British Airways Future Pilot Programme

Welcome

BRITISH AIRWAYS FUTURE PILOTS PROGRAMME FOREWORD BY OSCAR SORDO, FTEJerez CEO

10 August 2011 - British Airways today announced its Future Pilot Programme which provides the framework for the training of the airline’s cadet pilots over the next few years. Flight Training Europe (FTEJerez) is proud to once again have been chosen by BA as one of its cadet pilot training providers.

FTEJerez and its predecessor, located in the UK, have been associated with British Airways for more than 20 years. The school is well aware of the responsibility it undertakes in moulding the selected BA trainees into first class pilots and the future captains of the airline. The company is confident that its experience as well as the training environment, infrastructure, equipment, facilities and expertise will allow it to deliver the quality training demanded by BA.

BA PRESS RELEASE: BIGGEST PILOT RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE

British Airways has launched its biggest pilot recruitment drive in more than 10 years.

The airline plans to take on more than 800 new pilots by 2016, using three combined recruitment programmes:

• A new programme to help people to train to become airline pilots for the first time, called the 'Future Pilot Programme'.
• Recruitment of qualified pilots from other airlines.
• A joint initiative with the UK Armed Forces to provide military pilots with a planned career path into commercial aviation.

The Importance of Selecting the Right School

Your selection of the most suitable training establishment is as important as the decision you have taken to become a pilot. This is particularly so given that you will undergo the rigorous training demanded by British Airways.

FTEJerez has the essential elements that you, as an aspiring pilot, should be looking for in an organisation that you will entrust with your training: long experience of BA’s requirements together with the right environment, equipment, facilities and expertise.

FTEJerez is a dedicated airline pilot training organisation with a long history of successfully training ab initio pilots for a wide range of prominent airlines. Apart from British Airways, FTEJerez's clients include Aer Lingus, BA City Flyer, Cityjet, Emirates, FlyBe, MEA, Qatar Airways and Thomas Cook.

FTEJerez runs a truly integrated JAA ATP(A) course with all training conducted in JAA airspace and, more importantly, consolidated in one training location. Our campus in southern Spain has a distinctive character which combines the discipline required in airline pilot training with a relaxed and comfortable family atmosphere around the campus. High quality accommodation is provided with single en-suite air conditioned rooms with broadband internet, television and telephone connections. Jerez airport also provides easy access to the UK and Europe.

Why FTEJerez?

There are numerous elements that best reflect what FTEJerez represents and that, in some instances, set us apart. These include:

Training Course

The training course is truly integrated. This means that relevant sections of the academic curriculum are fully integrated with the flying thus ensuring that our students derive the maximum benefit from their training.

All flying training is conducted in JAA airspace and conducted from one location, the Jerez International Airport. This has numerous benefits: FTEJerez is not influenced by other national authorities, our supervisory role is made a lot easier because of the continuity of the training and the sponsoring airline’s mentoring role is easier.

Course intakes are restricted to 14 students which ensure that ground instructors can provide individual attention where necessary. Ground instructors teach a maximum of 3 subjects, again ensuring high quality tuition. Within the flying department the instructor/student ration is maintained well below the maximum prescribed by the regulator.

Our campus and support

The campus is directly adjacent to the Jerez International Airport and offers a fully residential service, air conditioned single en-suite accommodation with TV (with English language channels), broadband internet access, closed circuit TV for flying training scheduling, computer based training and other training related purposes and telephones connecions.

Our catering facility serves three hot meals (with various choices) per day and caters for a wide range of religious and dietary requirements. Free hot beverages are available 24 hours per day to all our students in the crew room.

The campus has an Olympic size swimming pool, football pitches, tennis, basket ball and volley-ball courts, gymnasium and a social club, providing subsidized drinks in the evenings.

A dedicated welfare officer and bilingual team assist students with travel, medical and other support they may require from time to time. Students from European Union member states have full and free access to the Spanish National Health Service throughout their training. Over and above this, if required, additional medical insurance can be provided. Class I medicals can be renewed locally.

Free recreational transport is available through the Student Committee, with the latter having direct access to senior management.

No visas are required for EU member state citizens. Jerez airport and the nearby Gibraltar, Seville and Málaga airports provide excellent links to the UK and Europe.

With the beaches and mountains of southern Spain just minutes from campus, there are ample recreational opportunities outside those provided on campus.

Individual Course Graduation Ceremonies are held offering sponsors/parents/friends the opportunity to attend. With all integrated course students residing on campus, course esprit de corps develops throughout the training and many life time friends are made.

Other Considerations

FTEJerez has ideal flying training weather and therefore guarantees that any accommodation cost incurred as a result of weather delays during training, will be borne by us.

With its clear focus on service provision FTE has a proven customer record with some airline partnerships extending well over 12 years.

We are proud of the fact that many years the school has been at the forefront of Integrated ATP(A) Training. We were, for example, the first to introduce a Jet Orientation Course, the first to gain UK CAA approval for English Language Proficiency Training and Testing and recently the first FTO to receive UK CAA approval to conduct MPL training – which has been a huge success with the first FTE MPL graduates having effortlessly coped with both type rating and line training.

FTEJerez at the Forefront

FTEJerez, with its clear focus on service provision has a proven customer record with some airline partnerships extending well over 10 years.

We are proud of the fact that the school, for a long time, has been at the forefront of Integrated ATP(A) Training. We were, for example, the first to introduce a Jet Orientation Course, the first to gain UK CAA approval for English Language Proficiency Training and Testing and recently the first FTO to receive UK CAA approval to conduct MPL training – the latter which has been a huge success, with the first FTEJerez MPL graduates having effortlessly coped with both type rating and line training.

