Airline recruitment

[Jemima Puddleduck]

I am currently a Military rotary pilot Officer with @1200 twin hours and young(ish). I am considering a career jump, but have yet to commit to taking my ATPL(A) or (H), and am wondering what the recruiting policy of the major airlines is. Are there any that will take me unqualified and sponsor me through the upgrade, and hours onto fixed wing. My dad was a BA Captain so I am fully aware or the niceties of licences etc, and am trying to seek a way of committing to employment PRIOR to a large commitment of my cash. Any tips, opinions (good or bad), direction and advice are sought.

Thanks for your advice in advance.

[Wings]

Dear Jemima,
I'm sorry to say that the type of financial support you're looking for is non existent. There were several scholorship type schemes set up, but without having the exams behind you the airlines won't look at you. Airlines that used to help included Air UK / KLM UK / Buzz or whatever they call themselves now, British World Airways and Singapore Airlines, but to my knowledge they all required a lot more in the way of commitment than you are offering at the moment.
Bottom line from the airlines's point of view, you want the airline to commit to giving you a job in (say) 12 months time when you have got your licence. Before you can borrow the money from a bank or whatever, they are going to want to see a letter from the prospective employer airline guaranteeing you employment and thus providing a way for you to repay the loan. If for what ever reason (economic downturn , war [think Gulf War & Air Europe] more competitor airlines oversupplying the market) the airline can't employ you in 12 months time, they would face possible legal action from you and / or your bank.
Ask your Dad (the ex B.A. Captain ) to ask his contacts in BA what their recruitment requirements will be in 12 months time and he will find out that BA won't have a clue. If a major airline can't give you an answer what hope will the smaller airlines have ?
I have several friends in similar situations to you and thay have all drawn blanks. Sorry to provide such negative news.
Good luck in your career.

[Jemima Puddleduck]

Dear Wings,
Thanks for that - as I suspected. No harm in testing the water occasionaly however.
Can't ask my Dad as he's 6 ft under (hence the )was a BA...etc).
All is not lost though as the Mil offer what is called the Link up Systembut requiring a further 3 yrs commitment, and in return you get about 10000 pounds towards your licences.

Other responces still sought though. THANKS

[exkiwibird]

Jemima - although what Wings has to say is true, a good friend of mine ( age 37, female, former Cabin Crew) got her PPL while still working for BA and then got a bank loan to do her ATPL. She didn't have a letter from a prospective employee, just a friend with enough assets to act as a guarantor on the loan. Through sheer determination she has now done her CPL and isstarting her Instrument Rating. Obviously, getting a job won't be easy, but if you show enough 'willing' and with your aviation contacts/credentials, you will get further than you think under your own steam, without counting on someone else footing the bill in the first instance. Good Luck!

[Wings]

Jemima,
Just a thought. Have you contacted the Independent Pilot's Association (IPA) in Haywards Heath West Sussex ? The IPA are a pretty switched on 'Pilots Self Help' organization who are full of good ideas / contacts and helpful people. They do have a website and e mail address but I can't remember what it is. You could do a lot worse than give them a call. I am a member and can thoroughly recommend them, especially when it comes time for you to search for an airline job.
The other organization you might want to try is BALPA. I am not a member of BALPA so I can't give first hand knowledge, but I do know of a friend who, when unemployed, needed to borrow some money to get a B 767 rating to get a job. I know BALPA helped him, but I think it was more in the way of pointing him towards a sympathetic lending organization rather than actually lending him the money directly.
Once again, good luck.
Cheers

[Jemima Puddleduck]

Dear Wings -

Thankyou again for the advice. However its not the issue of getting the money but the principle of having pay out for no guaranteed return.
Bit of a sticky one in my situation. You see, have a good job - then potentially spend LOADS of cash - and then potentially have NO job. Hopefully you now see the thread of my question.

I have however noted your contacts and will store them until I have made a decision.

Many thanks. ;)

[sydneyc]

Jemima,

Have read your posts with interest. Quite a few of my friends came out of the RN and RAF over the last 5 years and have made the switch. They were all in a similar situation in that they had good jobs and were terrified of forking out the cash for potentially nothing. But for all of them, the "potentially nothing" was non-existent. They all flew (sorry) through their ATPL's and found work swiftly afterwards (3 months max, I beleive). Plus there's another factor to consider - many of the sponsorship schemes tie you in for repayments for many years afterwards - it may not be a loan from a bank, but it's still a burden.

I'm not sure how old you are, but my friends all jumped around the 36/37 mark.

Reading this back, I'm not sure if I've said anything constructive -sorry! But there is a point in there somewhere and I think I was setting out to say that my opinion is that you would not find yourself without a job after converting.

sydneyc

[R.Don]

Jem, may I suggest you give Airtours a ring as they do cadet stuff.

[Jemima Puddleduck]

Thanks...

JP