BAC Express recruiting
Things do seem to be picking up recruitment wise. Hardly a day goes past now without hearing of someone somewhere getting a first job. I suspect BA will open its direct entry doors over the winter and then you could see a lot of seat swapping going on. The market will then dictate terms all the way down the foodchain and the price of freightdog type ratings can easily and quickly go down. Its happened before.
That said winter is approaching (how many shopping days to Christmas? - Ed) and thats when someone or other usually goes under or scales back. It could well happen on the continent - KLM is frantically trying not to be the last wallflower at the dance, Swiss is still a basket case and the ghost of Sabena in Brussels is loosing buckets of money according to its recent accounts.
Any major failure could put the whole UK market back a year.
Hard choices to make but my mindset would be to NEVER pass a first commercial job in the hope of something better.
Good luck,
WWW
That said winter is approaching (how many shopping days to Christmas? - Ed) and thats when someone or other usually goes under or scales back. It could well happen on the continent - KLM is frantically trying not to be the last wallflower at the dance, Swiss is still a basket case and the ghost of Sabena in Brussels is loosing buckets of money according to its recent accounts.
Any major failure could put the whole UK market back a year.
Hard choices to make but my mindset would be to NEVER pass a first commercial job in the hope of something better.
Good luck,
WWW
Terrier
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: moonbase alpha
Posts: 564
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
WWW
Good advice, but it may be wise to add a caveat that tries to get the employer (BAC in this case) to pay for training.
An SD360 rating is not of much use really to anyone else. It could well be BAC that goes belly up of course and then the individual would be well screwed......
As for others going bust, I still think that November if not sooner may be crunch time in the My Travel group as a whole. That would be BAD news.
Good advice, but it may be wise to add a caveat that tries to get the employer (BAC in this case) to pay for training.
An SD360 rating is not of much use really to anyone else. It could well be BAC that goes belly up of course and then the individual would be well screwed......
As for others going bust, I still think that November if not sooner may be crunch time in the My Travel group as a whole. That would be BAD news.
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with the above post, but why are BAC only offering Shed and F27 recruits three or six month contracts?
I hear a rumour that Fedex are changing to all ATR's for their European feeder operations by summer 2004
I hear a rumour that Fedex are changing to all ATR's for their European feeder operations by summer 2004
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What's all this BAC-Express-bashing about???
Frankly, judging from the replies of some of you guys, it sounds like a whole different company. Best kept secret in aviation is what I say...
Get real! For some of us paying for a type-rating was the only way to finally get that commercial flying job. So, ok the moment you have that commercial license in your sweaty hands you swear you'll never pay for a type-rating ever It's just that some day reality just kicks in : either you give up on your dreams or you just take the chance and invest just one more time. And if you get that job it feels great.
Frankly, judging from the replies of some of you guys, it sounds like a whole different company. Best kept secret in aviation is what I say...
Get real! For some of us paying for a type-rating was the only way to finally get that commercial flying job. So, ok the moment you have that commercial license in your sweaty hands you swear you'll never pay for a type-rating ever It's just that some day reality just kicks in : either you give up on your dreams or you just take the chance and invest just one more time. And if you get that job it feels great.
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: England
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well said haepemj.
What is the point of spending £50,000 on your nice shiney CPL without a job, you can't even instruct with it.
'Suppose it gives you something to winge about in the pub.
What is the point of spending £50,000 on your nice shiney CPL without a job, you can't even instruct with it.
'Suppose it gives you something to winge about in the pub.
niknak
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 2,335
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Air Mail
Had it from the horses mouth the other day, one of the pilots let slip that all the BAC Sheds were going (don't know about the FK27s but I assume so), and they were all being replaced by ATRs for the "Fedex Contract".
Whether this means that BAC are pulling out of night mail all together, I don't know, can the ATRs take the palletised units the Post Office intend to use come October?
Had it from the horses mouth the other day, one of the pilots let slip that all the BAC Sheds were going (don't know about the FK27s but I assume so), and they were all being replaced by ATRs for the "Fedex Contract".
Whether this means that BAC are pulling out of night mail all together, I don't know, can the ATRs take the palletised units the Post Office intend to use come October?
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Niknak,
Yes, that is what I have heard too.
With regards to the royal mail, I suppose that depends on what aircraft they want operating on the skynet routes. Were they happy with the ones operated by Gill? I guess that operating an ATR is a lot cheaper than say a 737 and with the royal mail still leaking money, I would say that is a big factor......
The ATR can be containerised, that is why Fedex will be operating them.
Yes, that is what I have heard too.
With regards to the royal mail, I suppose that depends on what aircraft they want operating on the skynet routes. Were they happy with the ones operated by Gill? I guess that operating an ATR is a lot cheaper than say a 737 and with the royal mail still leaking money, I would say that is a big factor......
The ATR can be containerised, that is why Fedex will be operating them.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: All over
Age: 73
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There will always be RM routes for the 737 - STN-EDI, EXT - various.
The containerised ATR in its present form does not take the industry standard containers that the 737 and others use, though I believe it is viable to alter the a/c structure so that they can accommodate them - at cost!
I guess if you had a number of containerised ATR's using the special bins in one network it could work, but if they are feeding into a 737 network?
With Air Contractors, Farnair receiving ATR's and BAC looking at options, now could be a good time to get an ATR rating as opposed to the shed/F27. Might explain why Skylines courses are filling up so fast!
The containerised ATR in its present form does not take the industry standard containers that the 737 and others use, though I believe it is viable to alter the a/c structure so that they can accommodate them - at cost!
I guess if you had a number of containerised ATR's using the special bins in one network it could work, but if they are feeding into a 737 network?
With Air Contractors, Farnair receiving ATR's and BAC looking at options, now could be a good time to get an ATR rating as opposed to the shed/F27. Might explain why Skylines courses are filling up so fast!
