BA Speedbird Academy 2023
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Purely out of curiosity, I'm interested to see how the Skyborne process has differed from the FTE. After the video interview, FTE candidates were selected for an assessment day at Waterside that consisted of maths / physics / verbal reasoning papers followed by a presentation and/or group interview. Those successful have then went onto complete aptitude tests remotely this week.
What's the Sky borne process been like so far that's different?
What's the Sky borne process been like so far that's different?
BA Speedbird Acadamy 2023
Bit of a stretch identifying the scheme as the Company's "Acadamy" when they outsource . I do see others,like Wizz doing the same.
Late to the discussion but is selection criteria really as wide as allowing age limit 55 ? Cripes !
Very wide criteria poses immense strain on the Selection Office and not all the most deserving will even get a look-in.
Better than nothing and a fab opportunity for the 60-70 or so who get selected. Sounds more like a "promo" using promo funds than a real, "Acadamy" funded by the sponsoring airline. Nothing like the Glory Hamble days of the 60's.
Late to the discussion but is selection criteria really as wide as allowing age limit 55 ? Cripes !
Very wide criteria poses immense strain on the Selection Office and not all the most deserving will even get a look-in.
Better than nothing and a fab opportunity for the 60-70 or so who get selected. Sounds more like a "promo" using promo funds than a real, "Acadamy" funded by the sponsoring airline. Nothing like the Glory Hamble days of the 60's.
Bit of a stretch identifying the scheme as the Company's "Acadamy" when they outsource . I do see others,like Wizz doing the same.
Late to the discussion but is selection criteria really as wide as allowing age limit 55 ? Cripes !
Very wide criteria poses immense strain on the Selection Office and not all the most deserving will even get a look-in.
Better than nothing and a fab opportunity for the 60-70 or so who get selected. Sounds more like a "promo" using promo funds than a real, "Acadamy" funded by the sponsoring airline. Nothing like the Glory Hamble days of the 60's.
Late to the discussion but is selection criteria really as wide as allowing age limit 55 ? Cripes !
Very wide criteria poses immense strain on the Selection Office and not all the most deserving will even get a look-in.
Better than nothing and a fab opportunity for the 60-70 or so who get selected. Sounds more like a "promo" using promo funds than a real, "Acadamy" funded by the sponsoring airline. Nothing like the Glory Hamble days of the 60's.
The only way Hamble was any different was it said ‘BA’ above the door and this will say ‘Skyborne’. If you care about the lanyard you wear then this isn’t an academy, if you care about getting a flying career then it is.
How does removing age discrimination impose immense strain on the assessment team?
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Bit of a stretch identifying the scheme as the Company's "Acadamy" when they outsource . I do see others,like Wizz doing the same.
Late to the discussion but is selection criteria really as wide as allowing age limit 55 ? Cripes !
Very wide criteria poses immense strain on the Selection Office and not all the most deserving will even get a look-in.
Better than nothing and a fab opportunity for the 60-70 or so who get selected. Sounds more like a "promo" using promo funds than a real, "Acadamy" funded by the sponsoring airline. Nothing like the Glory Hamble days of the 60's.
Late to the discussion but is selection criteria really as wide as allowing age limit 55 ? Cripes !
Very wide criteria poses immense strain on the Selection Office and not all the most deserving will even get a look-in.
Better than nothing and a fab opportunity for the 60-70 or so who get selected. Sounds more like a "promo" using promo funds than a real, "Acadamy" funded by the sponsoring airline. Nothing like the Glory Hamble days of the 60's.
BA Speedbird Acadamy 2023
Simple maths really. Hamble limited age range was ( Iseem to remember) 18-24. If you just increase range, you increase the potential market. Selection team now have to look at a wider range. No poke at discrimination chaps. Gosh. Dare we say anything these days ?
I served on Selection Boards. One was a "sponsored scheme". We took on the last stage of approved training. CPL/IR/Perf A. With a CPL complete, we sponsored Twin rating, I/R. Then full B737 conversion, line training. Here's the thing. Only 5 places a year. The flying schools provided a huge number. It was heart breaking that we could not take on ALL applicants. Picking out five was a huge strain upon a sympathetic selection board. It became a competition and highly selective.
All that was hard enough. Widening the selection net by any means gives the selection team a increased challenge. Dead simple.
