NZFF

www.ctcwings.co.nz

Thoughts?

I could start their Commercial Pilot Programme when I'm 17, as I will have finsished school before then. I have been thinking I would do all my training privatly at the Flying School, but this training facility has interested me, to my untrained eye, it looks prety good.

I'm after the best, and the quickest, that will set me up for a good carear the best and the soonest. As for price, nothing can be to expensive for this, but I will certainly need to a student loan.

Thanks
James

I would advise that you head over to pprune and do a few searchs on ctcwings...

If you're a UK Citizen/passport holder (and have 70,000 pounds) then you could be in the RHS of a jet in 18 months... as the airlines are sponsoring students and often they know where they will be working before they have even finished the course... airlines in UK/EU are happy to take 250hour CPL's and teach them to fly jets...

however for the kiwi's its a rather different story... the only tie in with a regional I have heard about, was the possibility of getting some time with Sunair...

As many a wise man has said... "It hasn't happened until it happens"... you're lucky in that you have a couple of years, so you can wait and see how it works out...

It was actully an article in the news paper that interested me in CTC Wings. Claiming all of their graduates from the past year were placed in airlines, including Eagle Airways.

Its a nice idea, perhaps it will be a reality in the comeing few years. Their course takes 18 mounths they say, how long could I expect the same process to take privatly?

Thanks
James

Do you still have that article and a scanner? Or remember which paper and the approximate date it was published? I know several people who would find that very interesting...

Privately, it is hard to say... it all comes down to time and money... the CTC course is full time... as in 8 to 9 hours a day... theory + flying etc... There is no reason you could not do the same assuming you had the time and the money to do so...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against CTC... from what I have seen they have managed to turn things around after the disaster that was 'Simuflight' and seem to be putting together a solid training centre.

I would just be very cautious about any claims they make in relation to future employment... as NZ just does not have the airline industry to backup the promises like europe does...

For what is worth, their are other providers around like Southern Wings, AFS etc. who offer similar courses (ie. the NMIT associated degree course with student loans available) or even Massey with their B.Av courses...

It was the sunday paper we get here. From the Press.

You might be able to find it somewhere, otherwise I'll try and get it on here.

I can put in that time privatly, and I think the Flying School is getting a student load system set up, unless their job placement does become more of a gaurantee in future I probably wouldn't be best to go there.

Thanks
James

HardCorePawn wrote:

QUOTE (HardCorePawn @ Jan 22 2008, 09:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you still have that article and a scanner? Or remember which paper and the approximate date it was published? I know several people who would find that very interesting...

Yea me for one because it's A LOAD OF cr@p !! This is a prime example of why I dislike these kind of places, - their advertising tactics to get people to foolishly give them oodles of dollars to be poorly trained. Much anger. Do not believe a word written in any of these adds. Eagle don't as yet take people with less than a thousand hours and a couple hundred multi. Some of their INSTRUCTORS have gone to Eagle who were perhaps graduates a few years ago... Trust me, at the moment people DON'T go straight out of flying schools as graduates into airlines in NZ, they still have to do a few years as instructors, charter pilots, whatever first. Don't believe anything else that you read or have been told which states otherwise !! I might have a chat to a friend of mine who instructs there an see where again this BS is coming from (BTW James you prob know him,- Tim from CFS)

Things COULD change though by the time you get there James, but at the mo,- NO WAY !

Please excuse my french and anger in this post

Thanks for the words of advice, will keep clear of such places, unless there are changes. I still have a good two and a bit years to decide, things may well change, would certainly be nice wouldn't it.

Tim, I had a lesson with him, thought I hadn't seen him around, does he instruct up there now?

Thanks
James

Yea one of their "senior B-Cat" instructors,- what ever a senior one is...

Well thats what I had been trying to say... but in a somewhat more diplomatic tone! hahahaha

Having just rung about every flying institute in the country before christmas, I can tell you that I would have to rate the 2 most 'honest' places as Southern Wings... and (very surprisingly[1]) Massey...

