Zurich: wossitlike? (job advert in Fright)

[Hydroforming Bushmaster]

I see that the land of the Swiss miss is advertising in Flight for ATCOs at Zurich. Any hints/tips gratefully received.

Swanwick is a dead boring place; Zurich can't be worse, can it?

www.flightinternational.com (http://www.flightinternational.com) and follow jobs

[Hairy Growler]

It's ******* cold in the winter and they wear leather pants. Hmmm....I think I'll apply myself...

[Hydroforming Bushmaster]

Hairy Growler

Sounds good so far. What do the guys wear?

HB

P.S. I think I've been there with you haven't I? Biggles and his doggy doo doos mean anything to you?

[oldfart]

Last time I went to Zurich on a Fam. Flight it was -13C, so you will not need viagra as everything will be stiff!

[Hedge End Estate Agent]

Hello HB,

A frieind of 'Biggles' and Mr Rat.............

[DontPanic_DontPanic]

Having been at Kloten for the past 15 months I can tell you that this place is not all bad. Apart from the usual managerial games ie changing the company name from swisscontrol to "Skyguide" !!??!!! , pay and conditions are pretty good. The only real considerations are language ( a good knowledge of hoch deutsch is required . Although they speak zuri deutsch , don't worry about that- you will never understand it nor be able to speak it.), and work load. If you are hired as an area atco then be prepared to work hard. It is very busy airspace with very little room for vectoring and level change options. Lots of speed control and rates of climb and descent.Education for young expat children can be a bit daunting. The system here is quite different from UK, NZ etc. It is very rigid and there is a chance your child may feel a bit alone at school. Mum's are actively discouraged from working. Kids must go home for lunch every day ( and not always at the same time as well).Apart from that, standard of living is very good. Yes, some things are expensive eg eating out, meat ( extremely expensive even with BSE!! ), education, accomodation and movies, but some things are quite cheap eg cars ( probably cheapest in western europe)and public transport ( amazingly efficient and comprehensive). To sum up, you can live very well on your salary here. The swiss have their way of doing things that seem "odd" but it you roll with the punches you can settle in quite easily.
The weather is not that bad. Yes it can drop down to -teens but that is quite rare. It is usually around 0-5C.It hasnt really snowed hard in Zürich for the last couple of winters.The summers are wonderful. It can get very warm ( early 30's) and the accompanying TS in the evenings. The countryside is wonderful and you are 30min from the fatherland and 1 hour from France and 2 1/2 from Italy. You are not part of the EU so still have all the duty free perks that those countries around you dosn't have.
They are a very honest people so they would never pull a swifty on you over your contract, so all you need to do ( an one always should anyway) is ask lots of questions when applying. To conclude consider this. I have met a lot of expats living here ( mostly outside work-rugby clubs etc) and the average length of time they have been here is 10 years !!! I can understand why. Good luck. I'm off for lunch ( serious business here) at Swissair... En guete.

[Hairy Growler]

Hydroforming Bushmaster

(is that something to do with female body hair removal?)

Sorry, I have been to Zurich a couple of times, but only with my wife. So, unless you ARE my wife, we have not been to Zurich together.

I have not got the foggiest idea what you mean by Biggles and the doggie do dos. Sounds amusing though, please elaborate.

HG

[daft fader]

If anybody gets in touch with the folks in LSZH, tell them there`s a shed load of hacked off ATCOs ready to go.

[prop-wash]

Guys,
Do they take tower only controllers into Swisscontrol?

[DontPanic_DontPanic]

Prop Wash......there is no tower only roster.You are either TWR + APP or ACC. To complicate matters further, Skyguide ( formerlly swisscontrol) at Geneva and , much later, Zürich are going to have combined low level ACC and App sectors.

[Hydroforming Bushmaster]

DP_DP

Thanks for the excellent report.

Just one question really: how many days a year do you actually work?

Hairy Growler

OK....I take it that the official line is that you weren't there. Codeword porridge.

[DontPanic_DontPanic]

H-B, that would be telling....seriously, you get plenty of A/L. The only small problem is if you want leave over summer , join the queue plus if you don't have kids at school age and someone else does, virtually regardless if you have priority over that person, they can insist to have leave during school holidays.

[Hydroforming Bushmaster]

DP_DP
Ok then....do you work less than 170 days a year?

[DontPanic_DontPanic]

I wish.... but with all the stat. hols. ( which include funny little Kantonal 1/2 and full days holidays) + plus the 6weeks and 2 days AL , it could end up at about 8 weeks over the course of a year. They really push for you to take your total entitlement over that calendar year as well. They don't like carry over.

[Coast]

Hey DP_DP
Can you email me at [email protected]

[Jarod]

Hydroforming BUSHmaster

I think you are confusing Hairy Growler with me.

J6N7bs4

[Hydroforming Bushmaster]

Jarod
Whatever happened to the Desert Rat then? Memories! Thanks for the clue but I'm now totally confused....not surprising really as my husband has to explain the ads on the telly to me. Duh...
HB

[Warped Factor]

Hydro,

You can relive them at.....

http://www.ufomind.com/area51/desertrat/

Believe :)

WF.