5/4 isn't all it's cracked up to be. And they seem to think this is a unique selling point. If you live elsewhere and commute it's great, but living locally it's pointless, the fact being that you can NEVER get AL, so any events you may like to attend on your 5 on.....not going! Unless you go sick of course.....but then on the 'new' deal you have to give them back any sick days you take.....or you lose the 'bonus'....wtf.....don't go sick folks.....fly!
Also the figures being touted around are very over exaggerated, my P60 last year sad £106000, OK they have added a few more bonuses/bribes in recently, but you have to work for it, really really hard....5 X 4 sector days in a row, flying with a guy that barely speaks English, no assistance from ops etc if it all goes tits up, ground handling atrocious, as Ryanair don't pay them, cabin crew that don't really give a
about you, just have to sell 40 scratch cards per flight of they end up on the wrong end of the ginger beast! Oh and fill your old Sprite bottle up from a tap in the crew room (some guys use old gin/whisky/vodka bottles....at least people have a sense of humour!) . All in all a crap place to work, oh and this "award winning" training system is slowly being diluted with 500hr LHS heroes as the older/wiser LTCs/TREs get fed up with teaching muppets or never actually getting to fly. At a recent job interview, the guy doing the interview actually said if you had come is as a RYR TRE 3 years ago, respect! But now, no, your considered just another number in the RYR machine.
Is there a reason they are installing all these fixed base sims everywhere and trying to recruit ' training FOs'..... Yes, because the quality of the new recruits is is that bad that they have to train them before they train them....In my day 40-60 sectors would get guys out on the line.....now 100 sectors is the norm........wow.
I've left the place now, for less pay, but a lot less stress and hassle. Also my doctor says my back is getting better, probably because I don't have to carry 3 litres of water and 3 meals the 3 miles we walk on average a day, in the rain........ Oh and speaking of rain, be prepared to stand outside in the rain/snow on a headset whilst the fuel truck pumps on 12t, on a 25 min turnaround.....
Enjoy......