BA CityFlyer recruitment and assessment

[geekgirl]

Hi!

I was just wondering if anyone could shed some light on the BA CityFlyer Assessment and Interview day.
Most posts on this seem to be very dated so any advice anyone could give me would be great.

Many thanks in advance :)

[N747EX]

Have you been invited?

[High Energy]

Selection process has not changed since the old data posted on pprune before.

[Capt_Sensible]

Has anyone heard anything from them yet????

[zedoscarro]

no, nothing, niente, nada

[angelorange]

100s of approaches into LON City, just under 6000h with 4 years of that on Multi Crew TP, also jet rated.

[Woody12]

@angelorange

Im really surprised that you got one, considering your experience!! :ugh: First they reject newbies and now experienced guys. Wondering what they are looking for and how the selection is being conducted. Sofar, no PFO for me, but that can change very quick.

[Davenport]

My guess is they're after flybe rated guys.....

[maxed-out]

@Woody12

CTC!!! As usual a taster "recruitment" drive to see who bites. Then off to the CTC sausage factory for cadets and everyone’s nest is nicely feathered.

Did any of you experienced TP/Jet guys expect anything else?

And soon we'll have another FTO/ATO opening up shop in the UK selling MPL to wannabes for a wopping 100k sterling. Nice....

[Daygo]

If they do cherry pick from CTC and OAA then it really goes to show that as a wannabe the only places to go are these FTO's.

I firmly believe that we should have a system as in the US where you have to gain your 1500 hrs before you can work for an airline. The problem is the CAA wouldn't do this as it would rock the boat.

I have heard nothing from BAFC and don't expect to. I have over 2000hrs TT, live 20 mins away from the airport. 1750 hrs instrument time and 1700hrs working in the corporate aviation industry on a Citation.

So hard to move up the ladder when all you have is some kid from CTC/OAA bypassing the system. Seems experience counts for nothing these days!!! :ugh:

[maxed-out]

Daygo,

You have my sympathies. But if the rules were changed then you wouldn't have had the chance to fly a Cj with 300 hours (which is what your post implies). At least the corporate division and the companies I've been contacting haven't sold their souls to CTC/OAA. Not yet anyway.

Good luck.

Ps. I'll take your Cj job. Lowish TT and couple hundred turbine.:p

[Daygo]

Maxed Out.

Agree with your comments. I do however think that there needs to be more emphasis on the guys with hours to be taken on by airlines.

[Daygo]

Do we know if anyone has been contacted regarding interviews?

[Trossie]

I have over 2000hrs TT, live 20 mins away from the airport. 1750 hrs instrument time and 1700hrs working in the corporate aviation industry on a Citation.

So hard to move up the ladder when all you have is some kid from CTC/OAA bypassing the system. Seems experience counts for nothing these days!!!

In any 'seniority based' airline that will all count against you.The kiddo who joined straight from flying school a year before you will be ahead of you for promotion. That will eventually make you grumpy and they won't want grumpy pilots in their airline, so they'll stick to employing the kiddos straight from the flying schools. These kiddos will be so heavily in debt that they can't afford to leave and repay the type-rating bond; and by the time their bond is finished they will be looking at how close they are to a command and that leaving will be throwing away their precious position on that seniority list. The airline will quite obviously prefer them rather than you. Those kids aren't 'bypassing the system', for seniority based airlines they are the system.

[Trossie]

... ageism or not?

Not. That 'kid' straight out of Flying School could be aged 20 or 40 and the principle would still be the same. (The 40-year-olds could actually be more attractive to the airline as they will eventually feel, once they have worked off their bonds and 'gained' in seniority, that they have more to lose if they leave.)

[no sponsor]

As a BA Franchise, and as a group company in IAG, if true, that is wholly unacceptable.

[Trossie]

Pilot recruitment in this country is conceptually fixed to prevent experienced and mature pilots from applying for jobs.

