do you make your own opportunites??

[Pick me Flybe!]

Hey guys and girls,

Just a quicky to those chaps and chapesses, who, if you like are at the top of the tree, e.g. 747, 777, A330, a340 etc etc etc

I am a wanabee currently working as an FIC having a fantastic time, i wish someone had told me about instructing sooner!

However my question is, i often here of drivers at flybe, loganir, eastern and similar getting poached by the likes of easyjet, and monarch etc. Is this how the game is played, do easyjet or similar headhunt from the smaller regionals.

If this is the case, did you guys, the drivers at the top get hunted from the likes of monarch/ easyjet once you had 4000/5000 hours with them.

How did you get to fly the large aircraft with the worlds most favourite airline, or virgin, BMI etc. Do you still have to go through the same application proceedures, or do they simply want to get hold of your experience?

[fireflybob]

Here's the Quotation for Thursday, August 16, 2007
If you want to succeed in the world you must make your own
opportunities as you go on. The man who waits for some seventh wave to
toss him on dry land will find that the seventh wave is a long time
a-coming. You can commit no greater folly than to sit by the road side
until someone comes along and invites you to ride with him to wealth or
influence.
John B. Gough
(1817-1886, British-born American temperance orator)

[Basil]

fireflybob is correct - you make your own luck.
Have a plan, either detailed or outline; grasp opportunities.
In this business pay attention to detail, e.g. in applications and CV be sure that spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct. Don't bull**** but DO present all your achievements in a clear SHORT easy to understand manner.
When I left the RAF I sent off 50 applications. It was 1973. I had one job offer.
The only time I've come close to being headhunted was when a small outfit began to operate my current type as I approached the end of a contract. Word arrived that an application would be sympathetically viewed.
So no, unless you are a something like a desireable base trainer or experienced test pilot who is known to be coming on the market they won't hunt you down.
Good luck!

p.s. The problem with getting a couple of thousand hours and then applying to another airline is that you lose the seniority you've accrued. Despite the comments by dreamers on another thread (some of whom are old enough to know better), in most respectable airlines seniority rules.

[low n' slow]

Yes, you do make your own opportunities!
If you want a job, you have to know what you want. Find out everything about them. Routes, types operated, which routes are doing well, which aren't, crews about to leave, crews coming in, their rating policy, who to speak to, everything. If you hear of someone with just a little bit of experience doing a TR, have a look and see where he got his experience from. If it was a small airline, perhaps they've got a vacancy. If you can set your foot in a TRTO (where they actually have the sims), you'll be able to pick up on a lot of rumours and from there start making your own opportunities.

Best of luck/ LnS

[Maude Charlee]

You may be disappointed to learn Flybe operate none of the types you mention. :}

Long haul = top of the tree - my arse! :E