Qatar Airways, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has selected world-leading airline training organisation, CTC Aviation to supply pilots to support the airline’s rapid expansion plans.

Voted Airline of the Year 2011, Qatar Airways operates one of the world’s youngest and modern fleet to 113 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Currently operating 108 aircraft, the airline has orders worth over US$50 billion for Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and the A320 family of aircraft.  As a result Qatar Airways has significant pilot recruitment campaigns taking place around the world and a supply of graduate pilots from CTC’s world renown “CTC Wings” programme will form a key part of the intake in future years.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “As an airline growing at a tremendous rate and with orders for more than 250 aircraft due for delivery over the next few years, Qatar Airways will require a large number of  pilots to join the organisation. 

 CTC is a key partner for Qatar Airways to deliver the pool of professional pilots that we need to meet our operational requirements.”

 Lee Woodward, Director of Business Development for CTC Aviation continued “We are delighted to now be able to count Qatar Airways among our list of “CTC Wings” ‘Partner Airlines’.  This is a great opportunity for our graduate pilots to forge a strong future career with an airline that maintains high standards of safety and customer service and in a region that is promising some significant growth in the coming years.  This contract has been tailored to provide a mutually beneficial package for both the airline and the “CTC Wings” pilots.  Qatar Airways has demonstrated their willingness to support their future cadet pilot intake and we are very pleased to have been chosen to work alongside another forward thinking airline, committed to investing in their future pilot supply.”

The first 18 CTC pilots selected by the airline will complete their A320 type rating training at CTC’s United Kingdom-based airline training centre during April and May and commence line operations with Qatar operating out of Doha during summer 2012.

Laura Elliott a CTC Wings graduate pilot who will now be joining Qatar Airways as a First Officer after her type rating training in May commented - “I wanted to train with CTC for an opportunity exactly like this; to join the world's best airline.  The prospects within Qatar Airways for career development are second to none.  To be given this chance at such an early stage in my career is precisely what I've been working so hard for throughout my training. I am very grateful that CTC have forged this new partnership with Qatar Airways, allowing me and my fellow cadets to further realise our potential.”

 As part of CTC’s philosophy to work in partnership with their client airlines, a CTC TRE (Type Rating Examiner) has been working alongside the Qatar Airways team in Doha to ensure that the type rating training for the new intake pilots is accurately tailored to incorporate Qatar Airways’ SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and company culture.   “As an airline training provider, we believe this is just one of the factors that set us apart from our competitors” commented Captain Woodward.

 CTC Aviation has training centres in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and trains in the region of 2,000 ab-initio and experienced pilots each year for approximately 50 clients around the world.  The company also recently announced a new partnership with Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline. 

 For more information, visit www.ctcaviation.com

FLYBE AND CTC ANNOUNCE NEW PART SPONSORED PILOT TRAINING PARTNERSHIP

Europe’s largest regional airline and the UK’s number one domestic carrier, Flybe, has selected world-leading pilot training organisation CTC Aviation as their training partner for a new part-sponsored cadet programme.

Flybe is a company committed to developing people and has consistently proven its dedication to providing exciting career opportunities for new pilots over the years.  The part sponsored programme, announced at the Flyer Professional Flight Training Exhibition at Heathrow, will provide selected pilots with a significant financial contribution towards the training costs and see graduates operating as First Officers on Flybe’s Q400 fleet by early 2014.  

“Flybe and CTC share the same philosophy when it comes to ab-initio training.  Both companies are equally determined to ensure that tomorrow’s pilots are offered the very best, airline-focused training.  We have agreed a financial package for those applicants that meet the high standards both CTC and Flybe expect and we are delighted to once again be in a position to offer yet more aspiring pilots a great start to their careers” said Ian Baston, Director of Flight Operations for Flybe

Flybe operates one of the world's youngest and most fuel efficient fleets of Bombardier Q400 and Embraer 175/195 aircraft.  Graduates of the Flybe-CTC part-sponsored programme will start their careers as co-pilots on the high performance Q400 - a glass cockpit, FMS based modern airliner.  With Flybe’s significant expansion and reputation for encouraging career progression within the airline, co-pilots rapidly gain the experience required for command.
“We are delighted to be able to count Flybe among our list of Partner Airlines.  They have always supported the development of ab-initio pilots and are fully aligned with CTC’s view to promote the career and ensure that the best opportunities are available to all would-be airline pilots.  The term ‘Partner Airline’ means that CTC has been formally approved to provide graduate pilots directly to that airline upon successful completion of the CTC Wings programme” added Lee Woodward, Director of Business Development for CTC Aviation Group Limited.   “Currently we have 16 world-class airlines affiliated to the CTC Wings programme and since January 2012 we have trained and placed 81 CTC Wings pilots with easyJet, Monarch Airlines, Qatar Airways and Thomson Airways, plus a further 26 pilots with the Jetstar Group of Airlines in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.”

The application window will open on Monday 30th April for a period of two weeks only.  After completing a joint CTC-Flybe selection process, successful candidates will undertake an airline-focused training programme at CTC’s Crew Training Centres in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.  They will go on to complete their Q400 type rating at the Flybe Training Academy in Exeter.  

For more information, visit www.ctcwings.com/flybewings  

Ian Calvert, CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited CEO, says one of the company’s main recruiting focuses for the NZ operation this year is for people looking to take up the Jetstar Ab-Initio Cadet Programme which is intended for candidates with limited or no previous flying experience.  Visitors will receive information about what it takes to be accepted into the programme.

 “Two years on since we began training pilots for Jetstar, many CTC graduates are now flying with the airline.  We need to recruit 32 Jetstar ab-initio trainees this year, so there’s huge opportunity for New Zealanders to land a career as a pilot with one of the region’s top airlines,” he says.

Jetstar’s Training Captain and Flight Operations Development Manager, Richard Faulkner, will be on hand to speak with open day attendees about the state of the Australasian aviation industry and employment with the airline.

“The benefit of training with CTC lies in our reputation as an organisation that works with our graduates to help them gain positions as airline pilots.  Our open days are an excellent way for aspiring pilots to meet with one of our airline partners – in this case, Jetstar – to see firsthand how we work.  If you are someone who is researching flight training options, this is an event not to be missed,” explains Mr Calvert.

Those attending the open day will get the chance to take a guided tour of CTC’s extensive training facility located near Hamilton International Airport.  Visitors will also get up close with the company’s G1000 (glass cockpit) aircraft, including the Diamond DA42 and Cessna 172, as well as the Diamond DA20 Katana.  Members of the CTC flight training team and current cadets will also be available to answer any questions.

In addition to the Jetstar pilot cadet programme, the open day event will provide information on other CTC training programmes. Everything from the CTC Wings International Pilot Programme - for students with little to no flying experience - to the Instructional Techniques Course - for the qualified pilot wishing to become an instructor  - will be covered.

There will be prize draws for presentation attendees to win a flight in a DA42 aircraft.  Others will win the opportunity to try out CTC’s flight simulators.

Those interested in attending CTC’s open day on 24 March must register ahead of time via the website www.ctcwings.com/nz or by phoning 07 843 3304. 

Details of CTC’s Open Days and events around the world can be found at www.ctcwings.com.  The company's next European Open Day is scheduled for 7 July 2012 - anyone interested in attending should register through the website.

Essendo un Ente Approvato (TRTO ed FTO), ogni anno addestriamo tra i 1200 ed i 1900 piloti e personale navigante per piu’ di 50 linee aeree sparse per il mondo. Le nostre scuole di volo in Regno Unito e Nuova Zelanda ospitano simulatori Boeing ed Airbus d’avanguardia, programmi d’addestramento informatici di ultima generazione ed una flotta di aerei leggeri tra i piu’ moderni ed avanzati; a questo si aggiunge una squadra di istruttori e comandanti di grandissima esperienza.

La gamma di servizi che offriamo copre le esigenze di addestramento e selezione del personale delle compagnie aeree, per piloti ed assistenti di volo, brevetti di base e corsi ATPL, corsi macchina specifici, corsi comando e CRM fino ai corsi istruttore ed esaminatore TRE, corsi teorici a terra, utilizzo di simulatori e addestramento in linea, servizi di gestione manageriale e consulenza, corsi ab-initio, di conversione e di rinnovo.

I clienti della CTC includono: Air New Zealand, Air Malawi, Air Seychelles, British Airways, Eagle Airways, easyJet, easyJet Suisse, flydubai, Jet2.com, Jetstar and Jetstar Pacific, Monarch Airlines, NetJets, Oman Air, Royal Brunei Airlines, spiceJet, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

“CTC Wings” e’ un programma di addestramento unico e completo per preparare i futuri piloti di linea. Il corso cadetto CTC Wings e’ ideale per coloro che partono da zero e copre tutto l’addestramento necessario fino ad arrivare alla posizione di primo ufficiale in una compagnia di linea; il tutto in circa due anni.

“CTC Takeoff” e’ un programma completo e flessibile di corsi modulari JAA/EASA a prezzi competitivi; include tutti i corsi dal multimotore ME CLP-IR fino all’MCC e corso macchina.

“CTC Flexicrew” e’ un’iniziativa per fornire soluzioni piu’ flessibili ma di qualita’ sia per le compagnie aeree che per i piloti gia’ qualificati, istruttori ed esaminatori.

CTC Aviation Jet Services Limited e’ la branca della compagnia specializzata nel gestire i jet, ed offre una gamma di servizi specializzati per i proprietari di aeromobili jet in tutto il mondo, con delle soluzioni innovative per gestire la loro flotta.

CTC ha ottenuto l’approvazione UK CAA JAA/EASA TRTO ed FTO/ATO ed e’ anche riconosciuta da diverse Autorita’ in tutto il mondo.

CTC lavora a stretto contatto con la piu’ grande linea aerea europea, easyJet. Fin dall’inizio delle sue attivita’ nel 1995, CTC ha addestrato piu’ di 2500 piloti da destinare alle compagnie aeree. Per far fronte alle esigenze di espansione di easyJet in Europa, la compagnia mira a reclutare un numero maggiore di piloti da destinare alle numerose basi.

CTC e’ il fornitore di piloti preferito da easyJet e questa campagna di marketing attraverso l’Europa mira ad a far conoscere le opportunita’ presenti al giorno d’oggi per chi si volesse accostare a seguire una carriera come pilota di linea.

“L’idea di easyJet e’ di colorare l’Europa di arancione. Stiamo ampliando le nostre operazioni in Europa, utilizzando aeroporti centrali e strategici, come Milano Linate, e al giorno d’oggi piu’ del 50% dei nostri passeggeri non provengono dal Regno Unito. CTC ci ha sempre fornito piloti di qualita’ molto alta e lavoreremo insieme a loro per continuare ad offrire opportunita’ simili a piloti locali in tutta Europa per invitarli a far parte della nostra squadra.” Cosi’ si e’ espresso il responsabile della selezione piloti, Philip Smallwood.

Soluzioni finanziarie per i candidati francesi

Lee Woodward, direttore del reparto Business di CTC ha detto “In tutto in 2011, 226 dei piloti CTC Wings hanno iniziato il corso macchina specifico “type rating” presso una linea aerea.

208 di questi hanno poi raggiunto easyJet e easyJet Switzerland e abbiamo gia’ avuto la conferma che 60 ulteriori piloti entreranno in linea nei primi mesi del 2012.”

Piu’ del 98% dei nostri cadetti completano l’addestramento a pieni voti, e sin dall’inizio il 100% di questi hanno trovato impiego presso una linea aerea alleata. Questo record unico nel settore, cosi’ come lo schema di “protezione della caparra” che offriamo ai nostri cadetti, fornisce una rassicurazione non da poco agli aspiranti piloti, i loro garanti o chi ha fatto loro prestiti, che CTC Wings e’ un’opportunita’ di addestramento affidabile. La nostra societa’ assieme ad easyJet e’ intenzionata ad offrire quante piu’ opportunita’ possibili in ambito Europeo e questo nuovo schema finanziario sara’ di grande aiuto a questo progetto.

Ulteriori dettagli a proposito delle proposte finanziarie disponibili al momento possono essere trovate sul sito web della CTC, www.ctcwings.com/Italy . Nei prossimi mesi la squadra “CTC Wings” fara’ visita a diverse universita’ e scuole superiori in tutta Europa per parlare con gli studenti e con i consulenti di orientamento e rispondere alle loro domande e curiosita’, possibilita’ di finanziamento e opportunita’ nel mercato aeronautico al giorno d’oggi. Se qualcuno fosse interessato ad una visita di CTC presso la propria scuola o istituto, per favore contattate la nostra equipe a ctcwings@ctcaviation.com per ricevere maggiori informazioni.

CTC is the first Flight Training Organisation (FTO) in New Zealand to gain such approval. CTC and CAAS are now working together to finalise the approval process for the company’s Type Rating Training Organisation (TRTO) division based in the United Kingdom, which will enable Singaporean pilots to complete their Airbus or Boeing type rating training with CTC. 
 
“CTC announced our partnership with Jetstar Asia to train Singaporean nationals for employment as first officers with the international airline during 2011.  This partnership was the impetus for starting the process of gaining CAAS approval. 

“Over the past few months we have established a collaborative relationship with the Singaporean regulator and underwent several exhaustive audits to get to this point.

“CTC’s international reputation as a safe, high quality FTO played a major role in attaining this industry achievement,” said Ian Calvert, CEO of Hamilton-based CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited.

