIR all min hours including the MCC he spent circa 65k and then another 30k for the TR with FR.
Now look at most of the intergrated schools both here the UK&Spain your looking at 100k easy without a gaurentee of a job and if your lucky to land a job with FR you will need another 30k.
As for the bond many airlines have one in place even the IAA have one for there ATCO.

bombs away

Dr.Crump wrote: »

You cant do an Integrated course if you have more than 60 hours PIC already!

Not sure where you got that info from but you might want to check again

phonypony

Dr.Crump wrote: »

I know 2 CPL's that have applied but have put down they only have a PPL with 59 hours

How far into the process is one likely to get on the basis of a blatant lie?

thecornflake

I know it's early days but did anybody hear when results for the online tests get back to people ?

XWB

Ok just briefly because this is getting out of hand.

Dr Crump...yes you cannot legally bond someone, but you can legally make them sign a contract to pay you back what you paid out. You could leave after one year but would have to pay the airline 70k+ and most people wouldnt have the money to do that....

Also the 60 hours PIC thing is rubbish. People come over from the states and in from the air corps with 100s of PIC and do integrated courses...dunno why you got that from!

Look lads...simple as. Aer Lingus will pick the best fit to their model. I was just expressing what I was told. I was told they want a quick fix on the 1st course and that previous flight time was on the table as one of those options.

Railjon

Not sure what to say to some of the posts since I was last on the thread. People seem to keep missing my posts so I will clarify:

1. I'm not moaning about Aer Lingus costs. I'd be able the full whack €100,000. Those who are are just jumping reading other respondants and assuming this is the case and taking my posts out of context with what I had said in previous posts.

2. I don't think taking issue is a strong emotion - it's not even an emotion, it just means to disagree.

3. Since when does a driving license or lottery ticket cost €10,000 el tel? The reason I take issue with something that could improve my chances is that I cannot afford it AND pay for a cadetship. I can't be any clearer than that.

4. I may have misunderstood from what XWB said but my take on it was that if Aer Lingus had more than 20 PPL holders or 40 hours after applications and assessments that they would 'throw a net over them and haul then in' to get them to the line quicker. While he could be a complete wind-up merchant, I believe he is telling the truth as many here seem to agree.

5. I think it'd be a shame if Aer Lingus just takes those with the above criteria to interview which I believe is what I interpreted it to be.

6. What I think has compounded the problem for me is that I am currently in the Cityjet cadet process and to my absolute surprise I have gotten through to the final company interview. So I guess a part of me would wish that if it was always to be a NO from Aer Lingus because I don't have a PPL that it would come sooner rather than later.

Not moaning,

railjon

XWB

Railjon wrote: »

4. I may have misunderstood from what XWB said but my take on it was that if Aer Lingus had more than 20 PPL holders or 40 hours after applications and assessments that they would 'throw a net over them and haul then in' to get them to the line quicker. While he could be a complete wind-up merchant, I believe he is telling the truth as many here seem to agree.

Well that is what I was saying. From what I heard coming out of HR and the training department, if they had enough quality applicants with PPLs they would take them and run a shorter course that would aid in plugging the gaps

A lot of people are missing the specifics of this. This cadetship is run in a different training and economic climate, and so the old criteria do not apply. In the past Aer Lingus looked to replace the natural flow out of pilots. However this cadetship is very much a panic buying exercise to fill up the gaps and plug their leaks. So Aer Lingus are likely to take a practical approach to it. They will want to take in future airline pilots, not joe soaps that want to be pilots and people to fancy a lash at it. PPL holders exhibit a pilot apptitude and so are a safer bet if you can get them in numbers.
That may be unfair on those why cannot afford it, but it rewards those who could not afford it but found a way because it is what they wanted. For example some youngsters may have turned down college and used the fee money to fund a PPL. That's commitment and is what Aer Lingus would admire in a young driven applicant.

View Profile

If its as you mentioned above XWB then wouldnt a continued direct entry program be more suitable.

I know its been mentioned that Aer Lingus were not happy with the standard during its recent recruitment drive however taking in DEP saves them money and time.