But, good luck to all. 60- 70 "BA Cadets" for the "Speedbird Acadamy"places that amount where otherwise no opportunity existed.. Can't see anything but good in that.
I served on Selection Boards. One was a "sponsored scheme". We took on the last stage of approved training. CPL/IR/Perf A. With a CPL complete, we sponsored Twin rating, I/R. Then full B737 conversion, line training. Here's the thing. Only 5 places a year. The flying schools provided a huge number. It was heart breaking that we could not take on ALL applicants. Picking out five was a huge strain upon a sympathetic selection board. It became a competition and highly selective.
All that was hard enough. Widening the selection net by any means gives the selection team a increased challenge. Dead simple.
But, good luck to all. 60- 70 "BA Cadets" for the "Speedbird Acadamy"places that amount where otherwise no opportunity existed.. Can't see anything but good in that.
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Simple maths really. Hamble limited age range was ( Iseem to remember) 18-24. If you just increase range, you increase the potential market. Selection team now have to look at a wider range. No poke at discrimination chaps. Gosh. Dare we say anything these days ?
I served on Selection Boards. One was a "sponsored scheme". We took on the last stage of approved training. CPL/IR/Perf A. With a CPL complete, we sponsored Twin rating, I/R. Then full B737 conversion, line training. Here's the thing. Only 5 places a year. The flying schools provided a huge number. It was heart breaking that we could not take on ALL applicants. Picking out five was a huge strain upon a sympathetic selection board. It became a competition and highly selective.
All that was hard enough. Widening the selection net by any means gives the selection team a increased challenge. Dead simple.
But, good luck to all. 60- 70 "BA Cadets" for the "Speedbird Acadamy"places that amount where otherwise no opportunity existed.. Can't see anything but good in that.
I served on Selection Boards. One was a "sponsored scheme". We took on the last stage of approved training. CPL/IR/Perf A. With a CPL complete, we sponsored Twin rating, I/R. Then full B737 conversion, line training. Here's the thing. Only 5 places a year. The flying schools provided a huge number. It was heart breaking that we could not take on ALL applicants. Picking out five was a huge strain upon a sympathetic selection board. It became a competition and highly selective.
All that was hard enough. Widening the selection net by any means gives the selection team a increased challenge. Dead simple.
But, good luck to all. 60- 70 "BA Cadets" for the "Speedbird Acadamy"places that amount where otherwise no opportunity existed.. Can't see anything but good in that.
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Simple maths really. Hamble limited age range was ( Iseem to remember) 18-24. If you just increase range, you increase the potential market. Selection team now have to look at a wider range. No poke at discrimination chaps. Gosh. Dare we say anything these days ?
I served on Selection Boards. One was a "sponsored scheme". We took on the last stage of approved training. CPL/IR/Perf A. With a CPL complete, we sponsored Twin rating, I/R. Then full B737 conversion, line training. Here's the thing. Only 5 places a year. The flying schools provided a huge number. It was heart breaking that we could not take on ALL applicants. Picking out five was a huge strain upon a sympathetic selection board. It became a competition and highly selective.
All that was hard enough. Widening the selection net by any means gives the selection team a increased challenge. Dead simple.
But, good luck to all. 60- 70 "BA Cadets" for the "Speedbird Acadamy"places that amount where otherwise no opportunity existed.. Can't see anything but good in that.
I served on Selection Boards. One was a "sponsored scheme". We took on the last stage of approved training. CPL/IR/Perf A. With a CPL complete, we sponsored Twin rating, I/R. Then full B737 conversion, line training. Here's the thing. Only 5 places a year. The flying schools provided a huge number. It was heart breaking that we could not take on ALL applicants. Picking out five was a huge strain upon a sympathetic selection board. It became a competition and highly selective.
All that was hard enough. Widening the selection net by any means gives the selection team a increased challenge. Dead simple.
But, good luck to all. 60- 70 "BA Cadets" for the "Speedbird Acadamy"places that amount where otherwise no opportunity existed.. Can't see anything but good in that.
All who make it through onto the course will be more than deserving, and as always, equally good candidates will be left disappointed and hopefully enthused to try again next year and at similar schemes. And well done to BA for investing far more than promo funds into running this.
