Emerald flightcrew

[Goldfinger]

I'm trying to find out whether Emerald ask you to pay up 10 grand for the flying training following ground school or bond you when you carry out a Type Rating with them ?

As far as i can tell, those people who do well at the groundschool are then placed into a holding pool. I'd like to know how things progress from there ??

Can someone shed (no pun honest) some light on this.

PM would be great

Thanks

Goldfinger:} :}

[Impressive_Wingspan]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the only responses you are likely to get are;

1) dada: A shower of ****.
2) Captain Ian Jones: Don't do it, crap company, if you can find ANYTHING else take it.

Both obviously have alternative employment organized and must be working their notice, i'd ask again in a month or so!

Cue the boys............................

[jafo33]

Goldfinger, Check your PM's.

I'd like to try and post something more useful than the usual offensive comments and without having an obvious axe to grind.

Emerald, like most airlines, and freight operators especially, have their good and bad points. Emerald will give you a good start in a first job, with lots of flying and hours, probably with a quick command. OK sometimes you may spend more hours in a taxi or hire car than flying the route but look around. Its the same with many other people.

Depending on which fleet you go, the work varies. Go for the state of the art, ultramodern Shorts, ;) and you will do runs mainly out of Coventry and Luton with some from Stansted and Dublin. Good hours, good crews. Go for the 'classic' fleet with the 748 and you may be doing LPL - BFS a lot or ad-hocs out of CDG anywhere in Europe at 30 minutes notice.

Both offer the novelty of hands-on flying. I may moan about this now, but I think I'll miss it later.

Salaries are not great but you know that when you go in. This is low-cost the way Stelios only dreamed of. Expect to spend some time self-positioning around the country in a hire car. Expect to be called on days off and begged to work because 'everyone else is flying'. (No, 'everyone else' knew better than to answer the phone).

Communication from management is poor. Expect to be told last or find out about it on Pprune. Expect to work all the days you legally can and if you let them, those you legally can't.

Its not perfect but it has its moments. Night flying is great - direct everywhere, no traffic or chatter on the radio and 'proper' flying. I enjoy it most nights, just get annoyed when you land and someone has not bothered arranging any transport for you to get home or booked the hotel. When you make to the 'big' airlines you'll proably find much the same.

Sorry to go on, but its a mixed bag. Like I say, - just like most other airlines!

Hope this helps and didn't bore! Feel free to PM me with specific questions. Sorry for being a bit slow answering those recently.

If you really want to know what freight flying is like, this thread kind of sums it up. Its been done a lot but it's still funny.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31010&highlight=freight+dog+when

[CV Donator]

jAFFO33, i wondered if you can help, i've been trying my damndest to get in but the harder i try it seems to have no effect. I reckon i must have sent about 5 cvs inthe last year. I heard that the company was short of pilots. I'm not from the northwest, living in glos at the moment wonder if thats why.

[jafo33]

CVD,

It depends. Company seem to like you to live about 45 minutes from a base. Coventry, Luton maybe Liverpool.

Might not be anything personal, I guess they've had a few applications!

Keep trying and good luck.

[dada]

most know exactly what i think - the thing is, despite all the points mentioned above, it could be an enjoyable experience if it wasn't for the mob, a superhero of a man if ever there was one.

[Doctor Cruces]

Never heard the mobster described as a superhero before, even with 20 kgs of tongue in cheek. Several indications of "great big", "utter and complete", "total" etc etc etc, but never superhero.

Dada, congrats. I knew you could be subtle if you wanted!!!

Doc C

[74Freight]

One slight correction about positioning in hire cars, someone forgot to pay the bill, there's a good bus service to LPL though.

[jafo33]

So I've heard :-) What are the buses like in the Coventry area? Or will we now be issued with rail passes?;)

[Fred Shed]

There are two new buses at CVT it's just a shame we can't get throught the security corden the new owners have put in place. I'm expecting a strip-search tonight, could be an enjoyable experience but not at 03:00.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Emerald have just taken on a few new chaps on the shed. I believe they didn't pay for their type rating, but will get bonded. What a surprise!

