Ryan from the US

[neilki]

Hello friends; -from New York
I'm a CA at a large US regional and a hold a British passport. I'd never considered a move back to the EU until realizing I meet all Ryanairs' reqs for DEC.
Very few airlines in the US fly day trips; ours typically 4 days with 16-19 days off a month for a 75 hour guarantee. There's lots of scope for overtime at premium rates; I gross ~$160 to $170k (120GBP or 140k e) with 11 days at home.
That looks pretty close to Ryans' DEC pay to me.
I also understand the Irish Authorities allow a 'supported' FAA conversion with 12 months for the exams and practical tests in house.
Am I in the ballpark, and what are the chances of a London, Milan or Berlin base out of training or future?
I understand many may think I'd be better off here; Spirit of JetBlue have great new contracts but there's more to life than Cleveland overnights...
Cheers!

[Lazydogg]

Good chance of all three. I dont know about Bergamo or Berlin but STN at the moment is about 120k gross for a Captain. . Balpa negotiations on increased pay still on going at the moment so that could change. Roster 5-4 with no planned overnights. Out of base now and again but the majority of the time you will be home every night.

[FlyTCI]

You may want to wait out the whole Brexit thing going on, no one really knows how it will effect aviation (or any other industry for that matter). Could turn out that your British passport will no longer give you the right to live within the EU, unless you make it in before March 29th(?) and you are potentially grandfathered in.

Also, how competitive are you for getting on with one of the majors in the US? Do you have all of their requirements including the college degree? What is the reason for your move? QOL/type of lifestyle, or career related? If a QOL based decision then I definitely get it, as I myself moved back to Europe from the US almost five years ago and have no regrets. But, if you are doing it in search of a better career, then I would say you are better of staying on that side of the pond.

[RavenOne]

Sorry to say that.. but seriously?
Stay the **** away. You will regret it. Sooner, not later. This company is toxic. At best.

[bringbackthe80s]

Seriously????
I would tell you to stay away even if they payed 200k, but since we're talking money, £120k in the UK is NOT the same as $150k in the US.
You will regret it so bad if you do it.

[flyhigh85]

Ryanair is the cancer and of aviation in Europe. See some the the ryan threads first before u decide

[Full_blast]

I agree, don't do it. However I'd consider easyJet.

[longago9]

Does Easy give you the year to get up to speed to license conversion?

[FlyTCI]

Sure is no need for that at Ryanair. But with their new seniority list, how would you feel coming in junior to teenagers fresh out of high school and flying school? At least in the US majors, the people above you will be graduates, ex mil pilots, ex airline/corporate/GA/regionals etc!
News flash, that has been going on for a long time at airlines in Europe, just like everywhere else. I have 20 years of flying behind me and if I were to apply to RyanAir (I’d rather be unemployed than work for that scumbag airline) I would have to face the fact of possibly having teenagers with 250 hours who can’t grow a beard above me on the list as they joined before I did.

If you keep track of what’s going on in the hiring at the US carriers you will know that even the majors are hiring everyone from their mid 20s up to late 50s, so I fail to see your argument in regards to the difference between hiring in the US vs Europe. What matters is your DOJ, which I am sure you are aware of. Once you are hired your experience means nothing in regards to seniority, you have your number and as long as you stay put at that airline that number is all that matters.

As for having a college degree or not, me personally, I couldn’t care less if the pilot sitting next to me has a BS or not. I care about him/her being a competent pilot.

[FlyTCI]

Granted I'm slightly out of touch now with both sides of the pond, but hiring in Europe is very different - not mid 20s, but late teen-agers, many of whom left school at 16, went through flying school and are on a Boeing at 18-19 and 160 hours total (especially outside the EU Majors). Not necessarily bad, but different (especially if you are used to experienced crew)...
I wasn’t debating the difference between hiring in the US vs Europe as far as the experience of pilots. You asked me how I would feel if I had much younger people above me on the seniority list. If I today, aged 43, joined an airline, be it in the US or Europe, I would have loads of pilots much younger than me way above me on the seniority list. As you know, that’s just how the system works.

Nothing you can be bitter about should you end up in such a situation, either you like it and stay, or look for a place where you can maintain your captain title. This is in my case one of the reason I don’t cross over from corporate aviation to the airlines, I prefer to keep my salary or better it when I change jobs. So far that has worked for me througout my career always increasing my pay check when moving on. Hopefully it will stay that way until I retire, but I realize it also may not.

[MikeAlpha320]

News flash, that has been going on for a long time at airlines in Europe, just like everywhere else. I have 20 years of flying behind me and if I were to apply to RyanAir (I’d rather be unemployed than work for that scumbag airline) I would have to face the fact of possibly having teenagers with 250 hours who can’t grow a beard above me on the list as they joined before I did.


Im sure those teenagers would probably be more enjoyable to fly with than yourself- given your attitude above :ok:

[FlyTCI]

Im sure those teenagers would probably be more enjoyable to fly with than yourself- given your attitude above :ok:
Obviously you are entitled to your opinion, but I’m quite sure my colleagues will disagree with your statement.

Not sure what attitude you are detecting from the quote above, unless you think it’s offensive saying some teenagers can’t grow a beard. Heck, there’s many grown men who can’t grow a beard. Or was it maybe me calling RyanAir a scumbag airline? If you find either offensive, then I think our feelings towards each others are mutual. Happy flying..

[aviationfanatic]

Obviously you are entitled to your opinion, but I’m quite sure my colleagues will disagree with your statement.

Not sure what attitude you are detecting from the quote above, unless you think it’s offensive saying some teenagers can’t grow a beard. Heck, there’s many grown men who can’t grow a beard. Or was it maybe me calling RyanAir a scumbag airline? If you find either offensive, then I think our feelings towards each others are mutual. Happy flying..

You are a sad individual. Waste of space

[Lazydogg]

You are a sad individual. Waste of space

I completely agree. 8 First Officers to join my base recently and they all are over 30. 6 courses running for non rated TP people soon. Guess what? Most will be 30 plus.

TCI do is all a favour and stop being an idiot.

[FlyTCI]

I think you guys are misunderstanding what I am trying to say here. What I am saying is that if one joins an airline at say 35 years of age, of course he/she will have to accept the fact that there will be younger people above him/her on the seniority list and most likely he/she will fly with captains who are younger and with less experience than he/she. That’s the whole point with a senority system, those who join an airline early on in their carerr will most likely have a better career as long as they stay put. Some are not as fortunate and have to change airline later on in their career and get put at the bottom of the list regardless of age or experience, but those are the rules of the game.

I am not saying younger pilots are worthless as you seem to have interpreted my posts as.

[Alpine Flyer]

Unless you very badly want to sleep in the same place very night and are willing to trade that for more work and what is widely reported to be a rather poor workplace, I'd stay placed or try for the majors. Don't know whether Ryanair has dispatchers like you're probably used to in the US, they're not mandatory in Europe.