Oxford Aviation Academy
Encyclopedia
Oxford Aviation Academy is an aviation training organisation. It includes the former Oxford Aviation Training
Oxford Aviation Training
Oxford Aviation Academy Ltd., known as Oxford Aviation Training prior to February 2008, is a commercial pilot training school based at Oxford Airport in the United Kingdom and Phoenix Goodyear Airport in the United States.-History:...

 - a commercial pilot
Commercial Pilot Licence
A Commercial Pilot License or, in the United States, a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the Pilot In Command of a single pilot aircraft, or as co-pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft and be paid for his/her work.The basic requirements to obtain the...

 training school based at Oxford Airport
Oxford Airport
-Expansion:The airport is currently looking to establish new routes out of the airport to help grow the airport and grow more into the comercial avaition market. The routes they are looking at are Edinburgh, Dublin, Munich, Amsterdam, Paris, Glasgow and Barcelona...

 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and Phoenix Goodyear Airport
Phoenix Goodyear Airport
Phoenix Goodyear Airport , formerly known as Goodyear Municipal Airport, is a public airport located one mile southwest of the central business district of Goodyear, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States....

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

; the former SAS Flight Academy
SAS Flight Academy
The former SAS Flight Academy, owned by the STAR Capital Partners has been merged with Oxford Aviation Academy Ltd. and they provide a variety of training services for airlines and air crew, ranging from total training packages to straightforward selling of simulator time. Training facilities are...

, the former GECAT and the former BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...

 Woodford, UK Training Centre, all of which are majority owned by STAR Capital Partners of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 with a minority stake of less than 20% retained by GE Commercial Aviation Services
GE Commercial Aviation Services
GECAS is a unit of GE Capital, itself part of the large conglomerate General Electric. The president of GECAS is Norman Liu. GECAS is responsible for the leasing of aircraft and associated equipment to airlines...

.

The "Airline Preparation Programme First Officer" course is a full time, Integrated Joint Aviation Authorities
Joint Aviation Authorities
The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, was an associated body of the ECAC representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures...

/European Aviation Safety Agency
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...

 (JAA/EASA) course leading to the award of a 'frozen' (becoming unfrozen when the candidate has completed 1500 hours in a multi-pilot environment) Airline Transport Pilot License
Airline Transport Pilot License
The Airline Transport Pilot License , or in the United States of America, an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate is the highest level of aircraft pilot rating -- or license...

 (ATPL).

Oxford Aviation Academy history

Oxford Aviation Academy is one of the world's leading flight training organisations and has been training high calibre pilots throughout its vast history.

Oxford Flying Club was officially opened by the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

 in 1939. However, restrictions placed on civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...

 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 curtailed its activities and the airfield operated as RAF Kidlington for the duration of hostilities. The club reopened in 1947, renamed as the Oxford Aeroplane Club. During the 1950s it gradually increased its fleet and, by 1960, had become a flying school
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....

 geared to the training of professional pilots.

In 1961, the flying school's parent company, Oxford Aviation, merged with the Pressed Steel Company
Pressed Steel Company
The Pressed Steel Company Limited was a British car body manufacturing company founded at Cowley near Oxford in 1926 as a joint venture between William Morris, the Budd Corporation and an American bank. Today at what was the company's Cowley plant, the BMW new MINI is assembled, this site is...

 to become British Executive Air Services Ltd. (BEAS). Dedicated ground school buildings and student residential accommodation were provided on site, and the first fully integrated Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL) and instrument rating
Instrument rating
Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under IFR . It requires additional training and instruction beyond what is required for a Private Pilot certificate or Commercial Pilot certificate, including rules and procedures specific to instrument flying,...

 (IR) courses began in May 1962.

In 1963, the BEAS Flying Training Division was renamed Oxford Air Training School. Since then, over twenty thousand trained commercial pilots and aircraft engineers
Aircraft maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is the overhaul, repair, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component.Maintenance includes the installation or removal of a component from an aircraft or aircraft subassembly, but does not include:...

 have graduated from the school. The school changed its name to Oxford Aviation Training (OAT) in the 1990s.

