1) I know someone who has just completed their rating with AeroMadrid (just waiting to do base check in a couple of weeks in Tenerife), and he said it was fine. So dont worry.
2) If anyone needs to find someone to base check them in/from the UK on the A320, then PM me when you complete groundschool/start the sims.
3) Excel, BMIbaby, Astraeus, Ryanair, and Easyjet, and the UK charter airlines have all taken low houred A320/7327 rated pilots. Also, Eaglejet still seem to find airlines in E Europe and the Far East that want low houred A320-rated pilots prepared to pay for their line training. And a few years ago *everyone* took low houred pilots with no experience on jets.
Words of caution:
- 757, 767 are riskier, given there is a surplus of pilots and impending shortage of planes.
- Being 40+ or having the wrong (arrogant) personality may mean you dont get the job.
- If you still dont get a job, you will have to pay for your line training
On the job market, bear in mind that
* BA's 100 pilots are still in the hold pool since BA scaled down its LGW operation and delayed the intro of its A321 fleet. The whole thing is also now caught up in BALPA red tape over pensions.
* MyTravel is kicking out over 100 pilots and the rest could follow
* The RAF is retiring pilots faster under the new cost structure
* Easyjet is retiring its 737 fleet (ie downsizing versus previous expectations).
* Ryanair has its 737 order on hold
* Easyjet and Ryanair are recruiting foreign pilots faster than ever as they expand overseas bases
* the retirement rules will change against you in 18 months time
Its your call, but those saying "things will improve soon" may be looking through rose-tinted spectacles...
SD: "Pensions, job security, working conditions and the list goes on. At the first sign of a recession and everyone gets the boot". I'll worry about pensions and working conditions when I have a job, not before. Next recession not due for another 5+ years now we just avoided one. Indeed, it will be nice not to be bonded to any struggling airline offering poor conditions - I can leave after 8 months/500 hours.
"in a few months time the whole lot of will be moaning about rosters, overworking, fatigue, and crap pay and all the usual that goes on a night stop". Or we will be saying how glad we are to have made it to our dream job, and we were fatigued in our old job. And we never went in blind to start with.
"maybe in the third world you will find a job without a doubt". Yes, with nice weather, high quality of life (white sandy beaches etc), low tax rates, and low cost of living.
p.s. I would also be interested in any news from the Astraeus A320 scheme. I am guessing they use the BA sims at Cranebank with their own instructors?
p.p.s. Another UK airline may be about to start offering A320 type ratings - I'll keep you posted