In order for CTC to gain the approval, three of CTC’s 50 New Zealand instructors obtained their Singaporean Commercial Pilot’s Licences (CPL) as part of the CAAS process. 

Once the TRTO division is also CAAS Approved, CTC will be in a position to deliver a full range of mandatory programmes for qualified and experienced pilots, instructors and examiners in addition to the FTO Approval for new entrant pilot training.

In 2011 CTC began recruiting in Singapore for the Jetstar Asia training programme. The first trainees arrived to start their flight training at CTC’s Crew Training Centre in Hamilton during January 2012 and should be in the UK to complete their Airbus type rating training later this year. 

CTC has trained pilots for Jetstar Pacific (Vietnam) for nearly four years and for Jetstar Australia/NZ for almost two years.  By securing Jetstar Asia, CTC became the sole FTO supplying pilots to all three divisions of the Jetstar Group.
Mr Calvert says gaining CAAS approval enables CTC to deliver pilot training for all Singapore-based airlines.

“At CTC we are continually looking to establish partnerships with airlines around the world.  Gaining approval to issue CAAS licences provides us with the opportunity to approach additional Singaporean airlines to assist them in meeting their airline pilot training requirements,” he explained.

CTC has Crew Training Centres in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and trains over 2,000 pilots through its FTO and TRTO divisions each year for approximately 50 different airlines around the world.
 

(Photo courtesy:  NZ Herald)
 

CTC works closely with Europe’s largest airline easyJet.  The company has trained over 2,500 pilots for the airline since it began operations in 1995.  As easyJet expands across Europe, the airline aims to recruit more pilots from across its growing route network.   CTC is easyJet’s preferred supplier of pilots and this European marketing campaign aims to increase awareness of the very real opportunities available for aspiring airline pilots today. 

 “easyJet’s vision is ‘turning Europe orange’. We are expanding our European operations utilising key airports, such as Charles De Gaulle and these days more than 50% of our passengers originate from outside of the UK.  CTC has consistently provided us with a supply of pilots of the very best quality and we will work together with them to continue providing similar opportunities for local pilots across Europe to join our expanding team” said easyJet’s Head of Pilot Management, Philip Smallwood.

Funding solutions for French applicants
Lee Woodward, Director of Business Development for CTC said “During 2011 226 CTC Wings pilots started their type rating training for their partner airline.  208 of those joined easyJet and easyJet Switzerland and we have already confirmed that a further 60 will be joining their various airlines early in 2012.  We have recently finalised an agreement with a Paris-based organisation to provide funding assistance for successful applicants which is great news.  We have a fair number of French cadets in training at present, but a funding solution specifically for French applicants will be of significant interest to the applicants waiting to start training, as well as future applicants to the programme. Unlike other professional careers, there is no funding assistance from European government to assist pilot training, so CTC works hard to find palatable solutions for our cadets.
 “Over 98% of our cadets are successful through training with us and 100% of those have been placed with a “CTC Wings” partner airline since day one.  This unrivalled track record, combined with the financial ‘Bond Protection’ package we offer our cadets, provides genuine reassurance to aspiring cadets, their guarantors and lenders that “CTC Wings” is a reliable training option. easyJet and ourselves are committed to providing as many opportunities as possible in the European arena and this new funding option will help facilitate this.”

Further details on the new funding solution can be found on CTC’s website www.ctcwings.com/france   After Le Bourget, the “CTC Wings” team will also be visiting universities and higher education establishments around France over the next couple of months to talk to students and their careers advisors and answer questions about the training, finances and career opportunities in the airline industry today.  Anyone interested in CTC visiting their college or university, should contact the CTC Wings team – ctcwings@ctcaviation.com for further details.
 

All three are part of the Jetstar Pilot Cadet Programme which will see them train towards placement as a First Officer with the rapidly growing airline.

Zac Clarke of Bendigo, Victoria, says “CTC’s worldwide reputation for producing the highest quality airline pilots is the first reason I chose to train with them.

 “And, secondly, New Zealand is a great place to live and fly.  I can be flying over volcanoes one day, the Pacific Ocean the next, and glaciers the day after that!  I can’t imagine a better place to gain my airline pilot qualifications and I’ve been encouraging my mates to consider training with CTC as well,” explains Clarke.

CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited provides pilot graduates to Jetstar Australia, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Pacific and a large number of European airlines.

CTC Aviation Training CEO, Ian Calvert, says the North Island-based training provider is undertaking a second round of recruitment for Australian pilot trainees, due to increased airline demand.

“CTC is currently supplying pilots to Jetstar Australia, who require a number of pilots in the next 12 months.  Plus, Jetstar Asia in Singapore has asked for 15 pilots in training by 31 March 2012.

“Additionally, CTC is in negotiations with major airlines in Asia, the Middle East and Europe who are all signalling a huge demand for pilots in both the short- and long-term.  We currently train around 180 airline pilots in New Zealand each year.  However, we estimate by the end of 2012 that number will rise to between 200 and 250.

“We will be recruiting in Australia throughout 2012 so that we can train enough pilots to ensure we continue to meet our airline partners’ demands,” explains Mr Calvert.

People interested in attending a CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Ltd presentation in either Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney this month, can find information and register at www.ctcwings.com/nz

CTC trains between 1200 -1900 aircrew for more than 50 global airlines each year.  In addition to its Crew Training Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand, it has a further three centres in Bournemouth and Southampton in the UK.
 

Max Wright, Director of Flybe Training Academy and Head of Crew Training for the airline will present at two sessions during the course of the day.  His talk will be of significant interest to aspiring pilots and their families attending the event.  He will share his view of how the airline industry is faring in today's climate, the opportunities available for tomorrow's airline pilots and provide some tips on what to consider when contemplating a career as an airline pilot.

CTC's open days provide a 'one stop shop' for those interested in becoming an airline pilot to fully research all aspects of selection, financing and training as well as an insight into the role once you achieve your goal. 

"Whilst Max will certainly be the star attraction on the day, there are many other features that visitors will find invaluable.  There will be presentations from the BBVA bank who provide funding for many cadets going through pilot training, drop in advice centres with experts on hand to help with questions on selection, basic training and advanced type-rating training as well as opportunities to 'meet the pilots' from the various partner airlines we work with" said Karen Bath, Head of Corporate communications for CTC.

"We are keen to provide honest and fair advice so that people can be sure that they select the right Flight Training Organisation (FTO) for them.  A career as an airline pilot is extremely rewarding, but there is a great deal to consider before investing your money and time.  Our open days are an essential research tool and have proven extremely popular over the years, with speakers from easyJet, British Airways and Monarch Airlines during 2011.  We are delighted that Flybe will be joining us for our first 2012 event."

"CTC Wings" and "CTC Takeoff" - CTC's world renowned cadet (ab-initio) pilot training programmes - are highly respected by airline managers globally and 100% of the graduates from the "CTC Wings Cadet" route have been placed with a partner airline.  "CTC Wings" provides full time, integrated training for both ATPL and MPL and "CTC Takeoff" offers a flexible, modular option from which successful trainees can filter in to "CTC Wings" to benefit from the company's airline connections and enviable placement record.

CTC recently announced an MPL partnership with Monarch Airlines and during December 2011 CTC celebrated the graduation of more than 500 "CTC Wings" pilots into the airlines at their annual graduation events.  With Boeing forecasting a need for an average of 23,300 new pilots a year until 2029 at least, the opportunities for tomorrow's airline pilots look very promising.

For more information and to register for the open day, click here

The cadets, Abdul Mateen bin Haji Abdul Rahim, Chong Woon Fah, Hj Muhd Adzim Anwaruddin bin Hj Shariffudin, Muhd Khairul 'Amileen bin Dato Paduka Hj Sulaiman, Nichollas Tat Soon Liew, Jasper Wong Hong Kai, Mohammad Syazwi bin Shahif, were selected from 340 applicants who took part in the programme’s intensive and comprehensive screening process that included a series of tests administered by RBA and CTC Aviation. At the end of their frozen Air Transport Pilot License (APTL) training with CTC Aviation, the cadet pilots will be qualified under Joint Aviation Authority Commercial Pilots License/ Instrument Rating.

Deputy Chairman, Dermot Mannion, signed the training agreements on behalf of the airline along with Captain Khalidkhan Hj Asmakhan, Acting Head of Flight Operations, and Acting Deputy Chief Operation Officer, Aji Puteh.

The Cadet Signing Ceremony was also attended by Deputy Director of Scholarships, Haji Azis Bin Haji Nayan, and other officials from the Ministry of Education.

The Cadet Pilot programme is fully supported by His Majesty’s Government through the Scholarship Section at the Ministry of Education. The Cadet Pilot Training scheme is designed to equip young Bruneians with the skills, academic qualifications and flying hours experience required to join Royal Brunei Airlines as a First Officer.

Dermot Mannion, stated, “We are proud to welcome these seven cadets into the RBA family. We wish them all success in their training. These pilots of the future will have the privilege to bring Brunei to the rest of the world.”

During the event, a signing was also held between Royal Brunei Airlines and CTC Aviation as part of an agreement for CTC to ensure the Cadet Pilots receive the necessary ground and flying skills.

Chief Executive Officer of CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited, Captain Ian Calvert stated,” This relationship with Royal Brunei Airlines is an exciting new phase for CTC. Royal Brunei has long been held as the premier airline in the region and we are honoured to be able to train their next generation of pilots. The selection of CTC as RBA’s chosen training provider is another demonstration of the growing recognition among the world’s airlines of the quality training provided by our company. CTC’s reputation for excellence dovetails with Royal Brunei’s desire to enable local young people to enter a demanding, but exciting career. We have been working alongside Royal Brunei for many years now and we are delighted to now also be entrusted with the airline’s cadet pilot training. We look forward to a long association with Royal Brunei as it grows into the future.”

CTC is heading to Australia this September/October to recruit cadets for the Jetstar Programme and International Pilot Programme.  With 8 events across 4 cities, this is an exciting opportunity for Australian's to find out more about training with CTC and the employment pathways on offer.

Join us at our roadshow to find out about:

• Our airline specific training
• The International Pilot Programme
• The Jetstar Cadet Programme (ab initio)
• The Jetstar Advanced Cadet Programme
• Flight Instructor Courses

ROADSHOWS

Perth - 28 & 29 Sep
Brisbane - 30 Sep & 01 Oct
Melbourne - 03 & 04 Oct
Sydney - 05 & 06 Oct

REGISTER TO ATTEND!  Email info@ctcaviation.com

British Airways has selected Airline Placement Limited (APL), a wholly owned subsidiary of CTC Aviation Group plc (CTC), to sponsor all cadets for the flagship British Airways Future Pilot Programme (FPP).  British Airways has also nominated CTC Aviation, with flight schools in both the UK and New Zealand, as an approved supplier of the cadet training for the Future Pilot Programme.

Launching the Future Pilot Programme today (11 August 2011), British Airways confirms that APL will sponsor nearly 100 cadets in the first year.   It is anticipated that half of the estimated 800 pilots who join BA over the next five years will be successful Future Pilot Programme graduates.

APL plays a vital role in the establishment of new sponsored flight training programmes, sponsoring the pilots, securing the training and then placing them with the client airline. 

Chris Clarke, Chairman of CTC Aviation Group plc said:
“We are extremely proud to have been selected to operate this ground breaking programme with British Airways.   Modelled on our hugely successful CTC Wings Programme, which has seen some 2,000 pilots trained for our Partner Airlines around the world.  BA’s Future Pilot Programme provides even greater support and security for successful applicants and will certainly bring the profession into the reach of a far wider section of people than has been possible recently. The launch by British Airways of its Future Pilot Programme addresses not only the challenges that the industry faces in securing its new pilots for the future, but also provides a much needed stimulus for the profession itself.  We are proud to play such an important role in helping to bring this programme to fruition”

“Having worked closely with British Airways for over 15 years, we see this contract as an endorsement of our relationship and proof of our ability to develop innovative solutions for both airlines and pilots alike.“

Of particular interest to those interested in a career as a British Airways pilot, will be the fact that British Airways is prepared to provide the necessary guarantee to enable an applicant to secure a bank loan for the funding required, together with a conditional offer of a contract of employment to successful candidates. 

“We are delighted to have developed a cadet programme that helps even more
talented people train to become pilots with British Airways. APL’s innovative solutions have enabled us to do just that.  The Future Pilot Programme is a fantastic opportunity for anyone, from any background, to realise their ambition of becoming a pilot and flying for British Airways” said Captain Robin Glover, Head of Resourcing, IR and Strategy at British Airways.  “By making the initial training more accessible to a wider range of people, we hope to be able to attract the very best talent out there.”

The Future Pilot Programme is part of a wider pilot recruitment plan at British Airways. The airline is also taking on current commercial pilots and working with the UK Armed Forces to give military pilots a new career in commercial aviation, once their agreed service period has ended.  

Future Pilot Programme cadets with CTC will benefit from the following additional programme features -
• Flight training takes place in both New Zealand and the UK

• CTC’s ‘Vertically Integrated’ approach to training will fully prepare the trainee for a future pilot role within an airline.  You will do things the airline way throughout your training.

• Cadets will learn to fly on the most technologically advanced twin engine aircraft – the DA42 – utilising equipment and facilities that are similar to the Airbus and Boeing aircraft in use with the airlines

• Applying through CTC for British Airways’ FPP opens more than just one door of opportunity.  Even if the applicant is not successful through FPP selection, there is the option of progressing through training with CTC Wings and becoming a pilot with any one of CTC’s other Partner Airlines.

