Bacx -> Ba

[skery1a]

Hi,

having read another post, about GSS pilots having no luck
getting into BA, how are the BACX girls&boys getting on?

anybody been called for an interview or even better, been offered a job, or entered the holding pool?

or is nobody bothered to join ba?

['round midnight]

This will be interesting to monitor.

As we speak, a reasonable number of BACX pilots (mainly SFOs)have filled-in the lengthy BA on-line application and are waiting to hear.

The only concession they get over external apllicants is that they will be selected 'ahead' of externals, all other things being equal, whatever that means. The details have not been discussed/agreed between Bacx Balpa and BA Balpa/BA, so quite difficult to hold anyone to their word...

When the deal was agreed between the parties, no mention was made that BA would recruit 24 cadets from OATS prior to opening the gates to non-type-rated BACX/externals. Indeed Spin de la Floss knew nothing about the cadets, he says.

What is certain is that BA never mentioned it to BAcx Balpa when 'concessions ' werer being discusssed, or subsequently.
Naturally, this latest development has been greeted with dismay by BACX pilots, who are no longer holding out much hope of access to mainline.

Watch this space...

[Cornflake]

Indeed you are right. I can't wait to read the first mainline post. As to what will happen, well, as granny said, 'No-one ever lost money by overestimating the amount of suckers in the world'. There are so many BACX guys desperate to believe some, ANY, good will come of being bought by BA that they will continue to hope. Ah me, hope springs eternal I guess.

Spin Floss will not be believed, people will watch with interest to see how many SFOs actually make it through the process. However, I suspect not many will want to risk holding their breath.
BACX balpa will be blamed by TDLF whatever happens.
My guess: a token few, single figures at most. The loss rate to the likes of Easy and Thomsonfly will accelerate, particularly when TDLF inevitably comes back to the table with the doom and gloom about the fuel price increases. There will be a new cost cutting target, and initial official/unofficial figures about the impossibility of a better pay deal, in fact he will want sacrifices again.

As you say, this will be an interesting thread to monitor, I can already hear Handsolo, tandemrotor, carnagematey and the rest telling us that BACX BALPA turned down membership of the seniority list, telling us we stole their jobs, telling us the same thing - that it's our own fault, and we should be proud to be part of a (guffaw) "world class company" over and over.
Let's try and keep this on message, so do we have anybody who has applied who has even got a 'maybe' yet??:confused:

Takes a deep breath, whilst reaching for the tin helmet and the aqualung!! :uhoh:

[Leviathan]

Cornflake,

Forgive me for slight tangent off topic but do I recall reading somewhere else that BACX pilots (CC) were/are/will be in the midst of negotiating a new pay deal?

This being the case presumably the CC would also be bringing up the issue of mainline access, among other things?

How is the BACX CC regarded by the pilot group as a whole?

Future new Joiner, hence the interest.

Leviathan

[Tandemrotor]

Good luck to everyone. I haven't flown with anyone who would fail a BA conversion, so when you are offered a job, don't worry about handing your notice in.

Those of you from the RJ in particular, will have a head start, because you already fly to similar SOP's. Hopefully, you are also ZFT qualified, and therefore suitable to go straight on to LH (If that's what you want!)

You're still doing better than people joining from outside the 'Group', because you get continuous date of joining for some useful things!

[Pontiuspilot]

Rumour in Manchester that at least two guys there have been given start dates, Airbus at LHR. I hope this is the start of something positive, sounds good so far!:ok:

['round midnight]

So far, eight BACX pilots have interview dates between now and Jan. Although there is no guarantee that they will gain access, methinks I may well have to eat humble pie for Xmas. Oh well...

[Tandemrotor]

'round

Just curious:

Is that an accurate, and comprehensive 'official' figure, or is it a minimum of 8 that you personally know of?

I hope an awful lot more get their chance!

['round midnight]

Tandem,

8 have officially asked for time to attend the interview. I do not know how many have applied, but I know that BA will only interview a set number of CX pilots at any one time, for obvious operational reasons. 8 is therefore a snapshot.

'round midnight

[skery1a]

hi all,

somebody was suggesting today, that everybody in bacx applying, will get an interview with ba.

has anybody from bacx, been for an interview yet and have they
been invited back for the sim ride?

round' : i think the 8 you mentioned must be your base only, because most people i ask, f/o's, seem to have interviews with ba ,starting next week .

good luck

[Captain Correlli]

I have an interview next week, would be most grateful for any advice, tips, links to relevant help etc. Technical, psychometric, audio visual, whatever - it will all be grist to the mill.
What do they like to hear, should I be a go-getter, or a Compamy policy man, should I be a CRM Bunny, or advocate common sense and airmanship? Do they think the FCOs should be obeyed for ever and ever, or should I suggest sometimes one has to use initiative and deploy the telescope to the blind eye (that's the Nelson Touch for you Crabs & Civvies). Seriously, any of the Mainline Community's advice would be much appreciated

Puhleeeeeese, and Pretty Puhleeeeese:}

[redsnail]

Have a look here (http://www.pprune.org/go.php?go=/pub/wanna/wannaindex.html)

If the link doesn't work, go to Wannabe Index on the Site menu, not the Wannabe forums.

