Something to keep you all going.

[Lawyerboy]

Have a read of this article: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=363159&in_review_text_id=308184

Is the lady in question a PPRuNer, by any chance?

[Spoonbill]

Good for her.
No doubt the BA publicity machine will make good use of this, but then again they probably dont know........ http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif

[FireDragon]

What an inspiration! All the very best of luck to her, she deserves it for her sheer determination

[FI]

I have met Jo a couple of times, well done! I must add however, I think you will find that her father was employed by BA for a very many years. That said, I am sure that it had nothing to do with her employment.

[matelot]

This summed it up -

Her drive impressed the panel. Recruitment boss Robin Glover said: "One of the things we recognised when we interviewed Jo was her sheer determination and the effort she had applied in getting to where she was.

"You have to have that sort of inner drive - and she certainly does."


Good luck to the lass.


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Me, sweat? I'm that cool, it's condensation.

[foghorn]

Interesting... I assume from the fact that the lady inquestion was hired straight from her IR test means that she was a DEP with low hours or at least had no prior airline experience.

Like FI I wonder just how she managed to be hired over all those people in the BA DEP pool with thousands of hours of turbine time, turbine command time, relevant type ratings etc. etc.

Don't let me sound too grumpy, though, all the best to her, yet another person becomes an ex-Wannabe! It's not particularly what you know it's who you know in this business as well as in life....

[This message has been edited by foghorn (edited 22 February 2001).]

[DeeTee]

Rather harsh Foghorn. I think it probably had more to do with her long standing association with the company than anything else. She can demonstrate a dedication both to her qulifications and the comany. Learning foreign languages just so she can be allowed to push a cart around for four years whilst working towards her I/R. Nope I am not sure it had to do with her Dad. From what I can see there seems to be little interface between flight deck and recruiting at BA. Simply because the company is too big. A good mate of mine, senior training capt on 747's with BA, said he had no input into the recruiting process when I was looking for a job, and he would have if he could have......if you get my drift.

Still very well done. One less wannabe, everyone else moves up the queue.

:)

[Sick Squid]

I've flown with Jo and she is certainly a superb pilot, and good company as well.

She just didn't let any of the hurdles stop her, and kept going until she achieved her goal. Definitely a fine example of what it takes to succeed; perseverance and drive.

£6

[This message has been edited by Sick Squid (edited 22 February 2001).]

[foghorn]

Don't get me wrong, I am not questioning the ability of the lady in question, and she has shown determination by the barrel-load. She deserves to be in the RHS of nice shiny jet (don't oh so many wannabes?)

However commitment and perseverence in the face of odds that would make most ordinary people quit are common traits in self-improvers. Her story is not unusual in this respect - look to Pilot Pete, WWW, etc. for inspiration. Has low-houred BA DEP hiring happened before?

Of course I am not in possession of the full facts so shouldn't really comment, however it does not surprise me that the fact that she worked for BA and has a family member working for BA might have played a part. As I said 'who you know not what you know' is a part of life in general....

But I'll shut up now because I'm sounding like a moany old grump that I really am not, and it was not my intention to detract from another wannabe achieving their dream :)



[This message has been edited by foghorn (edited 22 February 2001).]

[Pontius]

Foggy,

You're going to have to trust me on this one, but believe me, having a relative in BA (be they a Bus Driver or Base Training Captain) has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on getting into the seat of a company aircraft. People get there because they've got the stuff BA are looking for.

I don't know the facts of this case, but BA basically has 3 ways of getting to be a pilot:

The 1st is the TEP programme. She may well have qualified under that. The fact that you've got an IR doesn't mean you have an ATPL and the flying she would have done is a very good indicator of her determination to be a BA pilot.

The 2nd is the DEP programme. As you said, she probably has very little experience (all relative you understand) compared to the people in the holding pool. She would NOT have been allowed to circumvent the existing selection criteria and overtake other pilots in the pool(no matter who she works for or who her father was).....so I don't think she would have been a DEP.

The 3rd and not so often used is to take people who have self-sponsored and were tagged as being good eggs by the school (Oxford). These people do the BA selection procedure and, provided they are the calibre that BA seeks, they join at the JOC phase. Thereafter they continue as if a 'normal' TEP.

So you see this lady could have been any one of the above, but probably not a DEP. She would, therefore, not have overtaken the experienced people in the pool and would have got in by her own merits and not because she works for/was fathered by someone in BA.

In summary I would say she got the job because she deserves it and proved she was worthy. Good luck to her I say.

Pontius

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You Ain't Seen Me - Right !!

[foghorn]

Thanks Pontius, I didn't realise that there was a third route like this. She obviously is an exceptional flyer. Well done!

[Sick Squid]

It was via the third route, Pontius/Foggy. Not many get in that way.

[DeltaT]

So what about us other good eggs that don't come in the Oxford carton?
How can we prove that have the drive and determination requried and go by the 3rd route also?!

[GJB]

This story should inspire all of us wannabes.

Well done Jo - you deserve it. :)

[This message has been edited by GJB (edited 23 February 2001).]

[landedoutagain]

Its always great to see people you know get jobs! I was there when she came in having passed the IR and turned her phone on - dont know of anyone else who has come off test to an answerphone saying come for interview!
however, which training did she do at oxford? just curious!

[InFinRetirement]

That is EXACTLY the sort of attitude we will be looking for in our scheme for wannabes. Such dedication and motivation nearly always gets you in the goalmouth, then it's just a kick for the goal. If you see what I mean.

Good luck to Jo and good luck to all our wannbes who want flying so much it hurts!!!!

IFR

[Teroc]

Excellent to see this type of thing. Inspiring as well.