Application

British Airways is now accepting applications for the Future Pilot Programme (FPP) via their on-line application system.

As this period is likely to be fairly short, you are advised to apply as soon as possible. We also recommend that you ensure that you allow sufficient time to carefully complete the questionnaire and that you do so in a quiet area where you can fully concentrate on the task at hand.

Your application will, as a first step, be screened to ensure that you meet all BA’s initial entry criteria. If you are successful in the initial part of the selection and have chosen FTEJerez to do you training, you will be invited to attend our assessment centre at Coventry in the UK. More details regarding this will be provided at a later stage.

Successful candidates will subsequently be invited to attend the final BA FPP assessment at the BA Recruitment Centre near Heathrow.

BA’s FPP scheme will be highly sought after and very competitive. In the event you do not meet the criteria for this particular scheme, you can still pursue you dream of becoming an airline pilot. FTE has close ties to many prominent airlines and our graduates are highly regarded and are regularly offered positions with them. Please feel free to contact our team at info@ftejerez.com

In order to apply, please visit *:
http://www.bafuturepilot.com/apply/

* The BA FPP is now closed for applications. Candidates are currently being invited for selection at our assessment centre in Coventry. Be advised that we are still reviewing applications and further invites will be sent out in the following weeks. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via email.

Training Course

Successful BA Future Pilot Programme cadets that select FTEJerez, will complete the standard ATPL integrated course. In addition to the ATPL syllabus, they will undertake a further 44 hours of Jet Orientation Course training (this includes the 16 hours MCC from the ATPL integrated syllabus).

1. After receiving a structured induction upon arrival, the BA FPP cadet’s integrated course at FTEJerez commences with 18 weeks of Ground School followed by the Phase 1 EASA exams in week 19, that are carried out at our CAA approved examination centre. During this initial phase, the BA FPP cadets will attend Ground School from Monday to Friday, acquiring the necessary theoretical knowledge to progress to the following stages of the course. They cadets will sit internal exams in week 9 and week 18.

The BA FPP cadets will join a course with a maximum of 14 students, thus ensuring that a personalised approach to their ground instruction is achieved. Our instructors specialise in 3 subjects and are experienced ex military and/or commercial aviators. The small number of students per course guarantees constant access to the instructors and full involvement due to the low instructor/cadet ratio. The BA FPP cadets, in the same way as other premium airline cadets and self sponsored students, will also benefit from our many on-site resources, such as the technical library or CBT (Computer Based Training) available through FTEJerez’s intranet.

2. Once the cadet has successfully completed Phase 1, the integrated phase of the course takes off. From week 20 to week 40, the student will attend ground school one day and fly on the following. Due to the nature of our ATPL course, it is through true integration of ground and flight standardization processes and the fact that all training and accommodation is on one campus that the cadets will complete Phase 2 without having to change their residence, with no long haul flights and all in EASA airspace; with no potentially conflicting regulations from other country’s authorities. Phase 2 is completed once the cadet sits the exams on week 41. Again, they will sit internal exams in this phase.

3. Having passed all ground school subjects and with approximately 50 hours flown already, the BA FPP cadet will now exclusively focus on flying. By week 47, the cadet will have completed 120 hours of single engine flying, followed by 31.3 hours of twin engine flying culminating in the ME CPL and IR flight tests. All flying instructors at FTEJerez are EASA license holders and hold at least an ICAO 5 English and nearly 90% are British nationals. The EASA maximum students/flying instructor ratio is limited to 6 to 1, but at FTEJerez we aim to have a 2 to 1 ratio / 3 to 1 ratio to ensure that the personalised instruction and individualised approach of our quality training is continued from Ground to Flying. Once again, the fact that all training is on one location, ensures that the student will fly in EASA airspace from the Jerez International Airport of which the FTEJerez campus is a part.

For more information regarding our ATPL course, please click here.

Finance

British Airways has structured the Future Pilot Programme so that their recruitment partner, Airline Placement Limited, will sponsor the training of all cadet pilots. This sponsorship will cover your flight training, Jet Orientation Course and aircraft type rating. You will therefore be required to deposit a security bond of £84,000 with the recruitment partner.

Because this is a sponsored scheme, the entire £84,000 security bond will be repaid to you if you successfully complete all training, and join British Airways as a first officer. The security bond is repaid in equal monthly installments over your first 7 years of employment, all in addition to your remuneration package that is detailed on the Future Pilot Programme website.

For those cadet pilots who elect to train at Flight Training Europe, the sponsorship includes:

• Flight Training course as detailed here
• Accommodation, Full Board and internet / wi-fi access
• No additional accommodation charge in the unlikely event of delay due to adverse weather.

In addition to the security bond you need to deposit, there is also a one-off fee of £6,000 that is payable to Flight Training Europe before you commence your training course with us. This will be for: CAA fees, textbooks, uniform (except shoes), flying and training equipment, stationery, etc., as specified in the contract between the cadet and FTEJerez.

Should you decide to do your training at FTEJerez, all your accommodation and three meals a day are included as part of your sponsorship. You should consider setting aside a small additional amount for personal entertainment and other minor personal expenses.

The initial phase of the BA FPP selection process is free of charge. For those candidates making it to the 1st assessment stage, an amount of UK Pounds 198 will be charged to conduct the required aptitude tests and interviews at a venue/s in the UK, to be announced in due course. A mechanism in order to process these payments will be created on the FTEJerez website. This amount will be fully refunded to those eventually training at FTEJerez.

FTEJerez has full confidence in its selection process – to the extent that it is prepared to offer risk protection to successful candidates in terms of which a portion of their security bond will be refunded in the unlikely event of a student, notwithstanding remedial training, not being able to obtain the ATPL(f).