Due to the very large number of applications we receive, we regret that we are not in a position to answer any questions by telephone, letter or personal visits. Any queries should be channeled through this site, but if we have not answered everything you want to know here then, during selection, there will be ample opportunity to discuss your individual queries.

No cadet training programme guarantees a job. The commitment we give is that, subject to a satisfactory performance in training and no change to our partner airline recruitment plans, we will make every effort to ensure that our graduates are placed through us. We have one of, if not the, best placement record of the Flight Training Organisations in the UK and we continue to place pilots even in the current climate.

Our policy on this is as follows:

• Re-assessment will only be allowed to specifically identified applicants following a detailed appraisal by the selection team who conducted the assessment stage that resulted in a rejection.

• Those individuals who are assessed as suitable for re-assessment will be advised either during the assessment day or by e-mail. If you do not receive notification advising you of this status then you should assume that a re-assessment opportunity has not been judged appropriate in the circumstances

• Normally, such re-assessment opportunities will only be offered not less than 6 months after the applicant’s initial date of completed application. When it is considered appropriate, CTC will advise the candidate by e-mail of the date on which a re-assessment is scheduled.

• If you are advised that re-application is possible for you, but you do not wish to wait you may choose to opt for the CTC Wings iCP route and details of this offer will be provided during your assessment process.

Please note that an applicant’s initial application will remain on our database and thus there is no benefit, nor need, to complete a further application form through our internet application system.

Yes. CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited is registered as a Private Training Establishment (PTE) which means that we are bound by the rules and regulations of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and as such you will require a student visa before entering New Zealand.

NZ and Australian nationals.

Once you have been successful through our selection process, we will send you an offer pack that will contain the student visa application form and all the information that you will require to make the application. You will also require a letter of support that will be provided by CTC.

CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited has agreed to observe and be bound by the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students published by the Minister of Education. Copies of the Code are available on request from this institution or from the New Zealand Ministry of Education website at http://www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/international

Full details of visa and permit requirements, advice on rights to employment in New Zealand while studying, and reporting requirements are available through the New Zealand Immigration Service, and can be viewed on their website at http://www.immigration.govt.nz

Most international students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand. If you receive medical treatment during your visit, you may be liable for the full costs of that treatment. Full details on entitlements to publicly-funded health services are available through the Ministry of Health, and can be viewed on their website at http://www.moh.govt.nz . MEDICAL AND TRAVEL INSURANCE: International students must have appropriate and current medical and travel insurance while studying in New Zealand. ACCIDENT INSURANCE: The Accident Compensation Corporation provides accident insurance for all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand, but you may still be liable for all other medical and related costs. Further information can be viewed on the ACC website.

The minimum qualifications for application are listed on this site. Some airlines may stipulate differing qualification requirements for their sponsorship participation and these requirements will be listed on the airlines website.

To enter training, a cadet must possess a valid JAA Class 1 medical certificate. More details on the medical requirements can be obtained from the CAA. The CAA charge approximately £320 for the initial medical examination, which must be carried out at their medical centre in Gatwick. However, we do not expect applicants to go to that expense until they know that they have been provisionally accepted. If you are unsure of your medical status, we suggest you look in detail at the requirements of the JAA Class 1 which can be found on the CAA website and then discuss these requirements with your GP. Whilst this does not guarantee that you will pass the JAA Class 1 medical examination, it will provide you with some reassurance before you go to the expense of undertaking our selection process and the Class 1 examination.

The wearing of glasses and/or contact lenses does not automatically bar an applicant from obtaining a JAA Class 1 medical certificate. Full details on the eyesight requirements can be obtained from the CAA.

Currently, we are only able to accept applicants who are able to prove that they have the unrestricted legal right to live and work in the EU. Additionally, you must have no reason to believe that you will not be accepted for entry into New Zealand. However, we reserve the right to appraise individual applications on their merit in the light of the currently complex laws concerning rights of entry and rights of abode. If you do not have the legal right to live and work in the EU you may like to consider the CTC Wings iCP route.

If an applicant passes the selection and is offered a place before passing the JAA Class 1 medical, their place will be conditional on passing the examination. Regrettably, we are unable to accept cadets into training who have failed to reach the medical standards required by law.

