Mate of mine is completely convinced by a mate of his that the latter got straight into BA 747 circa 1997. Did 18 months RHS 747 and was then offered FO Training or Command course. Took the latter on 737 and has been a TC for the last 1o years. All mainline. I and others , except my mate, are astonished. But, sometimes it is right place, right time. I was BEA at the time of the BEA/BARD integration and wanted to go, desperately, to BOAC (still heading for the full merger). Way behind SFO's and 890 on the FO list it became very clear that I had no chance. I would have been mighty peeved if BOAC jumped all of us & took direct entries on the 707/VC10. But, these days, beancounters rule and I daresay that existing rules can be easily circumnavigated in the interests of company economic health. Cripes, I am beginning to sound like Walshie !