Career Development Programme

One of the primary objectives of our APPFO course is to ensure that all graduates are fully prepared in all respects for airline service and not simply just in terms of flight training skills. Our dedicated Career and Employment Services team is a visible demonstration of the significant importance we place on meeting this objective.

The range of the activities of the team is extensive and a steadily growing number of employer airlines have expressed their satisfaction with the quality of candidates they are meeting for interview and employment assessment. Our activities mean that our graduates can be confident that they are properly prepared for airline interviews and fully capable of taking a place in the airline team once through the rigours of type training. Our team’s close links with airlines also enable Oxford Aviation Academy training activities to be adjusted in the light of changing airline cultures and requirements.

This close airline liaison is also critical in identifying and facilitating employment opportunities for our graduates. OAA is unique in providing a dedicated employment assistance service, and the results speak for themselves, For your information, employment results for the last few years are shown elsewhere on this web site. Throughout the course our APPFO students benefit from a range of activities all designed to improve their career prospects on completion of their training. Whilst not exclusive, these activities include:

Whilst in most cases the range of activities undertaken by the team is available only to APPFO students, some services are open to other students attending courses at Oxford and to external customers. We can also provide bespoke training to external customers.

First Officer Fundamentals

First Officer Fundamentals are taught in two one-week modules. APPFO students undertake these immediately before and on completion of Foundation Flight Training in Goodyear, USA or Melbourne, Australia. The 2 modules are also integrated into the MPL training course with first usually being delivered on completion of ground training and the second in the early stages of basic flight training. They are specifically designed to begin preparing them for interview and to help them acquire those additional skills which will fit them for entry into airline service. FOF brings another unique dimension to APPFO training and has proved highly successful, winning praise from students and customer airlines alike.

With inputs from airline personnel as well as by our own training staff, the FOF modules cover a range of issues not normally considered part of a standard flight training course. Students spend time studying multi-pilot operations and learning the importance of Human Factors and Crew Resource Management (CRM) issues in flying high performance jet aircraft. They learn about the dynamics of flight deck communication and crew briefing skills, and they are addressed by a series of external speakers, ranging from Airline Managing Directors to First Officers who have themselves completed the APPFO course, as well as experienced Cabin Crew and Training Captains.

Other topics covered during FOF include:

• Airline Economics & Business Analysis
• Decision Making & Conflict Management
• Threat & Error Management
• Accident & Incident Analysis
• Presentation and Briefing Techniques
• Radio Communication Procedures and Air Traffic Services
• CV Preparation and Interview Techniques
• Airline Culture

On completion of both FOF modules, APPFO students are awarded their ‘wings’ and epaulettes signifying their achievement in successfully completing the equivalent of the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Skills Test and being fully prepared to enter the final, advanced stages of OAA training.