Go Advert in Flight

[TakeTheCup]

Just after a bit of genuine info about working for Go. Lifestyle, roster, pay etc, Also how secure do people feel they are with BA pulling out? Positive and negative comments appreciated.

For those who haven't got Flight yet - Go looking for Capts and F/os based Stansted or Scotland. Capts 3500 total, 500 jet command. F/os 737 rating with 500 on type.

Write to:

Pilot Recruitment
Go-Fly Limited
Enterprise House
Stansted Airport
Essex CM24 1SB

[Majorbyte]

First of all the new pay review as of 27/12/00, is as follows;
1)Senior F/O 1st year £37,400 plus some
sector pay.
2)Capt. 1st year £52,500 plus some sector pay.

As for conditions, it's a friendly enough airline, however, the rostering is very poor, many people I've flown with complain about no homelife and general fatigue, the lack of proper food doesn't help matters either, (Go expects you to bring your own food or buy sandwiches off them), there are times when you can do a 10 hour day ending up in a hotel somewhere, where it is to late to have food (stopped serving)and then the following day do another 10 hours.
The uncertainty of the sell-off is having a marked effect on moral, everyone it seems who flys for Go are going to interviews or looking for something better.

Of course, things could get better with a couple of improvements;

1) Hire a new rosterer
2) Feed the crew.

Hope all this helps.

[ADC]

Majorbyte,

You are wrong about so many things I felt I should put you straight.

Captains Basic from April 1 £62,000 + £20 per sector. Type rated FO's join on £37,400 with £12 per sector. Expect about 430 sectors a year.

GO has one of the best rosterers in the business. They achieve almost 100% of request days off, and a lot of roster preferencing around where you live.

They work hard , but that is the nature of Low cost airlines.

With regard to the food, I understand that if you don't want to bring your own, crew meals can be purchased before you leave from a vending machine. Which gives you a choice and stops GO wasting vast quantities of money on the usual crew food crap. most airlines I've worked for provided free crew food, which I usually didn't eat because it is so awful.

The sell-off has got some people a bit uncertain, but that should be resolved in the next month or two.

The main thing missing from GO is some form of share ownership. Hopefully that can be sorted after the sell off.

[Rocket Ron]

Hmmm, think this one is destined for Terms & Endearments, but before it goes I'll say to ADC that you're absolutely right, GO's rostering is now first class.....yes we work hard, but I've done easyJet and I've done Ryanair, and GO is the best of the three...trust me!

[2XL]

Majorbyte I don't want to change the direction of this thread but one quick question if I may. Who do the Go pilots honestly think will end up owning the airline? Could BA hang on to it afterall? Semi-reasonable answers to these questions will influence many applicants.

[Fast Jet Wannabe]

Are Go setting up a base in Scotland then? Does anyone know if they are looking at EDI or GLA?

Will some of their new aircraft be based there, or do they just need pilots to fly returns to STN?

Thanks,

FJW.

[OC41]

Majorbyte

If I called you a useless Pilot, I guess you might feel as miffed as a Go Rosterer who you choose to slate without good cause.

Its well known that lost cost Pilots have to earn their keep, presumably you thought about this before you signed the dotted line??. I'd put money on your gripe being because you are a "nomad" living nowhere near your base?, tell me i'm wrong.

You'd be better off using any persuasive powers you have to get more crews per aircraft which is the root cause to your problems

[international bog trotter]

Why should the F/O get almost half the sector pay of the Captains? Are they in the bog playing with themselves 25 minutes of every hour?

(I dissasociate my name from that comment-nothing to do with it, (Mancunian DJ's other life))

[This message has been edited by international bog trotter (edited 13 February 2001).]

[TakeTheCup]

Advert says Scottish Based pilots need to be within 1 hour driving of both EDI and GLA - Dual basing

[rubik101]

I suspect majorbyte is a fairly junior FO or he would know better than to criticise Nick in crewing. If he thinks GO is bad just try some of the others! When people complain about lack of home-life they often have themselves to blame. What they are really complaining about is the fact that they can't play golf every Sunday, miss episodes of their favourite soaps and have off days the same time as the wife or girl friend has her 'off days' etc. etc. Belive me, GO crewing is as about as good as it gets! The food issue is another item altogether but not unsurmountable. My Chicken Tikka from Tesco's was just the job! Try a few years with a charter airline before you complain about rostering, failing that, talk nicely to the man and see where improvements in your home life can be found.
Best rearguards, rubik101

[2XL]

Rubik101 how strict will they be on those Command requirements? What is the timespan for a suitabely qualified FO to be promoted to the LHS? Any plans to introduce NG 737's?

