AL Cadet programme

kiwster · 22-11-2011 06:24PM

el tel wrote: »

Apart from this thread I have never heard anyone question or discuss the legalities of a psychological interview. Though when there's something to be idly speculated, no doubt this thread will find it.

Put it this way, it isn't a very pressing or overly probing interview. You don't lie on the couch with the shrink breaking you down via some reversion process, with the goal of reducing yoy to tears as you admit to having had screwed up childhood with tendancies towards extreme life-risking behaviour and now a penchant for bestiality.

Plus, there will be someone from HR in the room so don't be tempted to offer the shrink a chopper massage in turn for a clean bill of mental health. Or maybe that's the other way round? :)

Haha, I suspected it would be just to make sure you're not a complete lunatic!

guerito · 22-11-2011 07:04PM

Well there hadn't been any baseless speculation for a while, and the level of first-hand information on this thread was getting dangerously high, so it was bound to go OT for a while.

Getting back on-topic: has anyone asked EI about the bond? They did say at the group stage that there was none, but that was back when it was only 50% financed. Different exposure for EI now, so that could change the rules somewhat. It would be good to rule out.

shamrock421 · 24-11-2011 03:47AM

Yes, you will of course be bonded for the sponsorship that you recieve. The airline industry is not in the habit of charity towards air crew.

The bond will be in the region of €75,000. This bond will reduce as the amount of months in service increase.
To get a good picture of this ;

School X charges €100,000 for there pilot training course.
Student Y agree's to fund €25,000 of this course with own funding.
Airline Z agree's to fund Student Y, the other €75,000 for this course.
(Airline Z have given a verbal contract that if Student Y gets top grades, then Airline Z (If it can) will give Student Y a job as a co-pilot.

Student Y has completed the course and is now ready to start work as a co-pilot (Pending Type Rating).
Airline Z need a co-pilot so they fund Student Y for a Type Rating to the value of €30,000.

Student Y is now a co-pilot for Airline Z. Once Student Y has completed his/her final line check on the aircraft (ie, A320 and after x amount of sectors with a training captain) then Airline Z start the timer on the €75,000 bond. This €75,000 will reduce at the rate of €12,500 per 12 months for a total period of 72 months. Also, running along side the €75,000 cadet bond, will also be the Type Rating bond. This €30,000 bond will reduce at the rate of €10,000 per 12 months for a total period of 36 months.

So, when the pilot has reached month 37, they will have worked of the type rating bond and will have worked off approx €38,000 of there €75,000 cadet bond leaving them with a bond value of approx €37,000 to still work off.

The above is just a guide and should not be taken as actual terms that potential cadets for aer lingus will have to agree to.

silverfield · 24-11-2011 11:07AM

Chances are that if you do get offered the position and start as FO post training you are not going to leave AL for at least ten years anyway until you log up some decent hours so whether you're bonded or not seems irrelevant to me. Even if it was a 15 yr bond, would you really say, 'no'? Of course not - AL is one of the most prestigious airlines left in this country, the real question is why would you want to leave.

el tel · 24-11-2011 12:26PM

Bond schmond. If you want to fly enough you would rusty trombone everyone in the airline, bond or no bond.

Oh, and the grammar in some of the posts in this thread is atrocious. Particularly the use of the apostrophe.

kiwster · 24-11-2011 12:40PM

el tel wrote: »

Bond schmond. If you want to fly enough you would rusty trombone everyone in the airline, bond or no bond.

Had to google rusty trombone, my innocence is lost forever

brophya2007 · 24-11-2011 02:09PM

el tel wrote: »

Bond schmond. If you want to fly enough you would rusty trombone everyone in the airline, bond or no bond.

Oh, and the grammar in some of the posts in this thread is atrocious. Particularly the use of the apostrophe.

and commas

silverfield · 24-11-2011 03:16PM

brophya2007 wrote: »

el tel wrote: »

Bond schmond. If you want to fly enough you would rusty trombone everyone in the airline, bond or no bond.

Oh, and the grammar in some of the posts in this thread is atrocious. Particularly the use of the apostrophe.

and commas

Quality - had to urban dictionary that phrase :-)

guerito · 24-11-2011 09:41PM

shamrock421 wrote: »

Yes, you will of course be bonded for the sponsorship that you recieve...

