Speedbird Pilot Academy - Funded

[Haneli]

Originally Posted by GS-Alpha

Shamrock, if your dad is a current BA pilot, it’s quite likely you’ll be well prepared as to which boxes might need ticking in order to gain a place. In fact there’s quite a strong chance you’ll just tick them naturally. There is no coincidence or nepotism conspiracy required. I imagine there will be a fair few successful cabin crew and other internal BA employees too, because knowing and observing a few pilots teaches you these tick box behaviours. But the scheme does also recruit from completely outside this arena. If you weren’t successful, you didn’t tick the boxes. My advice to you is to work on that, and then perhaps try again next time.

Your second sentence shows you don’t fully appreciate what this scheme is. Most people can sort out a loan to put themselves, or a son or daughter through flight training, and likely would if there was a near guaranteed job at the end of it. The issue is getting that first flying job, and this is truly where the scheme’s value lies. If you’d pay £100k on the off chance that there was a job at the end of it, rather than apply for a scheme that has a conditional job offer attached, you are too much of a risk taker to be a good pilot.

GS-Alpha, I think this is excellent advise, and you are right about internal recruitment, and I know only six (06) internal applicants secured places. Those who put in the effort surely edged the competition.

[Haneli]

Originally Posted by Gordomac

Quick observation is that most of the 100 successful candidates didn't have Daddy as a BA Capt or went to privilaged schools. Those were in a minority.

I have long poked fun at nepotism. Absolutely rife and clearcut all over the place.It has it's place and very annoying for those of us not so favoured. Very little we can do.

Having failed Hamble selection, I poked serious fun, still do at nepotism and connections. Looking back, I think, competitively, others deserved a place more than me.

Dad was a Freemason. Very wealthy. Middle East earner. Cheque book Dad. Ex Army Colonel. With three kids, he decided he was not going to fork out for all three. So, funded none. We were all ex-pat brats, failed the 11 plus and went to Roman Catholic State Secondary Moderns in total but do in part..I asked him for 5K in order to go to OATS for CPL/IR and offered to repay the entire amount out of subsequent salary. He said NO !

I stuck with total focus to the sponsored route. Failed but improved at each set-back. BKS Air Transport advertised forr a top-up course and wanted TWO Cadets. 1000 applied. By then, I was within the age and education requirement. I offered Uk PPL, IMC, R/T, , 200 hours, five years working in Ops as Crewing Walla, Crewing Officer, Loader, Ops DO and six months Nav Course at Cass College.

I got one of the two places.

Fabbo news for the 100. Others, take the punch, get up, take a breath and NEVER stop trying. Some , but not as many as you think, will have been privilaged. Put it out of your mind. Of course it is not fair. What the hell is.. I was going to say Good luck. There is no luck in it and don't plan for such.

When you have fired up all four, tell co-jo to "Set Thrust". feel a punch in the back, level off at 430000ft and a pretty young thang says "Tea Captain ?"......................S M I L E .......................

Hahaha, I've read your post over and again, and still smiling. I wish I was that co-jo, happy days all day long. But then again, it's that super motivation they look for in applicants. Do we have it? You decide...

[Flybyfly6589]

Just a point on the below which I think needs to be said - being privately educated doesn’t equal wealthy. There are plenty of those 7 whom you’ve found specifically due to the education who will have been on bursary funded school fees or on scholarships due to being particularly gifted. Not all is what is seems on social media and I think it’s harsh to generalise wealth due to education or assume they are less deserving of a place on the scheme. I for one don’t have a place, but was privately educated with 100% bursary as my parents couldnt afford to send me to the private school themselves. Like I say what’s on the surface doesn’t always present face value of someone’s circumstance…

Originally Posted by morerudder_86

It has the potential to be a fantastic scheme for 100 people. It is clear that many deserving candidates have been chosen, and that is great to see, congratulations to those people.

However, it is also clear that those who have been privately educated (at least 7 on LinkedIn) and/or have parents who are BA captains (at least 3) have also been selected. Whilst I’m sure these people were good candidates, their background indicates that they are more likely to have been in a position to pay for it themselves (not always the case, but generally true!).