The CFI at Southern Wings was great... and quite frank about things... as was the nice lady from Massey... I think her name was Ann. They were both pretty realistic about things and did not try to blow smoke up my arse and make outlandish promises of flying jets in 2 years etc...

To be honest, I could not really get anything out of CTC... they insisted I fill in some broken form on their website (which was a bit of a mess at the time with links going nowhere and sometimes to the .co.uk site, although it seems they've tidied it up now) to make any queries... whatever... I've got more important things to do with my time, so if they're too busy to take 5 to 10 minutes to actually talk to me then that is their choice. Even the Massey people just explained they were in the middle of doing interviews and selection etc and was it OK if they called back next week... fine by me, at least they made the effort! and they kept their promise too!

My final piece of advice Jimmy... keep your eyes and ears open... and if you get a chance, get out to your local airport and start networking... ie. talk to people... you'd be amazed at what you find out... NZ is a very small place!



[1] This comment is based on the fact that I have firsthand experience with the Massey School of Aviation back in '99-'00... it was... errr... less than satisfying... It looks like things have changed a lot in the last 7 or 8 years... well done to them!

Ahh I was trying to figger out what yr [1] etc in yr posts were, took me a while but now I got it
If yr doing the ring rounds, have a chat to Penny McKay at the Nelson Aviation college. They are a good outfit, have really good courses, instructors and a nice atmosphere aswell which is not usually common at big flying schools. Nice place to fly aswell

Due to some changes at work (ie. major reorg, new positions, possible redundancies) I am holding off until things settle down and I know exactly where I stand. In the meantime I am going to concentrate on finishing off the PPL and getting type ratings for the 172 & Cherokee...

I am about 95% sure I will continue on and get my CPL... but given what I have been seeing on the news lately with regards to world stock markets and the big 'R' word... this latest aviation industry expansion could be in for a bit of a levelling off...

HardCorePawn wrote:

QUOTE (HardCorePawn @ Jan 21 2008, 07:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would advise that you head over to pprune and do a few searchs on ctcwings...

If you're a UK Citizen/passport holder (and have 70,000 pounds) then you could be in the RHS of a jet in 18 months... as the airlines are sponsoring students and often they know where they will be working before they have even finished the course... airlines in UK/EU are happy to take 250hour CPL's and teach them to fly jets...

however for the kiwi's its a rather different story... the only tie in with a regional I have heard about, was the possibility of getting some time with Sunair...

As many a wise man has said... "It hasn't happened until it happens"... you're lucky in that you have a couple of years, so you can wait and see how it works out...

Majority that have gone threw the CTC APC program have gained employment with Eagle as far as Know although a lot already had near the hrs needed to direct apply, CTC does the screening for Eagle applicants at present the first NZ CPP course that started in march 07 has not as yet finished training so don't as yet know if they will go direct to eagle (according to CTC some will that pass eagles interview and employment requirement-eagle has a person on CTCs APC/CPP interview selection board most board by the sounds )- the APC program was set up due to the amount of Pilots not passing Eagles entry requirement(although sounded a bit overboard if pprune has any to go buy i.e Pilot applicants that met Eagles mins were put straight into the b1900 with NO Type/Rating or famililarity - experience on the B1900 and expected to fly IFR in the hold at Hams) and others jumping boat to fly the coverted jet job.

twinstarda42 wrote:

QUOTE (twinstarda42 @ Apr 24 2008, 12:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Majority that have gone threw the CTC APC program have gained employment with Eagle as far as Know although a lot already had near the hrs needed to direct apply, CTC does the screening for Eagle applicants at present the first NZ CPP course that started in march 07 has not as yet finished training so don't as yet know if they will go direct to eagle (according to CTC some will that pass eagles interview and employment requirement-eagle has a person on CTCs APC/CPP interview selection board most board by the sounds )- the APC program was set up due to the amount of Pilots not passing Eagles entry requirement(although sounded a bit overboard if pprune has any to go buy i.e straight into the b1900 with no experience and expected to fly IFR in the hold at Hams) and others jumping boat to fly the coverted jet job.

