The Best Possible Training

It's our aim to see you graduate from CityJet Wings as a high-calibre pilot, fully trained by an industry-leading company. Accordingly CityJet and CTC have teamed up to provide you with a unique opportunity to receive training from one of the world’s leading providers of airline pilot training and graduate into employment with Ireland’s leading quality airline.

Foundation and Basic Training

The CityJet Wings training programme is specifically designed to give you an immediate advantage over other people entering the industry. Right from the start we take a vertically integrated approach to flight training, so everything you do is focused towards airline operations.

In order to give you the foundation of knowledge you will need to begin flying, you will start your training at our Crew Training Centre – Nursling (near Southampton on the south coast of the UK). Here you will begin a period of ground school study to complete your Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) exams. During this time you will be working and studying in an extremely airline-orientated environment. You will be able to mingle with qualified airline pilots currently working for one of our 50+ client airlines around the world and learn more about your future career from their personal experiences. More importantly though, our Nursling facility houses a full range of Boeing and Airbus Full Flight Simulators (FFSs), Flight Training Devices (FTDs), Virtual Flight Decks (VFDs) and computer and web based training suites (CBT/WBT). This means you will have access, right from the start of your course, to these advanced simulation facilities for the type of aircraft that you are potentially going to fly. This stage of your training lasts approximately 5 months and will send you on your way to New Zealand for the next stage of your training with the first, vital licence already under your belt – your ATPL.

When you first arrive in New Zealand you will begin flying straight away. The initial Foundation Course lasting approximately 17 weeks will see you flying one of our single engine fleet of aircraft and going solo, possibly for the first time. This stage of your training can be paralleled training towards your PPL (Private Pilot’s Licence). However, as you are training to become an airline pilot on an integrated programme, there is no requirement for you to complete the PPL flight test. This stage of your training introduces you to CTC’s flight training methods and NZ airspace. It is designed to standardise all cadets, regardless of their previous experience to enable a smooth transition to the next stage of training.

The flying phase of your training, which will earn you your Commercial Pilot Licence and Instrument Rating (CPL/IR), will take about 10 months (including the Foundation course). The first 7 months are completed in New Zealand at our Crew Training Centre at Hamilton International Airport and will see you at the controls of our industry-leading twin the DA42; with its Garmin 1000 flight deck, the DA42 efficiently prepares you for the type of new generation Boeing or Airbus you are likely to fly in the future; A goal that is now very much within your reach!

Following this, the rest of your basic, multi-engine training will take place at our Crew Training Centre at Bournemouth International Airport in the UK.

Progressive thinking puts you ahead of the rest

As a CityJet Wings Cadet, you're introduced to applied instrument flying much earlier than more traditional programmes and receive considerably more Instrument Flight Rules training (IFR).

Your conversion to multi-engine (ME) aircraft takes place earlier than usual so your total ME time will be much higher that most approved programmes.

Plus, you are introduced to basic Crew Resource Management (CRM) concepts and trained and assessed in technical and non-technical skills throughout your training.

Intermediate Training - gaining hands-on experience

The next stage - AQC (Airline Qualification Course) is a two-week ground school and simulator-based training course at CTC’s Crew Training Centres on the south coast of England.

This phase of the programme is hands-on, airline-focused training using state-of-the-art, new generation technology to give you the skills you need to manage a commercial flight deck and operate today's advanced jet aircraft in a multi-crew, IFR environment.

Advanced Training - take to the skies as a CityJet Pilot

In the final and most exciting phase of the CityJet Wings Cadet training programme, you get a real taste of what your new career holds for you. You’ll first be spending approximately 3 weeks learning the technical aspects of the AVRO RJ85 you will be flying, followed by many hours of simulator to master its flying characteristics and operation. It’s about hard work and teamwork – but when you finally get the jet endorsed onto your flying licence it will all have been worth it ! You'll ultimately graduate as a fully qualified airline pilot and will now be ready to start flying with CityJet as a Second Officer.

Please note - we are not current accepting applications to the CityJet Wings programme. However, the CTC Wings Cadet route is open for applications and acceptance into CTC Wings would place you in a prime position for any placements available with one of our full list of partner airlines. If you wish to apply to the CTC Wings Cadet route, please click on the 'apply now' button below. Otherwise, please keep an eye on this website for any future news on CityJet Wings.