Virgin Bases & Overnighters
 

1. Any hard facts about possible Sydney basings

2. If you fly out of Brisbane, how many nights 'away' can an FO expect (realistically).

C'mon folks! Just because it doesn't involve bitchin n' moanin about Virgin, doesn't mean it doesn't deserve an answer!!

OI!! Someone's gotta know!!!!:}

No talk of syd basing what so ever.Some murmurs of Adl in the future.An fo can expect 9 to 12 overnights a month with generally 3 to 4 day trips each time u go to work.Some day trips but not many.We now also get 2 grey days a month usually tacked onto our days off as opposed to stand alone.

have heard rumours of melbourne basings in the near future, into DRW crews were overnighting, then they made them fly up and fly back, now they are back to overnighting again i think.

The Melbourne base opened on the 1st Feb. There is plenty of wishful thinking going on at the moment however in reality I think another base opening is along way off. WE are getting 14 new a/c before the end of this year or early next year which takes it up to around 42 a/c. The planners are flat out organising things as they stand now without throwing open another base.

Perhaps in years to come another base will eventually open, although I would not hold my breath.

Walter despite some of the drivel you read here from time to time it is not a bad place to work.

Thanks folks..

Spermi, i don't doubt it would be a good place to work. Any, or most, work environments have their ups and downs - that's life. It's unfortunate that since Impulse fell over, Virgin is the whipping boy. Silly really.

My concern with the high number of overnighters - it doesn't seem to be such a great idea to move a family from another city only for the 'old man' to be away 15 nights of the month.

Would you agree or is it not quite 'that bad'.

A good average for an F/O is 8-10 overnights per month, occassionally 11/12 or 6/7, about 70 stick hrs month average, Captains definately work harder, with 10 onights normal, and in some horror stories I have heard up to 15/16. This does seem to be the exception. Training captains especially hard work, not unusual to do approx 85hrs/mnth. Have heard on grapevine that MEL will expand very soon, but no talk of another base. Hope this helps! PS The people you work with are all a pretty good, friendly and professional bunch. Good Luck.:}

Question in regards to Melbourne base - are there many administrative postions at the base.

With the hours worked, does Virgin supply adequate sustenance for the crew or do the crew supply it themselves?

More than adequate sustenance. What do you expect?

Well that's why he asked goose!

You don't have to get all defensive about it Sprucegoose. It was a simple question.

The capt's meal is reasonable,but the FO gets what the cabin crew have rejected.Shall i say no more!:confused:

Thanks heypilot, that's all I wanted to know. Obviously the question was too simple for sprucegoose to answer.

As an update which cities are VB bases for pilots .?:D

Bases are Brisbane and Melbourne. Expansion continues, as does recruitment. Projected fleet of 46 by Mar/April 2004. No talk of more bases at present.:O Overnights are CS,TL,BN,SY,ML,LT,HB,AD,PH and DN. Cabin crew get to onite at AS too.

Which hotel does DJ overnight in at HB?

Hoping for the stars for a Perth-base,remote and remote.

There are a few of us waiting for a Perth Base. Rumour has it that the commercial dept. say that it is now justifiable for a flight attendant base. In fact there are a few FA's who have retired back to Perth and are working more now on callouts than they were in Brissy.
As to Pilots who knows, With the amount of overnights it probably is justified however with the problems of recruiting to the Melb. base we may be waiting a while.

Tight Cannon,

just a follow up on your comment "troubles recruiting to the Melbourne Base". I hope to have an interview soon and I really want to return 'home' to Brisso. I've seen on other threads that VB have not had problems filling in the pilot slots at Melbourne - but your comment seems to indicate this is not the case. Could you fill me in on what is happening with new guys into VB ie are they forcing them to go to Melbourne?

yours in trying to get out of the Melbourne winter!!!

ta