BA Speedbird Acadamy 2023
Charlie747 : Gosh, quite a few missing my point and a little harsh in defending theirs.<br /><br />My input was more about BA Marketing calling this the "Speedbird Acadamy". It clearly isn't because other airlines,like Wizz adopt the same timisleading,promo-type headline grab. I mean, is this to be the sole, entry point into a career with BA, like godd ole Hamble ( a true "Acadamy" ) ? I don't think so. Didn't work for Hamble anyway as Direct Entry was quickly re-established as BOAC/BEA just couldn't get the numbers right.<br /><br />At no time did I even suggest that this, probable one-off , should limit age to a max of 24!.How daft. I do maintain that age 55 opens the market very considerably but pleased to note that modern technology selection copes with the increased numbers. <br /><br />I am, also, well versed in the "priomo" case. Donks back, Tobacco company called WD & HO WILLS took out adverts in the UK National press with the grab" So you want to be a pilot ?"<br /><br />Straigh, promo. NO age limit, no residency limit, no gender bias etc etc etc (blimey !).<br /><br />Can't remember how many of us applied. Millions I guess. 20 Schools involved, each would take three for free PPL training. Potential 60 PPL holders would fly off for twenty places in finals at Oxford Air Training School and the best would win a Piper Cherokee. <br /><br />Passing the brutal first stage writtens, I was one of 6 at Shoreham trying for one of three places. Got it. I was now a WD & HO WELLS Cadet Pilot ! I asked the WD chap loadsa questions and he said that WD had an excess of promo funds out of excess profits.. There was no requirement to smoke. I was a non- smoker and hated the idea of posing, at the controls of my cherokee (I was obviously going to win) with a fag hanging out of the side of my mouth.). <br /><br />This was, clearly, not the fore-runner of the WD & HO Wills Airlines "Acadamy" then.<br /><br />I simply suuggest that the current schemes are much the same and , of course, not intended to replace the proper, good ole , real , acadamy ideology of the sixties.<br /><br />Oh, didn't win the cherokee. Came second at Shoreham for the School Final but kicked off 40 years in the Industry.. Rotter who went up representing Southern aero Club didn't win either. . He went back to being a Designer for Beagle Aircraft at Shoreham..
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Take this is an opportunity to have a reality check and try something else.
If you’re already this bitter about one of the best airlines to work for in the UK, and you haven’t even started flying yet, then this job isn’t for you!
Your mental health is going to take a pounding if you go into this gig already this angry with it. Normally people start off naive and starry eyed and then the reality of the job sets in. Can only imagine how bad you’ll be after your third 4am arrival from Tenerife on the bounce.
Follow your actual passion, don’t go down this path because it’s cool to ‘be a pilot’. Not least because misery is infectious and the thousands of other flight and cabin crew you’d come into contact with across a career don’t need the attitude anymore than you do.
If you’re already this bitter about one of the best airlines to work for in the UK, and you haven’t even started flying yet, then this job isn’t for you!
Your mental health is going to take a pounding if you go into this gig already this angry with it. Normally people start off naive and starry eyed and then the reality of the job sets in. Can only imagine how bad you’ll be after your third 4am arrival from Tenerife on the bounce.
Follow your actual passion, don’t go down this path because it’s cool to ‘be a pilot’. Not least because misery is infectious and the thousands of other flight and cabin crew you’d come into contact with across a career don’t need the attitude anymore than you do.
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Interview
Hello Speedbird family,
Has anyone else completed their interview! We’ll hopefully find out the good news around mid December. Hoping for a early Christmas present!
happy landings!
Has anyone else completed their interview! We’ll hopefully find out the good news around mid December. Hoping for a early Christmas present!
happy landings!
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Tomorrow is the big day
well done to those that applied and managed to get selected. You are no doubt all great people and will bring the experience BA desire.
To those that dont quite make the cut, for many previously succesful it took multiple attempts. To even still be in the race is amazing. Get the feedback, and go again in 12 months. Keep that chin up.
For those that got cut earlier, now is the time to upskill and get ready for another chance. As above, it has taken some many attempts to get selected, good luck!
well done to those that applied and managed to get selected. You are no doubt all great people and will bring the experience BA desire.
To those that dont quite make the cut, for many previously succesful it took multiple attempts. To even still be in the race is amazing. Get the feedback, and go again in 12 months. Keep that chin up.
For those that got cut earlier, now is the time to upskill and get ready for another chance. As above, it has taken some many attempts to get selected, good luck!
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