There are an abundance of guys/gals coming out of both integrated and modular schools as well as pilots from other airlines happy to work for EI, so im sure they could find the required numbers to fill the gaps.

Just curious.

Delta Kilo

XWB wrote: »

A lot of people are missing the specifics of this. This cadetship is run in a different training and economic climate, and so the old criteria do not apply. In the past Aer Lingus looked to replace the natural flow out of pilots. However this cadetship is very much a panic buying exercise to fill up the gaps and plug their leaks. So Aer Lingus are likely to take a practical approach to it. They will want to take in future airline pilots, not joe soaps that want to be pilots and people to fancy a lash at it. PPL holders exhibit a pilot apptitude and so are a safer bet if you can get them in numbers.

I fully agree and dont have a problem with AL doing that. Any business would do the same, they are there to make money at the end of the day, not provide a charity service!

XWB wrote: »

That may be unfair on those why cannot afford it, but it rewards those who could not afford it but found a way because it is what they wanted. For example some youngsters may have turned down college and used the fee money to fund a PPL. That's commitment and is what Aer Lingus would admire in a young driven applicant.

So essentially you are saying that Aer Lingus would like some insane young people to be their future pilots? Im sorry, XWB, but that is ridiculous. The majority of youngsters are being put through college by their parents. There is no parent who would forego the money they have saved to put their child through college so that their son or daughter could instead indulge in a hobby. The cost of a PPL in Ireland would get you a long way towards having a degree and as a result, a professional qualification. Whereas what does a PPL allow you to do? Bring family and friends on the odd jaunt at €160 a pop? Granted you are one step closer to commercial pilot, but still a long way and a lot of money off. What else are you going to do? Flip burgers on the off chance that their might be a cadetship in a few years that you may or may not get into?

It is far from ridiculous, it is surreal.

XWB

Delta Kilo wrote: »

So essentially you are saying that Aer Lingus would like some insane young people to be their future pilots? Im sorry, XWB, but that is ridiculous. The majority of youngsters are being put through college by their parents. There is no parent who would forego the money they have saved to put their child through college so that their son or daughter could instead indulge in a hobby. The cost of a PPL in Ireland would get you a long way towards having a degree and as a result, a professional qualification. Whereas what does a PPL allow you to do? Bring family and friends on the odd jaunt at €160 a pop? Granted you are one step closer to commercial pilot, but still a long way and a lot of money off. What else are you going to do? Flip burgers on the off chance that their might be a cadetship in a few years that you may or may not get into?

It is far from ridiculous, it is surreal.

No you miss my point. Lets say we have a young lad or lassie who does the LC and wants to be a pilot. They finish school and say "Right how will I become a pilot?". Say their family is strapped for cash. If they truely want to be a pilot they will take what limited resources they have and devote them to becoming a pilot. So they dont "waste money" as it were on a degree that may have nothing to do with their end goal and instead focus the resources on getting a mod PPL. Then if they can ATPLs and so on up to fATPL. Now that may be a long painful drawn out process, but if they want it that bad and are determined they will push on and strive toward it. That is the kind of drive and determination that I know for a fact Aer Lingus have been impressed with in the past.
In this financial climate many young aspiring pilots may simpley not have the money to do both a degree and fund a fATPL. Plus by doing a degree they add 3 or 4 years onto their age when they get to the other end and that may well push them out of the "desired age bracket" wueh they get their fATPL. Aer Lingus when it is all said and done want people who REALLY want to be pilots, and taking what little you may have devoting it to flying shows that!

view profile -

If its as you mentioned above XWB then wouldnt a continued direct entry program be more suitable.

I know its been mentioned that Aer Lingus were not happy with the standard during its recent recruitment drive however taking in DEP saves them money and time.

There are an abundance of guys/gals coming out of both integrated and modular schools as well as pilots from other airlines happy to work for EI, so im sure they could find the required numbers to fill the gaps.

Just curious.

No, because many of the DE applicants are not Irish and so wont stay with the company in the long term. It is harder to bond a DE pilot in as he has paid for most of his training. There are actually very few good Irish DE applicants out there.

Macers

Hi guys,

Got an email from AL today inviting me to do the online assessment. I won't be able to do it until after the weekend due to work commitments.