Meanwhile, those who are from less advantaged backgrounds and who have been scraping together money for flying hours towards a career instead have to face getting a loan. These individuals may have volunteered cleaning aircraft in exchange for flying, or applied for scholarships to try and make their way in the industry.

A harsh reality for many anyway, but if I was going through this process I’d have been annoyed to see those from advantaged backgrounds being selected too. Definitely not bitter.

Don’t get me wrong, it is brilliant that BA is running this scheme, and like TUI are setting an example for others to follow. I just seriously hope that they are looking at both CVs and background to ensure that the scheme increases financial diversity as claimed in all their PR. It could certainly damage their reputation amongst many if not.

[DRS247]

Originally Posted by Pablopal

Some key points included:

• Accommodation, food allowance and substance allowance provided
• Application window will open in September
• Flight school assessment in October
• BA assessment in November
• Offers made in November
• Training commence Q1 2024
• Could be based at Heathrow, Gatwick or London City (BA, Euroflyer, Cityflyer) on either A320 fleet or Embraer
• Choice of 5 different fleet types after initial freeze (6 years).
• Starting salary of £34,000

Selection:

• Online application - you'll be asked about your motivation to join British Airways and Maths and situational judgement test.
• Video interview - you will have to record your answers
• Flight school technical test - assess your ability to work under pressure and see how you react to increasing workload with various computer based tests from the cut-e suite
• Flight School Group exercise - assess your ability to work in a team, with a scenario you may face in your day-to-day role as a Pilot at British Airways.
• Flight School Interview - demonstrate you have what it takes to become a BA pilot.
• British Airways Assessment - interview and group exercise. There will be a presentation from the team to talk to you about life as a BA Pilot and also a chance to visit Speedbird Heritage Centre at Waterside

Thanks Pablopal for this. I just wanted to confirm 2 points :
1. Are we 100% sure that the tests are CUT-E based ? Maybe those who went through the process this year can confirm ?
2. You don't mention in this post but I've read elsewhere that only those who have the right to work & live in the UK are eligible... so does this mean all EU country citizens (minus those who are there under the EU Settlement Scheme) are off the list ?
Thanks again & hope to hear soon.

[PolomDrastiz]

Originally Posted by Gordomac

Fabbo news for the 100. Others, take the punch, get up, take a breath and NEVER stop trying. Some , but not as many as you think, will have been privilaged. Put it out of your mind. Of course it is not fair. What the hell is.. I was going to say Good luck. There is no luck in it and don't plan for such.

When you have fired up all four, tell co-jo to "Set Thrust". feel a punch in the back, level off at 430000ft and a pretty young thang says "Tea Captain ?"......................S M I L E .......................

Never stop trying? At some point if you keep getting rejected you can't keep delaying your career year on year, your total career earnings are at stake. Just use the wisdom from the experience for future airline interviews and self fund, you might have to fly for a regional in an ATR rather than an A320, but a flying job is better than nothing.

I also remember in the webinar one of the hosts said you were capped to 3 speed bird applications in a row *, however I have not seen any official clause explicitly mentioning that so I won't believe it unless proved otherwise.

*DO NOT believe this unless explicitly stated by BA themselves. I don't want anyone to miss out because of a random stranger's comment.

[Gordomac]

Speedbird PIlot Acadamy-Funded

Polom : Your articulation is better than mine. I never meant 'keep trying' for just the BA scheme but keep trying to get into the profession by any means you can find or fund. You show the type of determination that 'll see that pretty young thang asking you if you'd like a cuppa. Who cares if it is at 20,000ft in a turbo or 43,000 ft across the Atlantic. Who cares what's painted on the side of an aeroplane. You will be exercising the privileges of your well earned "Commercial" that permits you to fly for hire or reward.<br /><br />Specifically if the BA scheme does have a limit, they will like seeing you coming back until the last try. HR often impose limits because the volume is just too high. Not fair, not just, actually pretty knee-jerked self imposed blinkered view because those who keep coming back will have, be experience, as you allude, improved and learned by previous rejection and made success at the graduation stage much more likely.<br /><br />The bottom line asked by the Selectors is "How likely is this candidate to pass that final Line Check &amp; be released into Line flying within the time frame imposed by Accountants. Given no time limit, we would often wind up with the most likeable and deserving. Given a strict timetable, it becomes very restrictive and you wind up with a bunch of space cadets ca[able of NASA selection.<br /><br />Then, as BA found with Hamble,you wind up with a bunch of sameis.They look alike, sound alike,talk alike and this then has an impact, much later on Flight Decks. BA started to look for different personality types and backgrounds as a result. Came too late for Hamble.<br /><br />But, I have to say from a Selectors point of view, widening the age criteria to 55 is just plain daft.<br /><br />Good fortune Polom. When that young thang asks if you fancy a cuppa......................mmmmmmmm................You are there.<br />