This depends on the number of applications received, although each application will be reviewed on a "first come, first served" basis. We hope that it will not take more than two months from the time of application to process through the selection system.

As we deal with large numbers of applicants for sponsorship, the administration cost of selection amounts to many thousands of pounds per selected candidate. We do not think its fair to ask only the successful ones to have to pay for all those that apply, so we ask everyone to contribute. We therefore charge you £188 inclusive of VAT to cover the cost of some industry-standard assessment tests. It is vital that we do this selection properly - so that you can be given the best advice about your likely chances of success in your future career and to ensure that we have selected the right person into training. On occasions, when linked to special promotional events, we do offer the opportunity for reduced or free selection.

The selection consists of 3 phases:
• The first phase (application) will ascertain whether you have the basic qualifications for our programme.
• At the second phase, we will be testing your aptitude for flying as an airline pilot. These tests will also test numeracy and cognitive ability. You will also take part in some group activities. You have to be a team player.
• The third phase consists of an interview with a member of our assessment team. We are looking for someone who is highly motivated.

Applications are only accepted through the website.

Only a small percentage of applicants will be successful - we are looking for the very best. You will have to prove to us that you are the right stuff, with all the potential skills needed to become a first class pilot. Competition will be stiff so you need to come to the selection process well prepared.

CTC reserves the right to take up references from your referees, but we will only do so with your prior knowledge. Your future airline will require also 5 years of referencing in order to apply for an airside pass which is a mandatory requirement before you can start operating as aircrew.

A Criminal Record Check at BASIC Disclosure level is the lowest level of Disclosure. A BASIC Disclosure contains details of convictions considered to be unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA) or states that there are no such convictions. This type of Disclosure is only issued to the applicant, it is not job-specific, and may be used more than once.

Part V of the Police Act 1997 introduced a new system of disclosing criminal history information to individuals and organisations for employment and other limited purposes. A new Disclosure Bureau has been established within the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) for the purposes of issuing disclosures under Part V of the 1997 act. This new service is known as 'Disclosure Scotland' and is responsible for issuing three levels of disclosure to be known as 'BASIC Disclosure', ' Standard Disclosure' and 'Enhanced Disclosure'. Disclosure Scotland will issue disclosure certificates for all UK employees, not just those that live in Scotland. The service is designed to improve access to criminal records and other relevant information held by the police and government departments and is available for people who need to prove whether or not they have any criminal convictions.

Should you be successful in your application, you will be expected to obtain a Criminal Record Certificate prior to your offer being confirmed. For details on how to apply for a Criminal Record Certificate click here.

Spent convictions Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, criminal convictions can become spent or ignored after a rehabilitation period. The rehabilitation period varies depending on the sentence or order imposed by the court - not the offence. Custodial sentences of more than two and a half years can never become spent.

The first stage of your training - the ATPL Ground School theory and examinations - takes place in the UK and takes approximately 5 months. You may then have a short period of leave before your departure to NZ to commence your flying training. The first part of your flying training is a Foundation skills course which lasts 17 weeks. In total you will spend 7 months in NZ before returning to complete your CPLIR at our Crew Training Centre - Bournemouth. The Bournemouth phase of training lasts around 3 months. The Intermediate phase lasts about 3 weeks and the Advanced phase about two months. With 6 months of line training and consolidation flying, together with leave and holidays, the whole process will take about 28 months from the day you start.

The Foundation Course is an essential part of the whole training process, as it introduces you to CTC's flight training methods, NZ airspace and provides a solid basis to advance into the more advanced stages of the Wings training programme.

This is the only part of the training that you are required to pay for. The current cost of the Foundation Course is NZ$17,400 (which converts to approximately UK£7,000 at an exchange rate of 2.5) Depending on your previous experience and your performance during this course, it may be possible to complete it in less than 17 weeks. This will be at the discretion of the Head of Training for CTC Aviation Training. If this occurs, you will receive a refund of any unused training from CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited

CTC has developed a special course for this programme that will be conducted in both New Zealand and the UK.