Not true. I have known several pilots aged 35+ with only piston-engined time and sometimes with many thousands of hours to get airline jobs. (One was 1,500 hrs, aged 54! AND he got a command before he retired.) The 'instant fix' flying-school-straight-into-a-jet-job isn't always the best answer. Plenty of pilots have worked their way up as flying instructors and with turbo-prop airlines. Many have got themselves jobs in airline offices, as cabin crew and as handling agent dispatchers in order to get known and noticed. And well done to all of them for their efforts. Others have done it, just give it a try and don't just sit at home complaining about 'the system'.

Agreed, there always have been some airlines that have some rather daft concepts about selecting pilots. One is that flying school graduates are the only way to go (most likely that is the way that the chief pilot got his licence?), another is to look down on certain types of experience (I can understand the 'factorised hours' concept, because long-haul hours don't build up experience at the same rate as regional turbo-prop, etc., but I have heard of one rather snooty airline looking down at someone's DC6 experience!) and I have seen some rather daft questions on application forms that can be totally irrelevant (one rather Big Airline at one stage wanted to know how many hours you took to go solo... I've known a pilot to go solo at about 80 hours, but that was on his 17th birthday and that day he soloed on four different types including a tail-dragger and a twin, so 'hours to first solo' is a rubbish question!).

When the supply is bigger than the demand then that first job will always be difficult to get, but I don't think that airline work is much different from other industries as far as that goes. When business picks up it will change...

As for being... a BA Franchise, and ... a group company in IAGI don't think that makes them any different from any other employer, other than that they have the 'tyranny of the seniority list'to prevent experienced and mature pilotsfrom advancing at a rate relevant to their experience.

[futureTP]

Hello folks,

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything recently, I've been reliably informed there are assessment days planned?

Also any info on the group ex, interview and tests would be appreciated feeling lucky!

If you prefer to pm please feel free... :ok:

Cheers

[Daygo]

I've not heard anything since I received my BP email about 5 yrs ago!

[Selcal86]

I got a pfo this morning. 1000 on an rj and 2400 tt.
Must be all the Ryanairs jumping ship that got the interviews...

[Deep and fast]

They are funny bunnies, I was in a hold pool at the end of the recruitment for the RJ and when they next recruited for the emb I found out I was kicked out BA mainline style.
So reapplied for interview and got a PFO.
Seems silly as I had jumped the hoops and passed the sim.

Oh well, I got a better job so I guess all is well.

[RJ100]

Just a few points here.
BACF are not a franchise they are a wholly owned subsidiary of BA.
Having said that if want into BA stay away. You'll not get in to BA via BACF!!
Last person to do that was before we became BA Connect no one that has applied since has been selected. Strange when we fly the Brand to the same SOP's!

Seniority at this company counts for nothing!!!!
Commands are given on a face fits system. Every few years they change the way to become an SFO and it always has a provision for them refusing the third stripe.
I know many good solid FO's who for some reason have fell foul of this and have not been offered command, and a few who should never have been offered the command and who are now sitting in the left seat.

Commands here are also taken away from captains on a too regular basis.

Why are a very large number of people, even captains leaving for Jet2?
Last count 4 on notice and a further 10+ from both seats waiting for course dates, with a few more still to sim check. Last count if the rest get offered a job it'll be around 20!! Or so the rumours go............:oh:

So for those that don't make the selection (which HR have a huge say over) it's not always a bad thing. However the people in the planes are a great bunch of people to work with.

To those who want to come here best of luck. The grass is not always greener. It's a fun job and a great bunch of people to fly with.
I like the job but after many years here I too might be on the way out.

One final note: in the past year those hired have come from various back grounds. Flybe, BMI baby, BMI regional, Loganair and Ryanair. At the moment we are have many who are ready for command with nowhere to move up. So maybe now they want people with low hours to bottom fill the FO's. First 4 button pushers (MPL) FO's start next month with a further 4 DE FO's.