If anyone else does it over the weekend can you please drop me a PM.

Would like to know what to expect...

Delta Kilo

XWB wrote: »

No you miss my point. Lets say we have a young lad or lassie who does the LC and wants to be a pilot. They finish school and say "Right how will I become a pilot?". Say their family is strapped for cash. If they truely want to be a pilot they will take what limited resources they have and devote them to becoming a pilot. So they dont "waste money" as it were on a degree that may have nothing to do with their end goal and instead focus the resources on getting a mod PPL. Then if they can ATPLs and so on up to fATPL. Now that may be a long painful drawn out process, but if they want it that bad and are determined they will push on and strive toward it. That is the kind of drive and determination that I know for a fact Aer Lingus have been impressed with in the past.

I dont miss your point at all XWB, I am merely stating that the suggestion is largely impractical in the current climate since about 2007, just not a realistic or feasible option. There is huge risk involved.

3/4 years older can also be read as 3/4 years more mature. They may have done a degree and also did something relevant to becoming a pilot, just not be able to go all out and go for the PPL. Id guess that many who are in college now and who want to be pilots, would have went to college to get a degree to offset the risk of trying to become a pilot a little further down the line.

Nobody then would have been able to predict that AL were going to be running a cadetship 3 years later. Maybe if they did know that, they would have went for the PPL over college, but they didnt know. It would have just been financial suicide to go chasing after becoming a pilot as a naive 17 year old with just your average leaving cert results in your back pocket, facing into a massive recession. Would you have let any of your kids do it?

XWB

Delta Kilo wrote: »

I dont miss your point at all XWB, I am merely stating that the suggestion is largely impractical in the current climate since about 2007, just not a realistic or feasible option. There is huge risk involved.

3/4 years older can also be read as 3/4 years more mature. They may have done a degree and also did something relevant to becoming a pilot, just not be able to go all out and go for the PPL. Id guess that many who are in college now and who want to be pilots, would have went to college to get a degree to offset the risk of trying to become a pilot a little further down the line.

Nobody then would have been able to predict that AL were going to be running a cadetship 3 years later. Maybe if they did know that, they would have went for the PPL over college, but they didnt know. It would have just been financial suicide to go chasing after becoming a pilot as a naive 17 year old with just your average leaving cert results in your back pocket, facing into a massive recession. Would you have let any of your kids do it?

I see what you are saying. However where you see risk, some would see their dream. When I applied to Aer Lingus in the 70s things were much the same as they are now. College for many was not a practical option due to the state of their finances or family issues. I was lucky enough to have a friend of my father's who had a plane and instructed and he thought me to fly and got me my licence for almost nothing while I was in school. I then spent a year Strawberry picking to try and raise enough money to get to the next stage...however the cadetship was in the paper and I applied and the rest is history as they say.

You ask if I would let my children do it...and the honest answer is, I would let them do it of they really wanted it. You must suffer for your art as it were. If you love flying you will take the risk. Any parent knows that that would dive infront of a car to save their child...that is "risky" but we do it for the love of our children. Leaving school at 18 and saying "I have 15k..i want to be a pilot...do I want to spend it on college...or do i get a PPL" is the same risk, you take the risk for your love of flying. Now that may seems like a silly financial risk to take, but if you love flying that much and want to be a pilot that badly, you would take that risk. And Aer Lingus would be left in no doubt of your commitment to being a pilot. Given that you risked buggering your life to get on the ladder.

A319er

Hi folks, quite a good read this thread, I completed the on-line assesment last week , anyone heard back re next step in September...

Can;t believe this oppurtunity has arrived , depths of a recession and we have a chance like this !! My teeth are ready to bite their hands off no matter how many years I am bonded ,:D legal or not who cares , let me into that office !

Chouette

Can anyone advise on how tough the aptitude tests were?

thecornflake

A319er wrote: »

Hi folks, quite a good read this thread, I completed the on-line assesment last week , anyone heard back re next step in September...

Can;t believe this oppurtunity has arrived , depths of a recession and we have a chance like this !! My teeth are ready to bite their hands off no matter how many years I am bonded ,:D legal or not who cares , let me into that office cockpit !

