The current CTC Cadets will be able to go for these jobs as they now have the required type rating and hours. Yeoman will be in a better position than me to answer, but my understanding is that for some legal reason they have to "leave" the Company for a period of time before joining on a new contract. True, they are a known quantity to the Company, but that could work two ways. To be blunt some may have demonstrated some traits in their time here which could count against them in any selection procedure and this presents the opportunity for the Company to have a "second look." As for the costs, well they have essentially funded their own type rating through salary sacrifice, and been occupying an operating seat on revenue sectors during their line training. The only additional cost there is the requirement to fly with a Training Captain. As our in-house type changes were essentially complete when the cadets started their line training and the Training Captains would be flying a normal roster anyway, the additional costs of their line training once additional safety pilots are dispensed with during early sectors are not great. Having flown with many of these cadets both during line training and in the simulator my hope is that the majority would successfully progress to this PPY contract. If so they and future cadet entrants will have much to be grateful for to Yeoman and his colleagues on the Thomson BALPA Company Council who have done a good job against the odds to provide the best possible start for a cadet within Thomson compared to the alternatives. These guys work really hard on our behalf and it's good to see them looking to our future colleagues as well as current pilots within Thomson. Once you have achieved your first stepping stone in our career one of the first considerations should be BALPA membership. End of recruitment drive!
Last edited by Matey; 6th Sep 2012 at 23:19.