Fastest move to the left on a 737?
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Prague, CZ
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Fastest move to the left on a 737?
Hello, I'm currently flying as F/O on a B733 with a holiday charter airline that is likely to close down soon. I'm starting to look around where should I apply when my current company goes down - the main goal for me at this time is the fastest way to move to the left seat - my experience is 3700 hrs TT, roughly 1700 on the B733 as FO and an unrestricted JAA ATPL.
Any suggestions at which airlines I should inquire to get the best prospect to moving to the left in the shortest possible way? Thx.
Any suggestions at which airlines I should inquire to get the best prospect to moving to the left in the shortest possible way? Thx.
Join Date: Jul 2005
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MaxReheat - whilst it is not a God given rite to be Captain - it is only normal that FO's aspire to the left hand seat. You cannot blame an FO for being ambitious and wanting their bash at the LHS so why do you feel the need to post such an elitist arrogant message. Bluebat is only asking which is the best airline to get the shortest time to command - i am sure he and everyone else understands that it will require some assessments and training etc as no reputable company would just throw someone a first time Capt job based solely on their hours!
All that FO's ask is a chance to prove themselves once the experience is behind them - certainly not to be belittled by people with a superiority complex!
All that FO's ask is a chance to prove themselves once the experience is behind them - certainly not to be belittled by people with a superiority complex!
The thing is that there are hundreds of F/Os out there (usually working for the likes of BA) who are stuck in the right seat for in excess of 10 years because of their seniority system before they can even be considered for command.
They simply cannot understand that promising young men in other airlines can move into the left-seat with a hell of a lot less hours than they have.
What they really should be asking themselves is "why am I still in the right seat with 10,000 hrs?"
It is all very well to dangle the carrot that "I went through the system and so will you" but those days have gone. I have been seriously out of work twice with airlines collapsing but I have still earned a hell of a lot more money by always being in the left seat for the last 30 years (and have a handsome final pension scheme to show for it).
It is going to be interesting to see how many young BA F/Os are going to be happy to stay in the right seat for at least another 5 years when their senoir buddies elect to stay on until 60 (or even 65) next year.
They simply cannot understand that promising young men in other airlines can move into the left-seat with a hell of a lot less hours than they have.
What they really should be asking themselves is "why am I still in the right seat with 10,000 hrs?"
It is all very well to dangle the carrot that "I went through the system and so will you" but those days have gone. I have been seriously out of work twice with airlines collapsing but I have still earned a hell of a lot more money by always being in the left seat for the last 30 years (and have a handsome final pension scheme to show for it).
It is going to be interesting to see how many young BA F/Os are going to be happy to stay in the right seat for at least another 5 years when their senoir buddies elect to stay on until 60 (or even 65) next year.
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No superiority complex. Far from it - and I did more than my share of time in the RHS. Of course FOs aspire to command (although I have known many who have not) but simply statements of facts. If there is any degree of arrogance it is from the poster who assumes he is command material who wants to be shown the way to the top. Bluebat will have wait his turn along with all the many other LHS aspirants out there, many with several times more experience than him.
klink:
I do apologise for your lack of understanding of my post.
To me this is a carry-on from a recent previous thread whereby one of our brethern was lamenting that Ryanair were putting F/Os into the left seat far too quickly for his liking.
Now then, I have absolutely no interest in Ryanair but I pointed out that the Queen put me in the left seat of a 4-engined aircraft as a training captain at the age of 25 and that I have luckily not broken anything since.
I further pointed out that if a candidate presented himself/herself to me for upgrade to the left seat and that they had passed through all of the hoops, I would have no difficulty as a TRI/TRE in signing them off if I considered them fit for the purpose, despite the fact that they had something less than 10,000 hours.
I am merely trying to explain to BA SFO's with thousands of hours that they really do not have to worry about flying with captains on other airlines who (according to their reckoning) are inexperienced.
I am also, if I were to be honest, trying to explain that there is another aviation world out there.
PS. I see that your pension fund is in debt to the tune of 62% of the (alleged) value of your company. In that function you are a national leader. I really do pray to God that your bubble doesn't burst.
I do apologise for your lack of understanding of my post.
To me this is a carry-on from a recent previous thread whereby one of our brethern was lamenting that Ryanair were putting F/Os into the left seat far too quickly for his liking.
Now then, I have absolutely no interest in Ryanair but I pointed out that the Queen put me in the left seat of a 4-engined aircraft as a training captain at the age of 25 and that I have luckily not broken anything since.
I further pointed out that if a candidate presented himself/herself to me for upgrade to the left seat and that they had passed through all of the hoops, I would have no difficulty as a TRI/TRE in signing them off if I considered them fit for the purpose, despite the fact that they had something less than 10,000 hours.
I am merely trying to explain to BA SFO's with thousands of hours that they really do not have to worry about flying with captains on other airlines who (according to their reckoning) are inexperienced.
I am also, if I were to be honest, trying to explain that there is another aviation world out there.
PS. I see that your pension fund is in debt to the tune of 62% of the (alleged) value of your company. In that function you are a national leader. I really do pray to God that your bubble doesn't burst.
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The fastest I know about is someone who got fired from a turboprop command position (or actually he was offered a copilot position at a base he didn't want...) and moved to 737 command in the UK with 0 jet time.
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If you are up to scratch and can stomach shelling out some readies for a NG differences course(or maybe not these days?we do need a few more "victims")Ryanair would be damned quick if only they could find a training -captain with any hours left to fly with you!
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Thanks for the explanation 411. I do fully agree with you. Amount of hours is merely a very rough indicator, certainly not a guarantee for skill and leadership.
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Try cheeSA, they might hire ya, maybe even as Captain.... Seniority don't mean much in the neck of these very eastern woods. Good luck.
PS: alot of your buddies jumped ship a year ago and are now Captains at cheeSA. Why'd ya wait? You've been riding a sinking ship for years.
PS: alot of your buddies jumped ship a year ago and are now Captains at cheeSA. Why'd ya wait? You've been riding a sinking ship for years.
ECON cruise, LR cruise...
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Hi Flymani,
Yes, that did go rather fast
- but believe me, it was worth the move.
It took another year in the ATR to re-gain a bit of confidence. I guess that accepting a command at that base was not the smartest thing I could have done.
But - it goes to show, something good can come from something that looks bad when you're caught up in it.
Hope you're all well & that you get the PSO again - you deserve it.
Brgds fm
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Yes, that did go rather fast
- but believe me, it was worth the move. It took another year in the ATR to re-gain a bit of confidence. I guess that accepting a command at that base was not the smartest thing I could have done.
But - it goes to show, something good can come from something that looks bad when you're caught up in it.
Hope you're all well & that you get the PSO again - you deserve it.
Brgds fm
Empty
