MEA Direct entry F/O

[DoItInverted]

Hi all!!

MEA received far more applications then what they expecting! How many pilots will they hire is a big question and I think they even don't know..

As for the conditions from a very reliable source..
Pay for your type rating (US$ 50000.-)
Pay for your selections and sim check ( US$ 5000.-)
And the most unbelievable thing... You get bonded!!! For what I have no idea since you pay for everything.. This bond also applies if you are already type rated.. Go figure..

Salary is about US$500 during your training until you are released on line. Thereafter around 2000.-

Candidates should be contacted very soon in order to start the selections.

Haven't heard anything regarding schedules so can't tell you much.

I still think MEA's way of hiring pilots is crap. They know that Lebanese pilots don't have the choice and they are taking advantage of the situation..
MEA has a very good reputation with high standard crew but I don't think it's a very honnest way of hiring pilots.

I wonder have much money will the cadets have to pay?!?

Nevertheless, let us informed if/when the selections start.

Regards,
DII

[ODGUY]

Flagada, 32 yrs of age maximum.

for the other post, you must be a lebanese citizen with the right to live and work there.

[OD-AFA]

Timeline?

Hello all,

So when are they planning to call? How long will the selection process take before they decide who will be called for an interview?

How many people applied and did everyone that appeared in person get an application form?

I thought I might as well get the forum started again, because it's slipping to the bottom of the list of topics! :-)

Hope all are doing well in their respective parts of the world.

OD-AFA

[OD-AFA]

Some news for the boys...

Sounds like candidates will be contacted starting tomorrow.

OD-AFA

[bcqc]

Anyone heard anything yet? Have they got an idea how many guys they will eventually need? Cheers

[OD-AFA]

bcqc,

The story I got was that the phone-calls were going to start on Friday. Haven't heard anything yet as far as how many they are calling, or when the interviews are taking place.

Anyone on the board have an idea?

Ahhh... the waiting game. It's the best part, ain't it

My other question... where's the sim-check taking place?

OD-AFA

[MEA321]

This selection process is the first of many to come. I found many discrepancies with previous posts to what is really going on.

One thing that I have to bring up is that Captain Osama Balaa was expelled from the LPA in 1998, how is it possible that he is doing interviews??

Another thing is that there is no formal decision within MEA to start an ab-initio cadet program anytime soon.

Although the deadline for this hiring class has passed, here is the requirements:

1. Lebanese National
2. Military service in Lebanon, or excemption.
3. Maximum age 32 years old.
4. Lebanese baccalaureate, second part, or equivalent.
5. ICAO ATPL - fixed wing, obtained without exemptions with passes in all ground examinations from top ranked approved and internationallly recognized pilot training organizations.
6. Multi engine and instrument rating, radio telephony license, and current Lebanese class one medical (signed by Lebanese medical examiner).
7. Multi Crew Cooperation Course certificate
8. Airbus 320 family type rating is an asset.
9. Fluent spoken and written english.
10. minimum height 168 cm. Weight proportional to height.
11. Basic computer skills.

Finally, there was a shortage of applications this time, not an excess amount. In Lebanon and abroad there are not a lot of qualified LEBANESE NATIONAL pilots who fit these requirements. MEA is reluctant to make exceptions or excemptions.

[OD-AFA]

MEA321,

Very interesting information. I'm not sure what's happening any more. My sources told me that the phone-calls were starting on Friday, but no-one has heard anything yet.

How many candidates applied? I heard it was around 35 in total, and only a few of these have all the requirements. Wouldn't it mean that they would be able pick the ones they want to interview, quite quickly?

Another question for you... how many selection processes are they talking about? How many pilots are they looking for?

No-one has had any firm answers so far.... I'm hoping this will change.

OD-AFA

[MEA321]

There is no word from MEA Headquarters how many F/O's they need exactly. The only thing that is know is they need as many as they can get at the moment.

MEA has just recently become profitable, posting a 22 million dollar profit for 2003 after operating in the red for many many years. Senior captains are just starting to leave the company as it is finally manageable for MEA.

This year alone there was a good number of senior captains that were able to retire due to the improving condition of MEA. That is why you are seeing the pilot hiring scheme finally come back after a long absence.

In basic terms, MEA will continue to advertise the pilot direct entry scheme until they have reached their desired amount of hires (I dont know the number but it is more than 20.) Now that the requirements have been made public, it will give Lebanese pilots an idea of what they must complete in order to qualify. The next hiring class early next year could have more success due to pilots completing the requirements if they are already close.

I want to clarify also that MEA will send its class of hires to do the type rating course at CAE in Dubai. The self expense portion of testing consists of aptitude, personality and psychology tests in Lebanon and abroad. One of them is done at the Deutschen Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR - German center for air and space travel) in Berlin or Bahrain, and it is a thorough psychology and physical examination which tests fatigue and stress, very high fail rate for those who are not prepared.

[OD-AFA]

MEA321,

I'm really impressed by all the information you've provided so far.

