Ryanair Interview and Sim Assessment (merged)
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Don't be put off by the "experts" posting on here.
BA and British Midland were selling type ratings on the B737 and B757 for £10,000 back in the 1980s which at todays prices is around £26,000 - many of those who took advantage of this scheme while waiting for a job to come up are now sitting in the LHS at BA and I'm sure they don't consider themselves "a disgrace to the profession".
BA and British Midland were selling type ratings on the B737 and B757 for £10,000 back in the 1980s which at todays prices is around £26,000 - many of those who took advantage of this scheme while waiting for a job to come up are now sitting in the LHS at BA and I'm sure they don't consider themselves "a disgrace to the profession".
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That is an entirely different case altogether! Those guys went on to have long and successful careers with mainline airlines. We are not harping on about paying 30k for a TR, we are harping on about the lack of any guaranteed employment and the huge risk put onto cadets at an extremely fragile time. Ryanair are undoubtably gambling with your money not theirs.
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Contact Approach
Your comments are definitely bias and you have a personal dislike towards the airline. Not sure why you have to put a negative comment on this thread every single day.
There are many people who went on to have a successful and long career with ryanair who paid 30k many years ago so your argument doesn't make any sense whatsoever
Your comments are definitely bias and you have a personal dislike towards the airline. Not sure why you have to put a negative comment on this thread every single day.
There are many people who went on to have a successful and long career with ryanair who paid 30k many years ago so your argument doesn't make any sense whatsoever
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Go read his post again.
€30k isn’t the issue. It’s the lack of guarantee or monetary protection in place that people have the main issue with when spending that level of money.
It’s not unreasonable to expect some form of protection or guarantee.
€5k and €10k you would argue that the risk is worth it without a guarantee as you end up with a type rating which costs more than €10k to acquire.
€30k with no protection or guarantee is unreasonable and entirely unethical.
€30k isn’t the issue. It’s the lack of guarantee or monetary protection in place that people have the main issue with when spending that level of money.
It’s not unreasonable to expect some form of protection or guarantee.
€5k and €10k you would argue that the risk is worth it without a guarantee as you end up with a type rating which costs more than €10k to acquire.
€30k with no protection or guarantee is unreasonable and entirely unethical.
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Contact Approach and Flying Greek In fact these type ratings by BA and BM carried no guarantee of a job, they were sold as a stand alone with no obligation on either side. One guy I know never managed to get a job with BA even though he'd done the TR with them. BA warned that there was no guarantee of employment before you did the course - they were using it as a lucrative way to occupy the sims and the training department after the Trident crews had all done their conversion courses, if I recall there was a short article in the Log about it.
Most of the people who paid for these TRs were from GA and had 1000s of hours, but the airlines wanted TRs and glass cockpit time.
All I'm pointing out is that this is not the first time that jobs are scarce and Type Ratings are for sale.
All the guys and girls that I personally knew at the time eventually found jobs on jets, but not necessarily with the airline that did the TR.
YankeeZulu It might be an idea to learn a little about the industry you profess to be interested in
Most of the people who paid for these TRs were from GA and had 1000s of hours, but the airlines wanted TRs and glass cockpit time.
All I'm pointing out is that this is not the first time that jobs are scarce and Type Ratings are for sale.
All the guys and girls that I personally knew at the time eventually found jobs on jets, but not necessarily with the airline that did the TR.
YankeeZulu It might be an idea to learn a little about the industry you profess to be interested in
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Bond Avaition did a similar scheme in the early 2000's right up to the demise of Astraeus. You.paid £30k (ish) got rated on the 73 or 75, then paid for 100 hours on type. No guarantee of a job at the end. All in the UK put of London, Manchester and Birmingham (I think). They ran the courses every few months and were always busy. So no it's not just one company.
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Long time lurker, first time poster here.
I have attended an Assessment in Bergamo and I would like to share my feedback with you guys. Wall of text incoming.
I was asked to attend an assessment in Dublin, but I turned it down because of COVID. Then I was contacted again a couple of months later for another assessment in Bergamo.