The content is significantly different from any other programme currently available. The training approach is very different to most Flight Training Organisations. In conventional courses, the trainee is taught to be a light piston-engine aircraft pilot, then later trained to be an airline pilot. However, the CTC Wings course has been designed specifically to meet airline needs and the cadets are trained as airline pilots and team players right from the start. We call this a 'vertically integrated' approach to training - we always focus on the end goal. In addition, the course includes all training, taking you from a base of no flying experience, through the licence issue phase, right up to type rating on a modern airliner and flying as a crew member with a major airline.

The training leads to the JAAEASA Commercial Pilot's Licence with Instrument Rating (CPL/IR). The JAA/EASA is the governing authority of the European aviation industry. Theoretical knowledge is examined to the Air Transport Pilots' Licence (ATPL) standard, so no further examination is needed for the upgrade of your licence to the ATPL. (The ATPL licence is the one you need to become a Captain). This licence is commonly known as a 'frozen ATPL' (fATPL).

After having completed the 5 months of ATPL Ground School theory training, the Foundation flying skills and initial Basic flying phases will be completed in New Zealand (approximately 7 months in total), with the remainder of your basic training completed in the UK. Depending on airline requirements, your advanced training may mean an additional trip abroad.

This is a full time course. However, there will be several weeks of planned leave. Extra time off is allowed only in exceptional circumstances.

Training will take place on a range of aircraft including Cessna C172'S, Diamond DA20 Katanas or Diamond DA42 Twinstars.

During the ATPL Ground School phase of training, you will live in shared houses (shared with other CTC Wings trainees) in the Southampton, UK area. These are selected to meet an approved CTC standard, which is mirrored in all our accommodation facilities.
In New Zealand you will most likely be living in 'Clearways' - CTC's own furnished cadet accommodation facility close to our Crew Training Centre. On rare occasions, when you first arrive in New Zealand we may accommodate you in an alternative facility temporarily - currently either 'Peachgrove' or 'Knox Street' all of which are within easy access of Hamilton and the Crew Training Centre. However, you will normally move into 'Clearways' once rooms become free with other courses returning to the UK (although some courses prefer to remain in their original accommodation!). We are currently expanding our facility at 'Clearways' to accommodate more cadets. Back in the UK you will be living in furnished accommodation close to our Crew Training Centres. Depending on the stage of your training this may be at our Residential Crew Training Centre - Dibden, in rented accommodation nearby or at a local hotel. All accommodation arrangements are made by CTC.

Whilst a basic level of medical treatment is available in New Zealand through state resources, it is compulsory that you insure yourself for medical cover and repatriation to the UK for your NZ Student Visa.

The selection is thorough, but not foolproof. There may be some cadets who fail to complete the training as a result of an inability to attain the standards required. However, it is anticipated that the number of failures will be very small and we expect the vast majority to complete their training.

Those accepted onto the CTC Wings programme have the best prospects for a fast-track flying career. Even those who do not reach the high standards required by the programme will be among the best selected industry trainees. Therefore, failure on this fast-track course does not necessarily bar a trainee from an airline career.

Once you have successfully completed your Foundation, Basic and Intermediate Training, the next stage is to complete Advanced Training which may be sponsored by an airline. This comprises ground and simulator training, followed by base training (when you will fly an airliner for the first time). Next you will commence flying with the airline on the line, completing your line training and a period of line experience. The terms of your placement will vary from airline to airline and depending on the current requirement. Normally you will first complete an 8 month line training and experience period during which you will normally be paid a subsistence allowance from CTC of about £1000p.m. It will only be on completion of that period, when you have proved to the airline that you are 'the right stuff' and that you have reached all the proficiency levels required, that you may be offered full time employment or a period of engagement. This term will vary - each airline has its own terms and conditions applicable to pilot employment and employment or placement terms will also depend on the current status of the industry. If you are pre-selected by an airline and enter the programme as a pre-selected cadet pilot, you will normally be paid a cadet entry salary for approximately the first seven years of employment with monthly repayments of your bond to you for the same period. Obviously pay rates are up to the individual airline and set by market expectations and conditions. Basic starting salaries for newly qualified pilots in their first airline job are generally around £18,000 - £25,000, with allowances adding about another £6,000. This salary tends to increase over time, with most airlines introducing a higher rate once a pilot reaches 1500 hours total time. Each airline may have slightly different terms and conditions applying to pre-selected CTC Wings Cadet pilots and you should refer to their websites for full details.

