working for British Midland

[Speedbird744]

What is the selection for BM like?
Is it harder thAN british Airways? Once recruited maybe on the A320, how long do you think it would take to fly the A330 LH?

[llesson]

i currently work for BMI as a load planner, from what i`ve heard the BA cadetship is harder to get, as is any cadetship.... If u did get the BMI sponsorship, some of the recent graduates have gone on to BMC a/c ie, Embraer doing regional stuff. During past years cadets went straight onto A320/1.

[AffirmBrest]

LE how are ya mate?! Hope you've settled in at EDI - I always look out for your name on
the loadsheet!

Gotta give the latest gen on bmi and <<ahem>> correct a coupl'a details:

BA are in the fortunate position of being able to award almost (at my latest info) nearly 200 sponsorships each year - BM select (select being the operative word) only about 15-20. You do the maths. Contrary to popular belief (ie. BA Wannabes) not all BMI applicants have first been rejected by BA!

No cadet from the sponsorship scheme that we're talking about here has gone onto the EMB or anything at BMC - it would require a serious rearrangement of contracts and terms, though it has been suggested. Cadets have never gone automatically to the A320, but there has been a cast increase in the size of the fleet recently, and the majority of ALL new entrants have gone the way of the bus over the last year or so.

As for A330 - assuming crewing sort themselves out and we end up with more than 3 aeroplanes (and NOT A340s!), and that you join tomorrow at number 600 on the senority list - how about a LONG time?! Although the idea is for all A320 pilots to become CCQ on the A330, this will take a long time and vast training effort to achieve, and will become less and less practical as the airline expands. Current company reqts are 200hrs on the 320, with seniority (and mgmt favour) providing the rest of the equation.

I would suggest (as I have done on this forum before) that the bmi sponsorship is as good a deal as the BA one, despite the large cash required up front.

Plus points:
1) You don't work for BA
2) Good selection of routes for a first type
3) Excellent training and kit
4) Exponential salary increase (more than cancels out 14K upfront)
5) Early jet command (6 years?)

Minus points
1) You don't work for BA
2) 14K upfront (see above)

BAW744 - I take from your Q about LH that you perceive this as a good thing - WHY WHY WHY WHY??!!!

BMI do not pay A330 pilots any more than SH pilots. The extra cash goes to those at the top of the seniority scale (for detailed and justifiable reasons, ask another time or talk to BALPA). Fly LH and you get less hands-on time, and most of what you do get is over the Atlantic in ALT CRZ mode. How do you see this helping you on your way to a command (A more sensible goal)?

Flying big aeroplanes is not always a good move unless you
a) work for a Big Aeroplane Company (ie. higher OVERALL salary)
b) like doing the crossword and get maxed out flying between LHR-MAN
c) want to show off to girls about your high MTOW
d) like being awake at 4am at sleeping in the afternoon, carrying luggage everywhere and having no mates

:)

<<stands back and waits for the flak...>>

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[BmPilot21]

lleson is mis-informed. No Oxford graduate has ever gone to commuter, this was just something that was considered and not done. The latest intake are all on the Airbus or Boeing I believe.

I understand last year there were 1500 applications with 16 places - hardly easier than BA who recruit 100's a year. Also, BMI require previous flying experience, whereas BA don't, therefore, BMI cadets tend to be higher qualified / experienced.

With the new pay deal, the A330 is open to lower seniority pilots, FO's around the 300 mark are going to it I believe - that's 2-3 years from joining. Cadets have low hours therefore become command limited by hours not seniority, so have high seniority as an FO after a few years.

[llesson]

alrite all,
sorry if info was innacurate, us load planners don`t get told much at BMI, we get the stab trim and thats that. By the way affirm, do i know u??? sorry, just being nosey. If u do see my loadsheets, my apologies if the trim is pants but. By the way what is your ideal STAB on the A320/1.

speak 2 ya soon

Lewis CLP

[MikeSamuel]

What are the requirements for applying for this scheme...how many hours experience do you actually need?
What do you mean about 14k upfront...is that what you have to pay, making it part sponsorship only?
Im new to most of this, so can you make it a bit simpler...
Do you need a degree, or can you apply after A Levels...

Regards,

Mike

[AffirmBrest]

Mike, try a search - but here are the As to your Qs

Experience - none officially reqd, but almost all who go through have 100odd hrs/PPL/UAS flying.

Yep - it is part sponsorship only, but not much different to BA - BM just take more money up front and less from your salary afterwards. Banks can help with this kind of loan no probs if you have a sponsored place.

You don't need a degree - but as with the flying competition is fierce and again, almost all who have gone through in the last few years have had degree level education or equivalent professional experience.