After I voiced my worries about the lack of real hiring opportunities, the PR guy replied "sounds like you got your information from pilot forums. Those are unreliable and full of negativity". I never even mentioned pilot forums once, so Ryanair is probably aware of the online rumors that surround its assessments. It might even have eyes on this very thread.
I accepted the appointment, paid 350€, and got my confirmation and briefing package. The package contains basic info about the sim layout and procedures; you are supposed to study it. (Please don't ask me to share it).
There is also a list of necessary documentation, such as passport, CV, license, medical, and other stuff. You also need to bring 2 written references, dated and manually signed, and a signed Flight School Report. The references can come from previous employers, a teaching body that is NOT a flight school (university or high school are good), or a person that has known you for more than 5 years and is not a relative. You also need a negative COVID test taken in the last 72 hours, and they don't even accept Rapid Antigen tests.
The references were a major pain in the a** to get, would've been nicer if they told me earlier that I would need them! I suggest to get yours ready as soon as possible.
Anyway, the assessment day comes. I show up on time (despite the place being hard as hell to find), get my temperature taken, and move into a large classroom with the rest of the applicants. There were 8 of us, all dressed to impress with shirts and ties and jackets and whatnot.
A friendly PR guy shows up and gives a brief presentation about Ryanair, the assessment that awaits us, and what we should expect if the assessment is successful. Long story short, you have to pay 30k upfront (no bonds) for the Type Rating; afterwards you'll be offered a 6-month long Training Contract with Airline Flight Academy, including Base Training and a flimsy salary.
They don't guarantee you a First Officer job at the end of the training, but they stated "this is not a pay to fly, we do have a need for pilots and we do want to hire you". Way easier said than done, but at least they're putting in the effort... realistically, if you started training now, you could expect to be working in summer 2022 (maybe).
The PR guy leaves and an experienced Captain gives us a briefing about the simulator. Then we are split into couples, we receive the approach plates, and each couple has to agree on a briefing that includes both the flight profile and the callouts.
Then, I strap in for the most interminable and nerve-wrackingly tense wait. Since each couple takes roughly 2 hours in the simulator, if you are as unlucky as I was and get picked to be the last one, you're in for a wild ride - you're left with your assessment colleagues and your crippling anxiety for hours, with little else to do other than scroll your phone and pray.
And their vending machines had nothing in store but ice cream. Don't be like me - bring food.
Anyway, while couples are in the sim, other candidates are individually picked for the HR and technical interview. You sustain both of them at the same time, and it lasts about half an hour.
The technical questions are fairly complex, but not too specific (nothing close to those stupid ATPL questions). I was asked about the pros and cons of swept back wings, the meaning of High Bypass, and a quick crosswind calculation. Keep in mind they might ask you stuff about the Boeing 737 (seating capacity, type of engine, maximum altitude/cruise speed, or the advantages of the 737 MAX over the 800 version). I don't think they want you to know everything about the plane, they probably just want to know if you've been curious about it and did some research - take the Ryanair Corporate website, Fleet page, as an example.
Also, don't try to guess if you don't know. My questions clearly got increasingly difficult with time: they probably want to see what is the limit of your knowledge, and what you do when you don't know things.
For the HR part, the interviewer was friendly and easy-going, but his English was a bit hard to understand. He asked many things about my CV, then inquired about my hobbies and my plans if I happened to lose my license. Then he asked what I would do if I realized that the Captain was not fit to fly. Everyone got a similar question - mine was "the Captain just lost his loved one and is depressed", my partner's was "the Captain is sleepy and can barely stand".
Finally, I was asked a question that seemed tailored specifically to me. It depicted a particular scenario that I, and I specifically, would be super upset about. No doubt the HR guy was putting me to the test (I even pointed out "ouch, if you were trying to hit one of my weakspots, you nailed it!"). Just answer honestly, and don't pretend to be someone you aren't.
Finally, it was Simulator time. You receive no extra briefings or tips: pick Right or Left seat, pick PF or PM, and that's it - you're being evaluated.
For a neophyte to large turbine aircraft like me, the sim was hard. Not impossible, but hard. We were assigned a very basic SID and even that was challenging: I found the 737 exuberant, with a nasty tendency to overspeed. At least you can use the FD's during takeoff, which is a huge help.
