globallocal

Does any one have a educated idea and I mean "educated", not "VB does this" and "they are over worked", etc, etc. An idea of what the roster will be like? I've tried to do the numbers with 5 crews per frame, 10 flts a week etc, but having not worked for a airline before I would like to get an idea of a roster. and I know it is open to opinion but something in the ball park.
Does any one have some inside knowledge?

Maisk Rotum

Something all the aspiring F/Os & S/O should also consider is this: A round trip to SFO or LAX will put 26.5 hours in your logook. Do three of those and there is your 80 hours flying done for a month. Four pilots will be required on that flight. If they use the QF system of S/Os then three of them will be authorized to land the plane. If they use junior F/Os or some other such title then all four need to land the plane sometime. Do the maths and that is either 2 landings a month or 1.5 respectively. Add in the training requirements of an airline expanding and you can probably half that number once checked out. I am sure VA will come up against the same problem Oasis has in getting their pilots 90 day landing recency. Landing recency will then need to be done in the sim. With 1000 hours on type you may have only 10-15 landings on type. Getting a job on a short haul aeroplane wih lots of landings is far greater experience than 1000 hours with the centre autopilot in comand at 36,000'.

jetblues

I watched Business Success on Channel 9 with interest this morning. They panned in on a scene where pilot recruitment was being discussed. They mentioned 1300 applications and a multitude of B777 drivers from around the world had applied. Talk about not using the wealth of experience from within VB will disengage the troops far further than they realise.

Going Boeing

I agree with the intent of what you are saying although your QF figures are incorrect - the Captain and F/O share the sectors as the two S/O's are not authorised to do take-offs and landings.

Some years ago, I was talking to an United Airlines B744 F/O who said that their West Coast US long haul operation consisted of one Captain and three F/O's. Normally, their flying consisted of 6 sectors per month (3 trips out and back) and as the Captain always operated the outbound sector, the three F/O's competed for the home bound sector with it normally going to the one who was closest to running our of recency. At best, the F/O's were only getting one landing per month.

Some people knock joining QF because it is beneath them to become an S/O after being a Captain on their current type be it in a regional airline, general aviation or the military, but for those that do accept the limitations of being a S/O, they end up being rewarded by more sectors once they are promoted to F/O. I personally prefer the QF system to the United Airlines one.

Maisk Rotum

Ok I get it now. Frankly I am surprised that there is only one captain on a 14 hour westbound flight. So if VS does the same system a pilot would typically do six sectors a month. That means a captain or F/O could expect 3 landings a month-in a good month. Halve that for the first 5 years of operation as they will have an overwhelming training requirement as they ramp up ops. I bet QF F/Os are thankful there are S/O as they don't pinch 'their' landings!!!

murdoch_disliker

If conditions for this job are considered below local conditions and there is a reliance on foreign labour to fill these positions that could be filled by local pilots, then it is getting into the area of activating an IFALPA recruitment ban that could be effective. Just a thought...

Asianlonghaul

Maybe the Web site is closed for applications so V Oz can justify hiring cheap overseas qualified 777 drivers by saying they don’t have enough applications from Australians? Several Australian expats want to apply but missed the first dead line. Applying and joining are two different things though as after tax the pay maybe very low compared to those in the Sandpit and in HK. Those South American drivers on low pay may be interested so lets see! Most South Africans I know are working on good Terms and Conditions, so I don't think too may will join if the pay is as low as talked about here.

Wirefly

Maybe the Web site is closed for applications so V Oz can justify hiring cheap overseas qualified 777 drivers by saying they don’t have enough applications from Australians?

Or maybe the site is closed because the closing date is passed. Maybe VOz needed a closing date so that they could start the recruitment process.

Maybe once they have processed the applications they have and find that they do not have enough suitable applicants that want to take the job they will open the website up again.

Maybe there will be some people who will be sorry that they never took the trouble to apply and maybe there will be some who will be sorry that they did.

Maybe the final package on offer will be increased and all those highly experienced Aussie pilots who pulled their noses up at the first offer will fall over their own feet trying to get into VOz. Maybe by that time all the positions will be filled by desperate "cheap" overseas pilots.

Gee the variables are endless - maybe there will be some surprises. The optimists may be disappointed / the pessimists may be pleasantly surprised.

KittyBlue

I followed up on why applications have been closed as published. Pure and simple response. To begin processing applicants and to bench mark the applicants and what is required for the business needs. You have to start somewhere, and this is where they are doing it.

Personal comment ' The industry in australia and the world has changed. Each person has the chance of applying for a position that they fit the legal and operational requirements. A company has the choice on who they wish to employ and they have no obligation to include someone they believe is not fit to fly as they have a bad record...etc.. I have seen several FOs terminated inside probationary periods because of attitudes not fitting the company.

campdoag

hey fellas and girlies.. I just recieved an e-mail from Maddie with the access codes to an SHL assesment.... E-mail states that I must complete the assesment online before I head to Sydney for interview in 3 weeks. Anyone out there completed the assesment yet?? I'm wanting to know what im in for before the clock starts ticking.... Anyone heard what the interview day involves.... I heard maybe a group lego house building excercise.......

MAX

Is that for cruise gig or are they calling up F/O's and Cpts now?

MAX

Asianlonghaul

Remember when looking at take off & landings per month the V 777 is planned to do Perth SYD LAX. So some shorter sectors!

coaldemon

What makes you think that it will do any domestic sectors at all? No VB aerobridge fits it so all arrivals/ departures from International. Yes I can see how that will work.....................

wirgin blew

They will just build some big metal stairs for the front and back doors and hey presto full standoff

Best Rate

Just wait and see, gals and guys...

Landing recency won't be as difficult to achieve at V as some may think...

B772

Coaldemon. The rumour is the V Australia will also operate to Per ex BNE/SYD/MEL for pax and cargo reasons. Do not forget V Australia are
planning to operate 15 or so B777-300's.

Just for interest SQ operate the A340-500 on some frequencies between SIN-JKT just for crew currency purposes. (Totally uneconomical)

B772

I also understand the B777-300's will be 2 class !.

Shot Nancy

I hear that an ex CX 777 Chief Pilot is looking for a job.
Maybe he will get a gig in Oz.

jetblues

VB have been looking for a wide body to operate domestically for some time. The biggest hurdle is the bridges, which appears to limit the options considerably.

coaldemon

I think that you will find that the initial 5 aircraft are for International destinations only. No domestic aerobridges in VB network can accept anything bigger than a 767 or A330.