FYP

XWB

Macers wrote: »

Hi guys,

Got an email from AL today inviting me to do the online assessment. I won't be able to do it until after the weekend due to work commitments.

If anyone else does it over the weekend can you please drop me a PM.

Would like to know what to expect...

I dont mean to offend you...but do you honestly think anybody is going to tell you?

They went into it blid and so should you!;)

Jim236

XWB wrote: »

I see what you are saying. However where you see risk, some would see their dream. When I applied to Aer Lingus in the 70s things were much the same as they are now. College for many was not a practical option due to the state of their finances or family issues. I was lucky enough to have a friend of my father's who had a plane and instructed and he thought me to fly and got me my licence for almost nothing while I was in school. I then spent a year Strawberry picking to try and raise enough money to get to the next stage...however the cadetship was in the paper and I applied and the rest is history as they say.

XWB, I don't see how getting a PPL is more financially viable than going to college. You go on like college is only open to the wealthy few, when actually the vast majority of students coming out school go on to college, because even if things are tight at home you can qualify for a grant which will not only cover your registration fee but also give you a capital grant to cover the year. So unlike a PPL course, college courses are accessible to everyone regardless of your income.

I know what you're saying though, that its good to have something like a PPL to back up your passion for flying, but you have to understand that its just not an option for everyone. I've always wanted to work in aviation and I chose to go to college and get a degree in order to increase my chances of doing that, and I specifically chose my course with that career in mind, and I don't regret it for a second. I would argue that I've shown just as much commitment and dedication towards achieving my goal of working in aviation, as someone who got a job in McDonald's or the local Strawberry farm to fund their PPL. The end goal is the same, I just chose a different path.

XWB

Jim236 wrote: »

XWB, I don't see how getting a PPL is more financially viable than going to college. You go on like college is only open to the wealthy few, when actually the vast majority of students coming out school go on to college, because even if things are tight at home you can qualify for a grant which will not only cover your registration fee but also give you a capital grant to cover the year. So unlike a PPL course, college courses are accessible to everyone regardless of your income.

I know what you're saying though, that its good to have something like a PPL to back up your passion for flying, but you have to understand that its just not an option for everyone. I've always wanted to work in aviation and I chose to go to college and get a degree in order to increase my chances of doing that, and I specifically chose my course with that career in mind, and I don't regret it for a second. I would argue that I've shown just as much commitment and dedication towards achieving my goal of working in aviation, as someone who got a job in McDonald's or the local Strawberry farm to fund their PPL. The end goal is the same, I just chose a different path.

There's very interesting wrangling going on around college grants since the economy tanked. You now must qualify as properly poor or disadvantaged(scumbag) to get one that will be big enough to see you through college. I know of a lad fairly close to me who got a decent LC and applied for a grant for college, his family dont have much as the father is ill..he was told that he didnt qualify as there would other kids in the area who were more disadvantaged than him. Most of them are in a local council housing estate that was built here to house people who left the towers in Ballymun. My nephew applied last year for bursary and was told that the best he would get was a 50e a week subsitance. But that's a sperate issue.

Aviation has changed and I have watched it change from inside Aer Lingus. The company now weighs more on your flying than anything else. There were a good few DE guys in the 2000s who were bearly 21 and went straight from LC to flight school.
In this cadetship I feel that Aer Lingus are looking for passionate people who have a passion for flying and will have a passion for working for the company. Interviews now are weighed a lot more toward what you know about flying than about what else you know. In downsizing a cost cutting Aer Lingus have wittled down what they want in an applicant. If you can fly the plane and are easy to get on with...thats all you need. People here seem unaware of the position of the goalposts. If you have a degree Aer Lingus will nod and smile, but they will not ask you about it unless it directly relates to aviation. They will want to see what you know about flying and the company. If you hang your hat on a degree, you will find yourself in difficulty at interview.

