BMED
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,658
Likes: 0
From: Up north
Q for you bmed guys!
Not sure if info is available here on pprune....
What kind of FO pay would you start on with Bmed?? Time to command?? Are there many FOs with experience to upgrade?? Understand that you are getting more 321s in the future....how many??
Any info appreciated!
/CP
What kind of FO pay would you start on with Bmed?? Time to command?? Are there many FOs with experience to upgrade?? Understand that you are getting more 321s in the future....how many??
Any info appreciated!
/CP
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 272
Likes: 5
From: England
Starting salary is around 39,000 with around 6,000 a year allowances on top.
In the past time to command has been quick as going from 2 to 4 aircraft doubles the requirement for captains etc. Now with 7 aircraft each new one generates a lessor increase in the number of captains required. More recently command times can be 2-3 years for people with commercial experience and longer for those with low hours. With a flying rate of only 650 hours a year it takes a while just to get the minimum hours (2000 off the top of my head).
On top of that you would have to join the queue as there are a lot of FO's ahead on the seniority list who are in the right bracket for getting a command.
I believe the plan is to go to a total of 10 aircraft in a mix of 320/321.
There have been plenty of other posts regarding lifestyle, rosters and such like at BMED. If you search for those much of the info remains true.
Hope this helps, all the best
In the past time to command has been quick as going from 2 to 4 aircraft doubles the requirement for captains etc. Now with 7 aircraft each new one generates a lessor increase in the number of captains required. More recently command times can be 2-3 years for people with commercial experience and longer for those with low hours. With a flying rate of only 650 hours a year it takes a while just to get the minimum hours (2000 off the top of my head).
On top of that you would have to join the queue as there are a lot of FO's ahead on the seniority list who are in the right bracket for getting a command.
I believe the plan is to go to a total of 10 aircraft in a mix of 320/321.
There have been plenty of other posts regarding lifestyle, rosters and such like at BMED. If you search for those much of the info remains true.
Hope this helps, all the best
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
From: uk
BMED (British Mediterranean) - what's it like?
Hi all,
I wonder if anyone can offer a glimpse of what life's like at BMED?
Specifically, for an FO with 3000 or so hours with over 1000hrs A320 and the rest all Boeing...... here are the questions:
1) How long to Command?
2) What is the basic salary?
3) How many trips a month... and how many days off at home?
4) How tiring?
Any other (relevant) info gratefully received.
I wonder if anyone can offer a glimpse of what life's like at BMED?
Specifically, for an FO with 3000 or so hours with over 1000hrs A320 and the rest all Boeing...... here are the questions:
1) How long to Command?
2) What is the basic salary?
3) How many trips a month... and how many days off at home?
4) How tiring?
Any other (relevant) info gratefully received.
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 272
Likes: 5
From: England
If you do an advanced search with the keyword BMED and select for any date you will get 248 responses.
Many of these posts have asked the same questions and I have replied to many of them also. Most of the answers are still relevant. If you are none the wiser after that let me know and I will see if I can fill in the gaps.
Many of these posts have asked the same questions and I have replied to many of them also. Most of the answers are still relevant. If you are none the wiser after that let me know and I will see if I can fill in the gaps.
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
From: uk
barcli
Command: I was led to believe it is seniority based and ability based. Are you suggesting favouritism?
I would appreciate a sensible estimate as of time to command if possible please.
Also, led to believe that I have to start as FO regadless of prior experience. This is nearer £41000 p.a. i believe. Is this true?
Many thanks.
Command: I was led to believe it is seniority based and ability based. Are you suggesting favouritism?
I would appreciate a sensible estimate as of time to command if possible please.
Also, led to believe that I have to start as FO regadless of prior experience. This is nearer £41000 p.a. i believe. Is this true?
Many thanks.
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 272
Likes: 5
From: England
If you have previous A320 command experience then it is possible to join as a direct entry captain. Otherwise you will have to join as an FO. An FO recently joined us with previous FO experience on A320 and passed his command assessment after only 12 months, will have finished his left hand seat training after 14 months.
Some have taken longer, also there is no guarantee of quick commands (whatever your previous experience) when joining any company. Probably better to think "how would the rest of my life be if I was an FO with this company until retirement", I assume you are thinking of leaving your present company because things are not very rosy?