[AtomKraft]

A fish rots from the head down, and that is the problem at BACF.

It could be a great company- but it's not.

Those of you in receipt of your PFO's....Keep looking. You'll find somewhere better. :ok:

[Selcal86]

Thanks for the info. From the sounds of it, a great bunch of people to work with.

[aerocomp]

I got an invitation for assessment at BACF next month.
On the info letter I received that I can expect the following that day:
• Competency based interview;
• Group exercise; and
• Numerical and verbal reasoning testing (a calculator will be provided).

Anyone who has been there and can tell a bit more about these three steps, what can I expect and can I prepare for it somehow?

Do you also know how many FOs they are looking for to hire?

[G-IZMO]

Well done to you! What's your experience?

[aerocomp]

Around 2000 TT which 1700 on heavy jet.

[Daygo]

Aerocomp

Did you receive your invitation in the post or by email? Seems a trivial question but I recently moved and have not updated my current address details.

[aerocomp]

I got a phonecall,have not heard anything before that since I sent in my application.

[aerocomp]

So back to my first question :-)
Anyone who can help me and know what to expect on the interview, what kinds of tests,type of questions on the face to face talk and the group exercise?

[Iver]

Why are people so excited about this company? Pay have never been great and growth has been incremental with the additions of the Embraers compared to other carriers. Yes - I have heard good things about the pilot group, but Easy, Ryan, Jet2 and some of the other charter carriers appear to be growing faster with more opportunity. Sure, these other carriers are not perfect by any stretch and the contracts they offer can vary, but they are growing faster and have more bases and more variety of flying - right? Plus, if BA is your end goal, sounds like CityFlyer would not be the choice.

I guess if you must be in London, CityFlyer is an option. Again, the CityFlyer pilot group is supposed to be top notch. Are there many Easy, Ryan, Monarch, Thomson, Jet2 pilots leaving those airlines for CityFlyer?

[WX Man]

I'm confused.

In any 'seniority based' airline that will all count against you.The kiddo who joined straight from flying school a year before you will be ahead of you for promotion. That will eventually make you grumpy and they won't want grumpy pilots in their airline, so they'll stick to employing the kiddos straight from the flying schools. These kiddos will be so heavily in debt that they can't afford to leave and repay the type-rating bond; and by the time their bond is finished they will be looking at how close they are to a command and that leaving will be throwing away their precious position on that seniority list. The airline will quite obviously prefer them rather than you. Those kids aren't 'bypassing the system', for seniority based airlines they are the system.

If this is the case, why did their requirements state:

"500 hours flight time or 100 flight sectors on an MPA"
and "Experience of flying with a commercial airline with an established SOP"
and "Hold a total flight time of 1000 hours with multi crew, multi engine experience."

Maybe that was just for the guys who don't have the MPL.

[Woody12]

Wise words superpilot:ok:

[bylgw]

Anyone with an ounce of sense wouldn't leave Thomson for BACF

[Bucket]

Absolutely spot on Super Pilot.

The work/life balance should remain the over arching criteria.

:D

[Highland_fling]

Anyone heard anything since Monday/Tuesday's Selection Days? :confused:

[RJ100]

Announced yesterday 3 additional E190's. 2 in Q1 and the third in September.
So more pilots needed.

[aerocomp]

Anybody here that passed the interview last week and got invited to the sim?

[zedoscarro]

New vacancies for Ejet pilots on their website.
Closing date: December 2nd

The only difference is that now an Embraer Type Rating is mandatory

(Are they looking for the FlyBe guys?)

[RJ100]

zedoscarro

Yes we are.

[kerofai]

What kind of pilot/person makes an ideal BA CityFlyer First Officer?

[Wodka]

So I guess the non typed recruitment is now on hold/cancelled?

[Daygo]

Wodka,

Have you heard anything other than the Be Patient email a month or so ago? I haven't heard anything.

