Cadet Scheme

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The Multiflight Flight Training Centre provides flight training for cadet pilots for West Atlantic Airlines, the UK’s largest independent cargo carrier.

The West Atlantic Airlines Cadet Pilot Programme/Sponsorship Scheme provides a great opportunity for aspiring pilots. It takes trainee pilots who hold a valid Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) and can meet the selection criteria, to the issue of a full Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) and Instrument Rating (IR).

The West Atlantic Airlines’ sponsorship scheme is funded fully up front by West Atlantic Airlines, with 50 per cent of the initial training costs later paid back by the pilot: but this is only after they have successfully completed the programme and are working and getting paid as a First Officer with the airline. All successful cadets are employed by West Atlantic Airlines on completion of the programme, which includes type and line training, as a Commercial Pilot with one of West Atlantic Airlines’ aircraft types.

The pre-entry requirements for the Cadet Scheme are as follows:

• Preferably cadets should be 18-26 years old, but not essential for the right candidate
• You must hold a current class 1 medical
• You must hold a current JAR FCL Private Pilots Licence
• Preferably cadets should hold a night rating, but not essential for the right candidate
• You must have a full, clean, UK driving licence
• Ideally you must have 150 hours total time of which 100 hours must be P1, but not essential for the right candidate
• You must have the rights to live and work within the UK

Anyone interested in taking part in the scheme should contact the Multiflight Flight Training Centre for more information: telephone + 44 (0) 113 238 7130, or e-mail information@multiflight.com. All applicants must complete the Cadet Pilot Sponsorship Scheme application form.

West Atlantic Airlines, based at Coventry Airport, is an all cargo airline providing ad hoc and contract cargo services throughout Europe. It works mainly for the Express Cargo Industry and its customers include DHL, TNT and Royal Mail. Specialist services include support aircraft for oil spill response and the transport of bloodstock and other high value time critical products. Its existing principle fleet features nine BAe Systems ATP aircraft, with two more due for 2009 delivery, and seven Lockheed L188/C Electra.

Hear from the cadets

So what’s life like as a cadet pilot on the West Atlantic Airlines Cadet Pilot Programme/Sponsorship Scheme? Read here what some of the cadet pilots have to say:

Jamie Walker, who joined the West Atlantic Airlines Cadet Pilot Programme/Sponsorship Scheme at 25, says: “Prior to joining the company I had been an apprentice footballer for Mansfield Town FC and worked as a Watersports Instructor for Center Parcs.”

“I had been thinking for some time of taking my Private Pilot's Licence (PPL) and began my training at Doncaster Robin Hood Airport in 2008. I had qualified by the end of the year.”

“It was during my flight training that I realised this was the career I wanted and started to research the possibilities of becoming a Commercial Airline Pilot for which the qualifications required are an Air Transport Pilot's Licence (ATPL), Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL), Instrument Rating (IR), Multi-Crew Certificate (MCC) and Type Rating.

To gain an ATPL requires six months of 'ground school' study, and, having looked at several options, I decided on the European Pilot's Training Academy (ETPA) at Bournemouth. My training there began in January 2009 until July 2009. I passed all the exams first time with an average pass rate of 93%.

Just as I finished my ground school exams I heard about the West Atlantic Airlines Cadet Scheme and applied through the Multiflight website. I was lucky to be one of a selected group of individuals who were invited to attend for an interview which consisted of tests in physics, maths and English as well as a formal interview and was carried out over two stages. After completing the final stage, which was an interview with the Managing Director and HR Manager, I was told that I had been successful in my application and would commence work as a cadet pilot at the beginning of August.

I moved into the cadet house in Coventry with five other colleagues to begin my new career. My main job was to drive pilots to various airports around the country and on my first day I was thrown in at the deep end when I drove crews to Bournemouth Airport and Stansted Airport in the same day. During that same week I drove a transit van from Coventry to Leipzig and back with a propeller spinner that was needed for an Electra aircraft: the drive itself took approximately 17 hours one way! I was allowed three hours flying per month to build up my flying hours to that magic total of 150. Some of my navigation trips included Skegness, Shoreham, Blackpool, Leeds, Blackbushe, Netherthorpe and Clacton - gaining valuable experience along the way.