The advertisements don't promise you a job but their is the possibilty of employment as with what the ads state with eagle - you have to pass the interview with eagle to be considered for employment after either the APC course or CPP course after that have no idea what the criteria is.

Currently the Air Force is experiencing some of the lowest suitable applicant rates for pilots. Why are none of you guys thinking about this route. You get a couple of million dollars worth of training, get paid to do it, and do real flying, not just A to B and back to A again. Once you have done your time, then leaving and getting an Airline job is usually not a problem.

Deane

deaneb wrote:

QUOTE (deaneb @ Apr 24 2008, 08:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

not just A to B and back to A again. Once you have done your time, then leaving and getting an Airline job is usually not a problem.

Deane

Yes very weird.

Because it's the Air Force? If there's any conflict NZ's involved in, you're pretty much buggered. And aren't you stuck with them for like 10 years on something like $20 grand a year?
I haven't done any research, but that's what I've heard.

My Cousin has 2 years to go in 3 Squadran. Flies the Hueys. Now that hes an instructor, hes been overseas for about 1 year- (Canada, France etc) learning on the new Choppers the RNZAF is getting. From what I know, he earns about $80,000, and has only been to "war" once (Solomon Islands early in his career)

I think its more than 10 years currently, but they want to reduce it to 8 or somthing I cant remember...

deaneb wrote:

QUOTE (deaneb @ Apr 24 2008, 08:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Currently the Air Force is experiencing some of the lowest suitable applicant rates for pilots. Why are none of you guys thinking about this route. You get a couple of million dollars worth of training, get paid to do it, and do real flying, not just A to B and back to A again. Once you have done your time, then leaving and getting an Airline job is usually not a problem.

Deane

I was going to... but I was only 18... and they'd just starting slashing budgets (they wanted 15 pilots, they were going to get 9... I would have been 10 in any other year according to the chief of the PERSEL panel), so they told me to go away, mature a little and come back again next year and I should walk through...

I went away, did outward bound... grew up a little and decided that seeing as how I was halfway through my degree, I would finish it and then go... Unfortunately, by the time I finished my degree.... the airforce had been reduced to essentially a state-run SAR/maritime patrol outfit... Thinking about it now, I should have gone back anyway... but oh well...

Are they taking 32 yr old PPLs???

victor_alpha_charlie wrote:

QUOTE (victor_alpha_charlie @ Apr 24 2008, 10:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because it's the Air Force? If there's any conflict NZ's involved in, you're pretty much buggered. And aren't you stuck with them for like 10 years on something like $20 grand a year?
I haven't done any research, but that's what I've heard.

Much more than 20k a year I think you'll find. The flying would be good as too.

victor_alpha_charlie wrote:

QUOTE (victor_alpha_charlie @ Apr 24 2008, 10:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because it's the Air Force? If there's any conflict NZ's involved in, you're pretty much buggered. And aren't you stuck with them for like 10 years on something like $20 grand a year?
I haven't done any research, but that's what I've heard.

I think you need to do more research !! Conflict - transport operations and peacekeeping, there may be some risk, but its not air to air combat !!
Yes there is a return of service - so what - you get the rewards in the training, flying and responsibility. $20K a year - get real, thats what a civvy might earn after getting a commercial and finding an instructor job (if they are lucky). Airforce will start you on more than that and after 5 or 6 years once you reach Flight Lieutenant you would be on $60-70K probably more as pay rises kick in. After 10 years as a captain I'd imagine you would be over $80K
Don't forget that modernisation would see any new pilots soon flying upgraded (glass cockpit) aircraft and of course the Augusta and NH90.

Deane