[emb-145]

......really

[Wodka]

I'm thinking with the Flybe situation and the fact that a new FO vacancy for type rated only is up on the site...

[gearupflapsupshutup]

would the flybe embraer rated people be fast tracked? I hope for them they do... not funny to be made redundant, so hopefully some light at the end of the flybe tunnel

[drivez]

I'm personally hoping they can get a great voluntary redundancy package, then walk in to a job flying ejets for city flyer.

[MD11Man]

Any others heard anything apart from the be patient email?

[aerocomp]

Anyone know if everybody is starting on year 1 on the pay scale for first officer,regardless of earlier experience?

[RJ100]

Aerocomp,

Yes you would be starting on the year one on the pay scale. The pay scale is a reflection of length of service within BA Cityfler, so previous experience has no input.

[Sick]

Welcome to aviation! :rolleyes:

[aerocomp]

Has anyone heard or have a clue when they are planning to have company course for the new FOs?

[Jet Set Willie]

8 Started in December and another 8 starting this month apparently. Galley FM is for another batch to start as soon as possible after that.

[WX Man]

Does anyone know if they have any full TR courses scheduled this year, or are they only conversion courses for the [soon to be] ex FlyBe folk?

[MD11Man]

On that subject... I applied late August, heard nothing apart from a please be patient email once.

Can anyone advise me who to contact in the company to check the progress?

[WX Man]

@Fidel

Do you mean:

- you heard this news in the last month
- these guys have starts dates within the last month
- they have been offered positions within the last month (for start dates at some point in the next few months)

?

[FlyingEagle21]

Did anyone from CTC go to BACF out of the last few? I thought about applying back in August but would rather mainline BA or ME.

[emb195]

Hey guys,

Does anyone know if BACF are likely to start any courses for the non-TR guys in the foreseeable future?

[nightfright]

Can anyone comment on what to expect for recent assessment for BACF?

[G-IZMO]

appreciating it’s difficult (impossible?) to land straight away, would anyone have an EDI captain’s roster they could let me have a look at to get an idea of how those up north work?

cheers
G

[RJ100]

G-IMZO

Don’t plan on an EDI base. If it’s a Capt position It’ll be dead mans shoes. Many have been promised this in the past and never given it. People have left prior to an EDI base being offered. The last group to get it did so on the understanding it would full-time summer part-time winter. I think on 75% salary with a 100% summer roster and 50% winter, don’t quote me on the exact deal. . That’s was about 3 years ago and nothing since. They were also fairly high up on seniority list! They have recruited FOs directly to EDI.

[monkey.tennis]

G-IMZO

Don’t plan on an EDI base. If it’s a Capt position It’ll be dead mans shoes. Many have been promised this in the past and never given it. People have left prior to an EDI base being offered. The last group to get it did so on the understanding it would full-time summer part-time winter. I think on 75% salary with a 100% summer roster and 50% winter, don’t quote me on the exact deal. . That’s was about 3 years ago and nothing since. They were also fairly high up on seniority list! They have recruited FOs directly to EDI.


RJ100, you’re clearly a bit out of date. EDI commands have become very easy to get recently, only a few years in the company. Recent commands in EDI have been at 100%, anyone on 50/100% is doing so by choice . Obviously there’s no guarantee that will continue forever so don’t bank on 2 years but that’s the current state of play.

[Flocks]

Hello all.

Short questions about BA City flyers, maybe for some it won t sound important, but it is for me.
In your SOP, are you doing like I heard in BA Mainline? Meaning : Monitoring approach all the time ?
Can you do visual approach ? Switch off autothrottle ? Flight director ?

Just asking how confident is the airline about manual flight?

Thanks

[this is my username]

Can anyone confirm what the current BACF pilot bases are? Is Bristol a base, and if so how hard is it to get in to as an FO?