Yes – you will be required to have a laptop computer to enable you to self study for your theory subjects and to enable you to access CTC’s intranet system which provides you with your daily training schedule amongst a host of other relevant information necessary during your time in training. If you have an Apple Mac laptop, you will have to ensure that is has Windows XP as it’s operating system.

You may like to consider applying for a professional studies loan with a bank or other financial institution. Many of our Cadets have done this and have also been able to secure funding for the Foundation Course and living expenses during training. You may also wish to consider a Professional and Career Development loan. Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans that can be used to help pay for work related learning. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year’s relevant unpaid practical work). The Learning and Skills Council will pay the interest on the loan while you are learning and for one month afterwards. The loan can be used to pay course fees or other costs such as travel and living expenses. You can also use the loan to supplement other forms of support such as grants or bursaries. Because the Professional and Career Development Loan is a commercial loan product, they should only be considered as an option once all other student funding options have been investigated. For further information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact Careers Advice on 0800 100 900. CTC's Learning provider number which you will need to quote is: 10187.

No. Before you start the training course, we will provide you with a detailed timetable of the bond deposits required. The approximate timetable is an initial deposit prior to the start of ground school training, the second deposit six months later and thereafter at monthly intervals (12 installments in total including the initial deposit).

Whether you provide the bond through bank finance or another source, you will remain liable for the bond. However, on employment with an airline you will benefit from a contracted commitment to repay the bond through monthly repayments over a set period of time as agreed with your sponsor airline as long as you fulfil your employment commitments. As with all terms, these arrangements can vary depending on the recruiting airline and current requirements.

On employment as a cadet pilot with a sponsor airline, the same repayments as mentioned in the question above would apply.

Our experience is that most cadets can expect to progress onto Advanced Training and be placed with an airline. However, in unexpected industry recessions, airlines may cease recruitment or change their contract terms. In this event, you would remain in the pool of trained pilots awaiting placement and would be in a preferential position to take advantage of any opportunities when the situation improved. You may also be offered a place on CTC’s FlexiCrew programme, providing flying services to CTC’s client airlines. You would, of course, remain liable for the repayments of any loan arrangements you have made, but you may rest assured that we would be making every effort to place you with one of our existing partner airlines or a new potential partner airline. It will not be in CTC's interests to have any unplaced pilots awaiting placement opportunities.

During the Ground School phase of training or the Foundation Course you will have benefitted from many of the items provided as part of the Wings programme (for example ground school tuition, accommodation, training materials, uniform, course equipment and air travel). If we terminate your training during either of these phases or training, depending on the circumstances of this termination we may repay to you the lesser of all of your bond drawn down to that date reduced by an amount not less than £9,000 (this amount retained being compensation for costs incurred) and £30,000. You will also receive from CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited a refund of any unused training that you have paid for.

If you should not make the grade during basic or intermediate training, we will normally repay to you the lesser of all of your bond drawn down to that date reduced by an amount not less than £9,000 (this amount retained being compensation for costs incurred) and £30,000.. This is a unique protection, and whilst there are some very reasonable conditions to protect against deliberate withdrawal from the programme, you are provided with a significant and very valuable safety net. If you fail when the bond has reached a sum in excess of £30,000, the portion over £30,000 remains your liability - however, don't forget that by that time you would already be on track for a career as an airline pilot, with a substantial part of your licence training completed.

This would result in a termination of contract with you and you could potentially forfeit your bond repayments made up to that time. Additionally you may be exposed to additional costs.

Cadets are certainly recommended to take out adequate life cover and 'Loss of Licence' insurance for the period of training. Personal accident insurance, property insurance whilst abroad and medical whilst in NZ are also strongly recommended. Where bond finance has been provided by a bank, they may themselves insist upon certain of levels of cover before agreeing to the loan.

The employing airline will normally repay the bond in monthly installments. However, this arrangement can vary from airline to airline and depending on current requirements and it should be noted that not all airlines recognise the bond facility.