They may not be the most glamorous company, but it is definately better than not flying for a living. The new ATP hosties are pretty nice as well!

A bit of a f**k up about the hire cars though!

[dada]

look at www.flyjem.com .............WOW. a proper airline at last. I do hope they have a guestbook

[74Freight]

Back to the original thread as i can't seem to get the website to work, emerald is certainly be a good first job for youngsters looking to move up, a few of the shed people have moved on to orange 737s in the last couple of months, the expereince you gain is good preparation and seems to appeal to those recruiting for jets.
Emerald could also be a good career company for those of us too old to move on or to whom the type of work appeals.
Some of us do want to stay with the company but would like some of the issues which can make life unpleasant to be sorted.

[Mr Magoo]

I live about 20 mins from Luton and 50 mins from Coventry but haven't even had a PFO letter in reply to the half dozen CV's I've sent in over the last 18 months.

Profile is 41, 1100Hrs, instructor but low on multi time at 50 Hrs - maybe it's the lack of multi that's the problem - maybe it's my age? I'd be interested to find out - (even more interested though if anyone from Emerald recruiting's reading this and would like to give me a job!) :E

[CV Donator]

Mr Magoo Im the same as you at 1100 hours Instructing. I spoke to somebody there a while back and was told that hors in spam cans is not what they interested in, so it must be to do with your location and who you know in the flying circles up around manchester liverpool etc. I really wish know that I had instructed somewhere with the possibility of career advancement.

[CV Donator]

Sorry ive just reread my last post, littered with mistakes. Hors in spam cans may be some peoples idea of fun but it seems hours in spam cans does not work with Emerald.
I,m always in a rush when I write on here. Hope my covering letters are not the same.

[Captain I. Jones]

Back in the Streamline days getting a position on the Shed was a matter of contacting them by phone, booking your self a place on the next type rating couse, paying for it, and then hoping they liked what they saw enough to hire you, pretty simple really.
Most people did it this way, and in several cases I know of, joined with almost no hours on anything, knocked in enough hours to get an ATPL, and then got immediately promoted to Captain.

Now however, not sure, they (Emerald) seemed to be quite reluctant to hire and then suddenly hired four new F/O's, and even payed for their ratings!!! Don't know exactly what their experience is yet but I don't suppose it's a great deal more than the usual 1000-1500 on various light A/C.
As for age, well I don't think it's a problem if your only in your early fourties, loads get in with similar age.
Good gegraphical location may be a point of their concideration, the limit for standby duties is thirty minutes from base, but again, I've seen plenty come and go through the company that have had hours of commuting between them and their base.

All a bit vague isn't it, I geuss it's just a matter of keep plugging with the c.v.'s and hoping that some one resigns on the same day your details arrive on the top of the pile.

[witchdoctor]

Does the a/c based at NCL have a local based crew, or do they travel across from one of the other bases? Not had the chance to meet them yet, so just curious.

[Goldfinger]

Folks,

Thanks for all your replies. They have been quite useful.

I need some help though with accommodation in the Blackpool airport area in a few weeks time. If anyone knows of something reasonable, Could they pm me. I'd like to avoid the stag/hen nights if i possibly can.

Moderators - I know its going off subject a bit, but can you leave this in the Freight Dogs forum

Cheers

Goldfinger:ok:

[window-seat]

The 748's have been circuit bashing at LPL over the last couple of weeks! Does anyone know if they are training fresh recruits or putting timed served FO's into the LHS? Any insiders with any info??

Cheers

W-S.

[Impressive_Wingspan]

New First Officers.

[74Freight]

Goldfinger, to answer your question, there is a Travelodge in the car park at Blackpool airport which Emerald use for flight and engineering crew. Not sure how much they charge though.