[VinRouge]

Can anyone confirm what the current BACF pilot bases are? Is Bristol a base, and if so how hard is it to get in to as an FO?
LCY and EDI although I think you can request max tours to cut down on the commuting.

EDI I believe is via bid from seniority only so pretty much you will start at LCY
​​

[RJ100]

LCY and EDI although I think you can request max tours to cut down on the commuting.

EDI I believe is via bid from seniority only so pretty much you will start at LCY
​​
FO basing could be either EDI or LCY. Capt initial basing tends to be LCY.

[TriBeCa]

I’ve been invited to the assessment but it’s an up front payment of £250. Is this more of a money making exercise rather than a legitimate interview?

[aileron]

It’s an insight to the company’s ethos.

[busybee123]

£250 for an interview for the lowest paying jet airline job in the UK. No thanks.
Tell em to do one and apply to one of the other much better paying companies out there.
They need you just as much as you need them in this current job market.

[4engines4longhaul]

250 quid for an interview, am I reading that right ? Crikey no wonder they are short of crew. Would love to hear from one of their HR luvvies on here trying to justify it. In fact, having just gulped a large glass it stinks and quite frankly....nuff said

[this is my username]

If anyone has attended the current round of assessments with Kura for the >1,000hr recruitment, could you share any info on the technical tests? Are they standard aptitude tests or are they ATPL-type technical questions?

thanks

[JUST-local]

Anyone with any feedback :)

[nanocas]

Help needed! I have received the invitation email a few days ago to attend the assessment... I have to book the date online but every time I log in there are no dates available to book... And I keep receiving email reminders to book the interview... no phone number provided to contact them... have sent them emails but no feedback... anyone experienced same problems? or does this just mean i was too late in booking my interview and now its gone?
Any suggestions?

[this is my username]

https://www.kuraaviation.com/contact-us/

Phone numbers are at the bottom of the page.

[RJ100]

Last week BACF changed the process. All recruitment for FO and DEC will now be handled by BA Mainline. I’m not sure how it was listed prior to this but now you’ll see BACityFlyer under pilot roles on the main BA careers pilot page. It will also be the same process as BA interviews.
All those invited for interview from Sept 21st for dates starting in October will now be via the new process.

[nightfright]

thanks for the update RJ100

Any idea on what to expect for BA assessent?

[RJ100]

BACF Recruitment process will mirror that of BA. So based on what I’ve read on the BA assessment.

Day 1. Maths, Verbal reasoning & computer based capacity test.
Day 2. Interview & Group exercise.
Day 3. Sim.

there is plenty of info on this website about the BA process so I’d probably start reading those pages.

[PinkyPonkPilot]

BACF Recruitment process will mirror that of BA. So based on what I’ve read on the BA assessment.

Day 1. Maths, Verbal reasoning & computer based capacity test.
Day 2. Interview & Group exercise.
Day 3. Sim.

there is plenty of info on this website about the BA process so I’d probably start reading those pages.

Surely if you're going to go through all that you may as well be applying to mainline and get yourself on the MSL sooner rather than later. I suspect this might end up causing more issues than it solves for BACF recruitment.

[RJ100]

Surely if you're going to go through all that you may as well be applying to mainline and get yourself on the MSL sooner rather than later. I suspect this might end up causing more issues than it solves for BACF recruitment.

yep. That’s the thought process of a lot of us at BACF. only ones it’ll appeal to is the low time 10t people who don’t meet BA requirements.
Money wise DEC at yr1 BACF isn’t far off FO year 1 with extra payments at mainline(long haul). Why’d you bother?

[Jet Set Willie]

Nightfright. Not true for the assessment. FO does one day with no sim. Captain does 2 days with sim. Under 10T still go through KURA and MPL still through FTE Jerez. L3 contract finished and this has basically replaced it.

[highfive]

Last week BACF changed the process. All recruitment for FO and DEC will now be handled by BA Mainline. I’m not sure how it was listed prior to this but now you’ll see BACityFlyer under pilot roles on the main BA careers pilot page. It will also be the same process as BA interviews.
All those invited for interview from Sept 21st for dates starting in October will now be via the new process.

