The Flying Cokeman - excellent and accurate view of the current situation. My only question is whether you have underestimated the 150 guys currently on the command list - I am given to understand it is considerably larger than that. Nonetheless, as you rightly say, whatever size the list is, it is growing every day.
Homer_J - As others have said, there is no possibility right now of a permanent job at easyJet as an FO. In the past we have taken DECs (I was one myself a few years ago), but barring a dramatic change in circumstances that would be verging on the miraculous, those days are gone. We have literally hundreds of top quality FOs now available for command courses, all of whom have thousands of jet hours - anyone joining now would therefore go to the back of a long and distinguished queue.
I am not sure if you were being serious about the possibility of going from a Q400 command to a DEC on a 737/Airbus. At no point in easyJet's history has there been DECs from turboprops, nor am I aware of any company in the UK who has ever offered that either. To go from the left seat of a turboprop and go straight into the left seat of an Airbus would be a recipe for disaster. That is not in any way to knock turboprop guys - I was one myself previously, and it was a fantastic start to my commercial flying career that I will always be grateful for. Nonetheless the jet world is a whole new deal, and it just takes time and experience to get comfortable with it. After being a turboprop captain, I was an FO for another 2 1/2 years on the Airbus before getting a command. In retrospect I am extremely grateful the chance for promotion did not come before then, as I would not have been able to do the opportunity justice.
I am not sure there is a single jet airline in the world right now where there is a quick command. That will no doubt all change, but if you have a stable job I would be hanging onto it rather than join the rat-race of summer jobs at easyJet. Although you have 5500 hours, from what you say none of it is jet time. You would need substantial jet experience to be considered for a command, but right now the limitation would not be that but the enormous group of people in front of you. If you wanted a figure, I would say that anyone joining today could wait 5 years' + to get a sniff of a command and even that might turn out to be very optimistic. Regarding bases, it is basically a case of initially taking an FO job where you are offered it. As soon as you join you can then put your name on the list for wherever you want to go. It is completely down to supply and demand when your slot comes up. For example, if you want to go to Gatwick you would get there in a few months, but if you want to go to East Midlands or Berlin you could wait several years. Once you get promoted the fun all begins again. You have to take the promotion where it is offered or it goes to the next guy. Once you are on the command list you have to apply to the base of your choice but you are now at the bottom of the transfer list - the fact you have been an FO there for years is no help whatsoever!
Best of luck!
Last edited by Norman Stanley Fletcher; 6th Mar 2009 at 02:20.