• Because APL sponsors a CTC Wings pilot, there may be the opportunity to join British Airways even if the trainee was not selected for FPP prior to commencing training.   This unique opportunity to join British Airways as a cadet pilot is only available through CTC.

• CTC’s has a valuable £40,000 ‘Bond Protection’ system that protects the pilot from the risk of failure

• British Airways is looking for real talent, as is CTC . CTC pilots achieve some of the best results in the industry and CTC offers the most rewarding opportunities for its trainees. The end goal, to fly a large commercial jet within an airline is what we achieve for all our graduates.
 

For more information, visit ctcwings.com/ba
 

Jetstar Asia is recruiting to meet the airline’s growing demands, and one channel is through the Jetstar Cadet Pilot Training Programme launched last December. “We will be welcoming an additional four Airbus A320 aircraft over the next 12 months and are working to recruit the best talents to join us as airline pilots. The Cadet Pilot Training Programme will ensure an additional stream of such candidates,” says Jetstar Asia Chief Executive Officer Ms Chong Phit Lian.

CTC has trained pilots for Jetstar in Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam.

CTC will begin recruiting in Singapore for its training programme in the coming weeks with a Roadshow scheduled for 04-07 August. Those wishing to attend must register by emailing info@ctcaviation.com. Further details will be provided after registration.

CTC is working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to complete the approval process necessary to operate as a CAAS approved Flight Training Organisation (FTO).

CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited CEO, Mr Ian Calvert, says the new partnership with Jetstar Asia “is confirmation of the quality of trainee CTC is consistently delivering to both Jetstar Vietnam and Jetstar Australia and New Zealand, as well as our other airline partners worldwide. We are pleased to have gained the confidence of the Jetstar Group as it is one of the fastest growing airline conglomerates in Australasia.”

CTC will train pilots from Singapore for Jetstar’s Ab-initio Cadet Programme and Advanced Cadet Programme.

The Ab-initio Cadet Programme is designed to take individuals with little or no previous flying experience right through to employment as a First Officer for Jetstar. Training spans 18 months and takes place at CTC’s Crew Training Centres in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The Advanced Cadet Programme provides training opportunities for those individuals who already hold a Singapore Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) and have passed the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) subjects to join the Jetstar Asia team.

Successful graduates of the CTC Jetstar Asia cadet programme will receive a Singapore pilot’s licence and gain direct entry into Jetstar Asia as a First Officer on one of their growing fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.

Singaporean candidates desiring to enter the programme may have limited or no flying experience. However, they must meet Jetstar Asia’s requirements for aptitude, quality and safety to enter this comprehensive training and development programme.

World leading airline training company, CTC Aviation Group plc has provided type rating training for a staggering 2,000 plus easyJet pilots. Carolyn McCall, easyJet’s Chief Executive visited CTC in March to celebrate this landmark and mark a partnership between the two companies that spans the 15 years since the UK’s largest airline began operations.

easyJet is one of the world’s top ten biggest airlines. Since 1995 the airline has not only entrusted CTC with providing Boeing and Airbus type rating training for over 2,000 of their pilots, but easyJet pilots have also attended more than 3,600 additional courses such as training the trainer courses for the airline’s future training captains, examiner courses for existing training staff, command training programmes for upgrading pilots, simulator assessments for pilot selection and other regulatory training courses. Additionally, more than 1,000 graduates of CTC’s pilot training programme “CTC Wings” have joined the airline over the years.

"easyJet and CTC and have a long and interlinked history, and this is vitally important for both of us. For me, this strong foundation is fantastic and gives us the ability to develop and build an even stronger future" said Carolyn McCall during her visit to CTC’s Airbus and Boeing simulator training facility in Southampton. "CTC is one of our key suppliers and we see this as one of our most important partnerships. As our preferred supplier of cadet pilots, we will continue to work together with CTC to ensure we get the best cadet pilots joining the easyJet team."

Chris Hope, Head of Flight Operations for easyJet, who has worked closely with CTC for many years, accompanied Ms McCall on the visit and commented “CTC provides the highest quality training for both our new and experienced pilots. As our preferred pilot supplier we continue to work closely with them on a variety of new concepts that we are determined to drive forward and which Carolyn wholeheartedly supports.”

Chris Clarke, CTC’s founder and Group Chairman hosted the visit and presented Ms McCall with a special celebratory memento. During the presentation he commented on the exceptional history of collaboration that exists between CTC and easyJet and praised the airline’s amazing and rapid growth into one of the worlds most successful airlines saying “Over the years we have developed many successful and innovative solutions together – our long and thriving relationship reflects the mutual desire that we both share for the provision of the highest quality of training; our own dedication and commitment to support the company for many years to come remains as strong as ever."

Last year easyJet confirmed CTC as their preferred supplier of pilots for the next 5 years. In November 2010, CTC announced a record year having placed over 260 newly qualified "CTC Wings" pilots with easyJet over the year. In the first quarter of 2011, an average of 25 CTC Wings pilots per month were entering the airline and the total for the year is again expected to be at record levels as the airline continues to expand throughout Europe.

Monarch Airlines is one of CTC’s longest standing partners for “CTC Wings” and has been recruiting pilots through the programme since 1996. 15 years on, the two companies continue to enjoy a close relationship. Out of the 432 pilots flying for Monarch today, 95 are ex CTC cadets.

“On May 5th these new pilots [the CTC Wings Cadets] will be walking out across the tarmac at Gatwick to a Monarch A320 for their first circuits / touch and go’s. Having conducted many of these details myself, I have come to appreciate at first hand the amazing learning curve that these cadets will have achieved. They will get about 400 hours flying experience during their six month placement with Monarch, after which it is very much hoped that we will have the opportunity to welcome them into permanent positions within the airline.” said Captain Dudley speaking during the open day. “I genuinely believe now is a most timely point to be considering a career in commercial aviation. It is certain that we will soon start to face a global shortage of qualified pilots to fly the world’s fleet of aircraft.”

CTC Wings open days have proven increasingly popular tools for aspiring pilots to research their flight training options. Parents are also encouraged to come along. Organised at least three times a year, the open days are hosted at CTC’s Boeing and Airbus simulator centre just outside Southampton. Those attending have the opportunity to meet the CTC team, chat to banks and financiers about funding, learn more about the selection process and how the training programme works and try their hand at the controls of a jet simulator. The next open day is to be held on Saturday 9th July.

Captain Lee Woodward, Executive Director for CTC said “We were delighted to have Martin speak at our recent event and we were enormously proud to learn that a quarter of the airline’s pilot workforce is CTC graduates. Monarch has always been a forward thinking airline, keen to invest in pilot career development and it’s great news that they are in a position to recruit more of our pilots for this summer season. We had a record breaking committed to excellence year in 2010 for pilot placement and 2011 promises to be even busier. We have already placed over 160 pilots with Monarch, easyJet, easyJet Switzerland and DHL since January and we are in discussion with several airlines both in Europe and further afield about their requirements.

It is very likely that if these discussions come to fruition, all CTC Wings Cadet pilots completing their Basic and Intermediate training could be offered airline placement immediately. We are confident that there will be a sustained demand for new CTC Wings pilots throughout 2011, 2012 and beyond. That's great news for our industry and particularly for those considering a future career as an airline pilot.”

“CTC Wings” training courses commence regularly year round and training takes place in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand at CTC’s Crew Training Centres. The programme’s unique, airline focussed approach to training fully prepares graduates for today’s complex passenger jets and airline operations.

With 100% of those completing training being placed with a partner airline, CTC has an unrivalled success record.

The FSTA programme, delivered by AirTanker, will provide the Royal Air Force with a safe, efficient and reliable air-to-air refuelling and air transport service using a fleet of 14 specifically converted aircraft based on the A330-200 commercial airliner.

Under contract to Thales UK – a shareholder in and sub-contractor to AirTanker - CTC instructors will deliver A330-200 type rating training and operational support programmes. The initial A330-200 conversion courses begin in mid-2011 and will be delivered from the purpose-built training centre at RAF Brize Norton, which will home a CAA/EASA compliant full-flight simulator and part-task trainer. Later in 2012 CTC will assist Thales UK to establish its own A330 Type Rating Training Organisation (TRTO) Approval to be based at RAF Brize Norton. This process will require CTC to work with multiple stakeholders including Thales UK, AirTanker, the MoD and the CAA.

Marion Broughton, VP for Avionics, Training and Simulation, Thales UK, said: “The FSTA programme takes collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and industry to a new level. We are enhancing our training solution to AirTanker by using CTC’s expertise in the civil aviation domain and integrating this with Thales’ experience in operating and delivering training to the RAF.”

CTC’s Operations Director, Captain Martin Hunt said “We have been working with Thales UK for some time and we are very pleased to have been selected for part of this significant committed to excellence programme. CTC is well known for its innovative approach in the civil airline community and we look forward to developing equivalent solutions with Thales UK over the coming years.”

The entire training programme will be delivered at RAF Brize Norton in the UK and the first aircraft is due to be delivered towards the end of 2011.

India’s preferred airline currently has a fleet of 25 B737NG aircraft and a further 45 on order and committed.  spiceJet selected CTC’s Rockwell Collins B737NG next generation ‘CORE’ simulation to complete the type rating training for their pilots because of the training organisation’s reputation for delivering a high quality and flexible service.  

spiceJet’s CEO Neil Mills, formerly of flydubai and easyJet, worked extensively with CTC in his previous roles and selected the company based on his past experiences:  “Over the years I have found CTC to be responsive and extremely professional in what they do.  They are experts in the field of airline training and we are keen to ensure that our pilots benefit from the very best resources available; utilising state-of-the-art technology. CTC’s facilities and team provided us with what we were looking for.”

The first 10 pilots commenced their training in December 2010 and January 2011 at CTC’s Boeing and Airbus simulator centre located on the south coast of the UK, within easy reach of Heathrow.

CTC Executive Director and Head of Training Captain Mike Redrupp said “Our Rockwell Collins B737NG simulator has attracted a great deal of interest and proven to be very popular with instructors and pilots alike.  We are delighted that spiceJet has selected CTC as their type rating training provider.  As a company we already have some close ties with India and this agreement, together with the achievement of Indian DGCA approval will serve to reinforce the strong position we hold in the Indian market.  We look forward to a long relationship with spiceJet as they continue to expand.”  

CTC provides a full portfolio of airline training and selection support services.  For further information, please visit ctcaviation.com. 

Since January of this year, world-leading airline pilot training company CTC Aviation Group plc has seen a dramatic increase in the demand for pilots from client airlines suggesting a substantial industry recovery. CTC facilitates airline placement for pilots through their industry-leading pilot training and resourcing programmes “CTC Wings” and “CTC FlexiCrew”.

“This has, without doubt, been one of the busiest seasons we have experienced with regard to pilot placement. We are seeing partner airlines requesting pilots for the 2011 season far earlier than in previous years and we are delighted to be able to support our clients as we move into these more positive times. As a flight training provider we are maintaining a fantastic and unrivalled placement record for our “CTC Wings” graduate pilots by securing positions with low cost and legacy carriers either through “CTC FlexiCrew” or directly with the airline. This year new cadet placements have hit a record breaking 292 for 2010 alone" said Captain Lee Woodward, Head of CTC Wings and Executive Director for CTC Aviation.

“As the industry recovers from the doldrums, we expect that all CTC Wings Cadet pilots completing their Instrument Rating training this winter will be offered airline placement immediately and we are confident that there will be a sustained demand for new pilots throughout 2011, 2012 and beyond. That’s great news for our industry and particularly for those considering a future career as an airline pilot.”

CTC has trained over 260 pilots for easyJet alone for the 2010/11 season to date, which further endorses their position as the airline’s preferred supplier of new and experienced pilots.

However, demand for ab-inito pilots is not just limited to Europe. CTC is also supporting Australia’s award winning low cost carrier Jetstar in its extraordinary Pan Asian expansion plans. Earlier this year CTC secured an agreement with the airline to recruit and train up to 70 new pilots during 2010. In addition, the operator plans to increase its fleet by a further 100 aircraft over the next 5 years.

In recent years, CTC has placed more than 1500 pilots with airlines around the world. The vast majority are graduates of the company’s world-renowned “CTC Wings” Cadet route - a committed to excellence programme that selects and trains individuals with little or no previous flying experience and places them with one of the company’s growing list of Partner Airlines.

Looking forward to next year, CTC is set to exceed its unrivalled placement record yet again. As a result the company has re-opened the licensed pilot route (ATP) into “CTC Wings” in order to fulfill the overall client airline demand.

CTC also recently announced an agreement to recruit in excess of 400 pilots for flydubai – Dubai’s new low cost airline – over the next 3 years.

With 41 aircraft scheduled to arrive in the next five to six years and an ever-expanding route network, flydubai has a requirement to recruit 140 pilots annually over the next three years. CTC was selected as the perfect partner to support this target and the recruitment activity commenced during October 2010.

CTC has worked extensively with low cost and legacy carriers around the globe for the past 20 years. From its Crew Training Centres in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, as well as local client locations, the company handles aircrew training and selection at all levels to provide airlines and aviation clients with innovative solutions to their wide-ranging requirements.

CTC uses its own bespoke technology - “Electronic Mass Application” (eMA) - to manage pilot applications, which is ideally suited to flydubai; Dubai’s first low cost airline stated the need for proven technology to manage the volume of applicants expected and to streamline the process, aiding the airline’s expansion and also significantly improving the candidate experience. Developed internally by CTC and combining the skills of both CTC’s Information Technology and Selection teams, eMA is already successfully used by several airlines to support their aircrew recruitment activity.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said: “In partnering with CTC we not only gain access to many years of aviation selection experience, but also to a tailored, advanced and proven applicant management system that will assist us significantly in enhancing the candidate experience as we increase our search for talent world-wide.”