[HZ123]

I am sure you know this but at least before interview try to obtain a copy of BA news or scan ba.com for the last couple of months news items. They dolike to hear good of themselves and particularly the company and BACX, they are also keen to see some knowledge with regard to the opposition, general airlines fiscal conditions, 'OneWorld'. Good luck.

[Jelly Doughnut]

Captain Correlli

Read the following, it is a pretty accurate summary of what to expect.
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=147292

Copies of BA news are provided at Cranebank, something to read whilst you "relax" before the day starts ;)

Good luck :ok:

[Captain Correlli]

Thanks for the tips, that's brilliant.Any of you guys any info on how you think BACX are perceived by BA - I don't mean all the cr@p that gets posted by all sides on here, more the chit chat by run-of-the-mill mainliners, particularly management who may well be part of the interview team. What am I getting at - well, do you think all the hassles and arguments have pitched the level headed sides of BA against BACX as joiners, in spite of the policy, or do you think it makes no effective difference, or do you think they might be slightly in favour of helping us. Just a thought.

Oh, and what do you think would be an answer to a question like"and tell us Correlli, what do you think of BA management, now you have been run by us for a couple of years?" or "Do you think BA are on the right track management decision wise"? Or do they just not ask that sort of thing, do you think? If they DO, though, should I bu11sh1t, or tell them what I really think?

(TDLF is a nice, clever, committed guy with the best interests of all employees, but especially pilots at heart, he is doing a fantastic job under the circumstances I mean it, I mean it, I mean it - hmmm, this is getting more difficult by the minute!)

In the meantime, I am off to bone up on Fleets, bases, policy, economics, mission statements and all the rest of the crap - I hope this is all worthwhile, that's all. Am 36 and a jet skipper (in a small way, ok) and am presumably committing to at least a decade, and maybe even 15 years in the RHS.

Any thoughts anyone?
:confused:

Ta Ta,

P.C.

[Captain Correlli]

So, it is now down to the waiting game - though one of the Captains on the interview panel did say I had done well - he probably says that to everyone?

[Harry Wragg]

Capt Corelli you could be committing to never being a captain again!! If the current demographics and business plan don't get any better you can expect command when you are 52, assuming that you can still offer 3 years in the left hand seat.

On the plus side "no bond" means an easy get out when you realise that your career has stalled.

Harry

[Carnage Matey!]

Hmmm, isn't Harry one of those miserable ex-CFE whingers who crop up here occasionally? I'm sure he greatly values his command over feeding the family. Those four stripes must be particularly important to him, especially as he's probably now sitting at the bottom of the 744s co-pilot list!

[Captain Correlli]

Harry, thankyou for your comments - a friend had in fact updated me on the potential for progress. Left or right seat doesn't make a lot of difference, I don't feel I have anything to prove, it's the total package looking forward which is most relevant.;)

Having said that, thanks for taking the trouble to write. I have to say that the difference in tone between yourself and Carnage Matey is vast. Carnage - I really don't see the necessity to personalise the slightest fact-based comment which you don't like!

.......isn't Harry one of those miserable ex-CFE whingers..........

So would I be one of those .....miserable ex BACX whingers.... if I were offered the job, and if I decided to take it? I know there's a lot of history and bitterness between the two Companies, but you don't do much to encourage one you know!

Any other ....miserable ex-CFE whingers......got any comment on how they find life within BA?

Cheers,,

CC

:ok:

[Tandemrotor]

Just for a little historical perspective CC:

Harry is a chronic BA basher, who has been predicting the imminent bankruptcy of BA for the last 3-4 years to MY knowledge!

He had us believing he would do ANYTHING to resist being employed by Big Bad Airways.

He hates the company, and has so stated. Obviously though, he doesn't hate BA so much, that he wants to work anywhere else! (unless nobody will have him!)

Had Carnage perhaps ommitted the "ex-CFE", his label of "miserable **** whinger" would have been entirely appropriate.

Hope you enjoy the 319/320/321/737/747/757/767/777

['round midnight]

Captain C,
Well done on getting the interview.
Do you feel like sharing with the rest of us the details of your time at Cranebank? I'm quite interested in knowing what you were asked about BACX, and other questions during the interview itself.
Many thanks
'round midnight.

[skery1a]

round'

i have been to the interview at cranebank.
i suggest you read the wannabes section,there is a post
which explains in detail what to expect, it's very accurate
and that includes the carparking.

there were 10 of us,split in two groups,for group excersise,
yes we still have to do that aswell.

after that, some went straight to interview, others did various other tasks. i finished by 1600.

the interview itself is nothing i have ever experience before.
there was one pilot and one hr person.

they seemed to be reading there questions of a laminate.
pilot started with questions after 25mins they swapped over.

they didn't ask any personal questions at all,like
tell us something about you?
no questions about ba,like what do you know about ba,or business plan or anything like it
nothing about bacx.
we are not worth mentioning!
all the questions i was asked ,were give me an example when you
influenced others
applied crm
define crm
and so on
they want you to give them real life scenarios.
wasn't asked any technical question at all.
the verbal and numeric tests are from shl, so i suggest you go on there website and do lots of practice,it's statements with true,false, can't say . numbers like on test battery example 6.
on micro pad test lots subtractions like 845-56=752, true or false.

