BA Direct Entry Pilots

[30W]

Heard that BA are running a 757/767 course for DE Pilots at the moment. Anyone in BA know if this is true?

[wiggy]

ROFL...

Ok, having picked myself up off the floor...It's not impossible ( I guess) but given that "Flight International" has carried reports of BA finding a buyer for some of it's 757s this Winter, and the BA BALPA Reps are manfully trying to help organise moves for possibly displaced pilots from the 756/767 onto, say, the Airbus, I would hazard a guess that this rumour is not true.

[brit bus driver]

Yes, it's true.

Lord Lucan is running the courses and can be seen parking Shergar outside Cranebank. During his free time, he pops down to Virginia Water to make sure Nessie has all she needs. They are also practising formation with a flotilla of winged pigs....:ok:

[hunterboy]

BA do a lot of third party work at Cranebank. Maybe they're running a course for another company?

[BetpumpS]

Yes it is true.

You just got some words mixed up.

They are running a course of transferring 757/767 pilots to other a/c!

[30W]

Thanks Hunter, it may well be that........

[wee one]

Wtf does direct entry pilot mean. Do you usually join in another grade at BA and then get made a pilot later?
:yuk:

[bluepilot]

wee one

you can join BA as a CEP (cadet entry pilot) SSP (self sponsored pilot) or DEP (direct entry pilot).

see here

BA Recruitment (http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/baweb1/?newms=info128)

[wee one]

Its still bolox

[TopBunk]

BA are about (after the holiday weekend) to put out a request for voluntary redundancies and making available long and short term standdown. I would suggest that it is unlikely that any recruitment is likely before 2011!

[Artificial Horizon]

Voluntary Redundancy now been offered initially to the top 500 pilots and unplaid leave of up to 12 months being offered to who ever wants it. Can't see recruitment continuing anytime soon.:eek:

[757_Driver]

hold your horses guys. (or your pigs!)
If, indeed, redundancy has been offered then sadly I think that will be the end of the hold pool. Redundancy makes no sense unless you know for definate that you won't need any recruits for a minimum of about 3 years.
HOWEVER, this swine flu will have a temporary large effect on the industry, for, ooh about a week. Then everyone will realise its another overhyped scare by the nanny state ( probably to bury the rest of the news for a while) and forget about it. Every year 3000 to 30,000 people in the UK alone die from normal, bog standard 'seasonal' flu. This swine flu now appears to be no more or less than that. It'll all be over before anyone can say "what the hell are the World health organsiation thinking of".

I was sitting in my hotel room downroute last week, watching CNN and BBC world news (the only channels that weren't in russian!) and alot of economic data was coming out that appears to show the worst is over. Granted there was a cruel false dawn in 1931 that was merely a pause whilst the depression gathered pace, but all indications appear to be that the worst is over and we are slowly returning to normaility (note, not the crazy debt fuelled boom, but normality - which will seem a bit like a recession for those that have only lived their adult lives in the Blair / Brown era, and now have to live within their means!).
I still think BA can, and will take advantage of undercapacity in the marked when the turnaround happens.
Having said that, if they do have redundancies then all bets are off, although i will be surprised as i really didn't think things were that bad.

[Bellerophon]

757_driver

...If, indeed, redundancy has been offered...

Judging by your above comment, it appears you may have some doubts about whether Artificial Horizon's post saying ...Voluntary Redundancy now been offered initially to the top 500 pilots... was correct.

It is.

Voluntary Redundancy has been offered to the top 500 pilots in BA.


Best Regards

Bellerophon

[757_Driver]

i didn't mean to cast aspertions on AH's caracter but 99% of stuff on pprune is unfounded rumour, so i'll beleive it when i see it confirmed by another source.
If it is the case then I am still very surprised, as BA have effectively removed the oportunity to recruit for a year or so. (the 6 month legal moritorium on recruiting after redundancies, plus say another 6 months for the redundancy process and consultations)

I guess things are worse than they appear to be!

never mind, at least i have a job, and who knows when BA open their doors again, but guessing on 3-5 years now if this news is true.

[wobble2plank]

I can confirm the post from AH. VR offered, initially to the top 500 with options for all others with renumeration based upon length of time with the company.

Also unpaid leave of up-to 12 months has been offered to all and sundry with the company considering unpaid leave for any duration starting at a week.

Sorry but I think it will be a long time before the recruitment monster heaves another breath.

Good luck.

edit:

Not sure there is a 'legal' delay after voluntary redundancies. As these are exactly what it says on the tin, voluntary. Compulsory redundancies carry all sorts of legal recruiting ramifications though.

[wiggy]

I'm afraid, believe it or not 757_Driver, it is happening. I can confirm what Wobble, AH and Bellopheron have stated: that BA are looking for VR and also volunteers to take unpaid leave. The Company e-mail was in many of our corporate in-boxes 24 hours ago. It is not a rumour.

[Solent Trout]

Anyone know if the top 500 have been offered any kind of financial incentive to take voluntary redundancy?

[wobble2plank]

The juicy details, I would suggest, remain firmly in the corporate in-boxes of those affected within the company.

All that needs to be revealed on this open forum is that it is, indeed, happening.

[757_Driver]

thanks for that info guys. I still am surprised - but obviously the BA board know the state of the industry better than i do!

I'm pretty sure the legal issues remain for VR's aswell - after all you are still making a job redundant. Early retirement is another issue tho, so i guess it can be got around.
I don't know tho - employment law is a complex and thorny area (which is why employment lawyers can earn so much!)

Oh well. que sera sera.

[stormin norman]

If you go before 2010 you can still take your pension (if there's any left) before 55, so i expect this to be a big factor in decisions whether to go or not.