Potential candidates will continue to apply online via a dedicated careers section of www.flydubai.com before CTC’s specialist aircrew selection team takes over, overseeing the process and conducting the initial stages of assessment according to flydubai’s specific requirements. Candidates who are successful through these early phases will then be recommended to flydubai whose own in-house team will complete the process by arranging for short-listed applicants to attend a final interview and meet the flydubai team on-site in Dubai.

CTC’s Group Chairman, Chris Clarke said: “We’re very pleased to partner with a flourishing airline like flydubai. The business is gearing up for a period of phenomenal growth and we are excited to be given the opportunity to work together with such a forward-thinking organisation and assist with this expansion.”

The first assessment days commenced during November and successful pilots will enter training from January 2011.

The three new Cessna aircraft have been especially fitted with Garmin 1000 flight instruments - an extremely sophisticated flight deck replicating that found in today’s modern passenger jet aircraft. With the delivery of the new aircraft, CTC will replace older aircraft and make the Garmin 1000 its training standard.

“CTC has always led the way forward in airline-focused training techniques. The introduction of the Garmin 1000 flight deck to our single-engine fleet means that pilots are introduced to airline equivalent technology at a much earlier point than usual. These instruments replicate the exact experience our cadets will have once they graduate and begin flying a jet airliner. At CTC we waste no time in getting our cadets used to the jet aircraft experience,” explains Captain Woodward, Head of CTC Wings and Executive Director of CTC Aviation

Captain Woodward says utilising such sophisticated equipment at such an early stage of an airline pilot’s training is all part of CTC’s unique ‘vertically integrated’ approach to training. CTC’s training is airline-focused from the outset and totally orientated towards the career development of tomorrow’s airline pilots.

CTC’s new Cessna aircraft have the same instrumentation as CTC’s twelve (12) DA42 training aircraft; considered internationally to be the best airline pilot training aircraft in the world. CTC has a fleet of 37 aircraft located at its Crew Training Centres in New Zealand and in the United Kingdom.

During 2010, CTC has successfully placed over 200 pilots with its Partner Airlines and graduates continue to achieve the highest results through training in the industry.

‘CTC Wings’ the company’s elite career development programme for aspiring airline pilots is viewed by many airlines as the favoured route into the industry for tomorrow’s airline pilots. Earlier this year easyJet announced ‘CTC Wings’ as their preferred supplier of pilots and to date this year alone, more than 200 pilots have been placed with ‘CTC Wings’ partner airlines including easyJet and DHL Air UK Ltd.

During the ab-initio or CPL/IR training period, CTC Wings Cadets are required to deposit a security bond with CTC. 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.

“We are very proud of our training record and more than 98% of our cadets complete training with flying colours. However, when you are investing significant funds into your career, it is good to know that a considerable amount of the financial risk is reduced where possible. By increasing our ‘Bond Protection’ to £40,000 we believe we offer the best such safeguard available for aspiring pilots. In addition to our strong track record, this ‘Bond Protection’ offers the added reassurance that your investment will be protected in the event of failure during training” explains Captain Lee Woodward, Executive Director of CTC and Head of CTC Wings.

Successful ‘CTC Wings’ applicants are eligible to apply for funding with the BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.) - a Spanish bank (with a London base) who are happy to accept applications for the funding of pilot training with the programme.

The deal will see 17 airline pilots trained at CTC’s Crew Training Centre-Hamilton during the first year and 30 each year thereafter. The first students arrive in September 2010.

CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited CEO, Ian Calvert, says the contract is a testament to the company’s reputation as a world-class airline pilot training provider.

“J.F. Oberlin University currently trains its airline pilots in the United States and has been researching new trainingpartnersinseveralcountriesaroundtheworld. Asaresult,CTCandNMITtogetherwerechosenas the University’s exclusive training provider.

“CTC has a proven track record of training some of the best airline pilots in the aviation industry for some of theworld’slargestairlines. OurcommitmenttoexcellenceisaperfectmatchwiththeUniversity’s expectations of its students,” says Mr Calvert.

Tony Gray, chief executive officer of NMIT says, “CTC is part of the NMIT Aviation Network which, along with ten other quality providers, delivers over 60 per cent of New Zealand’s commercial pilot training and over 90 per cent of the country’s helicopter pilot training.”

CTCAviationandNMITfirstpartneredtotrainNewZealandairlinepilotsin2006. Sincethen,44New Zealanders have entered pilot training with CTC through this partnership programme.

Mr Calvert says training Japanese students will bring benefits to the local economy of approximately $1.2 million in the first year and $4.2 million thereafter.

Mr Calvert said CTC and NMIT were first introduced to J.F. Oberlin University by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).

“This partnership with J.F. Oberlin University has been made possible as a result of the initial introductions andongoingassistanceprovidedbyNZTE. TheirofficesinNewZealandandTokyohavebeenabsolutely instrumental in making this deal happen,” explains Mr Calvert.

Tony Gray says “NMIT’s strategy is to partner with other international tertiary institutions to provide pilot training; this is also in keeping with the government’s strategy around increasing the number of international students receiving quality training in New Zealand.

“We are delighted to partner with J.F. Oberlin University as this initiative strengthens our niche position as the national provider of aviation pilot training,” says Tony Gray.

CTCcurrentlytrainsaround180studentsfromoverseasandaround30fromNewZealandeachyear. Only 5% are currently from Asia, but like many other exporting companies, CTC sees Asia as a major growth market.

Ian Calvert of CTC Aviation was a part of this month’s ministerial trade mission to China, led by Economic DevelopmentMinisterGerryBrownlee. Aspartofthetrademission,heattendedthe2010WorldExpoin Shanghai, China and was part of official visits to Beijing and Tianjin.

The Jetstar Cadet Pilot Training Programme has been developed in partnership with two of the world’s leading pilot training organisations, CTC Aviation Group plc based in Hamilton, New Zealand and Oxford Aviation Academy Group based in Moorabbin (Melbourne).

The partnership represents a major investment by Jetstar, one of the Asia Pacific’s fastest growing carriers, in the region’s future generation of highly trained airline pilots.

The programme will offer successful applicants – to number up to 70 in its first year – on completion a career development path into Jetstar as an Airbus A320 pilot.

The Jetstar Cadet Pilot Training Programme, which will accept its first intake of candidates in July 2010, will also make a pilot career far more accessible and affordable to skilled individuals through two distinct entry streams:

• Advanced Cadet Programme (3 months): Successful candidates will hold a commercial pilots licence which is the basic qualification for all professional pilots;

• Ab-initio Cadet Programme (18 months): Successful candidates may have limited or no flying experience, but meet Jetstar’s requirements for aptitude, quality and safety to enter a comprehensive training and development programme.

Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said the breakthrough new programme and partnership with these leading pilot training suppliers would complement Jetstar’s other pilot recruitment activity and would supply a significant number of its future requirements for pilots.

“We anticipate up to 20,000 applications for this attractive new programme which seeks to remove some of the traditional barriers to becoming an airline pilot, demonstrating the high demand to enter this highly skilled and sought-after profession,” Mr Buchanan said.

“Both CTC Aviation Group and Oxford Aviation Academy have worked with dozens of the world’s leading airlines across Europe, the Middle East and Asia with similar cadet pilot training programmes, and will introduce this proven model to the Australia Pacific region for the first time.

“Through our programme, becoming a pilot need no longer be a pipe-dream for aspiring aviators as this key initiative provides a unique pathway for young people to enter commercial flying.

“The programme’s establishment also represents a fresh investment by Jetstar in the region’s aviation industry to further grow and develop the skills and capabilities of a highly-skilled workforce.”

Mr Buchanan said Jetstar and CTC see the programme as a significant investment in the local economy and community.

“The programme will provide greater opportunities for young New Zealanders to enter a highly skilled profession, contribute to the high-tech skill base of the country, and enhance the resources for the continued development of New Zealand’s transport infrastructure.”

The programme will also support Jetstar’s growth as a Pan Asian airline with its fleet planned to move beyond 100 aircraft over the next five years.

CTC Aviation Group Chairman Captain Chris Clarke said: "CTC is delighted to be chosen by Jetstar to partner in this great opportunity for young men and women to enter the airline profession.

“We are sure that for Jetstar this will prove to be one of the most successful career development programmes in the region and it is certainly going to inspire and facilitate new entrants into the airline pilot profession. It is a further demonstration of Jetstar's innovative and progressive culture.

“This highly valued partnership in the Australasian region reflects CTC's wide experience across the globe in the provision of the highest quality of training – adding to the many thousands of pilots that CTC has trained for airlines worldwide,” Captain Clarke said.

Oxford Aviation Academy Group Managing Director Anthony Petteford said: “We are honoured to be invited to partner with Jetstar to support innovation and encourage greater diversity of enrolment into airline pilot training throughout Australia and Asia Pacific.”

Jetstar Chief Pilot Captain Mark Rindfleish said Jetstar’s Cadet Pilot Training Programme would allow candidates to enter from Australia, New Zealand, and also Singapore and Vietnam, where Jetstar has airline operations based.

“Jetstar will offer a first in our region by equipping and fully qualifying graduates of our Cadet Pilot Training Programme to fly as a Jetstar pilot as part of our experienced pilot group.

“This is a big positive for our industry which we believe enhances the opportunities for people wanting a commercial aviation career by more effectively tapping into other talent pools, whilst supporting existing pilot training initiatives in our region,” Captain Rindfleish said.

The initial intake is now open with positions to be equally shared through both CTC and Oxford Aviation Academy over the initial years of the programme.

Cadet applications can now be made directly through Jetstar.com.

CTC Aviation and easyJet have worked closely together since the airline first began operations in 1995 and over the years, CTC has placed more than 850 cadet and experienced pilots with Europe’s leading low cost carrier.

When CTC Aviation launched “CTC Wings” – the company’s career development programme for aspiring airline pilots - in 2003, easyJet was one of the launch partner airlines. The UK’s largest airline is a trail blazer in the cadet training arena having been one of the first airlines to recognise the potential and provide career progression opportunities for the ‘low hour’ pilot.

The finalisation of this new agreement sees easyJet and CTC working together to ensure that the ever increasing crewing requirements of the airline are met. For the year 2010 CTC will be providing 190 new pilots through its FlexiCrew programme with a combination of newly qualified “CTC Wings” cadets and experienced Airbus type-rated first officers.

Captain Chris Clarke, Chairman of CTC Aviation Group plc - “This is such positive news at a time of economic uncertainly in the UK and Europe that has witnessed unprecedented levels of sector consolidation. Our industry has experienced really tough times over the past two years preventing many airlines from making any long term contractual commitments in such a fragile economic climate. The majority of European airlines have been scaling back their operations and/or stopped any growth leading to few opportunities for pilots. easyJet is one of the few airlines growing and our renewed partnership secures on-going pilot commitments in line with their planned growth for next 5 years. We are delighted to be able to secure these opportunities to enable our CTC Wings pilots to build on their experience. CTC FlexiCrew is a career solution that enables both airlines and pilots to keep flying now and into the future; both CTC and easyJet are committed to supporting the career development paths of tomorrow’s airline pilots and this new agreement with easyJet provides a really excellent opportunity for our graduating CTC Wings Cadets to progress into the profession with one of the worlds most successful airlines.”

Captain Chris Hope Head of Flight Operations for easyJet adds “Over recent years, CTC has supported easyJet’s sustained period of growth by delivering type rating training for over 2000 of our pilots. Our relationship with CTC is strong and founded on our belief that the company provides the highest quality training for both new and experienced pilots. We will continue to work closely together into the future to ensure that we choose, train and nurture the best pilots in order to maintain our reputation as an employer of choice and the airline of choice for our customers.”

CTC Director Lee Woodward, who heads up the CTC Wings programme, said “CTC Wings has a remarkable record for placing cadets with the programme’s partner airlines. Over the years CTC has placed 894 Wings pilots with its partner airlines in Europe with over 300 going to easyJet alone. Even in the most difficult period in aviation history during 2009 and 2010, CTC will have placed over 200 Cadets with UK airlines. We believe this track record of placement at the current time to be amongst the best in Europe”

The event provides wannabe pilots with the opportunity to tour the facilities, try their hand at the controls of the Airbus and Boeing simulators – including the ‘next generation’ technology Rockwell Collins B737-800 FFS, which was launched to the European airline community in November ’09 – and attend various workshops to help prepare for their future career. Additionally, the ‘Careers Advice Centre’ - which is managed by CTC staff, CTC Wings graduates now flying for a variety of the programme’s partner airlines and representatives from one of the high street banks that many would-be pilots approach to secure financing for their training – provides an excellent service for both the budding pilots and their families who wish to know more about how the programme works and the various options that are available for financing.

“Our Open Days are becoming increasingly popular and we were really delighted with the quality of those who attended this latest event. Far from being put off by the recent downturn, everyone who came along showed a genuine commitment to fully researching their options and a real determination to achieve their dream. The day is designed to provide honest and balanced information on current opportunities, selection processes and training programmes” said Captain Lee Woodward, Head of CTC Wings and Executive Director of CTC Aviation. “We are obviously proud of CTC Wings and the results we have achieved – particularly our placement record which we believe to be the best any Flight Training Organisation can boast; so far in 2010 alone, we have already placed over 168 CTC Wings pilots, 82 of which are first time placements. The Open Days provide us with a great opportunity to showcase the programme, our team and facilities and some of our graduates.”

