experienced B737 F/O unemployable?

[mrx111]

For the last time it looks like, the preferences of many airlines are going a wrong way in employing first officers. Every airline is trying to cut the costs and I already know several companies employing on right seat pilots, who are flying for free or even paying for that. My last company did the same last summer, one previous company where I was working has started doing the same. I was fired during the crises and instead of taking back experienced pilots they give a chance to low timers without any experience, because they don't get a salary. One day there will be a thousands of pilots who goes tru this way and the airlines keeps the costs low by paying for the captains only. Why nobody offers for example the program for experienced F/O to get captains trainig and get 500hrs as a captain? There are no jobs for B737/A320 for experienced F/O except something in China and the reason is simple as I'm describing here. I already have qualifications and enough hours on type to be qualified as a captain, but my airline has a seniority system like many others and a waiting time is more than 5 years or maybe even more today.

[BerksFlyer]

Why nobody offers for example the program for experienced F/O to get captains trainig and get 500hrs as a captain?

Be careful what you wish for. The day airlines start doing that is the day being a commercial pilot is no longer a viable career. It's already becoming borderline as it is.

[Water Wings]

I already have qualifications and enough hours on type to be qualified as a captain, but my airline has a seniority system like many others and a waiting time is more than 5 years or maybe even more today.

Why not just wait for your number to come up? Plenty of places around the world have very long waits to command (10 years plus!) People in years gone by accepted they had to wait. I will concede the differences in pay as you identify does exacerbate the issue but as long as there is light at the end of the tunnel and you are currently earning a decent wage why the big rush?

Not Generation Y by any chance?

[pilotnik]

I would be surprised if that happens. Though it's true many companies act that way with FOs, I'm not sure if it is all that bad. Yes, you have to put a lot of money on the table but that's just the kind of investment people do nowadays to get what they want in many different industries. One doesn't get rich or achive distant goal avoiding risk - that's just the way the world nowadays is.

In my opinion people 20-23 who start on the right seat and it is their first job usually do not care (or sometimes have no idea) how bad is their salary compared to their responsibility and working conditions. It comes to them after a year or several when a girl wants kids or whatever. I had the same thing. When you're young you don't think about dying - simple. I belive that is why airlines smile to the youngest. It's all about profit. If you had your own firm you'd do the same.

In life you get big money for big responsibility, exceptional creativity or lottery. That's way capt. will always get good money.

[mrx111]

I've asked about this, because my current airline, where I'm flying is expecting to fire some pilots for reducing operations. I'm already grounded for next 2 months until the summer plans will be completed and the decission about continuing of flying will be made. For this case I'm looking for some options where to go when the situation will be going a wrong way. There are no jobs for experienced F/O at the moment, but so many for captains. I'm sure there will be always much more opportunity to find a captain job instead of looking for a job as experienced F/O.

[Airbus_a321]

but so many for captains. :confused:

Tell me where please. Reasonable jobs for experienced captains in Europe ? Never, Ever. Or maybe I am blind?

Yes maybe captains jobs to fly for food. But fair pay. Let's talk about 10.000 Euros gros. Where? Not even jobs in the 7ooo to 8000 Euros range avail. :ugh:
Thanks.

[KAG]

mrx71: would it be possible to name the airlines who didn't take you back and took use the P2F scheme scam instead? Very interesting... You are the perfect example that P2F is part of the problem, not the solution. Sorry to hear about your story, difficult situation I understand.

Now I didn't get everything, do really wish captains become P2F (P2Work in fact) aswell?

[mrx111]

The question is not about the captain job for 10.000EUR or more, the question is about having job or stay unemployed. All agencies are having positions for captains, but how many jobs they have for F/O? At the end, there is sometimes something even for F/O, but then it's usually Airbus 320/330 instead of B737. For A320/330 they always ask for 500+ hrs on type and nobody cares, that I've on similar type thousands of hours. In this case, my question is reasonable, am I employable in this environment? I never had to go thru P2F, I had my first job as a regular F/O starting on 737, but during the time I had to change the company few times for reducing fleet size or reducing operations.