How do you become Concorde pilot?

[TG910]

Anxious to hear about both BA and AF policies on recruiting concorde pilots ( both captain and F/O). I understand that there exists huge demand and that some butt licking might help your chances, but what is the official way of getting on to that fleet? How often do they recruit?
I think I heard once that to become a capt on the concorde with BA you first had to give up command for 10 yrs and act as FO on the concorde for the 10 yrs and than get promoted. Any truth in this?
The capt on AF4590 was ex A340 and he only had about 1 yrs experience on type - mabe the policies with BA and AF differ...?

[mjkukin2]

brilliant question tg id like to to the answer to that to where do they recruit there concorde pilots from ....i always thought it was the raf's fast jet pilots

[TG910]

I gather they are recruited internally within the airline ....but why do I think that most concorde crew belong to the "old boys club" and attended only the finest of aviation schools money could buy. Unfair ? Perhaps. Lets see what the experts have to say.

[M.Mouse]

Broadly speaking any BA Captain or First Officer can bid for Concorde in the normal conversion bid process.

One cannot bid for Concorde as a first command.

The conversion costs are such that the post conversion freeze periods are longer than other fleets.

Suitability for conversion is assessed by a group consisting of Chief Training Pilot, Flight Training Manager Concorde and the Flight Training Manager on the applicants current fleet.

This assessment is because the Concorde conversion course is very intensive, very demanding and very long not to mention costly. The aircraft itself is demanding to fly due to its complexity. Failure to complete the course is not unknown.

But I am led to understand that if your simulator grades are above average and you haven't blotted your copy book the fleet is open to anyone meeting the criteria.

The Concorde pilots that I have ever met are pretty normal people with the common denominator that they greatly enjoy flying a very impressive and prestigious aircraft.