One of tomorrow’s potential pilots who attended the Open Day in March, Peter Evans commented “...it was an invaluable experience and very useful in helping me to explore my options and future as a pilot. Both workshops were great for answering previously unasked questions and also bringing up questions I had not considered. It was great to see the quality of staff and environment at CTC - I have since put in my application and booked my assessment day.”

CTC Wings graduates continue to achieve some of the best results in the industry for ATPL, CPL and IR. Captain Woodward continues “we train up to 168 new pilots each year and the programme has now been running for 6 years. So, when you consider the sample size we are referring to, our results through training are even more meaningful - 99.8% pass all 14 ATPL subjects at first attempt and the average mark across all 14 subjects is 93.4%. 93.5% of our cadets achieve a CPL first series pass and a staggering 97.4% achieve a first series IR pass. These results are some of the best, if not the best in the industry right now. We run a tough selection process, but these successes, together with our placement record prove that our combination of rigorous selection and airline-focused training really works.”

Speaking from the company’s Group Headquarters in the UK, Group Chairman Chris Clarke said, “I am delighted to announce that Ian Calvert has been appointed as CEO of CTC Aviation Training in New Zealand. During his time as Acting CEO, Ian has overseen a significant period of change and, together with his management team, introduced some innovative developments to our New Zealand operation.

“Our industry is in the midst of an interesting and challenging time. CTC has a reputation for working alongside our client airlines to develop innovative solutions to meet specific requirements. We are delighted to have Ian at the helm of our New Zealand operation supporting our planned growth in this region. His fellow Directors and the team across our Group congratulate him on his appointment,” said Captain Clarke.

Captain Calvert started with the company in 2003 as the company’s Chief Instructor. He progressed into the position of Chief Operating Officer in 2005 and most recently held the position of Acting Chief Executive following the retirement of CEO, John Jones, in May this year.

Captain Calvert was appointed to the Board of Directors of CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited in 2005.

Prior to joining CTC, Captain Calvert held the position of Chief Flying Instructor with Massey University School of Aviation. He received his Commercial Pilot Licence in 1993 from Massey University and immediately became an Instructor at the school. He has also flown commercially, holding the position as a Senior Pilot with United Aviation out of Palmerston North in the mid-1990s.

During his career Captain Calvert has accumulated over 4100 hours of total flying time and 2350 hours of instructing and is an ‘A’ Category Instructor and General Aviation Examiner.

World leaders in full service aviation support, CTC Aviation Group plc accepted delivery of the B737 NG Full Flight Simulator in September. The industry leading device has been installed at the company’s Crew Training Centre near Southampton, UK and underwent UK CAA certification this week.

“This certification of our full-flight simulator called EdgeTMmarks an important step forward in delivering the new capabilities of our CORETM simulation architecture,” said Ken Schreder, vice president and general manager of Simulation & Training Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “The flexibility and adaptability of this new system, combined with our industry-leading visuals and superior service and support, will deliver an unprecedented training experience to CTC Aviation and its customers.”

Captain Martin Hunt, Head of Operations of CTC Aviation Services Limited commented “The newest addition to our training centre is a real testament to the strong bond between Rockwell Collins and CTC. Together we have certified a world leading training device which combines the highest levels of fidelity with an intuitive instructor interface to deliver a first class training experience to the pilot”

Designed from the user and maintainer’s point of view, the advanced CORETM simulation architecture features common open reusable elements including scalable software adaptable for multiple training devices, integrated tool sets and Rockwell Collins’ industry leading display and image generation technology. The highly configurable, modular design is a new approach to the future of simulation, providing long term, cost effective solutions to legacy issues of accommodating upgrades and fleet changes. Key features include –

• Rockwell Collins’ display and image generating technology offering industry leading realism committed to excellence

• A highly configurable tools suite that provides the freedom to easily customise training for multiple situations

• Hardware and software designs that easily accommodate upgrades and new technology additions through open systems architecture

• Scalable, modular design across a broad range of training devices allows proactive obsolescence management and integration of the latest in commercial-off-the-shelf technology.

CTC and Rockwell Collins will be offering the opportunity for private demonstrations of the new technology by potential business clients. Interested parties should contact CTC on +44 (0) 23 80 737 567 or simulation@ctcaviation.com

Airline pilot training company, CTC Aviation Training, last evening was named one of New Zealand’s 50 Fastest Growing Companies in New Zealand, placing 23rd in the 2009 Deloitte Fast 50.

The company was also awarded the ‘Fastest Growing Business Services Business’ Award for the Central North Island. CEO, Ian Calvert, says the company is delighted to be recognised for its accomplishments. “Since CTC Aviation set up our business in Hamilton in 2005, we’ve gone from strength to strength. We’ve grown our trainee numbers by around 180% during that time and secured several key airline partnerships right across the globe.

“The last two years were particularly good for us and saw us grow 235%. We have a great team of people at our Crew Training Centre in Hamilton plus our extended global team in the UK, all of whom deserve the kudos for taking our business to this level,” said Mr Calvert.

In 2008, CTC Aviation trained over 200 cadets at its Crew Training Centre-Hamilton. Trainees are from New Zealand, the UK, Europe and Vietnam. The company’s graduates go on to fly with some of the best-known airlines in the world. Currently, CTC Aviation’s airline customers include Air New Zealand, Air Malawi, Air Seychelles, British Airways, Eagle Airways, Jet2.com, easyJet, EuroCypria, Kuwait Airways, Monarch Airlines, NetJets, OpenSkies, Jetstar Pacific, Royal Brunei Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, ThomsonFly, UK CAA and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

All companies in the Deloitte Fast 50 have: operating revenues of at least $250,000; operated for a minimum of three years; and New Zealand registered operations. Companies listed in the Deloitte Fast 50 are ranked by percentage revenue growth for the past three years.

People who already have some flight training experience can now gain access to CTC’s proven world-class training to: complete their Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) theory training; obtain their instrument rating or instructor rating; or gain their Private Pilot License (PPL) or Commercial Pilot License (CPL).

CTC Aviation Training CEO, Ian Calvert, says this is a rare opportunity.

“At CTC, we have around 168 cadets each year coming from our Crew Training Centres in the UK for training here in New Zealand.

“We’ve recently changed the way we train these UK cadets and this change will see new trainees spending a few more months at the start of their training at our Crew Training Centres in the UK before they head down to New Zealand to complete their course.

“The first cadet class to start this new training regime is in November. What this means is there will be a lag of around five months when we’ll see the numbers in Hamilton diminish somewhat before the classes begin coming through to New Zealand again in April next year when we’ll be back up to near full capacity.

“So, to bridge this gap, we’ve decided to open up our training facility to people looking to gain a range of licenses and ratings,” explains Mr Calvert.

Mr Calvert said it was likely this would be a one-off opportunity that would only be on offer for around five months from November.

“This change in the way we deliver our training is further reinforcement of our ‘vertically integrated’ approach to training which ensures airline standard procedures are followed throughout the programme” explains Captain Lee Woodward, Executive Director of CTC Aviation Training and Head of CTC Wings. “We have identified some substantial benefits from completing the ground school training in the UK – particularly as cadets will have access, right from the start of their course, to our advanced Boeing and Airbus flight simulators at Nursling. This will give our cadets the opportunity to put some of the theory they are learning into practice on a simulator relevant to the type of aircraft that they are potentially going to fly. Being able to concentrate solely on the flying programme as soon as they arrive at our New Zealand Crew Training Centre is also a very significant advantage.”

Cadets will now spend approximately 5 months in the UK completing their ATPL ground school before flying to New Zealand to complete their integrated flying syllabus over a period of 7 months. Instrument Rating training will be carried out at the Company’s Crew Training Centre – Bournemouth on the DA42 Diamond Twinstar aircraft and the cadets will then move on to complete the programme at CTC’s Boeing and Airbus type-rating and simulator training facilities at Nursling.

CTC Wings Cadets are achieving enviable results in both flying and ground school training. Over the period since the programme was launched 6 years ago, 98.5% of CTC’s cadets have completed the programme to CTC Wings airline standard. They are also achieving an outstanding 98.5% average first time ATPL pass rate in all 14 subjects.

More importantly for those cadets deciding which training school to apply to - particularly in today’s climate - 80% of those cadets completing training have been type-rated and placed with partner airlines: A track record of which both CTC and its trainees can be justifiably proud.

Taking the Top Graduate Award, as well as the Top Pilot Award and Runner-Up for the Top Academic Award was Scott Vincent of Devonport, Auckland. Mr Vincent’s three cash prizes provided by Air BP totalled $1800. Other winners included:

• Samuel Butler of Hamilton, Top Academic
• Henry Lambert of Hamilton, Runner-Up Top Pilot
• Jacob Snelgrove of Wellington, Top Professional
• James Burke of Hamilton, Runner-Up Top Professional

All runners-up received a $100 reward from Air BP and all top winners received $500.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Danny O’Neill, General Aviation Market Manager-North for Air BP, said “it is a pleasure for Air BP to offer these awards to recognise the excellent achievements of these top performers. All five cadets have done an outstanding job in their training and Air BP wishes them all the best in their aviation careers.”

Mr O’Neill explained that Air BP began supplying CTC with installations and fuel in 2004 and during that year the company used 156,000 litres of fuel. However, in the last four years, the company’s fuel usage has matched its growth in training numbers. In 2008, the company used 900,000 litres – the most of any flight training organisation in New Zealand. CTC Aviation Training offers a range of airline pilot training programmes for people with no flying experience as well as for people with a current Commercial Pilot Licence. Funding is also available to assist successful candidates with training costs.

Launched in 2006, the CTC Wings CPP was specifically designed for New Zealanders. Today, nine Kiwis graduated from the programme at the company’s Crew Training Centre-Hamilton.

Ms Bruce says her graduation is a big step forward in fulfilling her ultimate career goal. “Since day one at CTC I have aspired to become an airline pilot with Air New Zealand, my focus being command on one of their international fleets. Flying is my life’s passion and I look forward to everything the future brings,” says Jamie.

The daughter of an airline pilot for Indian airline, Kingfisher Airlines, Jamie grew up in a family of seven children. While her father pursued his airline career, she lived with her family in India where she completed her last year of school by correspondence. She says her father’s career is what fired her interest in becoming an airline pilot.

“From my dad, I knew the lifestyle and satisfaction of being an airline pilot to be second-to-none and as a job, flying has an office like no other! Inspired by my father, I had always had the intention of gaining a private pilots licence from an early age. However, making it my career didn’t cross my mind until my late teens.

“When I was 16 my parents bought me a trial flight at Ardmore as a birthday present. I fell in love with flying that very day. That one flight cemented my desire to become a pilot and now I’m making my passion my career and looking for aviation jobs in New Zealand and Australia,” explains Jamie.

Eight other New Zealand airline pilots graduated today from the CTC Wings Commercial Pilot Programme – all of whom are men. Three graduates have been employed by CTC in its Operations team. While two other graduates have also been employed by CTC as instructors; they will work with the team of 60 instructors at CTC who train around 200 airline pilots each year.

One other graduate is working for Air New Zealand as a Flight Services Manager in charge of cabin crew. The remaining three graduates will pursue jobs in the New Zealand or Australian aviation industry.

CTC Wings is renowned in the international aviation industry as a programme that develops some of the highest quality airline pilots in the world. Most graduates go on to work with CTC’s growing list of global airline partners, including: Eagle Airways, easyJet, Thomas Cook, Jet2.com, Thomson Airways, Monarch, British Airways, CityJet, DHL Air, Jetstar Pacific and easyJet Switzerland.

CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited Acting CEO, Ian Calvert says applications coming in from New Zealanders are running high ever since the company announced CTC Wings was open to Kiwis in 2006. He explains applicants recognise CTC Aviation is different from other aviation training organisations in the country because it has a sole focus on airline pilot training.

“CTC Aviation sets itself apart because we only train pilots for placement with airlines. For someone with no flying experience, it takes around fifteen months to complete our Commercial Pilot Programme.

“Because we have this sole airline focus, we are able to customise recruitment solutions for our airline partners around the globe. Additionally, our rigorous selection process ensures our partners are getting the very best airline pilots out there,” he said.

CTC offers a range of training programmes for people with no flying experience as well as for people with a current Commercial Pilot Licence.

Funding is available to assist successful candidates with training costs.

“CTC has been providing new and experienced pilots and instructors to its client airlines since the early 1990's. The economic downturn has forced our industry to revisit the way we do things and flexible resourcing is one area where airlines can genuinely manage their cost base. Contracting CTC FlexiCrew pilots is a cost-effective resourcing solution that will ensure airlines retain quality, high standards and commitment from their personnel” said Captain Chris Clarke, Group Chairman of CTC Aviation Group plc “We are in the process of finalising plans to place pilots with one of our Australasian clients that we hope to announce very soon. FlexiCrew has attracted interest from a wide range of operators across Europe, the Middle and Far East and Australasia. The current climate is causing airlines to revisit their approach to resourcing and FlexiCrew is proving to be a very workable solution for many.”