[adelta]

Do we know how many of the lucky 100 are in their 50s?

[PolomDrastiz]

Originally Posted by GS-Alpha

<br /><br />Your second sentence shows you don’t fully appreciate what this scheme is. Most people can sort out a loan to put themselves, or a son or daughter through flight training, and likely would if there was a near guaranteed job at the end of it. The issue is getting that first flying job, and this is truly where the scheme’s value lies. If you’d pay £100k on the off chance that there was a job at the end of it, rather than apply for a scheme that has a conditional job offer attached, you are too much of a risk taker to be a good pilot.

<br /><br />There are self sponsored MPL schemes like EasyJet with a conditional job offer at the end.

[planesandthings]

Originally Posted by PolomDrastiz

There are sponsored MPL schemes like EasyJet with a conditional job offer at the end.

Self sponsored I assume you mean? EZY don't fund any of their tagged courses. Except a few rare limited and targeted bursaries for minorities.

[PolomDrastiz]

Originally Posted by planesandthings

Self sponsored I assume you mean? EZY don't fund any of their tagged courses. Except a few rare limited and targeted bursaries for minorities.

Edited, thanks. I thought you could use sponsored to mean "pledge/promise", which in this context is easyJet honouring the job offer on the condition of completing training.

[Dracarys]

Huge congratulations to those who have made it through the process! It’s a fantastic achievement, and you should be rightly delighted. I was a cadet 8 years ago, so I know how exciting it is to make it through the process. I look forward to flying with you all in the future.

In terms of the suggestions of nepotism... I believe that this process is as objective as any process reasonably could be. Naturally, some people will have an advantage in various ways, perhaps helped by people they know having experience of working for the company for some years. But that is not nepotism. And it’s easy to point the finger at such individuals and suggest that their advantage is insurmountable for you, but neither is that true. For instance, everything you could possibly need to know about BA to perform well in an interview can be garnered from ba.com (History & Heritage etc). And there’s nothing unique about the tests such that only those with inside knowledge could hope to do well in them. A well-written application and strong preparation for the assessments is the principal difference between those who make and those who do not.

So, if you didn’t make it, don’t blame other people or the process, and don’t blame yourself either. Not making it through this does not in any way mean that you will not become an excellent airline pilot in the future.

[Pilotguy85]

I read that it is reopening in March 2024 - is this correct does anyone know please?

[Buccaneer29]

They are hoping to open applications in April 2024, but not confirmed set date yet.

[Pilotguy85]

Cheers, thought so!

[adelta]

At Waterside they said it would reopen in February 2024, but they also said unsuccessful candidates at that stage would receive feedback which isn't happening. That was also before they increased the available slots so imagine it would be later than Feb.

Still wondering if any successful cadets this time around are in their 50s...?

[Karen1]

Tui

Has anyone applied for Tui?

[chris09]

Not yet but planning to! Have you?

[LKnaggs]

Originally Posted by Karen1

Has anyone applied for Tui?

There might be more info on the dedicated thread, I've tried to link but have fewer than 8 posts - it's on the "Interviews, jobs & sponsorship" forum

[Pilotguy85]

Has anyone heard about if Speedbird will be opening on April?

[WanderingMinstrel]

Originally Posted by Pilotguy85

Has anyone heard about if Speedbird will be opening on April?

I was a final stager who received personalised feedback through a phone call at the start of January. They confirmed during the call that it would be reopening in April.