You then perform simple maneuvers, such as climbs, turns and descents; then the assessor, playing the Senior Cabin Crew, contacts you about an emergency in the cabin. You have to perform FORDAC and NINTS with the help of your PM, and call for checklists if you need them. The best choice is generally to return to the home airport, and if you require vectors to skip the approach, they might decide to comply. The approach is flown raw data with no FD's (which is hell). You might need to go around if you're not stabilised.
Do I suggest to take a preparatory course? Eh, your choice. At the end of the session, I felt I could do a little better if I did it again immediately afterwards, thanks to the experience I acquired. But a single hour isn't much.
And then it was go home time. They'll contact me within 2 weeks, and if I pass, I will be able to start a Type Rating Course within 6 months. Wish me luck!
I have attended an Assessment in Bergamo and I would like to share my feedback with you guys. Wall of text incoming.
I was asked to attend an assessment in Dublin, but I turned it down because of COVID. Then I was contacted again a couple of months later for another assessment in Bergamo.
After I voiced my worries about the lack of real hiring opportunities, the PR guy replied "sounds like you got your information from pilot forums. Those are unreliable and full of negativity". I never even mentioned pilot forums once, so Ryanair is probably aware of the online rumors that surround its assessments. It might even have eyes on this very thread.
I accepted the appointment, paid 350€, and got my confirmation and briefing package. The package contains basic info about the sim layout and procedures; you are supposed to study it. (Please don't ask me to share it).
There is also a list of necessary documentation, such as passport, CV, license, medical, and other stuff. You also need to bring 2 written references, dated and manually signed, and a signed Flight School Report. The references can come from previous employers, a teaching body that is NOT a flight school (university or high school are good), or a person that has known you for more than 5 years and is not a relative. You also need a negative COVID test taken in the last 72 hours, and they don't even accept Rapid Antigen tests.
The references were a major pain in the a** to get, would've been nicer if they told me earlier that I would need them! I suggest to get yours ready as soon as possible.
Anyway, the assessment day comes. I show up on time (despite the place being hard as hell to find), get my temperature taken, and move into a large classroom with the rest of the applicants. There were 8 of us, all dressed to impress with shirts and ties and jackets and whatnot.
A friendly PR guy shows up and gives a brief presentation about Ryanair, the assessment that awaits us, and what we should expect if the assessment is successful. Long story short, you have to pay 30k upfront (no bonds) for the Type Rating; afterwards you'll be offered a 6-month long Training Contract with Airline Flight Academy, including Base Training and a flimsy salary.
They don't guarantee you a First Officer job at the end of the training, but they stated "this is not a pay to fly, we do have a need for pilots and we do want to hire you". Way easier said than done, but at least they're putting in the effort... realistically, if you started training now, you could expect to be working in summer 2022 (maybe).
The PR guy leaves and an experienced Captain gives us a briefing about the simulator. Then we are split into couples, we receive the approach plates, and each couple has to agree on a briefing that includes both the flight profile and the callouts.
Then, I strap in for the most interminable and nerve-wrackingly tense wait. Since each couple takes roughly 2 hours in the simulator, if you are as unlucky as I was and get picked to be the last one, you're in for a wild ride - you're left with your assessment colleagues and your crippling anxiety for hours, with little else to do other than scroll your phone and pray.
And their vending machines had nothing in store but ice cream. Don't be like me - bring food.
Anyway, while couples are in the sim, other candidates are individually picked for the HR and technical interview. You sustain both of them at the same time, and it lasts about half an hour.
The technical questions are fairly complex, but not too specific (nothing close to those stupid ATPL questions). I was asked about the pros and cons of swept back wings, the meaning of High Bypass, and a quick crosswind calculation. Keep in mind they might ask you stuff about the Boeing 737 (seating capacity, type of engine, maximum altitude/cruise speed, or the advantages of the 737 MAX over the 800 version). I don't think they want you to know everything about the plane, they probably just want to know if you've been curious about it and did some research - take the Ryanair Corporate website, Fleet page, as an example.
Also, don't try to guess if you don't know. My questions clearly got increasingly difficult with time: they probably want to see what is the limit of your knowledge, and what you do when you don't know things.