The CTC FlexiCrew database currently holds details of almost 1000 pilots from around the globe with a variety of experience levels and licences – from newly qualified Line Pilots, to Instructors and Examiners, Captains and First Officers and licence holders for a full spectrum of fleets from Airbus and Boeing to McDonald Douglas DC10 and BAe 146. What is unique about FlexiCrew is that all pilots registering will be required to undertake a selection interview and simulator assessment before they can be offered any placement opportunities Captain Clarke continued – “We believe our pilots to be our finest ambassadors and we are committed to supplying the airlines with only the best quality pilots when they are most needed.”

Several airlines are already taking advantage of the benefits CTC FlexiCrew has to offer. Captain Chris Hope, Head of Flight Operations for easyJet commented “CTC has trained and supplied over 2,000 quality pilots for easyJet over the years. Additionally, we have a long-established arrangement to supplement our line training team with CTC instructors and examiners at our busiest times. We continue to work with CTC to find innovative solutions that address our business needs and welcome developments such as FlexiCrew”.

The Airbus type-rated pilots were trained through CTC Wings and completed six months of line training with their partner airlines during summer 2008. They were part of a small group of pilots released at the end of the season due to an anticipated downturn in activity during the winter period. This was the first time since the launch of CTC Wings five years ago that CTC pilots were not taken on permanently by their original partner airline. However, through CTC’s introduction they are now employed on permanent contracts with Aer Lingus and can look forward to being part of some exciting growth plans over the coming years.

Additionally CTC has facilitated opportunities for other CTC Wings pilots with Gulf Air, Tiger Airways, Air Malta, easyJet and easyJet Suisse. Captain Lee Woodward, Head of CTC Wings and Executive Director for CTC said “Part of our philosophy at CTC has always been to facilitate placement for our trainees and our track record is something we are very proud of. By responding to Aer Lingus in this way we were able to resolve the airline’s resourcing requirement and secure jobs for our pilots. We placed over 100 pilots during the first quarter of 2009 through CTC Wings and CTC FlexiCrew. It’s fantastic to be able to secure positions with the airlines for our pilots despite the recession.”

One of the newly employed Aer Lingus pilots, First Officer Sam Colley, said: “I personally feel absolutely privileged to be a part of CTC. There is no training school in the world that I am aware of that would do this for cadets after having six months with an airline. I’m sure that all the others would say ‘you’re on your own’.”

Steve Kelly, Head of HR for Pilots and Cabin Crew for Aer Lingus, said “From the outset of our discussions last year, we have been impressed and excited by the range of services CTC has to offer. The standard and quality of the pilots we interviewed was very high and our dealings to date have been extremely professionally handled by the CTC team. Within the next 12 months our Gatwick base alone is expected to grow from 4 to 8 aircraft with a first year total investment of £100 million and over 120 new pilot and cabin crew jobs being created. We will certainly be looking to CTC to help with our aircrew resourcing alongside these expansion plans.” For more information on CTC Aviation, log on to www.ctcaviation.com

The first two devices have been installed at CTC’s Crew Training Centre Bournemouth and achieved full certification from the UK CAA . The final two devices were installed in Hamilton (NZ) during December 2008 with UK CAA and received full UK CAA certification in January 2009.

The new devices, which encompass the latest CAE TROPOS visual system, have significantly enhanced training fidelity. “Our CTC Wings trainees have benefitted from the quality of training provided by the new devices which have also been well received by our instructor team” said Brian Haigh, CFI and Deputy Head of Training for CTC Aviation Training. CTC’s Hamilton (NZ) Crew Training Centre now houses the most advanced simulator visuals system in the Southern Hemisphere Flight Training Organisation arena.

Brian Haigh continued - “The simulators are unique in that they have advanced graphics that simulate the exact terrain, building locations and runway configurations of airports and surrounding geography. The visuals are viewed on a 210 degree curved screen, which makes the flight experience very realistic. Normally simulators of this specification only replicate night flying and flight in cloud accurately, but the terrain mapping and graphical projection supports visual operations from circuit training to navigation cross country training; both adding significant value to each cadets course of training by providing closer representation and therefore meaningful practice before the flight is carried out in the aircraft. The simulators also let us scenario train our pilots for situations like engine failures and system failures, to coping with lightening strikes, which allows us to facilitate development of a pilots thinking in terms of decision making and error management.”

CTC trains 200 cadet pilots each year through its airline pilot career development programme – “CTC Wings”. On completion of the 18-month training period, CTC Wings pilots are placed with one of the 11 partner airlines currently associated with the programme. CTC graduates benefit from a very successful placement record and trainees progressing through the syllabus have achieved some of the highest ATPL and CPL/IR pass marks in the industry. On completion of the basic training, CTC integrates the airline specific type rating training into the programme at their Full Flight Boeing and Airbus simulator facility near Southampton in the UK, as well as a 6 month flying placement period before potential employment with their partner airline.

CTC’s investment in the new DA42 simulators represents part of an ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of airline training delivery and support services. The company has recently announced a new flexible crew resourcing initiative – “CTC FlexiCrew” a new initiative to provide flexible yet quality resourcing solutions for both the airline industry and qualified pilots, including experienced instructors and examiners.

CTC Wings – the career development programme for aspiring airline pilots – is offering a flying start to 2009. CTC is reducing the price of selection to £50 for those applicants who pay for their assessment in January 2009. This represents a saving of almost £130!! .

“Everyone’s experiencing tough times at the moment – from individuals to large, corporate organisations. We want to do our bit to enable our future pilot community the best chance of achieving their goal. We want to continue to ensure the right people have the opportunity to fly for our partner airlines in the future; the ‘credit crunch’ could ultimately have an effect on the quality of applicants. Reducing the cost of selection is just one of the ways we intend to help resolve this problem”; said Captain Lee Woodward, Head of CTC Wings and Director of CTC Aviation. “We are encouraged by the discussions we are currently having with both our existing partners and potential new partner airlines and we are confident that the New Year will see an increase in demand for new pilots. We want to ensure that we can meet this demand – if all the discussions we are having come to fruition we will be looking to increase our training numbers quite dramatically in 2009. Aspiring airline pilots will not be as familiar with the cyclical nature of our industry as we are; the training is 18 months and, our view – based on what we are hearing – is that there could well be plenty of opportunities at that point”.

CTC Aviation trains over 1200 aircrew annually for 52 airlines around the world; 200 of these are newly qualified pilots trained through CTC Wings and placed by CTC with one of the current 11 airline partners – British Airways, CityJet, DHL Air, easyJet, easyJet Switzerland, Jet2.com, Jetstar Pacific, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook, Thomsonfly and - the most recent airline to sign up to the programme – Eagle Airways (a subsidiary of Air New Zealand).

“CTC Wings is a sponsored airline training programme. Our cadet pilots do not have to fund the full cost of their training as a large proportion is sponsored and the final stage of the programme involves flying for 6 months as a First Officer for one of our partner airlines. For this reason we run our renowned selection process which is considered to be among the most effective in the industry. It is a tough process, but the benefits are that success rates in training are among the best in Europe, and indeed the World” said Captain Woodward.

CTC will also be hosting an Open Day at their Flight Simulator Centre – Nursling (near Southampton on the south coast of the UK) on Saturday 7 February 2009. There is no charge for this day which will provide an opportunity for people to come and meet the team, tour the facilities and join in on various workshops and presentations.

“We have always striven to work with our client airlines to find workable training and recruitment solutions. The economic market is such today that everyone needs to review the way they work. Airlines have seasonal peaks and troughs and CTC FlexiCrew provides our clients with the ability to select from a supply of quality pilots, instructors and examiners to supplement their crew at times when they are most needed” said Captain Chris Clarke, Chairman of CTC Aviation Group plc at the launch of CTC FlexiCrew on Monday 8th December 2008.

“CTC has been providing new and experienced pilots and instructors to its client airlines since the early 1990’s. Airlines can be assured that any FlexiCrew pilots being put forward for positions within their operation will have been handpicked by CTC to ensure a seamless transition into their crew complement team. Pilots wishing to register with CTC FlexiCrew will need to be prepared to attend a selection interview and simulator assessment to ensure that they have all the right qualities and skills. CTC prides itself on supplying only the best quality pilots today and FlexiCrew pilots will be no exception to this rule”.

Captain Clarke went on to say “Discussions with several of our client airlines who have expressed an interest in outsourcing their crewing needs have been taking place over recent months and we hope to be in a position to announce our first FlexiCrew opportunities very soon. In the meantime, we are encouraging quality pilots from around the globe to register with us if a more flexible working pattern is what they seek. Our pilots are our finest ambassadors and we will strive to ensure that those who register with us are provided with the best opportunities available. ”

Air New Zealand subsidiary Eagle Air says a new relationship with airline pilot training organisation CTC Aviation is great news for young pilots looking to fast-track into an airline career.

Eagle Air recently employed the first two New Zealanders to graduate from CTC’s Commercial Pilot Programme in Hamilton, and today formally marked their graduation with a function at CTC’s Crew Training Centre at Hamilton International Airport.

Eagle Air General Manager Grant Kerr says he has been impressed with the CTC graduates’ levels of knowledge, skill and professionalism.

“They’ve gone through line training with Eagle and they passed with flying colours. The very airline-specific training they receive from the moment they join the CTC Wings programme means, upon graduation, they possess the exact skills we require to be a First Officer with Eagle Air,” he says.

The first New Zealanders to graduate from the CTC Wings Commercial Pilot Programme are Joseph Lambert and Daniel Stark. They are employed with Eagle Air as First Officers based out of Gisborne. Both young men grew up in Hamilton and are Hamilton Boys High graduates.

Mr Kerr said the CTC Wings programme was advantageous to both the airline and young pilots looking to get a start specifically in the airline business.

CTC works with a growing list of global airline partners, which includes British Airways, CityJet, DHL Air, easyJet, easyJet Switzerland, Jet2.com, Jetstar Pacific, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomsonfly.

“To date, one hundred percent of our graduates have obtained employment with one of CTC’s partner airlines in Europe. And, globally, one of the benefits of training with CTC is that cadets know we are focused on helping them gain employment,” said John Jones, CEO of CTC Aviation New Zealand.

“Our relationship with Eagle Air allows us to demonstrate this key point to New Zealand cadets as well. We can never guarantee employment, but there is more certainty for them.”

Mr Jones said applications coming in from New Zealanders are running high ever since the company announced its CTC Wings programme was open to Kiwis in 2006.

He explained applicants recognise CTC Aviation is different from other aviation training organisations because it has a sole focus on airline pilot training.

“CTC Aviation sets itself apart because we only train pilots for placement with airlines. For someone with no flying experience, it takes around 18 months to complete our Commercial Pilot Programme.

“Because we have this sole airline focus, we are able to customise recruitment solutions for our airline partners around the globe. And, our rigorous selection process ensures our partners are getting the very best airline pilots out there,” he said. committed to excellence

CTC trains around 200 airline pilots at its Crew Training Centre - Hamilton each year. It offers a range of training programmes for people with no flying experience as well as for people with a current Commercial Pilot Licence. Funding is also available to assist successful candidates with training costs.

CityJet announced CTC Aviation as a preferred training provider after visiting their Crew Training Centres in both the UK and New Zealand – “We were immediately impressed by not only the airline quality, career development programme and high success rates through training, but also the extensive, modern facilities provided for cadets throughout their training” said CityJet’s Manager Flight Operation Resources, David Finn. CityJet wanted to demonstrate a commitment to their cadet pilots throughout their training – this desire led to ‘CityJet Wings’ ; a programme combining the values and commitment of Ireland’s leading airline with the experience and dedication to airline-focussed training CTC Wings is renowned for.

The ‘CityJet Wings’ course of 2008 – Pierre-Emmanual Rocha from Ouvergne in France, Mark Taylor from Gillingham in Kent and Charlie Ricketts, David Peebles and Tom Rutherford from London - attended their CityJet induction day at London City Airport on Tuesday 23 September before joining the rest of their course contemporaries for their CTC Wings Cadet Development Day at CTC’s Group Headquarters later that week. On hearing he had been selected, Charlie Ricketts said "I am absolutely delighted - I think it is an amazing opportunity to be sponsored through CTC’s prestigious training programme and to ultimately fulfill my dream of becoming an airline pilot with CityJet." The group will be on target to start flying as AVRO RJ85 pilots for CityJet in time for summer 2010.

DHL Air UK and easyJet Switzerland join long standing partner airlines British Airways, CityJet, easyJet, Jet2.com, Jetstar Pacific, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomsonfly. This brings the total of CTC Wings partner airlines to 10 major operators providing even greater opportunities for the 168 cadet pilots being trained annually by CTC Aviation.

The initial group of DHL cadets commence training in New Zealand next month and the first easyJet Switzerland CTC Wings pilot is close to completion of his Airbus A319 type-rating training at CTC’s full flight simulator facilities near Southampton, UK. His line training will commence in Geneva at the end of September.

Lee Woodward Head of CTC Wings and Executive Director for CTC said “Whilst we have been consistently placing pilots with our partner airlines over the past 5 years, it is a significant development for CTC Wings and a true reflection of the calibre of our cadets that DHL has joined CityJet in preselecting their pilots from the outset. easyJet Switzerland operates independently of the UK organisation. They were impressed by the UK cadets and this led to a request for us to supply cadets to the Swiss operation direct. We look forward to placing more pilots with both DHL Air and easyJet Switzerland in the near future as well as continuing our supply to our long standing partners.”

CTC has been providing training support for both DHL and easyJet Switzerland through their TRTO operation for several years. This new partnership with CTC Wings is seen as a strengthening of already established relationships.