In the past if you were ex military you could progress quite quickly, that seems to be less obvious these days and tends to be more based on seniority and more importantly ability. There are a few senior FO's who have been overlooked!
Starting salary for experienced FO is around 38 or something like that, not sure of the latest figures but I believe they are available on the BALPA website.
I am away for the weekend and back on Monday, I can discuss further then if you need to.
ATB Don
Some have taken longer, also there is no guarantee of quick commands (whatever your previous experience) when joining any company. Probably better to think "how would the rest of my life be if I was an FO with this company until retirement", I assume you are thinking of leaving your present company because things are not very rosy?
In the past if you were ex military you could progress quite quickly, that seems to be less obvious these days and tends to be more based on seniority and more importantly ability. There are a few senior FO's who have been overlooked!
Starting salary for experienced FO is around 38 or something like that, not sure of the latest figures but I believe they are available on the BALPA website.
I am away for the weekend and back on Monday, I can discuss further then if you need to.
ATB Don
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: london
Three Vs Two
put it this way
British Airways - any flight over 8 1/2HRS heavy crew
Virgin Altantic - any flight over 8 1/2HRS heavy crew
Bmed - 13HRS duty - to bad...its just the two of you.....with a fuel stop just to keep you awake on the way home!!!
may be legal, but is it right!?!
THINK FIRST!!
British Airways - any flight over 8 1/2HRS heavy crew
Virgin Altantic - any flight over 8 1/2HRS heavy crew
Bmed - 13HRS duty - to bad...its just the two of you.....with a fuel stop just to keep you awake on the way home!!!
may be legal, but is it right!?!
THINK FIRST!!
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 272
Likes: 5
From: England
But BMED do not do any flight over 6.30 hours (that for the Tehran) and most flights are 6 hours or less. Admitedly the FDP can be quite long but within CAP 371.
Add to that that there are no early starts or late finishes from home base and life is not too difficult. Short haul can do similar amounts of flying during a day with numerous sectors along with very early starts and late finishes. A charter flight can be an equally long day to finish where you started!
Obviously with the latest pay deal under discussion we are extremely overworked with a dreadful lifestyle
Add to that that there are no early starts or late finishes from home base and life is not too difficult. Short haul can do similar amounts of flying during a day with numerous sectors along with very early starts and late finishes. A charter flight can be an equally long day to finish where you started!
Obviously with the latest pay deal under discussion we are extremely overworked with a dreadful lifestyle
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Hotel somewhere
From Don's Post - Admitedly the FDP can be quite long but within CAP 371
Due to the local summer time change (+1 hour) these trips thankfully become legal according to the CAA. However try telling your body that
From what I can gather, how you view the salary depends on what your used to. If you come from any other Airbus company you will probably think its quite poor. Whereas if your moving up from a regional or turboprop you'll be quite happy.
There are lifestyle issues with both pro's and con's. I think Dons covered that one. The company is also rather flexible as far as your geographic abode. Although the company expects you to be able to report within 1.5 hours of call out they so far do not stipulate that you MUST reside within 1.5 hours of base. This could change but I think realistically they appreciate that BMed is not exactly awash with people trying to climb aboard so would rather attract the right people than have to limit themselves to a 1.5 hour catchment pool.
My opinion is that the salaries and T & C's should be significantly improved in order to retain the hard working and loyal troops that we have. We do not physically work as hard as some of the shorthaul carriers on paper. However, the nature of our flying (Africa and CIS), with many destinations being procedural non procision, whose controllers hardly speak any english, have no radar, poor weather and to top it off some very hostile terrain, means that we do infact come under much more stress than a 4 sector day being guided on to ILSs by switched on European ATC staff. Unfortunately, I do not have access to the company cheque book, otherwise I'd probably emptied the company accounts paying the guys and girls who fly to these destinations
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Unknown
BMED LIFESTYLE!!
BMED LIFESTLYE
Hi
I do hope this question is in the correct forum section:
Here goes:
With BMED could any BMED Pilots give an example of a typical lifestyle, such as how many days on and how many Days off do you get before your next trip.
Be quite interested in working for BMED in the future when I get the required hours.
Thank you all for your time in replying
Club World!