Cadet duties also included the chance of working on the 737 supporting the Loadmaster, which involves 'mucking out the stables' and cleaning the aircraft. The 737 is used to move horses all over Europe as well as Dubai, and I had the good fortune to visit Dubai, Dublin, Paris, Rome and Milan on several occasions.

Cadets also spend quite a substantial amount of time in Sweden, the company merged with West Air Sweden in 2008 and the Commercial Director is based at the company's headquarters in Gothenburg. As a cadet you will be required to spend four weeks working with him to help the company become more cost-efficient. Jobs out in Sweden can involve gardening, driving crews to Norway and supporting the management team with any requests they have. The cadet on duty in Sweden lives in a lovely apartment and sometimes has weekends off to explore the area and learn the Swedish culture. I was fortunate enough to 'jump seat' on the CRJ to Svalbard which is located in the Arctic Circle.

I had completed 19 months of cadet duties when I was given the exciting news that I was to be sent to Naples, Florida, to commence my Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL). I flew out to Miami on March 6th and completed the course at Naples Air Centre in Florida and passed the skills test in a PA28 Arrow on April 9th - I was ecstatic! On my return to the UK I was told I would be commencing my Instrument Rating (IR) immediately at the Multiflight Flight Training Centre at Leeds Bradford International Airport, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK, for this I did almost 30 hours flying in the simulator followed by 15 hours in the BE76 Duchess aircraft and was then ready to sit my IR skills test. The date was set for July 13th and my route was Leeds to Blackpool; I took off on an instrument departure which is the POL 1W departure and then took the standard route to Blackpool. On reaching Blackpool I was told to fly the BPL NDB 318 hold and then to fly the NDB DME procedure, which, on the day, was Runway 10. The examiner then called a 'go-around' with a simulated engine failure on the climb out. After completing some general handling just off the coast it was back to Leeds to fly the ILS 32 procedure followed by a circle to land. The examiner told me to shut down the aircraft and said the wonderful words: "Congratulations, you've passed"!

Following the celebrations, I received a phone call from West Atlantic Airlines to tell me that I had been booked on the next type rating for the BAe-ATP commencing on 29th August 2011. I was given one final task which had to be completed before type rating commenced: my colleague and I would have to paint the aircraft hangar! To get a flavour of how big this hangar is: you can fit two 737s in it nose to nose! It was a tough job which would be done with a smile on my face.

West Atlantic Airlines pilot Matt Jacob, who came through the West Atlantic Airlines Cadet Pilot Programme/Sponsorship Scheme, says: “I am 26 years old and have been flying the Lockheed Electra L188 for West Atlantic Airlines for almost a year now. Before joining the company I graduated at Newcastle University with a 2:1 in Business & Economics, after which I did odd jobs saving money for my PPL. I went out to Florida in early 2005 for my PPL and once arriving back in the UK I started studying for my ATPL ground school exams alongside working as cabin crew.

“I joined West Atlantic Airlines as a cadet at the start of November 2005. At first, as is the case with every cadet, the amount of work they demanded of you was a shock, even after certain expectations and a small amount of research. However, I knew that this was an opportunity of a lifetime and seeing ex-cadets as fully qualified pilots ‘on the line’, together with being involved with the everyday operation of an airline, I was more enthusiastic then ever – there was an everyday visible goal to aim at.

“After six months of seven-day-a-week cadet duties, e.g. driving pilots around, sweeping the hangar floor and working on aircraft, I was given new ATPL ground school books (I had to start all over again as I’d not managed to take any previous exams) and two days off mid-week as study days. The rest of the week was taken up with normal cadet duties. At one point I also worked in ‘Operations’ while the company were short-staffed, more evidence of the value of cadets, and more valuable involvement for me, experiencing additional ‘ins and outs’ of the airline. I was also given a set amount of hours I could fly each month in order to build sufficient hours in time for my CPL.

“The quicker I completed my exams the quicker I could be in that sought-after right-hand seat, hence I worked as hard as I could to get them done as rapidly and as successfully as possible. I passed all my exams (three separate modules) within nine months of starting them, 15 months from my first day at Atlantic; this worked out well for me as I commenced my CPL the day after I received my last exam results.

