To give you an idea as to the current situation. I found myself out on my arse last week.
2500hrs 73NG rated.
I have spent more on phone calls, paper, ink, internet downloads(excluding porn) in a week than i ever did when i started out and the only jobs out there at the moment seem to be in the sand-pit or the far east and mainly contracts.
There are a couple of turbo-prop opportunities still around in the UK as i found out with the odd phone call, but sadly won't pay the mortgage and feed my kids.
I am fortunate and can hold out for a couple of months but from where i'm sitting the UK is a non-starter for at least the next 12-18 months.
Speaking with some of my ex collegues, Captains and F/O's all finding the same problems. Too many people chasing too few jobs. (there are about 200 of us!)
I really do feel for the guy's that have just spent their £40-60k and got all excited with their new blue book, 'cause you ain't gonna get that investment return for a long time yet.
Good luck anyway.

JB007
 

Good luck with Q of S. It looks great.

I'm not aware of any UK airline actively recruiting at present. I know quite a few people with 3,000hrs+ on heavy boeings kicking around. I have a neighbour out of a job, and soon out of a home...

Well there you go guys - from the horse's mouth. There's nothing wrong with being optimistic - you have to be an optimist to get through commercial training and make it to a right hand seat, but you have to balance optimism with reality, and you absolutely must plan for the worst. Closing your eyes to the risks in this game (and there are many) can be very costly.

Every time we take off, I'm not expecting an engine to quit just after V1, but I'm planned for it just in case . . .

Some people tend to confuse negativity and realism.

Whats best, integrated or modular?

On more serious note, some of the people posting on here must have been living in a cave for the last 6 months.

Celtic

Can't agree with your comments, the poster must have had some inkling that things weren't right to even post that. Also the search function could have given him reams of information.

Airlines are generally looking for well rounded, commercially astute individuals with a good knowledge of current affairs. This individual clearly has none of these attributes.

Im starting to feel sorry for the thread starter - looks like he/she is starting an integrated course this month.

Maybe he/she has been brainwashed by the school that everything will be ok by the time they finish.

The wannabe zombie army are legion.

Cloaked in an impenetrable armour of ignorance, armed with a might sword of debt they refuse to be stopped in their mission to keep the nations downtrodden ranks of flying school owners in Aston Martins.

I could understand this in the years before PPRuNe.

Now its something of a mystery.


WWW

WWW

That is a great analogy, sarcastic? yes, ironic? yes but also very very true, I was there once so I can relate to it.

Slightly off topic but I stumbled across a Facebook group "Qualifed Pilots looking for employment", it's a place where you can put your hours down and let the airlines come to you. :sad:

Sorry boys, I may be naive and little stupid too but all I hear is airline airline airline. Uhm, was not aware of the fact that they are the only once hiring flight crew... :eek:

Stefair,
Your last post touches on a sore point for me....no, the airlines aren't the only ones recruiting, but for most people they're looking to fly for a living. There's not that much living to be made in non airline jobs (with some exceptions, obviously).

I get fed up with people who claim "I'd fly a cardboard box for 20p a year just to be flying ..... anyone that wouldn't isn't a real pilot".
No. You wouldn't....at least not for long. Not when you discover the delights of mortgages, kids, ever increasing fuel and food bills.
THAT is why people want airline jobs, because it provides the dream of flying for a living AND the living.

Clanger23,
My apologies. I totally disagree though, simply for the fact that there are still sooo many lunatics out there doing overpriced integrated courses and on top a SSTRs, who, of course, depend on that airline job. But that was their choice. No one forced them into their situation and consequently I do not feel sorry for them. Not the slightest. There is plenty of info on the Net and one can do his/her homework before embarking on this career path.

The "delights" of mortgages, kids, etc. is something everybody will have to deal with and this is also something down to you. If you need to live in a house at a young age, well, that's what you will have to do then and put up with a mortgage. If you decide to have kids and depencies this is something you will have to deal with.

Every graduate in the UK coming fresh out of college will have to earn his/her wings first and hence will not receive a gigantic salary straight away.

I totally agree with you on them cardboard flyers. That's just rediculous. When I fly I work and when I work I want to get paid. But this must be based on experience. I have finished my training about a couple months ago and are already flying for a living but no shiny airliner, just a SE trainer. I do not make a fortune but I do get by. However, as my experience progresses I expect more money to be earned with what I do. Nevertheless I would never ever pay for a TR.

When I started my flight training it was clear to me I will go modular and I will not pay for a TR for exactly the reasons stated above. Fortunately, this means I do not rely on that airline job. I can virtually take any flying job that allows me to make a living.

I have yet not looked much into the GA market in this country but being non-British myself I could be working in continental Europe as well and as far as I am concerned the GA market looks much better over there than the airlines. I doubt there are no opportunities.

Good luck to everyone!

http://www.pprune.org/interviews-job...interview.html

Any comments from the doom and gloom brigade? Must be able to find someting negative surley????

I dont think anyone is denying that there will be some jobs about. People still retire and airlines still need to recruit during the winter season. The point is, we are talking about a small handful, for just this winter. In comparison there are +100 cadets being pumped out EACH MONTH from likes of CTC/fte/oaa etc. = UNSUSTAINABLE!!

Why haven't you got an interview V1???

Quite easy, not qualified yet......

The reason for the post is if you read back I got told more or less to get real and except that no low hour pilots wold be recurited for at least 5 years. My point was exactily like aerospace said, their will always be jobs even if they do slow down a bit....Thought I'd have to wait a bit longer to prove the point I must admit!:ok:

Vone Rotate...
 

The point been made Veeone, is what chance do YOU have, as a newly qualified fATPL 150 hours etc etc have of gaining one of those interviews...

It's great that there is a 'trickle' of recruitment going on that hopefully will satisfy those who have been instructing for a while and waiting a lot longer for the opportunity than YOU...

I have to agree with preivous posters, it was about 4 years after 9/11 that things began to move again...if this is worse than 9/11 then who knows...the winter is the usual time when airlines struggle so let's see what 2009 will bring...

Clanger32

I think wadr that you missed the point the previous poster was trying to make, why just airlines,I fly a great aircraft, on a loco tre salary, at M.8 and then on the same sector mixing it with senecas downwind at 130knts. Its a great mix of flying that I would never experience in an airline enviroment (generalising badly now I know) whose crew on occasion wadr can/tend to be on rails a bit between radar enviroments.

Corporate/GA will provide a lifeline for newly qualifying pilots for the next 3 or 4 years but it will not be a cossetted turn up - fly - go home job, its much more involving than that. For those that just want to fly a 737/A320 then please walk on by, but those who want to serve a bit of an apprenticeship then get in line and get networking.



JB007

You heard any rumours about TCX maybe recruiting?????