On 19 June 2007, OAT's parent company BBA Aviation sold OAT to GCAT Flight Academy (formerly General Electric Commercial Aviation Training, part of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...

 and SAS Flight Academy
SAS Flight Academy
The former SAS Flight Academy, owned by the STAR Capital Partners has been merged with Oxford Aviation Academy Ltd. and they provide a variety of training services for airlines and air crew, ranging from total training packages to straightforward selling of simulator time. Training facilities are...

, part of Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....

) for $63 million (£32 million). The deal was backed by GCAT Flight Academy's majority shareholder, STAR Capital Partners an independent venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...

 fund.

On 1 February 2008, OAT was re-branded as Oxford Aviation Academy (OAA). The new Oxford Aviation Academy website was launched on 4 February 2008.

In 2008 OAA acquired General Flying Services, based in Moorabbin, VIC, Australia.

APP First Officer

The flagship course of OAA is the full time ab-inito 'Airline Preparation Programme' (APP First Officer).

It is a JAA approved full time course and is used to train pilots to the level of proficiency necessary to enable them to operate on a multi crew aircraft in the position of a first officer, within a commercial airline. The course is designed for trainees who have little or no previous flying experience. The academy has strong connections with many of the worlds leading airlines having built up a reputation for providing high quality pilots to airlines through cadet schemes. Since 9/11, these "sponsored" programmes are very rare and most trainee's are now "self-sponsored," and can seek employment with any airline (using the JAA license) upon graduation.

After a rigorous pre-selection process, successful candidates are offered a place on the Airline Preparation Programme, subject to Class 1 JAA medical requirements. The initial theory and 14 JAA/EASA ATPL exams as well as the Instrument Rating and Multi Crew Co-operation/Jet Operations Course (MCC/JOC) are completed at OAAs Oxford Training Centre (located at Oxford Airport) while the Commercial Pilot's License is gained at OAA's training facility at Phoenix Goodyear Airport.

Assessment

To gain a place on the course it's necessary to complete a two day assessment at OAA's Oxford training centre. The assessment is designed to test candidates':
  • Aptitude
  • Capacity
  • Technical Knowledge
  • Personality
  • Team Skills
  • Verbal Reasoning
  • Communication Skills
  • Commitment


If successful in completing the assessment to the necessary standard then applicants are welcomed to join the APP course, with new courses starting approximately once a month.

Ground School

The first six months of the course are all completed in Oxford and it is during this time that students work to complete the 14 JAA/EASA ATPL theoretical exams. Completion of these exams is a pre-requisite to travelling to Phoenix to complete the practical flying and taking of the CPL Skills Test.

The 14 ATPL exams are as follows:
  • Principles of Flight
    Flight
    Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....

  • Aircraft General Knowledge – Systems
  • Aircraft General Knowledge - Instrumentation
  • Human Performance
  • Meteorology
    Meteorology
    Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...

  • VFR
    Visual flight rules
    Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...

     Communications
  • IFR
    Instrument flight rules
    Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....

     Communications
  • General Navigation
  • Radio Navigation
    Radio navigation
    Radio navigation or radionavigation is the application of radio frequencies to determine a position on the Earth. Like radiolocation, it is a type of radiodetermination.The basic principles are measurements from/to electric beacons, especially...

  • Flight Planning
    Flight planning
    Flight planning is the process of producing a flight plan to describe a proposed aircraft flight. It involves two safety-critical aspects: fuel calculation, to ensure that the aircraft can safely reach the destination, and compliance with air traffic control requirements, to minimise the risk of...

  • Aircraft Performance
  • Mass & Balance
    Center of gravity of an aircraft
    The center-of-gravity is the point at which an aircraft would balance if it were possible to suspend it at that point. It is the mass center of the aircraft, or the theoretical point at which the entire weight of the aircraft is assumed to be concentrated. Its distance from the reference datum is...

  • Operational Procedures
  • Air Law
    Aviation law
    Aviation law is the branch of law that concerns flight, air travel, and associated legal and business concerns. Some of its area of concern overlaps that of admiralty law and in many cases, aviation law is considered a matter of international law due to the nature of air travel. However, the...