For the HR part, the interviewer was friendly and easy-going, but his English was a bit hard to understand. He asked many things about my CV, then inquired about my hobbies and my plans if I happened to lose my license. Then he asked what I would do if I realized that the Captain was not fit to fly. Everyone got a similar question - mine was "the Captain just lost his loved one and is depressed", my partner's was "the Captain is sleepy and can barely stand".
Finally, I was asked a question that seemed tailored specifically to me. It depicted a particular scenario that I, and I specifically, would be super upset about. No doubt the HR guy was putting me to the test (I even pointed out "ouch, if you were trying to hit one of my weakspots, you nailed it!"). Just answer honestly, and don't pretend to be someone you aren't.
Finally, it was Simulator time. You receive no extra briefings or tips: pick Right or Left seat, pick PF or PM, and that's it - you're being evaluated.
For a neophyte to large turbine aircraft like me, the sim was hard. Not impossible, but hard. We were assigned a very basic SID and even that was challenging: I found the 737 exuberant, with a nasty tendency to overspeed. At least you can use the FD's during takeoff, which is a huge help.
You then perform simple maneuvers, such as climbs, turns and descents; then the assessor, playing the Senior Cabin Crew, contacts you about an emergency in the cabin. You have to perform FORDAC and NINTS with the help of your PM, and call for checklists if you need them. The best choice is generally to return to the home airport, and if you require vectors to skip the approach, they might decide to comply. The approach is flown raw data with no FD's (which is hell). You might need to go around if you're not stabilised.
Do I suggest to take a preparatory course? Eh, your choice. At the end of the session, I felt I could do a little better if I did it again immediately afterwards, thanks to the experience I acquired. But a single hour isn't much.
And then it was go home time. They'll contact me within 2 weeks, and if I pass, I will be able to start a Type Rating Course within 6 months. Wish me luck!
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Probably the most helpful and by far on topic post I've seen here in a while.
Thank you for sharing, people like you will be glad to read it and will benefit from it.
Beside the short spell after 2017, Ryanair has never guaranteed a job with them. They go as far training contract.
Why would they offer more and then get stuck with you if the industry suffers?
I joined like you over 15 years ago, no regrets. I'm where I want to be, I still have a salary, I still fly and all despite the negative/bitter pilots trying to convince me I wouldn't get a job offer after.
Best of luck to you, see you around
Thank you for sharing, people like you will be glad to read it and will benefit from it.
Beside the short spell after 2017, Ryanair has never guaranteed a job with them. They go as far training contract.
Why would they offer more and then get stuck with you if the industry suffers?
I joined like you over 15 years ago, no regrets. I'm where I want to be, I still have a salary, I still fly and all despite the negative/bitter pilots trying to convince me I wouldn't get a job offer after.
Best of luck to you, see you around
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RobVetta
There are Ryanair HR staff that watch this thread (and others) and do even post from time to time. Yes PPRUNE is pretty negative however it is also his JOB to get these assessments and courses filled. Choosing to believe someone because they are telling you what you want to hear is simply confirmation bias.
Why would Ryanair be doing this if there are no real vacancies? Well first of all it is at no risk to them. They are gambling with YOUR money. Secondly, having a surplus of pilots works in their favour to put downward pressure on Ts and Cs and accelerating the ‘race to the bottom’. And we as pilots are funding that for them...
With regards to P2F, again they are telling you what you want to hear. I’m sorry but your description above of paying 30k upfront for a ‘6 month training contract’ consisting of a TR, base training and line training but no job is the very definition of pay to fly.
There are Ryanair HR staff that watch this thread (and others) and do even post from time to time. Yes PPRUNE is pretty negative however it is also his JOB to get these assessments and courses filled. Choosing to believe someone because they are telling you what you want to hear is simply confirmation bias.
Why would Ryanair be doing this if there are no real vacancies? Well first of all it is at no risk to them. They are gambling with YOUR money. Secondly, having a surplus of pilots works in their favour to put downward pressure on Ts and Cs and accelerating the ‘race to the bottom’. And we as pilots are funding that for them...