“I completed my CPL, MEP, IR & MCC in the spring of 2007 and was offered a summer course on the Electra. I made my first line flight mid-September 2007 and am proud to now be in the right-hand seat flying a fantastic aircraft for such a dynamic, competitive and successful airline.

“Rising through the apprenticeship of the West Atlantic Airlines’ ‘fuglyship’ has been a truly valuable and enjoyable experience that will never be forgotten. Not only have I been handed such a fantastic opportunity – a paid-for license and first job – I have enjoyed many life-changing experiences along the way, and met some fantastic people, some of whom are still my best friends today. I would, without hesitation, recommend this scheme to anyone who has the passion, determination and enthusiasm to work hard for an extraordinarily unique and highly satisfying reward waiting for them at the end.”

Cadet Pilot Miguel Cooper says: “I started my Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) at Thruxton when I was 14, flying with birthday and Christmas money. Frustrated by the weather and scarcity of flights, I took myself off to Naples, Florida when I was 17 to finish the licence once and for all!

“At the time of applying to the scheme, I was a year out of university working as a translator for an internet company and with around 120 hours logged. With such fierce competition for pilot sponsorship, I was surprised to be offered the job, starting the following week. Things move pretty fast with Atlantic!

“The first six months passed very quickly and I spent them getting to know the other cadets and launching myself in to the job, seven days a week. It was certainly hard work and a shock to the system, but it’s all part of the process to acclimatise you to the busy, time-critical world of night-freight operations. Like any job, there are both high and low points as one would expect. Some good times, for example, have been spending a week in Edinburgh loading Turkish F-27s, driving to Brussels to personally deliver champagne to important clients and jump-seating my way around Europe on the Electra. By contrast, ‘bleaker’ times include manually unloading eight tons of mail from a grounded ATP and re-loading it on to another ATP parked alongside it and driving to Bournemouth three times in 24 hours.

“What I like about Atlantic is that I know pretty much everyone in the company and consequently, I have a fairly comprehensive overview of how each of the major departments operates. This has obvious advantages in breeding captains with ‘business sense,’- a highly desirable quality in an airline’s commanders and future managers, particularly given the current economic climate.”

West Atlantic Airlines’ cadet pilot Alastair Yardy says being part of the cadet pilot programme is an excellent life experience and a great way to learn about every aspect of how an airline operates.

“It is tough at times, but you are working towards a goal of becoming a pilot and that’s what keeps you going and focused,” says Alastair.

“As a cadet half your training costs are paid for you and you are guaranteed a job at the end of your training: it’s a fantastic scheme and we cadets consider ourselves very fortunate to have been selected for the programme. For many of us cadets it’s the only way we could ever afford to train as a pilot.”

Alastair has enjoyed his flight training at leading UK flight training centre Multiflight, saying: “Multiflight offers a highly organised, professional flight training environment and you couldn’t wish for anywhere better to do your flight training. The Multiflight team is extremely helpful and always on hand to help and support you.”

Alastair started flying as soon as he graduated from University at Coventry in Aerospace Technology. He saved up his final year student loan to be able to afford to go to Florida in 2005 to obtain his Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL). Once he arrived back in the UK he started his Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) ground school distance learning while saving money doing agency jobs in order to complete the 14 ATPL exams.

He joined West Atlantic Airlines in November 2007 with around 100 hours flying and his ATPL exams complete.

“When I started with Atlantic it was quite a shock with the quantity of work, the seven-day-a-week lifestyle and the type of jobs you were given to do, but it was exciting too. As a cadet pilot you get to meet and know everyone within the company as you get involved with all areas, from operations and engineering to accounts, and you get to know how the company operates.

“I spent a lot of time positioning pilots around the country in a car, while never knowing what job I may be given to do next. It could be a trip to Bournemouth or a road trip across Europe to Luxembourg, Leipzig or Brussels; jump seating out of East Midlands Airport, or catching a schedule flight to Basel, Lubiana or Jersey with aircraft spares.

“As with all jobs there are good times and bad, but working with the West Atlantic Airlines’ crews within an ever-changing industry; seeing what is waiting for you when you finish your cadet training, and knowing you are getting closer to fulfilling your dream is an unforgettable experience.”