At the end of the six months students will have completed 760 hours of ground school. The average grade for students on an APP course is 94%.

Initial Flight Training

The next five months of the course are spent in Phoenix, U.S.A. which allows students to take advantage of the good weather and get used to very busy General Aviation airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....

. The first 110 hours of flying are completed on the PA-28 Warrior
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....

, a single piston engine
Reciprocating engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types...

 aircraft. 10 hours of flying are then completed in the PA-34 Seneca
Piper PA-34 Seneca
The Piper PA-34 Seneca is an American twin-engined light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971 and still in production in 2011.The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.-Development:...

, a multi engine aircraft which is used for the CPL Skills Test. When successful then students return from Phoenix with a Multi Engine Commercial Pilot Licence.

Advanced Flight Training

The Advanced Flight Training takes place back in Oxford and students will complete 30 hours time in a Flight and Navigation Procedures Trainers (FNPT) II fixed base simulator and 20 hours flight time in the PA-34 Seneca. This flying is designed to teach students to use aircraft instruments for navigation and culminates in the Instrument Rating Skills Test (IRT).

Multi Crew Co-Operation and Jet Operations Course

The final phase of training takes place over three weeks using a six axis full motion Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...

-400 simulator
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...

 at Oxford. 20 hours are dedicated to the MCC which teaches students how to work effectively in a multi crew environment. The final 16 hours focus on the JOC allows students to get used to operating a modern jet airliner.

In summary the integrated course consists of 216 hours of flight training and 760 hours of ATPL theoretical knowledge training and lasts approximately 18 months – culminating in the issue of a JAA CPL with Instrument Rating and Multi Crew Co-Operation credit. Following this course, a pilot is now qualified to gain employment in any airline within the JAA licensing region as a First Officer.

Fleet

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Aircraft
! Fleet
! Location
|-
| Piper PA-28 Warrior
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....


| 28
| Phoenix
|-
| Piper PA-34 Seneca
Piper PA-34 Seneca
The Piper PA-34 Seneca is an American twin-engined light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971 and still in production in 2011.The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.-Development:...


| 22
| Phoenix & Oxford
|-
| Socata TB-20 Trinidad
Socata TB
|-Specifications :-Specifications :-See also:...


| 2
| Oxford
|-
| Cessna 172s
| 13
| Melbourne
|-| Zlín Z 242 L}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Simulator
! Location
|-
| Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...

 || London, Stockholm & Hong Kong
|-
| Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....

/A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...

 || London, Stockholm & Hong Kong
|-
| BAe ATP || Manchester
|-
| BAe 146
BAe 146
The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...

 || Manchester
|-
| BAe Jetstream 32 || Manchester
|-
| Bell 212/412
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...

 || Stockholm
|-
| Boeing 737-300/400/500
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...

 || Oxford, London, Riga, Stockholm, Oslo
|-
| Boeing 737 Next Generation
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...

 || London, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Hong Kong
|-
| Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...

 || Buenos Aires, London
|-
| Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...

/767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...

 || London, Stockholm
|-
| McDonnell Douglas MD-80 || Stockholm, Copenhagen
|-
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...

 || London
|-
| Bombardier CRJ200
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...

 || Oxford
|-
| Bombardier Dash 8-200/300/400 || Stockholm, Oslo
|-
| Embraer 170
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...

 || London
|-
| Fokker F28
Fokker F28
The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...

 || Stockholm
|-
| Fokker 50 || Stockholm
|-
| Hawker 700 || London
|-
| Piper PA-28 Warrior
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....

 || Oxford & Phoenix
|-
| Piper PA-34 Seneca
Piper PA-34 Seneca
The Piper PA-34 Seneca is an American twin-engined light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971 and still in production in 2011.The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.-Development:...

 || Oxford & Phoenix
|-
| Saab 340
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...

 || Stockholm
|-
| Saab 2000
Saab 2000
|-See also:-References:* Lambert, Mark. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1....

|| Stockholm
|}
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