Tom Mackle, Director Flight Operations for DHL Air said “CTC has a great reputation for quality training and developing innovative solutions. We are working to crew a growing fleet over the next couple of years and will be looking to resource this with a combination of direct entry and cadet pilots. The CTC Wings pilots will form a significant part of our future crew composition.”

Licensed pilots from easyJet Switzerland have attended a variety of training courses with CTC over the years; from type-ratings, through command skills development and Instructor training to Examiner Standardisation. It’s a natural transition for CTC to supply cadets to the airline into the future.

CityJet have long been advocates of cadet pilot training programmes to provide a source of well trained and motivated young pilots. Now, through the new dedicated “CityJet Wings” career development programme, aspiring pilots with little or no previous experience have the opportunity to receive high quality, airline-focused training through CTC; knowing from the outset that they are part of the CityJet team.

CityJet have chosen CTC Aviation as one of their preferred training providers because of CTC’s commitment to airline standard training. David Finn, Manager Flight Operation Resources said “we are genuinely impressed by CTC’s overall approach to cadet training. From their proven selection process, approach to cadet welfare during training, attention to detail with accommodation, their resources and vertically integrated approach to pilot training through to their high success rates in all phases of flying training. CTC’s philosophy to provide quality future airline pilots reflects CityJet’s objective to deliver the highest quality service in all areas of operations for our passengers.”

Applicants will undergo a rigorous selection process combining both CityJet and CTC Wings selection processes, but having succeeded at selection, successful candidates will enjoy the benefits of CTC’s renowned quality training whilst being part of the CityJet team from day one of their training.

The basic training will mirror the highly successful programme currently delivered for CTC Wings and CityJet Wings pilots will train alongside CTC Wings cadets; beginning basic training at CTC’s Crew Training Centre in New Zealand and progressing through to completion of the ATPL with CTC in the UK; at which point CityJet will deliver the AVRO RJ85 type rating. CityJet Wings pilots will most likely be based at London City, but there may be some opportunities for a Dublin basing.

At a signing ceremony in Dublin, Lee Woodward – Head of CTC Wings and Director for CTC Aviation said “This is what CTC Wings is all about. We are committed to providing the best job opportunities for our cadets and we are delighted that CityJet have shown the same commitment by supporting their cadets from day one. CityJet Wings pilots will benefit from a close connection to their sponsoring airline throughout their training, with regular mentoring visits, and this can only result in a workforce that is also committed to their employer. We hope to see more airlines supporting cadets in this way in the future.”

Young Hamilton man, Joseph Lambert, who is training to become an airline pilot with CTC Wings, has been awarded The Geoffrey Roberts Award by the New Zealand division of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

The award recognises an outstanding young person who has the firm intention of following a career in civil aviation in New Zealand. It includes a bursary payment of $1000.

Joseph is one of three Hamilton men who were the first New Zealanders to be accepted into the CTC Wings Commercial Pilot Programme when it was instigated in November 2006.

Joseph was nominated for The Geoffrey Roberts Award by Head of Training for CTC Aviation Training, William Nicol, who is based at CTC’s Crew Training Centre-Hamilton.

“Joseph Lambert came into the CTC Wings Commercial Pilot Programme straight out of school and, while being a rather young cadet, has shown a very professional attitude throughout his flight training.

“He has come a long way in eighteen months and has grown and developed into a mature, confident pilot. Joseph is enthusiastic, focused, studious and always up for a challenge. He sets himself very high standards and has worked hard to achieve good results in all aspects of his training,” says Mr Nicol.

In speaking about winning the award, Joseph says, “I was pretty surprised and excited. I wasn’t even aware Mr Nicol had nominated me, so I was quite shocked when I received the news. I’m just really honoured.”

Since starting the CTC Wings Commercial Pilot Programme, 28 New Zealanders have begun training at CTC’s Crew Training Centre-Hamilton. A total of 200 airline pilot cadets – the majority of UK origins - train at the centre each year.

The Chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society will formally present Joseph Lambert with the award certificate and bursary sometime in May at CTC’s Crew Training Centre.

From the two original routes into the programme (Cadet and ATP), to the NZ routes added last year (CTC Wings Sponsored Instructor Programme and CTC Wings Commercial Pilot Programme). The new route, CTC Wings iCP – Integrated Commercial Pilot - will enable even more aspiring pilots to benefit from the high standard and enviable reputation of the CTC Wings programme.

CTC Wings iCP is a self-funded route to achieving a Commercial Pilot Licence and Instrument Rating (CPL/IR) and frozen Airline Transport Pilot Licence (fATPL). Running alongside the existing training programme for CTC Wings Cadets, iCP trainees will undergo a 14-month training programme at CTC’s Crew Training Centres in Hamilton, New Zealand and Bournemouth, United Kingdom. They will benefit from a state-of-the-art training fleet of Alphas and Diamonds and CTC’s world-class instructor team.

Employment opportunities through CTC Wings are amongst the best in the industry worldwide. To date, 100% of the CTC Wings pilots completing training have been placed with an airline. During training CTC Wings pilots are achieving the highest ground school theory pass rates in Europe.

The new self-sponsored route will open doors of opportunity further a-field as there is no requirement for CTC Wings iCP applicants to have the right to live and work in the EU. On completion of training, CTC Wings iCP pilots are free to follow their own career path as they choose. However, they will be in a prime position to be considered for training and placement with CTC Wings ATP subject to availability and performance during their training.

Captain Lee Woodward, Executive Director of CTC Aviation Training and Head of CTC Wings explains “CTC Wings iCP is a natural progression for us. Since the launch of CTC Wings in 2003 our applicant rates have risen year on year. We have a proven track record of success training ab-initio pilots and the CTC Wings reputation is second-to-none. CTC Wings iCP opens doors of opportunity for people outside of the EU and provides a flexible option for even more aspiring pilots to achieve their goals”.

Reporting on a recent Pilot Resource Forum hosted by CTC, at which the senior management of many of the UK airlines were in attendance, the Founder and Chairman of CTC, Capt Chris Clarke, noted that the anticipated requirement for new pilots to enter the airline industry over the next year was at an all time high and, according to the expectations of the airlines present at the Forum, is expected to be in excess of 1800 .

Capt Clarke says “ Major operators in the UK and Europe are entering another period of significant growth and the requirement for new pilots in the UK is certainly going to exceed the capacity of the UK Ab Initio training industry. By this time next year we expect to see the signs of a pilot shortage arising and a general increase in the number of pilots being sought from abroad. Unfortunately this same scenario is also arising in the Middle East, Asia and Australia and, as we know, is already prevalent in China and India. The possibility exists that quite a few airliners across the globe may be grounded without crews in the next few years”.

On the plus side, CTC reports that its innovative CTC Wings sponsorship programme was receiving applications at an ever increasing rate, and that in the first 10 weeks of 2008 the application numbers demonstrated a run rate of over 10,000 per annum. The actual applications received last year were just over 5,000.

Capt Clarke continued, “....In recent years all of us in the industry have been concerned at an apparently fading interest in the career by young men and women, and CTC has been undertaking a great deal of work presenting the airline pilot career to Universities, schools and at career fairs; there is no doubt that this awareness campaign has elicited a groundswell of renewed interest in the pilot career. I am confident that the interest will continue, but the very high costs of training and the lack of any tax relief or UK government supported loan schemes places a barrier in front of many keen and enthusiastic young men and women whom we would love to see fulfil their ambitions.”

” Bearing in mind that there is an 18 month lead time required to produce a qualified First Officer, the lack of any commitment by some airlines to support their future pilot supply requirements through sponsorship remains a significant hurdle for new entrants to overcome. Those that do will clearly benefit during the interesting times ahead, those that don’t, well...there may be a sting in the tail.”

In an exciting new era of global expansion, CTC Aviation has been approved by the Vietnamese CAA (CAAV) to provide type rating training. This approval has been achieved alongside an agreement between CTC and Pacific Airlines to supply training and pilot supply services on a 3-year contract.

CTC has commenced training in the UK for the first group of Pacific Airlines pilots who will be flying the B737- 400. Crews will be based in Ho Chi Minh City for an initial three year contract and will help to satisfy the airlines major expansion plans over the next few years. As part of this new partnership, CTC’s Boeing Instructor/Examiner team (TRI/TREs) have been audited and approved by the Vietnamese CAA and will be actively involved in the training and examining of the pilots.

CTC’s Group Chairman, Captain Chris Clarke said “we at CTC are really thrilled to be working with Pacific Airlines at this time of rapid growth for the airline. Our first group of “CTC Wings” pilots are now well on their way to completion of their type ratings and are looking forward to starting their careers with Pacific Airlines. We look forward to enjoying a long and successful partnership with Pacific and assisting them with their exciting plans for expansion throughout this region of significant opportunity. The supply of contract pilots adds the final ingredient to our current suite of airline services and demonstrates CTC’s determination to continue to innovate for our clients, to provide every aspect of airline crew operations, and to serve the airline industry on an International scale. We expect to announce further exciting contracts with international clients in the near future”

In February 2007, Pacific Airlines changed its business model to become the first Vietnamese low cost airline operating domestic and regional flights around Vietnam and code share flights to Thailand and Singapore. Future expansion plans include more regional Asian destinations. The airline has been operating since 1992, but during 2007 Qantas took a 30% share in the company and it is expected to be rebranded in the second quarter of 2008. The airline plans to take delivery of up to thirty A320 aircraft over the next few years with the first deliveries expected in July of this year. Captain Binh, Director of the CAAV, and Captain Jeremy Schmidt, General Manager Flight Operations and Chief Pilot of Pacific Airlines said “we have been very impressed not only with CTC’s facilities and reputation, but also by their excellent training and support team. They have been extremely innovative and flexible in providing cost-effective pilot training and supply solutions for Pacific Airlines and we look forward to their pilots joining our team”.

For further information on CTC Aviation Group plc and CTC Wings, please see our website www.ctcaviation.com

Just over two years ago CTC commissioned its Flight Simulation and Type rating training facility at Nursling. The Company is now working the classrooms and all five simulators housed at the centre to capacity. This valuable extension will enable CTC to increase simulator provision, add to existing Crew Training Centre classrooms and provide additional support facilities. Work on the additional facilities will be completed in mid 2007 and the company is currently considering the aircraft types of simulators to be added.

CTC’s Group Chairman - Capt Chris Clarke - remarked that he was delighted with the planning consent saying: “....this very significant additional capacity will allow us to continue to respond to the ongoing requirements of the airline industry. Demand from our clients continues to grow and shows no sign of abatement – we are now well positioned to react to both new, and existing, clients, and we are set to continue our impressive growth, which in recent years has been in excess of 25% annually”

CTC’s Crew Training Centre at Nursling combines classroom, virtual flight deck, fixed base and full flight simulation training under one roof. With a current throughput of some 1200 commercial pilots each year, CTC’s current phase of expansion will further enhance its position as one of Europe’s most capable airline training operations, offering every type of airline pilot training course from ab-initio through Command to Type Rating Examiner training.

This will be good news to many aspiring airline pilots who have been patiently awaiting the opportunity for a First Officer position with a reputable airline such as those that currently partner with CTC Wings including easyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook and Thomsonfly. Of further interest will undoubtedly be the fact that CTC has just signed an agreement to supply pilots for new CTC Wings partner airline Pacific Airlines based in Vietnam.

The re-opening of the CTC Wings ATP route comes as a result of some significant movement in the CTC Wings programme since the New Year. CTC has placed pilots with Pacific Airlines, Jet2.com, easyJet and First Choice already in 2008 and current discussions with the partner airlines suggest that there is a considerable need for further pilots over the coming months.

CTC is also in active discussion with several new partner airlines in addition to Pacific Airlines both in the UK and further afield and hopes to be able to make further announcements very soon. Captain Lee Woodward, Head of CTC Wings and Executive Director for CTC Aviation Training said “This is a very exciting time for pilots training with CTC Wings – we are in advanced talks with potential new partner airlines in the UK, Far East and Australasia that will provide some fantastic opportunities for aspiring pilots through all of our CTC Wings routes worldwide. We continue to have a 100% employment record with our existing partner airlines and, over the years, CTC Wings pilots have forged themselves excellent careers with many fast-tracking into training and management.”

After a nationwide training recruitment campaign, Nick Schramm, Daniel Stark and Joseph Lambert – all, co-incidentally, from the Waikato - made it through CTC’s rigid selection process and began training this week.

Hamilton-based CTC announced in November 2006 it has teamed up with Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) to offer Kiwi students the Diploma in Aviation Science (DAS). Training is based at CTC’s Crew Training Centre adjacent to Hamilton International Airport.

CTC Aviation New Zealand (CTC) Director Ian Calvert says the company has received higher-than-expected demand from young New Zealander’s wanting to take part in the new pilot training programme.

“CTC and NMIT are initially offering 24 places to Kiwi students in 2007. We expected to have two trainees in our first intake and build up from there. However, we’ve had so much demand we’ve accepted three trainees in the inaugural class.

“From March, CTC will begin a new course every two months and we’ll build up to taking six trainees at a time by the end of this year.

“World-wide, CTC trains over 1000 commercial airline pilots a year through its various CTC Wings courses. Now, young New Zealanders who’ve got what it takes can take advantage of this first-class training opportunity right here in Hamilton,” commented Mr Calvert.

The DAS is an internationally recognised entry-level qualification for commercial airline pilots. The 18 month programme covers commercial pilot license, multi-engine and Instrument Flight Training and ATPL theory subjects.

Students will utilise CTC’s fleet of 31 single- and twin-engine aircraft for flight training, clocking up over 200 hours of flight time each.

