BA recruiting

[LongTimeInCX]

Just received this email from BALPA:
(in case anyone is considering a change of scenery)


BA actively recruiting now

British Airways are growing with the introduction of new aircraft including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787.

As a result BA are actively recruiting now, offering vacancies on various shorthaul and longhaul fleet and are arranging opportunities to meet experienced pilots who are interested in finding out more about what they have to offer in a relaxed and informal setting.

The events are being run by the BA pilot recruitment team, and a small team of line pilots who are keen to meet you and to talk about life as a pilot there.
Venue and dates

The first recruitment roadshow is taking place at:

The Hilton London Gatwick (South Terminal) on the evening of 16th June and morning of 17th June.

There will be three presentations available, as well as an evening social event in the hotel bar.

The presentations are aimed at experienced pilots including those who hold type ratings on any of the aircraft BA currently operates or has on order.

They are not seeking attendees who are low-hour or trainee pilots, but if you fall into one of these categories they would be delighted to meet you at one of the other events they support including Pilot Careers Live, formerly the Flyer Professional Flight Training Exhibition.

Experienced pilot presentation times are as follows:
Afternoon: 4:30pm arrival for tea/coffee, with presentation and Q and A commencing at 5:00pm
Early Evening: 7:30pm arrival for tea/coffee, with presentation and Q and A commencing at 8:00pm
Evening: Drinks: 9:00pm - 11:00pm, casual drinks in Amy's Bar with pilot recruitment team and line pilots

Morning presentation on 17th (Details to follow).

The room sizes are limited and BA have loaded the avaiable number of tickets for the events on the Eventbrite website. You need to activate the link to register for your ticket.

If the event sells out BA will offer further dates and times in due course, as well as roadshows at other major airports in the UK.


Wendy Pursey
Head of Membership & Career Services
Recruitment and Organising

Just in case the link in the above text doesn't work, try the following:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/british-airways-pilot-recruitment-seminar-tickets-16929832585?aff=es2

[AQIS Boigu]

At least one 777 SO heading to BA Short Haul A320, rather than do a JFO upgrade.

The problem is that everyone is waiting for his/her mate to leave whilst hoping for a subsequent increase in HKPA.

One or two won't make a difference...

[Arfur Dent]

Many of the chaps based as FOs at LHR must SURELY go quietly to the interview. Superb, modern employee rights and protections. Reasonable promotion prospects that don't require you to relocate your entire family to Hong Kong for the next 20 years.
Young Captains have made their point in passing CX's so-called 'course' and if they have a reasonable time left, they should go too.
Me? Too old unfortunately.:ok:

[oriental flyer]

I would go just for the free drinks

[iceman50]

Arfur

Reasonable promotion prospects that don't require you to relocate your entire family to Hong Kong for the next 20 years.

This is a HONG KONG Airline for goodness sake, if you don't want to come to Hong Kong DON'T join!

[AQIS Boigu]

Arfur



This is a HONG KONG Airline for goodness sake, if you don't want to come to Hong Kong DON'T join!

Standard reply of someone who didn't do his research before joining:

"But they promised me a freighter command on my base after 3 years..."

[Arfur Dent]

Iceman. You have a point, of course, but we now have a unique situation in CX whereby we have well over 100 FO's who joined on their Base little realising that Command slots on that Base would only be available in Seniority order having done the 'course' back in Hong Kong. We now have 100+ ( somebody will know the exact number) who have refused Commands and will remain FO's for ever just to keep the Base. If you join on a Base, you should be able to stay there as a Captain but that would cause a riot ( actually it would probably not cause anything of the sort knowing how easily we are all pushed around). Another reason why people stay on their bases as FO is that it takes so long to get a Command course that the average FO's kids are at such a critical point of their education that moving halfway around the world would be so disruptive they chose not to do it - or Dad does.
Anyway, another problem caused and not anticipated by our brilliant Management team who embarked on Basings purely because it saved them money. No thought (except the 'Iceman Principle') was given to doing it properly - hence the various embarrassing debacles that we all know about.

[positionalpor]

Flew with an SO who has recently resigned.

[Baywatcher]

Go for the meeting / interview and then make up your mind when / if you get an offer!

[Trafalgar]

If you are 40 or under(ish), you WILL have a happier career, a happier family and a happier life if you LEAVE this pathetic excuse of an airline. Don't be complaining 10-20 years from now if you miss this opportunity to join a real airline, with real conditions, with real first world labour laws, and a real country to establish you and your family in. NOW is the opportunity. Don't miss it.

[oriental flyer]

Okay please explain to me why an FO on a base should get a command on a base Effectively blocking a Caotain who has done his time in HK and holds the seniority for the next position .
Sorry but aviation is seniority based so you do everything in seniority .
I applaud an FO who elects to forgo a command in HK to remain on his her base . That is their choice if they wish to remain on the base .
But holding a base and getting a promotion on a base is grossly unfair to those who are more senior and are waiting for a base position to open up

[AQIS Boigu]

OF,

Agreed; the recent attempt by a non-member FO on the BNE base to do exactly what you just prescribed as "grossly unfair" shows how some pilots are totally delusional.

Every command in HKG - in seniority - end of discussion.

[RHEINHARD]

Unless your ex ASL or a freighter captain apparently. Then :mad: seniority. :cool:

[Arfur Dent]

OF I agree with your sentiments, of course, but there are ways around these problems. In BA, for instance, if you don't want a Command on a 319 but would prefer to maintain your LH lifestyle (or whatever) you by pass your Command and wait until you are senior enough to qualify for a slot on the 777/380. You don't just NEVER get a Command. Same could happen in CX if someone would think a little out of the box. Have a Command Seniority number that would eventually allow you to get a Command slot on a base even though that may be a long time in the future. Your choice. Nobody does anything 'out of seniority'.

[Trafalgar]

Arfur. I swear you're brain damaged. There have been numerous instances of people benefiting 'out of seniority' in CX for the past 20 years (since ASL). As a matter of fact, i'm sure many of those disadvantaged by such events will be happy to post here. You really are a piece of work....

[Arfur Dent]

Trafalgar. Read my post carefully, I am suggesting that in the scheme I outlined (ie wait until your number comes up on the base and then do your Command) nobody would do anything 'out of seniority'. In my scheme ONLY. Typically, you misread something and shoot from the hip in a rude and childish way. I'm not brain damaged, I'm just putting forward a suggestion that would offer a solution to guys who prefer to stay on a base as an FO forever. Nobody would jump any numbers at all. They would just do their Command course from the base when their turn came up.

[Average Fool]

Trafa...Whatever.

You obviously have no idea how the seniority system works at a normal airline.

No one is forced into a command when their number is up. There is no "violation" of seniority by holding out for a more desireable position.

[Trafalgar]

Arfur. Yup, apologies extended. I did misread your comments and fired off a reply without thinking. Humbly acknowledged (note to self: should not post after a bottle of vino...!!). Cheers and best wishes.

[Arfur Dent]

No problem. Big of you to apologise - Accepted.:ok:

[bm330]

Just wait until the US bases open up and dozens of Command spots go empty because the guys who have the seniority to hold the next spot don't have the right to live and work in the US. Right now, CX cannot go down the list to find Americans to upgrade to fill the spots - you have to be able to hold a Command slot in Hkg to hold it on a base.

For now........

[Ex Douglas Driver]

"Unfilled" command spots on bases don't go empty (and nor as you're intimating, potentially up for grabs by a DEC) with regard to the whole system, they are taken up by a commander in HKG. Required additional command positions are filled from the hub, and are not required to be filled directly at the spoke.
And....
Gaining a command on a base requires normal command seniority as well as gaining that command spot through an open PBPA base bid.

Sure, a B747 command might go more junior than the normal command seniority due to the undesirability of the roster, but they are required to be offered in seniority order amongst all officers on the seniority list. We need to get away from the separate freighter fleet mentality and stop the rot!

[Flight714]

I'm assuming to get a base outside of HK (a euro one) you'd need to do a decade or so's work in HK first?

[main_dog]

Unless your ex ASL or a freighter captain apparently. Then :mad: seniority.

Oh dear, this hairy old chestnut. I won't comment on ASL, but freighter commands were also offered in seniority order within CX. They just went very junior because of the undesirability of the roster and the abysmal pass rates (esp. on the classic). Also, guys already based in HKG and in receipt of housing had less incentive to go for a freighter command on a base as they would have lost said housing, and anyway for much of the last decade pax commands in HKG were coming in at the 8 or 9 year mark, so not long to wait (of course since then, and despite the zoologist's assertions, inexplicably age 65 has not decreased time to command; funny that)

In the same way Airbus commands were recently going fairly junior, and for much the same reasons. As long as commands are offered in seniority order and people retain the ability to turn them down and wait for something they prefer, this is only natural, the command will be offered to the next guy/gal in line.

I agree with Arfur, in my view there is nothing wrong with an F/O declining to come to HKG for a command, waiting for sufficient seniority to hold command on his base, and then bidding for command directly on that base. No-one disadvantaged. As many have pointed out, most US carriers (not to mention BA!), operate with this logic.

Also consider that if said F/O does accept to come to HKG and then fails command, he/she has now lost the base slot and must remain in HKG...