As far as the psycological testing goes... you said there is a high fail rate for those who are not prepared. How does one go about getting prepared for the tests?

OD-AFA

[Paterbrat]

Pay for your tests, symbolic salary to begin with and pay for your airbus rating!? It appears that there is a high premium required to work for MEA.

[DoItInverted]

MEA321,

thanks for the info!

Can you please explain the following:

- Pay for the selection (5000 US$)
- Pay for the rating (50000 US$)
- You get bonded for 5 FG years???!!!!

These 3 points are exact! The figures are correct!

How on earth can you bond somebody when the company is not going to put a single pence before hiring these desperat pilots looking for a flying job?!?!?

Now the salary.. I believe a union exists at MEA. How can MEA outrule a salary grid signed by both the management and the union???

Wonder what a lawyer would say about all this..

That's abosultely !!!

All this to wish best of luck to the candidates once more! At least you'll be flying very nice planes!!!

Cheers!
DII

[MEA321]

DoItInverted

Im curious of what your source is. $50,000 for an Airbus 320 family type rating....hmm thats interesting... Last time I checked it was only about $ 30,000 USD. I can not imagine how your price got so high.

Your $5000 figure for selection payment can be easily broken down. The initial JAA medical which can be converted to Lebanese Class one costs around $1300 USD and $100 conversion cost. Then the DLR exam costs about $2000 USD. What we have left is $1700 which can cover hotel expenses, travel, and finally the cost of aptitude and personality tests which take place in Lebanon.

There are three unions at MEA, one for pilots, air stewards, and ground crews. All of them have salary agreements with management and the salaries are overall agreed upon.

OD-AFA

The DLR is a test that can test anyone's patience down to the last second. There is hand-eye coordination tests involved and fatigue tests that can catch you by surprise if you are not well aware of what to expect. There are study manuals from what I understand that help you prepare for the DLR examination, those should be studied thoroughly prior to beginning the examination. Most of the DLR is conducted via group exercises to tests CRM and multi crew concepts.

[OD-AFA]

Thank you very much MEA321. I'll have a look and see what I can find with regards to the DLR.

Any other information you could pass along would be much appreciated.

OD-AFA

[DoItInverted]

MEA321,

Regarding cost of selection you are missing the price of the simuator. Yes candidates have to pay for this as well.

As for the price of the type rating, that's the price given to somebody who applied... Like I said before, I didn't make these numbers.. But I trully hope the rating will cost 30000 US$!

I can understand somebody paying for his type rating. The golden years of aviation are far behind us and this practice is getting very commun. But when you pay for your rating and get bonded for some years it means that the company is going to pay back the rating over a number of years. Which is definately not the case here...

Since you seem flying for MEA, when you got your job, was your salary 500US$ until you were released on line (this figure was also given to the applicant when handing over all the paperwork!)

I had the chance to fly onboard an MEA plane and I must say that pilots, cabin crew and service were excellent. A lot better than many majors accross Europe! That's why I'm very disapointed with this way of hiring pilots..

Enough for now!
Cheers!
DII

[CedarJet]

Hello MEA321

Profits at MEA and the number of retiring Captains are 2 independent events. all pilots will retire at 60 regardless of the economic situation of the airline. The average age of MEA pilots is very high and more than half the pilots will retire in the coming 4 years.

Like you said MEA will take as much candidates (That pass the process)as they can from this direct entry selection. But the next class will be a Cadet Pilot course. MEA will restart this scheme taking around 10 pilot every year from now on. The candidates who did not have the qualifications to join the direct entry scheme could have a chance with the ab initio course.

By the way, getting fired from the pilots union for internal issues does not prohibit any Head of Department from doing his administrative job.

Are you the same MEA321 as on another forum...

[MEA321]

CedarJet,

What you are saying about the pilot retirement is absolutely correct, I never said MEA is willing to break the rules in order to stay afloat. However, it is a common practice by airlines to offer senior captains with early retirement, as gratitude for their long service.

With the situation at MEA, senior captains never had this luxury up until recently, when management finally was able to let some go.

DoItInverted

Salary is strictly taboo and I dont think there are a lot of MEA pilots that would discuss it.

All I can say is down the line, MEA pilots make comparable wages to other pilots in the region.

[DoItInverted]

MEA321:

I never asked for any figure regarding salaries of pilots already working for MEA! And very honestly I couldn't care less.

All I can say is down the line, MEA pilots make comparable wages to other pilots in the region.

That's exactly what I was saying in my previous post. Salaries given to these new applicants is very low..

Anyway.. Hope all the guys will be fine (which I'm sure they will!) and they'll get this long waited flying job!

Cheers!
DII

[concordino]

to MEA321,

If the cost of the evaluation is approx 5000 USD, are you sure the JAA class 1 medical and the Lebanese Class 1 check are part of it ?

How long will the selection process last ?

Cheers

[ODGUY]

Any more details about the testing and how one can prepare for them?