Alot of experienced skippers have,in the past, applied to BA and no doubt been through the BA recruitment process. Why would they wish to submit themselves to the BA process again, just to fly for CitiFlyer?

Why would an FO not simply apply for BA? The aptitude requirements are very specific, 10% pass. Hence the shortage of BA suitable crew. The rest of the world seem to operate quite happily without this esoteric recruitment process.

I tried to go BA way 20 years ago. The results wouldn’t be any different this time around!

[PinkyPonkPilot]

Alot of experienced skippers have,in the past, applied to BA and no doubt been through the BA recruitment process. Why would they wish to submit themselves to the BA process again, just to fly for CitiFlyer?

Why would an FO not simply apply for BA? The aptitude requirements are very specific, 10% pass. Hence the shortage of BA suitable crew. The rest of the world seem to operate quite happily without this esoteric recruitment process.

I tried to go BA way 20 years ago. The results wouldn’t be any different this time around!


Personally I can't see why BACF can't be folded into Mainline OR at the very least add BACF P1/P2 to the list of PRIAM options in the same way OpenSkies was. An opportunity to fly from a regional base, on modern aircraft hopping around Europe would be very appealing to some people. It would certainly help with the recruitment issues and cut costs. If it's one recruitment process why can't it be one airline.

Controversial and a thread drift I know, apologies.

Cheers

PPP

[midnight cruiser]

Ironically, if all your experience is <10 tonnes, you can apply for main line, and go directly long haul 787. As above, why would you put yourself through the ba selection or kura to end up at chippyfryer, several quid lighter?

[nightfright]

Thanks RJ100

Are there interview dates being given out now>?

[smith]

did the assessment last week, they like manual flying. High on approach at LCY and side slipped it perfectly in.

[nightfright]

smith,

thanks. manual flying and high on approach at LCY and you side slipped it in? :} - funny that you wrote the same for your Flybe post....:ugh:.

[neilki]

did the assessment last week, they like manual flying. High on approach at LCY and side slipped it perfectly in.
side slip a transport category passenger jet because you’re high?
i hope not.
Id have gone around. This is a test....

[RTN11]

Was anyone on the assessment last week? Any advice on the tech paper or group exercises?

[nightfright]

Anyone update on the selection held ?

[fly4more]

Was anyone on the assessment last week? Any advice on the tech paper or group exercises?

Perhaps not enough candidates to form a group ;)

[nightfright]

Why do you say that fly4more?

Were you there?

[moona]

Anybody been to assessment recently since BA took it over, able to provide any feedback?

[DirectVELAG]

Could anyone provide an update on the current recruitment process (is it still handled by mainline), and more importantly give some details on the lifestyle/roster at LCY?
thanks

[Sliderson]

Could anyone provide an update on the current recruitment process (is it still handled by mainline), and more importantly give some details on the lifestyle/roster at LCY?
thanks

Did you get any answers to your questions, this forum looks dead?!

[DirectVELAG]

Did you get any answers to your questions, this forum looks dead?!
No, I didn't!

[hard_landing]

A friend of mine had an interview last year, he had to go to Southampton. It wasn’t done by mainline it was outsourced to another company.

[Sliderson]

A friend of mine had an interview last year, he had to go to Southampton. It wasn’t done by mainline it was outsourced to another company.

Thanks for that, I will update the page if I get that far!

[canyon1010]

Hello everyone,

So we’ve had almost a three year gap from the last post. Does anyone have any information/experience of how the recruitment process is these days? I applied last month.
Is it done with guys applying for mainline and euroflyer?
How soon after their initial application was your assessment?
Is that the first event or is there an online filter first?

Pretty keen to get through an interview first time and Cityflyer really works for me so any advice would be great.

Cheers in advance