SAS Announces sponsorship deal...

[Cloud surfer]

Just noticed that SAS has anounced a "new" sponsoship program. I guess it's a version 2 or 3 or something..

Applicants must first apply to, test for, be interview by, and get accepted into either Norwegian Aviation College or Luftfartskolen. Then the student can apply for one of 20 sponsorships (in 2002) of 45,000 Euros in exchange for a guarantee to work for SAS.(www.sasflightops.com)

I just wonder..... when are they going to launch sponsorship Version X? Having no insight into SAS managements future personnel strategy, it seems somewhat odd to not see larger commitments to securing pilots in the future.

Somebody enlighten me. Where are all the non-sponsored pilots going to come from? It seems clear (perhaps only to me) that there are not going to be enough self-funded pilots available for the future Scandinavian Market - and least of all available to SAS. (It must be noted, however, that my experience is limited to the Norwegian market - which may or may not reflect the reality of Denmark and Sweden) The only bright spot on the horizon seems to lie in what the Norwegian Government (and the swedes) are now doing in bringing aviation training into the "høyskole" arena. But then we're talking about time frames which well exceed the current problems the airlines are facing.

I guess my point is that 20 sponsorships just doesn't seem to put enough water on the fire. But then again, I don't get paid to manage an airline, do I?

[Hung start]

I wonder just as much as you do, cloudsurfer. Where are they gonna come from?

It should be noted however, that those 20 sponsorships in 2002, are announced at the same time that they "nominated" the schools from where students (selfpaying)will need to meet no flighttime minima, other than that necessary to obtain a CPL.
I believe 2 schools in DK, 2 in Sweden and 1 in Norway. I guess they expect a lot additional students to enter those schools now, that they can apply to SAS as soon as they finish at the school.
But I´m still wondering.

[Cloud surfer]

As you mention, HS, there are 5 "approved" schools within Scandinavia.

It may well be that SAS is hoping that their connection to these schools will improve application numbers and subsequent pilot production.

However, my experience with NAC, which has had this deal with SAS since 1992, has shown that even with such a deal, there is just not enough interest. That's the first problem. But even if you manage to round up a hundred motivated youngsters, most of them will neven have a chance because the costs are too great and the economic risk too high if you don't get into a major airline immediately.

Without sponsorships, the students are having to pay 600-800,000 kroners for their education with no security regarding employment. Previous to JAR-FCL, these students were still managing OK because they could get a cheap instructor rating, build some hours, work nights and eventually after a few years find themselves in a rightseat somewhere.

With JAR-FCL, student are going to have to place another 100,000 kroners on top of the 600 -800,000 just to get the JAR Instructor license. Now we're dealing with numbers which are not realistic for the average person - now we're dealing with numbers which airlines should be handling. The backside of this coin is that if all students are hired immediately, who is going to train the next generation? Surely there will be a instructor pilot shortage before there is an airline shortage, and the game of catch 22 starts from there.

The solution, it seems, must be to pre-select and contract employment with students before they start paying for their training. Hell, if you're guranteed a job (or a reinburtion of training costs if no job is given within a reasonable timeframe)the price mentioned above is, at best, acceptable. But I'll bet a bunch of lawyers are very scared of that one.... times go up and times go down.





[This message has been edited by Cloud surfer (edited 23 June 2001).]

[Nick Figaretto]

Good points, Cloud Surfer.

I'd really like to see a post here (or anywhere else) that could enlighten us just the slightest bit on the SAS (or other airlines in Scandinavia's) startegy on pilot recruitment.

I guess, for SAS, skipping the Scandinavian language requirement, as they did in june, was one way to make the mass of "potential SAS pilots" larger.

Nick.

------------------
"I have found that alcohol taken in sufficient quantity produces all the effects of drunkenness."
~ Oscar Wilde

[This message has been edited by Nick Figaretto (edited 02 July 2001).]

[Cloud surfer]

Lars Mydland has just been made Chief of Flight Operations in SAS. Makes for a very interesting new period in regards to ab-intio and sponsorships....

[Hung start]

What do you think will happen, with him as the new boss?? I only know him as a very good boss of the flight academy. Does he have interesting opinions on future recruiting policy?

[Cloud surfer]

As far as I know Mydland, he has been an active advocate for ab-initio pilot training for quite some time. He's chaired the NAC board of directors for a good number of years. Hopefully, he'll be able to fully utlilize the ab-initio potential which lies in ab-initio training when dealing with the impending pilot-requirements.

But all we can do is wait and see....