the test everybody seemed to be struggling with ,was the one with the radar screen.they show you a radar screen, with,N,E,S,W
and range rings 10,20,30. the radar screen goes and you have to remember where everything is.
then they give you 4 moves one after another,can't write it down you have to remember,like, 10N,20E,25S,10W.
don't forget you start in the middle. once you have been through all four instructions you have to use the joystick ,and now comes the gotcha,because they didn't ask where you are but where the airfield is, if you place it where the directions took you, you are out by 180 degrees .
i suggest you go the other way,like the instruction is 10N,go 10S
and so on.
there was a q&a session at lunchtime, was more like how brilliant ba is. one thing stood out, 777 works hard,now that's hard in ba terms, his words not mine! but the poor things have 14 to 15 days a month off.
hope that helps and by the way ,a flight manager told me, ba had 60 applications by last week from bacx.
good luck

[ETOPS]

skery1a

As one of the hard working BA 777 Capts I need my 13 -14 days off a month as that equates to 16 - 17 days work (ie away from my family) . The work consists of at least 5 seperate trips (6 in January) or put another way 10 Atlantic crossings per month. Three consecutive months of that and I'm starting to wilt.

Having flown 6 sector days for Manx (remember Farecracker Sunday LPL's?) on regular basis I am in a position to compare tiredness levels. High pressure shorthaul ops are demanding and physically tiring but you get to sleep in a bed most nights - longhaul is both boring and fatigueing at the same time. Continuosly crossing time zones whilst trying to stay awake in the flight deck has a cumulitive effect only ameliorated by time off...

[Captain Correlli]

Nothing to add really to what skery has put. I totally agree about the radar plot, that was really quite difficult. Even with experience in a former life of watching a PPI, I found it tricky, and wouldn't like to say what my score may have been.:uhoh: As regards qus I DID get asked about BA, but fairly general, ie how many fleets, what kind of route/aircraft combo, which routes/aircraft had the best load factor/seat/km/gbp etc.
I got the interview usual "why BA" question, about which I perjured myself,:} high standards, professionalism, etc etc, hope my nose didn't grow too much. A couple of minor technical qus, eg, "in the descent what happens to the actual mach number and the critical mach number" , very vague, so I woffled for quite a while. They wanted to know what I thought the effect of EASA would be on BA. They talked a bit about my own history, etc, oblique references to BACX, but more on why I wanted to leave rather than what I thought of its management.:yuk: Also got the qus that skery mentioned, particularly the standard HR things about "give me an example of when you were promoted/of when you weren't promoted and what did you feel about that". Also an example of trying to influence a situation or group, and again, feelings after succeeding and after not succeeding.
Overall, it was pretty friendly, but I have to say writing this down has made me remember bits in more detail - I hate interviews, I think I am going to expect the worst and hope the best. There was no-one else I knew from BACX there on the day.:(

[pilotatlast]

So capt Corelli, didi you get through. I f your interview was last week surely you'll know by now if you have the sim?

['round midnight]

Skery 1a, Capt.C,
Thanks. Have you got through to the sim??
'RM

[skery1a]

round'
of course not! hence the remark on the 14 days off i'm missing out on, i am not bitter,honest:{

but i wish everybody else good luck or well done if you got in .

maybe we should stop behaving like small children and get on with it, there is good things and bad things about every company
and the bickering is not going to help anybody.
i admit there are not many good things in bacx at the moment,the only i can think about is the crews i work with every day and if management doesn't get a grip, all this good people will be gone!!!
i think it's about time they show some sort of appreciation.
how about a voucher for WHSmith as christmas bonus and if we put all our vouchers together for an annual abo of flight international !!

not given up yet, have a few more irons in the fire:O

thank's for all the good info
sorry got to go now ,
have to preapre for my 10 sector day tomorrow.
;)

[gtaflyer]

what do you mean by 10N is that 10 miles north or 10degrees north. and secondly what were no technical questions asked whatsoever?

[Captain Correlli]

Afraid to have to say that I shan't be visiting the sim either. I clearly don't have enough of whatever the 'Right Stuff' is on this occasion.
:(

Ah me, I probably would have made a pretty rubbish Co-Pilot anyway. Now, methinks a word with Thomsonfly is an idea!
:D

Good luck to anyone who DID make the sim.

CC

['round midnight]

Skery 1A and Capt.C,
Commiseration guys and thanks for the tips/info posted here.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the thread, it's interesting to monitor how BAcx guys and gals are getting on with the selection process: large numbers being interviewed but how many have got through?

(I'm not for one moment suggesting Bacx pilots should necessarily be accepted because they are BAcx - merely interested in the pass rate.)

[Staple]

Out of interest has anyone been successful yet?

[Cornflake]

I believe not, very sadly. I would like to hear that I was wrong......

[rhythm method]

I believe there has been ONE successful applicant from BACX. Female F/O from Manchester.

Still it is progress :hmm: