Swissair

[jochen2]

Well, I've tried it already on the german site "www.pilots.de", but got no responses until now. Thought I give it try here: I am trying to apply for the sponsorship scheme with Swissair. However, I do not possess any flight experience. They say it is not a prerequisite, but their application form includes three pages where you should mention your flight experience in case you got some. Did they ever take someone without prior flight experience? Or do they just invite you to cash in and then say,"try it later again!"
A fellow on the german board heard of another rumor. That is that Swissair invites applicants who do speak german for the tests, but actually never choose anybody else than applicants with swiss nationality. any comment about that?
Thanks for any replies.

[Vigilant Driver]

jochen2,

Well I wrote to Swissair two months ago and as yet no reply - and that's for direct entry.
On a similar note Crossair sent back my application telling me that they had too many applications and I should try again in 6 months.
I know that both companies publish in print that they prefer a Swiss citizen first. So much for the fair no boundaries european employment market. Grrrr.
Good luck in what ever you decide to do, but unless you are Swiss or type rated your chances of getting into a Swiss company are limited.

Vigi

[lone eagle]

It does seem a little unfair that airlines like BA will take on anyone from anywhere. Therefore being English you are up against all the foreigners who would like to fly for BA. Now, you try and secure a sponsorship with a foreign airline eg. Swissair, Lufthansa etc. Therefore lots of opportunity for foreigners but not so many for English.

If that point is a little naive then I stand open to criticism but it just seems that way to me.

On the plus side however, Cathay Pacific run a sponsorship program and ask for the right to live and work in Hong Kong. So does that include us guys? http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/confused.gif

[cyberdude]

The rumours about employing foreigners at Swissair are as follows: You can apply for becoming a Swissair pilot without any experience whatsoever, don't worry about the pages dealing with experience in the whole application form. But, and there is a big but, you will, as I am informed, and by the way I have completed the Swissair Aviation School, you will not get a credit from Swissair in advance if you're not a Swiss citizen. You must pay the education on your own and can apply afterwards for becoming a pilot with Swissair. The chances are good and I ask anybody to try it.
The selection you have to go through before the education is only to get into the school, afterwards you will have some more tests and psychological interviews to get into Swissair, and of course they also have a closer look at your qualification during the school.
Swissair is keen on every educated pilot, the school itself is missing lots of students due to upcoming doubts about the "job of a pilot", so if you're really keen on it, apply as long as you can afford paying the CHF 100'000!
Cheers!

[Wedge]

Well Vigilant Driver I have to correct you on one point - Switzerland is not a member of the EU, therefore they are not bound by the rules on free movement of labour - ie they can choose to employ only Swiss nationals if they wish. They have applied for membership and may be accepted within the next few years. I think they require English, French and German of reasonable standard as well.

Lone Eagle - it is a bit rich for a UK national to complain about the small number of non UK sponsorship opportunities - as a UK citizen you have far more sponsoring airlines than other European countries. Re: Cathay - it's worth contacting them but you need HK residency which is a lot more difficult now - plus preference is given to those born in HK.

At any rate this is hardly a sponsorship - it looks like you have to pay up front for all training - is this the same with the Lufthansa programme?

[Dr. Feelgood]

Dear Vigilant Driver,

Chances of getting hired by a Swiss airline may not be so limited as you think.
I got recently hired by Crossair, and I'm not a Swiss citizen. It is logical that they would like to employ their national pilots first, but they are also expanding and have a hard time finding suitable candidate-pilots.

I would like to suggest that you write / call them again, and again, and again.......'till you WILL be invited. However, you DO have to speak one of the Swiss languages: German, French or Italian.

Cheers mate.

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- I hate to wake up and find my co-pilot asleep -

[lone eagle]

Good point Cyberdude. I stand corrected. And thanks for the info on CP, I'll get in touch and let you all know whats going on there.

[fly4fud]

One thing I might add here, is our unions positions (SR/LX). We much prefer to hire Swiss nationals, this mainly for salary and benefits protection.
At the moment you will find plenty of qualified French, German or whatever other nationality, all prepared to come and work for any pity wages, just to get a start in airline flying.
After joining, a lot of those pilots don't even join the respective union and for most, cannot provide the level of quality service required (e.g. PA annoucements in G/E/F, etc.). A few years and thousand hours later will see them leave for a better paying airline.

Anyway, all the best to the guys applying ;)

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* cut my wings and I'll die *