Classroom-based courses include flight planning, communications, mass and balance, meteorology and aviation law.

Since opening its training centre in March 2005, CTC has grown rapidly. In two years it has trained over 144 pilots and flying instructors – both New Zealanders and trainees from overseas.

The Company projects that through employment and use of New Zealand services, it will inject approximately $95 million into the economy over the next 10 years.

This was the 10th Awards ceremony hosted by CTC to recognise the achievements of pilots who, through “CTC Wings”, have completed their commercial training and gained employment with one of CTC’s partner airlines. The CTC Wings programs, which cater for both ab initio and licenced pilots, have proved to be one of the most successful and highly sought after methods of satisfying the airline industry’s requirement for new pilots – with some 3000 pilots applying each year for places on the programs. The Company announced plans to significantly increase its intake of CTC Wings Cadet pilots for CPL/IR training at its crew training centres in Hamilton, New Zealand, and Bournemouth UK, and has recently announced an order for three additional Diamond Twinstar aircraft for its ab initio training activities, bringing its fleet of Twinstars to twelve. CTC predicts that they will train over 200 Wings pilots for its partner airlines during the next 12 months, this in addition to its airline support services which will see Boeing and Airbus type rating training for over 500 of its customer airlines’ pilots.

This years Graduation and Awards was attended by over 400 guests comprising of Wings Cadets and their families, Wings ATP pilots, local dignitaries and representatives from CTC’s industry partners. Senior management of easyJet, Thomas Cook, First Choice, Jet2.com, British Airways, Monarch, Thomsonfly, the Civil Aviation Authority and Bristol Ground School were in attendance to celebrate the awards.

The CTC Diamond award for the most outstanding cadet of the year was awarded to Paul Emmerson, now working with Thomas Cook Airlines. Paul received a handsome trophy and a bursary of £4000 from Rod Wren of CTC and Henrik Burkal of Diamond Aircraft Industries.

There were nine other awards and bursaries presented to recognise significant achievers. Those other CTC Wings Cadets who received the highest accolades from their Instructors and Training Captains this year were –

Alex Rowe of easyJet who was announced as the winner of the Alpha Aviation Trophy and Award, which will be presented by Alpha in New Zealand in February 2007. Alex was recognised for his performance and contribution to the community during his time training with CTC Wings in New Zealand

Greg Simpson of easyJet who received the Tony Angel Award for the best Instrument Flying performance during the basic phases of training in New Zealand and Bournemouth

Andrew Timewell of British Airways who was awarded the Bristol Groundschool Trophy for the best performance results in his ATPL theoretical exams achieving a staggering 98.1% average pass mark!

CTC Wings Airline bursaries were awarded to those pilots who receive the highest recognition during their time in training as well as once on-line with their airline. This year’s winners who each received a bursary of £2000 were -

• Stijn Lambrecht - Thomsonfly
• Patrick van Beeck - MyTravel Airways
• Paul Emmerson - Thomas Cook Airlines
• Craig Taylor - First Choice Airways
• Ian Kelly and Robert Baltrop - easyJet

In thanking Jim Pegram, Head of Flight Operations for easyJet, for their continued support, the Group Chairman of CTC, Chris Clarke, announced “because of the significant number of Wings pilots easyJet have employed, there are 2 CTC Wings bursary awards for easyJet pilots. This quite remarkable story of pilot supply brings the total number of easyJet pilots trained by CTC to over 1500 and represents what is probably one of the most successful supply and service relationships in the aviation industry”

Each year, CTC recognises a member of the airline training community for their commitment to training. This year the CTC Director’s Shield was awarded to Alex Whittingham, founder and Managing Director of Bristol Groundschool for his dedication to the achievement of groundschool academic success. CTC has partnered with Bristol Groundschool since day one of CTC Wings and the first time pass rate for Wings cadets undertaking JAA ATPL groundschool examinations stands consistently at a phenomenal 98.6%.

Summing up the success of CTC and the CTC Wings pilots, John Monks, Manager of Flight Crew Recruitment for British Airways said “CTC is so successful because it is airline orientated, delivers a high quality of training employs the right trainers and selects the right students into the programme”

As the full quota of annually trained CTC Wings pilots will qualify for graduation in 2007, next year’s CTC Wings Graduation and Awards event will be bigger still!

The award has a value of NZ$8,000 and will be presented annually to the CTC Wings Cadet who displays a commitment to excellence and outstanding achievement in training. The award is comprised of a bursary payment and a travel package from the United Kingdom to New Zealand for both the recipient and a companion.

In announcing the inaugural award, Alpha Aviation Managing Director, Richard Sealy paid tribute to the close relationship shared by the two companies.

“As foundation members of the Waikato aviation cluster, it seems fitting that we have consequently forged a strong business relationship. CTC Aviation and Alpha share many similarities – we both are new to the New Zealand aviation industry – we both have strong and committed shareholders – we both are located within a few minutes of each other in Hamilton. Most importantly, we both share a commitment to excellence in our respective fields.

Earlier this year, CTC Aviation entered into contracts for the supply of 26 Alpha Aviation aircraft to update and expand their training fleet.

“CTC Aviation was one of the first clients to place orders with us and in doing so placed great faith in the Alpha team and our aircraft. Subsequently, we have had unprecedented international and domestic demand for our aircraft and as a result, we are very confident of Alpha Aviation’s future success,” he said.

Mr Sealy says that the significant value and unique nature of the award will be a useful incentive to promote continued excellence within the CTC Wings programme.

“We believe the award will be strongly contested by the CTC Wings trainees, inevitably increasing standards beyond their present high levels of excellence and benefiting both the trainees and the international standing of the CTC Wings programme,” he said.

The recipient of the 2006 Alpha Aviation Award and Trophy is CTC Wings graduate, First Officer Michael Vickers. Michael is now a pilot with Thomas Cook Airlines in the United Kingdom.

That’s the view of CTC Aviation New Zealand (CTC) Director Ian Calvert on the announcement today of a major new flight training initiative open to young New Zealanders.

Hamilton-based CTC is teaming up with Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) to offer Kiwi students the Diploma in Aviation Science (DAS).

The DAS is an internationally recognised entry-level qualification for airline pilots. CTC and NMIT will initially offer 36 places to Kiwi students in 2007.

Mr Calvert says successful graduates are in hot demand from the world’s airlines.

“Worldwide, CTC trains over 1000 pilots a year through its various CTC Wings courses. We’re saying to young New Zealanders if you’ve got what it takes, the opportunity is now here at your doorstep,” he said.

The DAS programme will be based at CTC’s purpose built crew training centre at Hamilton International Airport.

Since opening its training centre in March 2005, CTC has grown rapidly. In 19 months it has trained over 130 pilots and flying instructors – both New Zealanders and trainees from overseas. The Company projects that through employment and use of New Zealand services, it will inject approximately $95 million into the economy over the next 10 years.

The 18 month DAS programme announced today covers commercial pilot license, multi- engine and Instrument Flight Training and ATPL theory subjects.

Students will utilise CTC’s fleet of 22 single- and twin-engine aircraft for flight training, clocking up over 200 hours of flight time each.

Classroom-based courses include flight planning, communications, mass and balance, meteorology and aviation law.

Students may be accommodated at Clearways, a newly completed $5 million facility at nearby Narrows Landing. The Clearways facility was officially opened today to a crowd of 250 by Air New Zealand’s Captain Dave Morgan, General Manager Operations, Standards and Safety and Chief Pilot.

Mr Calvert describes Clearways as a “better than four star hotel – a first for New Zealand education.”

While programme fees are still being finalised, Mr Calvert confirms Kiwi students will be eligible for the Government’s student loan scheme.

Alpha Aviation Award Presented

At the opening of CTC’s Clearways facility today, CTC Wings graduate First Officer Michael Vickers was presented with the inaugural Alpha Aviation Award. First Officer Vickers is now a pilot with Thomas Cook Airlines, based in the United Kingdom.

The Alpha Aviation Award will be presented annually for outstanding achievement in training and commitment to excellence during the New Zealand phase of CTC Wings’ cadet training programme conducted in Hamilton for CTC Aviation NZ’s sister company based in the UK.

Richard Sealy, Managing Director of Alpha Aviation, made the presentation and said Alpha Aviation’s decision to underwrite the award stemmed from a desire to promote excellence within the Aviation Industry.

The Alpha Aviation Award comprises a bursary payment and a travel package from the United Kingdom to New Zealand for both the recipient and a companion, and has a value of $8,000.

CTC was one of the first companies to place orders with Alpha Aviation in early 2006, confirming purchase of 26 Alpha 160A Trainers to replace CTC’s single-engine aircraft fleet. Alpha Aviation is headquartered beside CTC, situated alongside Hamilton International Airport.

On 24 May 2006, fire partially destroyed the Company’s leased trainee accommodation on Peachgrove Road in Hamilton East, forcing 19 of its trainees into temporary accommodation. A police investigation into the fire reported it to be of a suspicious nature; however police were unable to reach a conclusion regarding the cause.

CTC’s NZ Finance Director, Chris Wilson, said the Company will move trainee pilots into Clearways progressively as each stage of the four-building complex is completed.

“This is another exciting step in the development of our Hamilton facilities. During 2006, trainee pilot numbers will grow to around 120 in training at any one time. This growth represents demand from the European division of CTC Aviation Training and airlines within the Pacific Rim.

“Bringing trainee accommodation in-house will allow us to provide world-class facilities, recognising our position at the top of the global airline pilot training market. We are delighted with the speed of the development and proud of the quality facilities we can offer our cadets,” explained Mr Wilson.

Clearways is a self-contained facility for trainee pilots during their stay in Hamilton of up to 10 months. Each building will be named after a famous classic airliner. The “Comet” building is the first to be occupied followed by “Trident,” “Concorde” and “Britannia.”

When completed, the Clearways facility will comprise four buildings, each containing 24 studio rooms. In each building there is a central kitchen, laundry, storage, and lounge facility. The surrounding site will be landscaped and plans include recreational and sporting facilities. A ‘green transport plan’ was part of the design, and CTC has sourced a distinctive liveried fleet of minibuses to minimise the number of journeys between the accommodation complex and the Hamilton Crew Training Centre.

In March 2006, CTC Aviation Training NZ announced it was preparing to double the number of trainee pilots coming through its Hamilton Crew Training Centre. Constructing Clearways is one step the Company is taking to handle the growth in trainee numbers. Additional steps include:

• Building its fleet of training aircraft with a recent order of up to 26 Hamilton-built Alpha training aircraft

• Taking delivery of four jet-fuelled DA-42 Diamond TwinStar twin engine trainer aircraft in May committed to excellence

• Recruiting qualified instructors, as well as training its own instructors through a sponsorship programme

Construction of Clearways commenced in February 2006. It has been developed in partnership with Hamilton-based property investment company Meridian 37 and the construction work has been handled by Crater Lake Developments.

To support the increased training activity required to meet CTC’s Wings partner airline requirements, CTC have also installed two DA-42 type-specific simulators at the Bournemouth and Hamilton Crew Training Centres. CTC’s CEO, Chris Clarke commented – “The delivery of the new fleet of DA-42 aircraft is an exciting time for the company and puts us at the forefront of aviation training allowing us to enhance the future prospects of our Wings graduates to become successful airline pilots. Quite apart from the obvious economies of the aircrafts’ diesel engines, the impressive Garmin flight instrument and navigation system means that it is ideally suited to accommodate the special training needs of the MPL – a revolutionary new licence which CTC fully supports and which the company is working hard to introduce at the earliest opportunity”

The only new light twin aircraft to be developed in the last 20 years, the DA-42 incorporates the latest technology in avionics, engine and airframe design. The world’s first diesel powered twin offers excellent value and real performance benefits. The Diamond DA-42 is a major step forward in training equipment, uniquely able to prepare CTC Wings cadets for a modern airliner flight deck. The aircraft are already being used for training and both cadets and instructors are already identifying its specific training benefits.

Currently 10 new Wings cadets start their training each month and over the next year CTC plans a further increase to 12 per month in order to satisfy the on-going demand from CTC’s UK airline clients. To support this increase in training activity, CTC is constructing a NZ$5 million accommodation campus close to the Hamilton Crew Training Centre. The first cadets will move into the new facility in July 2006.

First Choice Airways is one of the UK's leading leisure airlines. Founded in 1987, the airline now operates a fleet of 32 aircraft from 15 UK airports, carrying six million customers on more than 30,000 flights to around 60 destinations worldwide every year.

Captain Lee Woodward of CTC said " CTC is delighted that First Choice Airways has chosen CTC Wings to provide for their cadet pilot requirement. First Choice Airways is a first class airline and we are very pleased to see them join the CTC Wings programme."

CTC have provided training support for First Choice since 1998 and, in 2001 the first CTC Wings ATP (licensed) pilots joined the airline. This new agreement enables aspiring pilots with no previous experience to be sponsored through all stages of their training by First Choice.

Philip Smallwood, Head of Pilot Management for First Choice said: “CTC provides thorough, excellent quality training for cadet pilots up to type rating. Its flexible approach meets our business needs, recognising the operational and recruitment peaks of a charter airline.”

Currently 10 new Wings cadets start their training each month. Over the next year CTC plans a further increase to 12 per month in order to satisfy a currently insatiable demand from CTC’s UK airline clients. In addition CTC recently launched a New Zealand training programme that, together with anticipated new demand from other clients worldwide, will result in CTC Wings expanding towards 200 pilots within 12 months.