Ground Opportunities - What are my chances?

[clearasmud154]

Evening folks,

Wrong time of year and all, but realistically, what are the chances of an ex-load controller finding a job on the ground again?

I've floated about doing driving jobs since a less than amicable split with Servisair at the end of 2010 and everything I've done since has been a bit "meh" in comparison. I'm currently running a traffic office in a coach company, my PSV license having been a handy fallback. My partner keeps saying that I've not really been happy since I left the airport which to an extent is true; she's now pushing me back in that direction but in all honesty I suspect everything has changed beyond recognition but keep getting this thing drawing me towards aviation again.

I've tried (and failed) more than once (NATS, AirTanker and two or three others to name a few) to get back over the past three years or so. I've got a clean rap sheet with enhanced disclosure clearance, did manual and computerised W&B from 2005-2010, worked both on the ramp and as a senior load controller so I can turn my hand to just about anything.

What am I doing wrong? Am I just past it?

Comments welcomed - even abuse, I can take it :}


Cheers guys,

cam154

[750XL]

Jobs are out there at airports with GHA (Swissport/Menzies), but you'll be employed via an agency on minimum wage, no sick pay, no holiday pay, no roster, zero hours contract etc :yuk:

[TOWTEAMBASE]

Which location are you

[Scott C]

Sounds like my terms on a Menzies TCO contract...

20 hours, £8.50 per hour, No sick pay, Overtime at flat rate... :/

[clearasmud154]

Sounds promising...

I'm in Glasgow-South but travelling isn't an issue to Glasgow/Prestwick/Edinburgh.

Think it's sadly another pipe dream :(

[VictorCharlieTen]

. . .- As an example this year at Edinburgh the Servisair folks who were on the ground had 30 hour contracts and if for example you did Dispatch then over winter you helped out front of house or if you could, - on the ramp. Menzies in Edinburgh legally breached contracts last year and most of their ground staff are 23 hour contracts, (bear in mind ALL these new terms and conditions are of course of a temporary nature). 6 month to 6 month contracts.
Working on the ground in Aviation unless your an A, B1 or B2 Engineer, work in Air Traffic Control or Airfield Ops etc. . .has totally imploded.
THIS is totally down to you (or I) being able to fly to Malaga and back for £0.01p these days and the industry is nothing like it was. You'll know this and even from 5 years ago.
Every Airport has broken many hearts over the last decade or so. - I totally understand that you miss the world that we all do of years gone by but unless your a young person (18-25 ?) who lives with their parents or are semi-retired or even able to only work Part-time (with zero added benefits, - sick pay, a decent rota or holiday entitlement/roster etc as previously mentioned then). . unfortunately the days of having any sort of "job" in the real sense of the word have truly now gone.
If you can sign up to such poor conditions PM me and I can give you the names and numbers of the people at both Menzies and Servisair in Edinburgh to contact. They're all good people but all working with such horrible constrictions which come directly as a result of the days (and nights) of cheap air travel. As a measure of how bad the conditions are a lady friend who works at the Employment Service actually tells people not to apply for these positions as she views the employers so badly. Yes in summer you might be able to boost your pay and work more but this is SCOTLAND and your in the winter months for at least 7 months. 7 months at 23 hours times £7. something per hour (£700/£800) per month ?. A student or person seeking full-time employment might earn more doing casual work year round or claiming benefits. - GOOD LUCK.

[clearasmud154]

Thanks VC, that is kinda what I expected. I personally brought in the last Futura, last LTE and most sadly the last Zoom - and dealt with the crews who were more or less inconsolable - and the a**e was burst out of it even then. I did well out of my time at Glasgow (I was just about to tick over eight years service when I was dumped on the pile at 24) but to be honest I'm just sick of not getting out the office environment to actually do things. I've not settled since I was let go and the pull remains... that said I was a load controller signed off for everything who did baggage handling as a side and the odd pushback, so how well I'd cope with gaterunning is another story entirely!


Cheers for the input folks, certainly food for thought.