With regards to P2F, again they are telling you what you want to hear. I’m sorry but your description above of paying 30k upfront for a ‘6 month training contract’ consisting of a TR, base training and line training but no job is the very definition of pay to fly.
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It takes a special kind of blind to see harsh reality as negative and therefore false. Just sign up pay your 30K get the show on the road. You'll be having 60hr rosters come July and you can laugh with your crew on days off over a steak dinner about the idiots who said you wouldn't be flying and you'd be getting paid less than your rent 
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BoeingLudo737
Current pilots are giving out the most realistic information possible (they have no dog in the fight) but because it doesn’t fit some people’s dream, it’s being discounted as lies/negativity/pulling the ladder up behind them.
These pilots have no reason to lie to you, they aren’t trying to take 30k from you.
If I was to be cynical about any post here, it would be from RobVetta. It may well be a very detailed account from an interviewee, or it may be a post from someone who has a job to make this scheme seems as trustworthy and worthwhile as possible.
Current pilots are giving out the most realistic information possible (they have no dog in the fight) but because it doesn’t fit some people’s dream, it’s being discounted as lies/negativity/pulling the ladder up behind them.
These pilots have no reason to lie to you, they aren’t trying to take 30k from you.
If I was to be cynical about any post here, it would be from RobVetta. It may well be a very detailed account from an interviewee, or it may be a post from someone who has a job to make this scheme seems as trustworthy and worthwhile as possible.
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BoeingLudo737
I really don’t understand this mentality. Cleary you’re part of the ryr HR team or otherwise you care little for anyone else’s welfare. Paying 30k plus all expenses to start a TR with a training provider with no legal attachment to Ryanair in this current climate is simply madness. Why not wait until at the very least their fleet is airborne, not sat idle at STN and there’s a defined, more certain way out of this mess. Most of the line are sat idle at home so where will you fit in? It’s very likely these guys won’t complete their LT in the fixed time available and then what? Your advice on how it was great 5 years ago because everyone did it isn’t going to help them then is it?
For those who may not be in the know then it appears at surface level that Ryanair are offering FO jobs across Europe & N.Africa, however the reality doesn’t quite match up and that is what the majority of us are trying to say. Just make sure you know what you are getting into and you know all the facts. It’s simply prudent to do so.
I really don’t understand this mentality. Cleary you’re part of the ryr HR team or otherwise you care little for anyone else’s welfare. Paying 30k plus all expenses to start a TR with a training provider with no legal attachment to Ryanair in this current climate is simply madness. Why not wait until at the very least their fleet is airborne, not sat idle at STN and there’s a defined, more certain way out of this mess. Most of the line are sat idle at home so where will you fit in? It’s very likely these guys won’t complete their LT in the fixed time available and then what? Your advice on how it was great 5 years ago because everyone did it isn’t going to help them then is it?
For those who may not be in the know then it appears at surface level that Ryanair are offering FO jobs across Europe & N.Africa, however the reality doesn’t quite match up and that is what the majority of us are trying to say. Just make sure you know what you are getting into and you know all the facts. It’s simply prudent to do so.
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If you consider that Ryanair have 210 B737 8200s on order and IAG have a letter of intent for 200 Max 8 and Max 10s, having a type rating without obligation to the training provider must surely put you in a better position than not having a type rating.
I would imagine that an NG TR could be converted to Max fairly easily.
I would imagine that an NG TR could be converted to Max fairly easily.
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Those aircraft will arrive over many many years and they are replacements for the current NG fleet, similar to how up until 2019 they were still receiving 737NGs from a deal agreed upon nearly 2 decades ago. It is not 400 new aircraft + 400 current aircraft.
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What has this got to do with the current situation we find ourselves in? Are you saying you’d be happy to pay 30k to sit in a hold pool for the foreseeable future? Have you ever even been in a hold pool? Usually its over a fixed term and is subject to meeting currency requirements and business demand. It also requires you to gain employment elsewhere until such time you get a call. When or if that may be is anyones guess...
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I wouldn't recommend that anyone paid any money at all in order to become an airline pilot - I didn't, I was sponsored, I've never paid for a type rating, however, you will have noted that this is not a new situation, people have paid for type ratings before and it has worked out for them. I'm just making an observation based on my 39 years in the industry.