An employee who leaves their employing airline during the bond period will have breached the bond contract and will, therefore, forfeit any remaining bond. In that case, monthly bond repayments to you from the airline would cease and you would remain liable for the monthly repayments to the bank (if you have availed yourself of that facility). Additionally, the employing airline may be entitled to seek repayment from you of the additional costs of training that it has borne in excess of the bonded amount.

If you borrow money to provide the bond, you are liable to repay the loan and interest, normally with repayments deferred until you are employed. As a cadet pilot, during employment the airline will normally repay your bond on a monthly basis which enables you to make repayments on your bank loan.

Whilst that depends on the terms you have agreed with a bank, most bank facilities allow you to pay off the loan early without penalty. However, if on a cadet entry scale of salary, your employing airline would continue bond repayments to you in the normal way as described above.

CTC and any sponsoring airline will pay the course fees, which include:
Basic (post Foundation Course), intermediate and advanced training fees
Training equipment
Uniform
Remedial training fees approved by CTC
Examination and test fees
Examination and test re-sit fees
Accommodation in the UK and New Zealand during the basic licence training and Exam Phases in the UK
Air fares to and from New Zealand
Accommodation during the intermediate and advanced phases
Living allowances during the advanced phase
Cadets also have some expenses, including:
Selection Fee (for phase 2 only)
Initial JAA Class 1 medical examination
The Foundation Course
Medical renewal fees
JAA CPL/IR licence issue fee
Living costs during all phases of training (approximately £5000 on average)
Accommodation and living costs in the UK on leave
Depending on current airline requirements there may be additional costs involved to complete the Advanced Stage of your training.

If you are applying for a professional studies loan to raise funds for your Security Bond, it may be possible to increase that loan to cover both Foundation Course and living costs.

While you are not able to choose your employer, when more than one partner airline has opportunities you are allowed to state a preference, however no guarantee can be given that you will get your first choice.

When an airline approaches us for cadets, we put forward names to the airline based on a number of factors, including time of successful completion of selection, eligibility (airlines dictate their own entry criteria) and our assessment of compatibility (airline cultures vary; some pilots would fit into one airline better than another). This means that places may not be offered on a 'first come, first served' basis and are at the discretion of CTC.

Of course, you do not have to accept an offer from CTC of a place on the programme. However, if you turn it down, it is unlikely that we will offer you another opportunity. The CityJet Wings route offers pre-selection prior to commencing training should you prefer this option however they are not current recruiting.

You would need to find £70,000 or more, just for basic training. If you took out a loan, arranged your own training, and were able to find employment which would allow you to repay your loan at £600 per month, it would take about 14 years to repay the loan. You would need to dedicate about £150,000 of your future salary before tax to pay for your basic training. That's assuming all goes well. In this unique programme, the total value of the programme exceeds £100,000 and the package provided for you is comprehensive and covers the unexpected. Depending on current airline requirements, there are opportunities for airline sponsorship through CTC Wings.

There isn't one! The only thing you need to remember is that it's going to be tough to get through the selection, and the number of places is limited. If you are one of the select few, then you are going to have to prove yourself to us and perform very well throughout the training course. Failure to achieve our exacting standards will result in disappointment and may have financial ramifications. There can be occasions, during difficult economic times, when you will be in the hold pool prior to type rating. However, it is in our interest to secure the best placement opportunities for our graduates and we work hard on your behalf to achieve this.

CTC's 'Bond Protection' for CTC Wings Cadets is believed to be the largest financial risk protection package for ab-initio training in the industry. At CTC we have always aspired to provide training opportunities for all, regardless of their financial position, providing they demonstrate potential and aptitude through our rigorous selection process. Sadly, financing is difficult to come by and we are endeavouring to assist where we possibly can by removing a significant amount of the financial risk. During the ab-initio or CPL/IR training period, CTC Wings Cadets are required to deposit a security bond with a subsidiary company of CTC - APL (Airline Placement Limited). The ‘Bond Protection’ provided by CTC gives substantial financial risk protection to a CTC Wings Cadet during this stage of training, where up to £40,000 of an individual’s security bond may be refunded by CTC in the unlikely event of course failure.