Appreciate all comments ASAP!

[CrashDive]

Each point individually...

B737-700's: As part of the evaluation of the B737-700, I have personally been involved with looking at our current a/c fuel burn figures. We need to do this in order to determine forecast burns (by Boeing) burns for both the B73-3 and the B73-7, against the burns that we are actually achieving with our a/c B73-3's, and then produce a factor to determine the level of BBS (Boeing Bull Sh!t) and just what would be the more likely real burns for a B73-7. Of course whilst fuel economy is of importance in the choice of a/c that we operate, it must of course be balanced with the other costs too. What I'm saying here is that, we have been evaluating the B737-700 - so watch this space.

Commands: At Go there is no seniority list (they operate a meritocracy), and potential first time command applicants are put through for this based upon a number of factors, i.e. a minimum of 3,500 hours, with at least 1,000 hours on a B737-300, plus a minimum of six months with Go. You also need to have achieved high grades (2 or above) on your line and simulator checks. If you've got this then you will be accessed - the assessment, as many will testify, is a rigorous process - prior to going on the command course !

Nb. I do believe that there is some latitude w.r.t. to some of the above, i.e. if you only had 2,500 but with say 2,250 all on a B737-300 and having achieved high grades, etc….

Flight Pay: international bog trotter, err, perhaps because it's a reflection of the difference in experience level ?

Crew Food: Yep, we bring our own…. and very nice it is too !

Rostering: All I can say is WOW ! - Nick, and his little team, do seem to work wonders. Plus, with more crews joining, it (imho) can only get better !

MajorB - don't like it ? then ….. well you know !

Ps. As of the start of the new financial year, I think that you'll find that a type rated F/O salary will be £38,335 - and I believe an across-the-board review of sector pay is also on the cards too.

[2XL]

CrashDive appreciate your prompt response and apparent positive attitude. Both being too scarse in our industry.

What numbers of Captains and FO's are Go looking to recruit at present? Is this mainly for growth or replacement?

[2XL]

CrashDive how have the responses to the Flight Ad been? Are you able to email me an answer to any of my questions please?

[CrashDive]

To be honest, I don't know the precise answer to the questions that you posed above, but suffice to say that we must require at least 10 each of Captains and FO's just to crew the two new a/c (one of which, G-IGOS, was delivered yesterday).
Then to cover any flight crew that are leaving (for what ever reasons) we will need a few more (maybe 3 or 4'ish of each rank), plus recruitment of permanent crew (to replace the contract pilots that we employ - say another 5 again, of each rank).

So, perhaps a guess at maybe 20 of each rank might not be too far out - but don't quote me, because (not being management) I don't actually know the precise figures.

Ps. Our recruitment is actively underway and has been for many months (we don't normally advertise, they apply to us - in considerably numnbers too); thus, for all that I know, they might already have filled many of the above vacancies.

[Macman]

Crashdive,

This might be a stupid question but both Easyjet, Go and Ryanair are all on the hunt for type rated 737 pilots...where the hell are they coming from? Do you know of anyone leaving Go for Ryanair/Easyjet or vice versa? Where are the type rated guys joining GO coming from - just interested. Any Easyjet people care to comment?

[2XL]

Macman - notice that the GO-FLY ad in Flight DID NOT mention a 737 type rating as a requirement for Captains. A typeing error or clever ommission, who knows? Lets hope GO are recruiting and not simply running a clever PR exercise!

[Rocket Ron]

Macman, fyi we've had only one Captain (returning) to easyJet, and one Capt and one F/O moving to Ryanair. Currently we employ about 150 pilots. Quite a few went to the EZY "roadshow" - they didn't sign up!

[boxmover]

CrashDive

What is the opinion inside Go of working for KLMuk.

Do you think they will move to your terms or will Go move to the KLMuk ones?

[2XL]

Has anyone who submitted an application received a reply or invitation to an interview yet?

Is the "sale" slowing things down a little?

[CrashDive]

Boxmover, do you know it's weird that there is hardly any comment on it yet from the crews, imho mostly because they are waiting to find out who the new purchasers actually will be rather than who the press are speculating that it might be. Watch this space...........

Ps. Those folks who have emailed me on this, could you please be patient and wait until Thursday 1st March till I reply, coz I'm flat out at work just now !

[2XL]

CrashDive and others as it is now the 1st, has anybody received any further information yet?