Qantas 787 recruitment for cadetship
 

Anyone know when QF's 787 recruitment for cadetships will come about?

Cheers in advance

How's it going fly boat north :)

FBN jokes aside, the rumours are of QF recruiting restarting by the end of the year. Whether this is through cadetships, or direct entry or another method isn't known, but several ranks in some fleets are apparently short now, so recruitment could be onto non-787 fleets in the near future.
I've also seen those "QF approved Year 12 Maths" bridging courses being advertised recently, some people must have an idea of what's about to come ;)
I'd say the recent link up between UNSW and Qlink would give a big hint on how the group's recruitment strategy might be in the future

Would those rumours be for end of this year or next? The QF SO thread rumoured recruitment to begin end of 2016.

Getting warmer.......

Yeah sorry, end of 2016/ start of 2017 ish

I wonder...
 

Expect a lot of churn in 330 training to underpin the migration to the 787 that will occur sometime around November 2016*.So there may be some internal shuffling starting a few months prior...perhaps as early as June-July. That process should trim any remaining surplus on the 737 and A380.

I think 787 S/O training courses might start 11-13 months from now, depending on sim schedules and projected delivery dates. Qantas could of course get the other ranks all done first and only take on S/Os later in 2016. (On edit: that should have been "later in 2017")

My colleagues all have horror stories about the chaotic nature of the recruiting process in boom years, so candidates probably should not have high expectations about something the airline has forgotten how to do.

I would be really surprised if cadetships are in the cards...surely there is a deep pool of experienced applicants with jet or turbo-prop time who can see the age demographics at Qantas and do maths?

* the 787 is senior to the 330, hence most 787 Capt and F/O slots will be from current 330 pilots. The first guess I heard was around 75%.

The intro of the 787 keeps being referred to by AJ and various media as 'late 2017'. If you call that any time from September onward I don't reckon we'll recruit S/Os for the 787 until about May-Jul 2017 at the earliest.

However, it wouldn't surprise me if we start recruiting earlier than that. We still have 50 or so pilots to retire before that point and as you point out Australopithecus, significant churn to go through prior to the intro of the 787 as well.

The scuttle butt I've heard is that most A330 pilots have a bid in. Whether the 75% refers to the amount of 787 slots that will go to A330 pilots in the first year or that 75% of A330 pilots have a bid in for the 787 is something I've not been able to nail down. I've also heard that allocations has done a dummy run on the 787 allocation but not been able to nail down if that's the first year, second year, 2016/17 training year, etc.

Either way, nice to see light at the end of the tunnel for a change.

My scuttle butt is in line with Keg's. The delivery schedule is for 3 B787-9's in late 2107 with 5+ deliveries in 2018. I've heard that recruitment will start mid 2016, mainly due to the shortages on the B747 & A330 fleets & these shortages won't be fully filled by those returning from LWOP.

The recruiting figure is 200+ but I don't know how long that figure is spread over.

I wouldn't rubbish the idea of a QF Cadetship starting up again just because there are "good applicants" from regional airlines or elsewhere.
The QF Cadetship was a strong 50+ year program that churned out high quality pilots from an ab-initio position thru to MECIR and placement. It still has its place, a Cadetship hasn't been run since 2010 so for the last 6 years where have the high calibre applicants been going?
A real shame IMO! We should be nurturing young aviators and encourage striving for excellence in our profession and the sooner that program restarts the better.

There is a big push to recruit directly from Qlink Dash pilots. Why on earth should the group lose a group of very well trained muti crew pilots to foreign carriers. I heard 70 odd F/Os bailed this year to greener/sandier pastures. Cadets would be the last group to be recruited considering the experience levels within regionals/GA and of course the military. Jetstar pilots Might also consider QF.
There is no surplus on the 737. No surplus on the A330. So there will be a lot of churn and I'm hearing bypass could be a way out of short term bottle necks. Either way the training section will be very busy soon with those returning from LWOP and a new aircraft intro.
Also hearing that there maybe 17 more commands for the Jumbo.

What about the training for the 8ish B787-800 that are going to be repainted with Red tails next year......:eek:

This is a Rumour forum and that's the current one with some in the know. Then again it could be a Wet Lease agreement. :rolleyes:

FFRATS

Yep, I'd have to agree that there's not a surplus on the 737. Numbers seem about right except when they let too many people go on leave over Christmas and can't crew flights 😁

As for the 787 rumour I've heard anywhere between 1 and 4 current JQ 788s to be repainted in QF colours for domestic flying. As for a wet lease - hah! It didn't happen when the stolen generation went to JQ, so why should it happen now the shoe's on the other foot?

Well, that explains why Qlink has just sent out invitations to candidates for stage 2 psych tests. Didn't expect that to happen so early. Are they expecting an exodus of pilots to mainline?

Smiling Monkey

Still expecting movement to CX and a number (All skippers so far I believe) interviewed with EK. But I dare say you are correct in assuming quiet a few will look at mainline when they start recruitment.

"What about the training for the 8ish B787-800 that are going to be repainted with Red tails next year......"

Nice rumor, but I think mostly wishful thinking. However, group policy right route right aircraft and QF domestic could do with some bigger planes right now.


There seem to be some very "cancelable" JQ 787 sectors. CS/CG Japan, ML WSSS, some of the HNL and China charters that JQ could do without.

JQ showing little interest in any real training (esp to replace the number of 320 cpts recently left) while rostering at max hours and cancelling flights due to lack of crew. Perhaps there is a surplus on the horizon?

I still think it's unlikely though.

In order to stem the blood letting of crews to other group entities apparently rumour has it that the beloved CP has asked Jetstar and mainline NOT to hire QLink crews as that would leave them too short (we're very low on FOs as it is). So call me a pessimist but if the rumour holds true I wouldn't be holding my breath for any movement from QLink to another entity any time soon.

This gentleman's agreement apparently doesn't apply to cadets where the mainline CP has nicely told our CP 'we're taking the cadets whether you like it or not.'

Fuel-Off :ok:

This has had happened in the past when Jetstar was recruiting heavily. But you know what, it'll just piss off the remainig pilot body who wants a career progression and leave for other carriers. The current management team haven't done themselves any favour by driving the regional lifestyle six feet under.

I don't mean to be disrespectful to the cadets but there are plenty of good operators who have contributed to the Qantas group way before the cadets learn to drive, let alone fly. Yet, your career is hamstrung by
management because you work in the group.

The "gentlemen agreement" really pisses me off.

Gentlemen's agreements...
 

...are self defeating. QF goes to great lengths to train guys on the regional networks, gives them lots of great experience in a demanding environment, then sends them off to crew competitor's fleets. :ugh:

Experienced pilots are not the abundant commodity they once were, and providing a clear career progression path would ensure that the group retained most of its people. To do otherwise is a cynical exercise that is designed solely to benefit the "gentlemen" concerned.

Allowing regional guys an entry into mainline does not lengthen the training ladder: If a pilot goes to CX instead of inhouse promotion he still has to be replaced.

If I was a CP who treated people like chattel I would expect to get screwed by the guys often and thoroughly.

Possibly true....
 

but...

... if the only way into QF was via the regionals I suspect that many other well-qualified pilots would not bother applying to QF in the first place. Why would QF make it easier for the regionals to be sapped of pilots if it simply shrinks the potential recruitment pool in other ways?

Perhaps there is a bit of "method to their madness"?

Just sayin'...:O