SAA Interviews

[beechbum]

Anyone out there been through the latest interviews at SAA. I will be attending one in June and was wondering what the latest is.
Any info would be much appreciated.Thanks

[This message has been edited by beechbum (edited 31 May 2000).]

[skyvan]

A friend of mine went to one today. These interviews are a series of preliminary meetings, so that the airline can see if you are likely to make the grade in the future. My friend walked out with some good advice, that will see him as being attractive to SAA in the future. They looked at his logbook, and made recommendations for his future flying (e.g. more multi required, preferably some turbine time, ease off on instruction as he already has about1300hrs as an instructor)
I am led to believe that these interviews will not directly lead to employment, but will help SAA see what is out there, as well as help prepare prospective employees with the right advice for the right jobs. My friend was even advised as to who to phone (with phone number) to quickly get the right experience.
Of course, SAA will be doing a fair amount of recruiting over the next 5 years, and especially over the next 2, in order to cope with the new aircraft type (in the short term) and a fair number of retirements (last figure I heard put it at averaging 12 per year for the next 6 years, excluding early retirements)
Good luck with the interview, just be yourself. They want to see if they could spend 8hrs in a 747 cockpit with you, without beating you to death :)

[zorgs]

So correct me if I am wrong. SAA are not actually hiring at the moment but may be in the near future. How do they find the time to sift through all the hopefulls like myself just out of interest - only to possibly interview them at a later stage or will they then work on a shortlist system? Are they possibly hiring candidates whom are meeting their grade and merely advising those that do not?

[skyvan]

Well Zorgs, having read my initial reply again, that's how it comes across. As far as I'm aware, the people doing the interviews could well be the ones who approve the person for a job now, but my friend was only given advice, not a job.
There are new intake courses planned from August, so I presume that the interviews will also bring to light those who are suitable for employment now. Of course, prospective employees will have to know by the end of this month, if they are to start in August.
Your best bet is to try to get an interview, and then ask them :)
Good luck

[FarEastRider]

Zorgs this is typical SAA Bull s....!!!! We are the best in the world and therefore we will prove it to you that we can mess you around like no one else can.
We will have a look at the market to see what is there (in other words now that everyone has gone to SQ or Emirates we do not know if there are any qualified people around). I have heared that they first have to man the new a/c with the old 737 drivers and then will they look to fill the holes. Speak to a P4 on the 400 when do they think that they will move to the right seat.

As for the interview , polish your lips and be ready to kiss some a.., as they will get anoyed if you do not make them know that they are the best in the world...after SQ and Emirates....of course!!!!!

[zorgs]

OooooooKkkkkk!!!!! I am obviously far to naive and still believe in fairness with respect to I show me my cards you show me mine. I can kiss a_se with the best of them if I have to and it sounds like that may be required. Sheeeeet...may have to call in a few favours. I got friends I haven't even used yet.

[skyvan]

What happened Fareastrider? Didn't make the interview, or were you not even asked to go to one?
Point of interest, the average P4 on the 400 is normally a qualified P2, or sometimes even a P1, so I'm sure their time to the right seat is not too important!
As for filling the new aircraft with old 737 drivers, are you calling the 737 or the drivers old? I resemble that remark :)
As for filling the holes, the next intakes are scheduled for August, as I've already mentioned. The fact is that there is a seniority system in place, and so the movement is in order of seniority, in consultation with SAAPA (who have done a heck of a lot of work on this), so those poor boypilots will just have to await their turn, as we all did.
As for being the best in the world, do you have an inferiority complex, that you do not have confidence in your own (and fellow pilots) abilities.
The loss of pilots to SQ and Emirates (amongst others) has more to do with South Africa going third world at high speed, more than SAA not being any good. All of the other airlines are loosing pilots. Just ask Nationwide how many 727 drivers they have lost in the last 30 days, or ask Comair why they are becoming known as a Ryanair training fleet.
So, SAA being the best, maybe the best of a bad bunch, but definately the best on the Dark Continent.
As for the ass kissing, have you ever got a job by telling the bosses what a bunch of (insert favourite expletive here) they are? Somehow, I think not.
Try and join us, even if you don't enjoy the people, or the attitude, enjoy the salary, and the travel, and when you're really gatvol, take your new rating, on a marketable aircraft (with no traing bond), and go fly for the "Best".
Just keep reading PPruNe, and realise the grass is not always greener (personally I prefer it dried, rolled into a narrow tube, ignited, and inhaled!! :) )
Stay Cool!

[FarEastRider]

Dear Skyvan,

To set the picture right, I did fly for SAA and left 4 years ago...

Firstly keep your pants on...old refers to the old 737 not to the pilots.

Second, when I'm talking about the P4 I'm refering to the Boy Pilots as you refer to them (degrading term!!!). If you do speak to a few of them , you will find out that getting into the right seat does matter. Doing 4 years of back seat flying is not a ray of sunshine in a pilots life, fair enough you do have a seniority system and it does work well and time will come.

When I have a go at SAA and their "best in the world " attitude, I get angry at their attitude of superiority, when they are not supperior at all. There are a lot of operators that have got professional pilots that are doing their best.
A fellow operator here in the east (also South African) went up to the cockpit on an SAA flight back to JHB to say hello to the crews...the Capt did not even bother to speak to him after he said that he was working for another carrier. Is that a case of just bad manners or was it a case of "you are not worthy!!!

With regards to the intreview, you do not have to go and kiss ass at an interview. You will be polite and truthful. The way the SAA interview goes or used to go was not a polite interview that looked at your credentials, it was more of a case of let me show you how little you actually know so that I look better. Do you remember a few years ago about 2-3 years when one on the main figures on the board had to pull out of the board because an applicant went to the papers to show how he was been discriminated against...if you do I rest my case (for the record he is back on it). If you have ever gone for an interview with a major international airline you will clearly see the difference in attitude.

South african pilots have a good reputation around the world...not for long due to the fake ATPLs going around.

All the Best & viva Cricket

[skyvan]

FER, thanks for setting the picture straight, interesting that you did fly for SAA, yet call a P4 a boy-pilot. A P3 is a boypilot, I know, I was one!! As for being a degrading term, hell, we could say that about almost every nickname or euphemism around. Funny thing is, not too many boy pilots feel it to be a degrading term, it merely reaffims your status (i.e. most junior pilot) on the flight deck. Sure, as a P3, all you want to do is move to the right hand seat, at the moment the average time as P3 is 2yrs 2mnths.
As to what happened to your friend, sorry it happened. But don't tar us all with the the same brush. Maybe that Captain had not been accepted to fly in the East, and was narked, maybe his piles were acting up, or maybe he was just a R Sole. Such is life, there are lots of strange folk out there.
Unfortunately, I don't know of the instance you mention about the interviews, maybe you could email me the details (I'd love to know)
I must admit that both interviews that I attended 10 and 7 years ago were polite, professional affairs, with no apparent hidden agenda. But there again, I probably fit the WASP style profile they were looking for then.
But, at the end of the day, you're right. We have a good reputation, for now. But between "the flying scotsman" and Hansie, being South African is losing it shine.

[singaporeboy]

FarEastRider

Your story of your friend visiting the SAA cockpit was interesting.

I am willing to bet that the Captain was of Dutch Descent and your friend of British descent ?