Pete -
I think the hours required for command are 4000 total and they like you to have 1000 hours on the A320. I think the latter is flexible depending on the type of experience you have (1000 hours on, say, 737-300 and 200 on the A320 is not unreasonable).
At the moment, if you have the experience and good training reports/assesment then the seat swap will be almost immediate. That situation is not likely to change for the next year or so due to fleet expansion and plenty of commands.
As far as I am aware there are not too many F/Os with the hours in the company - quite a few with 2000-3000 so watch out in a couple of years.
8 days off a month concrete. 9 days off is the contract. 9th day given as an SDO (Special Day Off) which the company can take off you if needed. It is normally rostered after a long duty just in case things go to pot and you get back a day later! If this is done though they have to give it to you as a concrete day off at another time by agreement of both parties. Other days off in the month tend to be standbys or availables - I have never been called out at the last minute on a standby.
Honiley -
Due to the destinations and the fact that we do not fly so many sectors and hours as short haul it may not be what a low hours pilot is looking for. But I think the management do like a mixture of experience levels so, I guess, it's always worth a CV and a look at.
Ian Frost has been promoted to Chief pilot now. Bob Rowley had to step down on medical grounds.
Don't let me paint too rosy a picture. It is still an airline doing business! My feeling is simply that, overall, we get a better life here and package than most of the smaller independants and have a fairly interesting operation. And come on the rest of you BMed crew, let's hear some of your - constructive - gripes or likes so these people can get a rounded view. This sort of stuff is what PPRuNe should be about!
Sick -
Oh no! Have our CRM refreshers in the Baku Jacuzzi become famous within the industry?????
[This message has been edited by jeta1 (edited 18 June 2001).]