CTC Aviation expands crew training centre network
As part of CTC Aviation’s strategic plans to expand the capacity and provision of purpose-built airline pilot training and resourcing services, the company has announced the opening of two additional UK-based Crew Training Centres - London Gatwick and Coventry; increasing the total number of Crew Training and Resourcing Centres within the company to seven worldwide
Gatwick
Chosen strategically for its convenient location close to London’s Gatwick Airport, CTC Aviation’s newest airline training facility is home to a new Airbus A320 Level D Full Flight Simulator provided by L-3 Link Simulation and Training. This will be followed quickly by another L-3 Link simulator, a Boeing 737-800W scheduled for certification in June 2015.
Training at the new facility commenced in March 2015, with the first trainees coming from British Airways – both Future Pilot Programme graduates and experienced pilots converting to the Airbus A320 from other fleet types. In this exclusive pilot training outsourcing decision by British Airways, CTC Aviation is delivering Airbus A320 conversion training for up to 200 of BA’s newly-qualified and experienced pilots; including those changing aircraft type to move into new command roles.
Lindsay Craig, Manager – Pilot Recruitment for British Airways, said: “CTC Aviation has been providing a variety of training for our experienced and newly qualified pilots for over 20 years. We are committed to investing in the very best training available to ensure the highest levels of safety, technical and customer service skills for all of our pilots. CTC Aviation has consistently met our high pilot training standards.”
Trainees from other CTC Aviation Partner airlines will also commence training at the London Gatwick centre in the coming months.
Coventry
Investment to enable greater diversification and capacity in ab initio airline pilot training has enabled additional ATPL theoretical knowledge training capacity at a new Crew Training Centre – Coventry. This investment increases the company’s UK-based training and resourcing centres to a total of four purpose-built airline pilot training centres.
The centre at Coventry airport - previously managed by ‘ProPilot’ – currently provides three purpose-built classrooms (with plenty of room for further expansion) and a dedicated ground training instructor team currently headed by well-known industry figure, Jacqui Suren.
Trainee pilots on either the full-time, flagship CTC WINGS airline pilot career programmes or CTC TAKEOFF flexible Integrated and Modular courses may now complete ATPL theoretical knowledge training at any one of CTC Aviation’s three Crew Training Centres equipped specifically for this purpose – Coventry and Southampton in the United Kingdom, or Hamilton in New Zealand.
Furthermore, current ProPilot trainees at Coventry can be reassured that their course content and instructor team will remain the same and ProPilot trainees will also benefit from the combined forces of these two industry leaders working as one
In announcing this latest investment news, Martin Hunt – Chief Operating Officer for Ab initio pilot training (UK) praised the reputation and expertise of the team who will be joining CTC Aviation as part of this move:
“Jacqui Suren and her team are some of the UK’s leading Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) theoretical knowledge instructors. They have an excellent reputation and their proven reputation for delivering industry-leading theoretical knowledge instruction in an imaginative and engaging style ties in very much with our own innovative, solution-based approach to all aspects of our training portfolio.”
“As part of this exciting investment, we not only enhance our existing ground training team considerably, but we are now also in a position to offer distance-learning ATPL ground school through the industry-leading PadPilot training manuals. This is a truly worldwide product enabling us to engage with many thousands of trainees wherever they may be studying around the globe.”
Bringing together world-class media delivery
As part of this development in its ground school provision, CTC Aviation has also signed a three-year agreement to utilise the PadPilot learning platform for the delivery of all its EASA ATPL theoretical knowledge training with immediate effect.
CTC Aviation annually trains and recruits in the region of 3,000 pilots for approximately 50 customer airlines worldwide. Each year circa 300 aspiring ab initio airline pilots commence training on the company’s flagship airline pilot career programme - CTC WINGS recognised by airlines such as: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, Qatar Airways, flybe and Jetstar. Uniquely, the company actively facilitates employment opportunities for its graduate pilots with an unrivalled 98% graduate placement record with partner airlines.