Yep, just wondering if anyone had aske'd about duration of the bond, condition's etc.

el tel wrote: »

Bond schmond. If you want to fly enough you would rusty trombone everyone in the airline, bond or no bond.

Oh, and the grammar in some of the posts in this thread is atrocious. Particularly the use of the apostrophe.

Rusty trombone, toss the salad, step up to the mike, you name it. No harm in knowing on what term's youll be doing it though,

ArphaRima · 25-11-2011 09:07AM

Those applying for these jobs based on the expectation of a decent Dublin/Cork salary should look at the salary/payscale, terms & conditions for the Gatwick and Belfast bases.

This training debt on those salaries would be horrendous. If assigned to those bases I would recommend immediately resigning after 1500hrs on type to fly elsewhere for a decent wage.

It is likely that a large number of cadets would be sent there as they are haemorrhaging Capt's and F/O's for that very reason.

Bearcat · 25-11-2011 10:22AM

silverfield wrote: »

Chances are that if you do get offered the position and start as FO post training you are not going to leave AL for at least ten years anyway until you log up some decent hours so whether you're bonded or not seems irrelevant to me. Even if it was a 15 yr bond, would you really say, 'no'? Of course not - AL is one of the most prestigious airlines left in this country, the real question is why would you want to leave.

historically cadets have been extremely loyal and the majority serve their careers with AL to either when a severance package comes up or until retirement age. That may change with the new world we are facing, golden handshakes etc being a thing of the past. Direct entries have either been extemely loyal too or were journey men that headed elsewhere.

besta luck to you guys/ gals in the process.

Contrails · 25-11-2011 11:55AM

fluffer wrote: »

Those applying for these jobs based on the expectation of a decent Dublin/Cork salary should look at the salary/payscale, terms & conditions for the Gatwick and Belfast bases.

This training debt on those salaries would be horrendous. If assigned to those bases I would recommend immediately resigning after 1500hrs on type to fly elsewhere for a decent wage.

It is likely that a large number of cadets would be sent there as they are haemorrhaging Capt's and F/O's for that very reason.

Yes, but the bases in the UK are undergoing a pay review, right now. Aer Lingus are trying to get back some of that old school loyalty. The cadet scheme and UK pay review are getting that ball rolling again.

And from what ive heard they will do their best to set you up in your preferred base. Obviously it'll be demand-supply but there'll be more of an effort made than Ryanair, for example. At my assessment there were lads from Dublin, Belfast, England and the shticks. AL Have bases in all those places. And there are deffinately a decent bunch left from the UK at this stage. If anyone will fill the gaps in Gatwick first, it'll be them.

ArphaRima · 25-11-2011 12:03PM

With respect historically that applies to the Dublin base and fully sponsored cadets in previous decades.

To those self-sponsored, non-Irish or based in the low-cost bases the trend is quite different.

The days of "prestige" carrying Aer Lingus are over. A good number of pilots have left for Virgin/BA/Easyjet as well as the middle and far east in recent times.
The golden handcuffs of the generous pension (dublin/cork only anyway) has even been drastically reduced. That was the major advantage EI pilots had. Now salaries have been reduced and pensions capped.

I wish everyone going for this the best of luck and I encourage everyone interested to apply. Just do so with your eyes open. A raw enthusiasm to fly will give way to the realisation that it's a job and career foremost. Just keep it in mind and do your research.

ECHO INDIA · 25-11-2011 05:22PM

Anyone's referees been contacted yet?

Contrails · 25-11-2011 05:58PM

ECHO INDIA wrote: »

Anyone's referees been contacted yet?

Would your referee be allowed say that they were contacted?

silverfield · 25-11-2011 06:13PM

ECHO INDIA wrote: »

Anyone's referees been contacted yet?

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the last interview taking place this Monday? I'd say they will pick all the folks for the next stage sometime next week after deliberation and only then will HR start to contact referees - Just a guess! I thought they said in the interview that it would be another 2-3 weeks before we hear anything more?

Contrails · 25-11-2011 08:00PM

silverfield wrote: »

ECHO INDIA wrote: »

Anyone's referees been contacted yet?

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the last interview taking place this Monday? I'd say they will pick all the folks for the next stage sometime next week after deliberation and only then will HR start to contact referees - Just a guess! I thought they said in the interview that it would be another 2-3 weeks before we hear anything more?

I was told early December. So perhaps another week, week and a half.

Johnny Foxtrot · 26-11-2011 05:38AM

Yeah I got early December too. What's this about possibly another round? Was I that bad?!:p

silverfield · 26-11-2011 12:19PM

Did they not say that there would be another round of interviews after these with a final panel which will include a phycologist also?

Tirty_3 · 26-11-2011 01:37PM

There will be another final stage after these interviews are concluded.

I do not think it will be an assessment however, certainly not like what we have been through already, and i think the number to the final stage will be very low.
I think the purpose of it is just to gain a bit more insight and knowledge into you as an individual. At this stage, AL know you are capable and have the attitude/aptitude but don't know anything of you as a person and how you will behave as a cadet. So I think it will be more of an information gathering procedure/analysing session for them. It makes sense, we are going to be their cadets, they will certainly want to know everything about us.

I would imagine, as some previous posts have mentioned already, that it will be a bit about making sure you are sane/stable/suitable for the job, and they will probably ask a lot about your life up until now to ensure this. AL will have > €2 million (inc TR) invested in the 20 successful, so they are quite right to take these steps in my view, the risk of a 'rogue' cadet to them would be huge.

Good luck to everyone! :pac:

Johnny Foxtrot · 26-11-2011 02:44PM

They didn't say there was definitely another round after this current round of interviews. They just indicated that there might be.
I agree Tirty_3, it does make sense that they have another round. This is the first time they've got to meet the candidates and 1 interview probably doesn't give them enough bearing in mind the investment. I didn't hear anything about a psychologist though.

Aero Kid · 26-11-2011 06:17PM

Johnny Foxtrot wrote: »

They didn't say there was definitely another round after this current round of interviews. They just indicated that there might be.
I agree Tirty_3, it does make sense that they have another round. This is the first time they've got to meet the candidates and 1 interview probably doesn't give them enough bearing in mind the investment. I didn't hear anything about a psychologist though.

There is going to be another round. I asked at the interview. I was told it will be of 'interview type' but the interviews that end on Tuesday will form the main interview. This next stage is just to get to know you even better which is well within reason considering the investment of AL.

Best of luck to everyone still involved!

Aero Kid · 26-11-2011 10:51PM

One other quick question. Does anyone know if this cadet scheme is going to be run over a number of years? Or is it simply being run just now and will not open again for sometime?

Tightwad · 27-11-2011 10:08AM

Aero Kid wrote: »

One other quick question. Does anyone know if this cadet scheme is going to be run over a number of years? Or is it simply being run just now and will not open again for sometime?

At our presentation we were told "we plan to take on 20 cadets each year over five years (economy dependant)"

high ho · 29-11-2011 08:36PM

so thats the interviews over with. whats next and when?

Contrails · 29-11-2011 09:03PM

Dunno bout you guys but i'm just sitting tight waiting for my congratulations email!

Ah its funny cause im not actually that confident.....

But getting back to brass tax, i dont know whats next or when. If you read back over the thread you'll see 1) you'll likely be contacted early december 2) theres likely to be another stage of a similar interview format. Good luck folks....... (but not too much luck) ...

Jim236 · 29-11-2011 10:45PM

@Contrail

How did you find how the interview went? What did you make of the technical side of it? I heard they were tough enough.

antonov225 · 01-12-2011 09:58AM

all keyboards are silent as the boardsie cadets hold their breath...

Waiting for Leaving Cert/Uni results was nothing compared to this!

Xpro · 01-12-2011 10:25AM

Tough going id say, hope it works well for ye lads. i didnt get trough myself unfortunately, but i started the modular course instead

BigBirdie · 01-12-2011 12:56PM

antonov225 wrote: »

all keyboards are silent as the boardsie cadets hold their breath...

Waiting for Leaving Cert/Uni results was nothing compared to this!

You've got that right! I'm trying to keep my hopes to a minimum but it's not working out too well for me..

I reckon it'll be Monday before we hear though.

AL Cadet programme

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