bus driving part time
 

Hi - I'm from the UK - Does anyone know of any qualified pilots who drives buses on their days off?

Many thanks for any replies

I know some ATCOs who drive anything from taxicabs, through steam trains to biz jets so I would be amazed if there are no pilots similarly employed.

Are you NUTS? Dont even think about it!
The major bus companies, Stagecoach, First, Arriva, etc do not normally carry part time drivers; their manning levels are such that for each shift at a particular depot the have the manpower needed plus maybe a couple of spare drivers. If they run out, staff coming off shift may be offered some small amount of overtime if the hours they have completed already permit.
Do you have Grp D PCV on your drivers licence? If not you will need officially recognised driver training obtained either privately or via the company. Company sponsored driving tuition carried a bond clause which becomes payable on a descending scale if you veave within a year.
There are other legal considerations... does your flying contract and flying hours committment allow compliance with the strict time off regulations? Likewaise does the bus company contract allow other outside work again to comply with driving hours legislation.
Having done some bus driving when I was made redundant / forced into early retirement I can tell you now that it is one of the most thankless jobs imaginable.

It would be a great job if it wasn't for
a) the passengers
b) the requirement to stop every twoo hundred metres
c) the totally crap pay... best you could reasonabley hope for away from London is around 10GBP per hour.

For the most part UK Townie passengers are eejits, w*nkers and p*ssheads; assaults on drivers are commonplace (Drivers routinely carry small digi- cameras and DNA sample kits for evidence gathering when they'been spat at). Buses themselves are a favourite target among the great unwashed youth, bricks through the windscreen a regular occurence. You are on your own out there with the nearest official help maybe half an hour away.

Talk to the crews that are doing the job... in Portsmouth talk about West Leigh, Leigh Park, Weecock Farm or worst of all, Paulsgrove. Ask them about the moving target range presented by buses along Queen Street in Central Portsmouth, made even worse since the Planning Authority put a 20mph limit in place!

In short... if you value your sanity Dont Do It!

pp

I flew with a 747 Captain years ago who told me he drove a London Trasport bus on his days off!

He apparently just loved buses and at that time it would have been Routemasters in London.

I believe LT has some part time drivers like him who acted on a kind of stand by system.

Plenty of bus drivers at London Transport Flying Club!

Just to add, do you have your driver CPC vocational licence? Cannot drive today without it now!

If you don't have it you need to complete 35 hours classroom work to gain it, 5 seven hour courses telling you how to suck eggs.

Thanks for all replies. I'm not a pilot (I wish I was). But a claim was made by my bus driver friend that a 747 pilot drove for them part time. I just thought it was extremely unlikely.

I'm a train driver and I drive coaches on a very casual basis. I was a full time bus/coach driver before I drove trains so had to pay for the 35 hours of Cpc training.

There are many steam train driving pilots I can assure you. The Bluebell line in Sussex being one example.:ok:

Yes I can imagine there are pilots who play trains such on the bluebell line but not on the main line.