Age does matter???

[Stirling 87]

Hi everyone!!
Just 'd like to know your thought on this? Am 34 in Dec 1200 hrs total with 200 Multil, all piston-time and decided to come back to uk after few years flying for small air taxi in the caribbean +instruction in the states.Almost finished with ATP and licenses conversions, Is it worth trying the big names like BA or my age and the fact that i am french(although married to british girl and lived in uk for years) would be a big disavantage??I am 110% motivated for the big planes now and that's the reason i came back to europe but hope my age is not an issue for companies??:D

[Hoping]

It's always worth trying. But bear in mind the kind of people you are likely to be interviewed by. Conservative British guys....

Try all the airlines and see what happens. I guess you might have a better chance at airlines such as easyjet rather than BA.

Good luck!

[Stirling 87]

Thanks for that Hoping!!
Well maybe they could consider me as "Minority"LOL!!:D and accept me on this basis!!Only jocking, but you re right it is alwyas worth trying and may be the fact that am trilingual can be regarded as a plus??Let's be positive!!

[Ropey Pilot]

I am early 30s and have been advised (rightly or wrongly) not to apply to BA if you want any time in the left seat!

This was due to a rigid seniority system and a 'dead mans shoes' policy of promotion - and looking to get worse in the near future.

If someone with a bit of knowledge on the subject (as I have none - only repetition of rumour) would care to enlighten our x-channel friend Stirling 87...

[FougaMagister]

Ropey Pilot - who cares about time in the left hand seat? At the end of the day, the CPT is an airline pilot, the FO is an airline pilot, each of them get to fly half the sectors... and at least the FO doesn't have to sign for any and everything on board the plane, including fascinating stuff like a toilet service or detergeant uplift! Enough said... ;)

[scroggs]

Ropey Pilot All major UK airlines, with the sole (I think) exception of easyJet, use a 'rigid' seniority system which means that commands are offered to the most senior FOs only when a vacancy appears. In BA, the lack of expansion and the tendency of pilots to stay until retirement means that time to command is currently over 20 years, and likely to increase when new anti-ageist legislation comes into force next year (their retirement age will go from 55 to 65). Even in Virgin, where I work and where expansion is rife, time to command is around 8 to 10 years - and that's after you've done 7 to 10 years' apprenticeship elsewhere.

Scroggs

[FlyingCajun]

A friend of mine just recently was hired on at BA. He was hired directly on the 777. He's 45! Guess it's one of those things were each time they hire, they pull from a different hat, and he just happened to be there the day that they pulled from the "experienced" pilots hat.