Hi
I do hope this question is in the correct forum section:
Here goes:
With BMED could any BMED Pilots give an example of a typical lifestyle, such as how many days on and how many Days off do you get before your next trip.
Be quite interested in working for BMED in the future when I get the required hours.
Thank you all for your time in replying
Club World!
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 272
Likes: 5
From: England
I have posted information about BMED a number of times in the past and if you do a search over the past 2 years it should throw up a number of threads. The majority of the information from those is still valid.
If you still have any queries after looking at those then I will be happy to answer them for you. I am away tomorrow for 4 days so will answer them when I get back, for your information I had 3 days off before the trip and will get 3 days off when I get back but it is not normally that cushy!!
If you still have any queries after looking at those then I will be happy to answer them for you. I am away tomorrow for 4 days so will answer them when I get back, for your information I had 3 days off before the trip and will get 3 days off when I get back but it is not normally that cushy!!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: UK
As Dan C says do a search there's lots of info. Generally 1 or 2 sectors into a night stop. Then 1 or 2 sectors back to the UK and 3/4 days off sometimes more. Generally you report around midday or late evening.
Good T&C's + Good Pension (10% F/O's 15% Capts) + Lots of leave (35 + 8 BH) + 1 extra day of leave for every two years you are in the company.
Lot's of people here from both Civil and Mil backgrounds.
We are happy what we do in the corner of LHR as a BA franchise.
Check out the website http://www.flybmed.com/index.php
Good T&C's + Good Pension (10% F/O's 15% Capts) + Lots of leave (35 + 8 BH) + 1 extra day of leave for every two years you are in the company.
Lot's of people here from both Civil and Mil backgrounds.
We are happy what we do in the corner of LHR as a BA franchise.
Check out the website http://www.flybmed.com/index.php
Last edited by BMEDbus; 27th April 2006 at 10:35.
Joined: Nov 1998
Posts: 419
Likes: 5
From: south coast
BMEDbus quote "Generally 1 or 2 sectors into a night stop. Then 1 or 2 sectors back to the UK and 3/4 days off " - 3 or 4 days off after one night away " possibly more" - your roster must be a great deal different to any I have seen for years:
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Sand,sun and sea...
Hi,
i'm be interested in working for BMED in the future also, so anyone can be send me his/her roster to compare with my current roster, i'll appreciate a lot, i heard as well, you'll receive your next aircraft during the summer .. intox ?? or
Rgrds and thks for all rpls
i'm be interested in working for BMED in the future also, so anyone can be send me his/her roster to compare with my current roster, i'll appreciate a lot, i heard as well, you'll receive your next aircraft during the summer .. intox ?? or
Rgrds and thks for all rpls
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 272
Likes: 5
From: England
Riviera I was going to try and paste a dis-identified image of my May and Apr roster for you but I cant figure out how to do that. Basically last month consisted of: 3 day trip, 1 DO, 4 day trip, 2 DO, 4 day standby, 2 day avail, 4 DO, 3 day trip, 3 DO, 4 day trip.
This month is: 3 DO, 7 day trip, 3 DO, 4 day standby, 2 day avail, 1 DO, 4 day trip, 2 DO, 3 day trip, 2 DO.
There is a total of 18 sectors in the 2 months, 21 days off. I got used on 3 days of my standby so the 2 avail days turned into DO making 23. The avail days are where you have to be contactable between 08:00-09:30 and 18:00-19:00; no restriction is put on you apart from you have to be contactable by phone and any duty has to have at least 10 hours notice. Standby periods vary but mine were 10:00-20:00 and you have to be able to get to the airport within 1:30.
All the best
This month is: 3 DO, 7 day trip, 3 DO, 4 day standby, 2 day avail, 1 DO, 4 day trip, 2 DO, 3 day trip, 2 DO.
There is a total of 18 sectors in the 2 months, 21 days off. I got used on 3 days of my standby so the 2 avail days turned into DO making 23. The avail days are where you have to be contactable between 08:00-09:30 and 18:00-19:00; no restriction is put on you apart from you have to be contactable by phone and any duty has to have at least 10 hours notice. Standby periods vary but mine were 10:00-20:00 and you have to be able to get to the airport within 1:30.
All the best