Hope this helps! Look out each September/October in Flight International for the advert. IMHO it is a better scheme and company to work for than BA.

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[Do-Do]

I'm currently awaiting the dreaded final board but have little knowledge of the financial side of things with BM, apart from the fact that they want 15K up front.

Does anyone actually know if you continue paying the training fees back after graduation - I presume you do? This may be in the guise of a reduced salary (eg. like the BA deal), if so what sort of pay cheque will a graduate cadet expect at the end of the month (including flight pay, stop overs, etc).

Cheers in advance.

[BmPilot21]

DoDo, Have e-mailed you.
Cheers.

[Token Bird]

Slightly disturbed to read that BMI have an 'unofficial' requirement for previous flying experience. I applied last time with about 25 hours and didn't get past the Oxford interview stage. I don't whether this was related.

Another person I know with very little experience was made to feel foolish in the interview and felt that they were definitely looking for experience. If this is the case, surely it's a tad unfair of them to waste people's time and money when they have little intention of actually taking them on?

TB

[AffirmBrest]

TB - your post comes across as a little bitter...

There is no unoffical requirement for experience - sorry for the confusion. Most successful candidates have flying experience - those that don't all have to demonstrate a great many more desirable qualities and prove their aptitude for training in other ways.

If you have as many outstanding personal qualities as those who have succeeded in the past with little flying experience, then perhaps you are justified in feeling 'disturbed'!

Chin up, apply again this year!


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[Token Bird]

AffirmBrest,

I'm not bitter, it's just that I was very keen on working for BM and was disappointed not to get it. Even more so when I read this thread and thought perhaps I had got my hopes up for nothing and had never really had a chance at all. If this isn't the case then that's good,

TB

[Busta Level]

AffirmBrest,

Nice reply re the 330 - but lets actually look at the benefits of flying it....

1. Doing the crossword for 9 hours in AltCrz!In between all the ETOPS stuff of course..
2. 24 hour (48 if its IAD on a Tuesday) turnarounds, instead of 10 hours in the GLA Thistle.
3. No night charter flights (yet), that leave you just as fu**ed as longhaul <<being awake at 4am and sleeping in the afternoon, carrying luggage everywhere and having no mates>>, only you do 3 in a row and then do four late BFS or similar!!
4. Minimum of 3 days off every week!!
5. The 330 really is the dogs blx to fly. Makes the 320 seem small and twitchy.
6. 11 crew, in flight entertainment and a satphone to make those important calls (pizza delivery, wife etc)
7. Showing off to girls about your high MTOW!!
8. NO EARLIES!!!!!!

Enjoy the summer charter season!

Cheers

Busta

[AffirmBrest]

1. The Telegraph crossword doesn't take me 9 hours

2. As I said,24 hr turnarounds mean keeping awake at 3am local, then sleeping in the afternoon! There's nothing good on TV at 3am (even in the US)

3. Flying Eastbound through the night into the rising sun is worse than a night charter any day of the week

4. F/O on the f*cked-roster-SH-fleet means a least 4-5 days each week doing f*ck all at the moment anyway

5. I like small and twitchy

6/7. Can the wife phone you on the satphone? Hope not for your sake, what with all those girls(and quite a few gays, sorry, guys) being impressed by your MTOW.

8. As for earlies, roll on mixed fleet flying...he he :)

Summer charters - bring 'em on! My cocktail cabinet/wine rack need stocking up..

Regards, AB

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[MaximumPete]

Token Bird,

Apply for everything going. Get some interview experience. You soon get the drift about what the employers are looking for. Just be yourself, act naturally, and relax. The odds of getting in are very long. There may have been thirty acceptable people for just twenty places on your day. You could have been in the thirty?

I'm a bit of a luddite and not too sure about the validity of some of the fancy tests they give you.I like the way the Royal Navy chooses their officers. Can you get on with the bloke when stuck in the confines of a ship for months on end? If not....

Above all don't be despondent. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Hope to see you in bmi soon!

MP

[TrimTab]

Hi all

bmi does not require previous flying experience at all - it is advertised as ab initio. A third of the bmi guys at Oxford had no previous flying experience. You need to demonstrate a keen interest in flying at the interview....maybe it is easier for those with flying hours to do this?

bmi seem to look after their cadets very well once at Oxford too - a definate benefit.

Good luck to all the guys heading for final interviews in the coming weeks!

[Scottie]

Have heard from a reliable source that cadets will start going onto the ERJ145 soon which will free up some of the commuters guys to come across to mainline.

Nowt wrong with the ERJ145 for your first aircraft either.......