Jim236

XWB wrote: »

Aviation has changed and I have watched it change from inside Aer Lingus. The company now weighs more on your flying than anything else. There were a good few DE guys in the 2000s who were bearly 21 and went straight from LC to flight school.
In this cadetship I feel that Aer Lingus are looking for passionate people who have a passion for flying and will have a passion for working for the company. Interviews now are weighed a lot more toward what you know about flying than about what else you know. In downsizing a cost cutting Aer Lingus have wittled down what they want in an applicant. If you can fly the plane and are easy to get on with...thats all you need. People here seem unaware of the position of the goalposts. If you have a degree Aer Lingus will nod and smile, but they will not ask you about it unless it directly relates to aviation. They will want to see what you know about flying and the company. If you hang your hat on a degree, you will find yourself in difficulty at interview.

Well had I not gone to college, its unlikely I would've found the money to fund a PPL course, and I would've ended up with no career in aviation at all. Its very easy to say "if you really wanted it you would've found a way", but as Delta Kilo says nobody could've predicted Aer Lingus were going to restart the cadetships. So in that context, you may as well be argueing "if you really wanted to be a pilot, you would've found the €100k", which is fairly patronising and unrealistic, especially when there was no guarantee of a job. So surely you can see why many would've opted to go to college instead in order to at least have something to fall back on before pursuing a pilot career?

At least having gone to college, I now have the chance to get some sort of a job working in aviation, and this cadetship now gives me the opportunity to go for something that would've otherwise taken me years to work towards.

But obviously in your eyes, because I didn't suffer through a job in McDonald's and spend the few cents I had on essentially pursuing a hobby, I'm just not dedicated enough...

yaeger

Lads lads, This medium does not lend kindly to discussions of this nature without a few people getting the wrong end of the stick, so lets take it easy.
Everyone has an opinion, The louder one's are those on the outside of the industry looking in strangely enough. From reading the past few pages, the level of questioning and understanding of these processes is understandable basic for most, as your all applying, Nobody is entitled more then another but some candidates will leave others standing especially at the lower end of the age scale. Regardless of college or work, there are 18>20 year olds that could give you the most detailed explanation of how a piston engine works or how aircraft fly and may have work experience in various flying clubs airports or what ever,
These wannabes in my experience will be the likely candidates.
I am in the camp if you really wanted it you will find a way btw, aer lingus are one of many airlines in this big bad world, and they are alot more friendlier then some places. I guess people would rather posture on here rather then discuss positive ways to better their interview technique, Good luck to all.

XWB

Jim236 wrote: »

At least having gone to college, I now have the chance to get some sort of a job working in the area I'm most interested in (aviation), and this cadetship now gives me the opportunity to go for something that would've otherwise taken me years to work towards.

But obviously in your eyes, because I didn't suffer through a job in McDonald's and spend the few cents I had on essentially pursuing a hobby, I'm just not dedicated enough...

But again you miss the point. Those who really want to be a pilot take the risk. They dream of a job in the air..not a job on the ground. They decide what they want and go for it even if they realise that it's a risk. These guys may not go out with friends and may exist on basic rations so they can put all their money toward flying. They have the driven streamline mentality to succeed on a cadetship, because they come ready made for the conditions Aer Lingus expect them to work under.

Some people may well decide they want the safe option and they go for a degree...but some decide that their ambition and dreams are so strong that they cannot afford to dish out for college and want to devote their resources to flying.

As I said before. If you saved you communion money and all you bday money growing up and ended up with 15k after the LC and really REALLY wanted to be a pilot..would you throw it into a degree? No! You would put it toward what you want to do. If you can afford both then you have the option, but those who go for it and follow their heart will be exactly in the bracket of what Aer Lingus are looking for.

BostonB

Very few of the clubs flyers I knew got into AL. Which is reflected in very few of the AL pilots I've know are or were club flyers. Of course that may not be representative, I don't now. Club flyers seem to had better luck in other airlines. Though most never moved into commercial flying.

XWB

BostonB wrote: »

Very few of the clubs flyers I knew got into AL. Which is reflected in very few of the AL pilots I've know are or were club flyers. Of course that may not be representative, I don't now. Club flyers seem to had better luck in other airlines. Though most never moved into commercial flying.

That's a product of cadetships in the past. Many bypassed the club flying. I was club flying while I was in Aer Lingus for a time!

Now people dont have a need for club flying. It's all straight into the sausage factory