BA Cityflyer
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Big Whiskey
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Airbus38
Having participated in one of these group exercises once before I couldn't agree more. Charade and Willy waving contest is an understatement.
The modular guys there were the ones looking puzzled at why exactly they were taking part in what turned out, frankly, to be a bit of a charade and a willy waving contest. A bit like an episode of the Apprentice? Possibly.
Just been called for interview....nice way to start the day (in USA)
Looking at ppjn looks like basic FO salary is 35k - about £2100/month net.
Anyone with them right now that can conform average take home, and hours per month? Seems pretty low if I'm honest.
Looking at ppjn looks like basic FO salary is 35k - about £2100/month net.
Anyone with them right now that can conform average take home, and hours per month? Seems pretty low if I'm honest.
Last edited by VJW; 13th Jan 2011 at 18:40.
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
yep that is the right figure, and yep that is low. cityflyer is the pits when it comes to pay. if it is your only option, go for it. otherwise maybe hold out and see what else pops up this year. good luck if you take it
Hi
Did anyone get a call from BACF inviting them for an interview, and have a bit of a delaying receiving the email they said they'd send?
Was called Friday morning, nothing received from them yet - interview suppose to be in a few weeks.
Thanks
VJW
Did anyone get a call from BACF inviting them for an interview, and have a bit of a delaying receiving the email they said they'd send?
Was called Friday morning, nothing received from them yet - interview suppose to be in a few weeks.
Thanks
VJW
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Honiton
Age: 47
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You know, regarding the Willy Waving mentioned here....
I've been involved with interview processes on the other side of the table before (though granted never for aviation) and I can see where they're coming from, believe it or not.
It's not just a "When I say jump, how high can you go?" situation, they clearly want to be able to judge your character, your management and CRM skills, communication skills, planning, leadership qualities, all on factors of which you (quite likely) will have no experience about. And lets face it - the situations that have ever had us sweating the most in the air is when something you've never trained for happens.
So how can a company test these qualities without going over ground that you most likely have already covered? They don't want to know how well you can apply SOPs, they want to know how well these qualities are ingrained in you.
Now, granted, it probably feels quite a stupid thing to do when you're there doing it, but there are definitely valid reasons for it.
I've been involved with interview processes on the other side of the table before (though granted never for aviation) and I can see where they're coming from, believe it or not.
It's not just a "When I say jump, how high can you go?" situation, they clearly want to be able to judge your character, your management and CRM skills, communication skills, planning, leadership qualities, all on factors of which you (quite likely) will have no experience about. And lets face it - the situations that have ever had us sweating the most in the air is when something you've never trained for happens.
So how can a company test these qualities without going over ground that you most likely have already covered? They don't want to know how well you can apply SOPs, they want to know how well these qualities are ingrained in you.
Now, granted, it probably feels quite a stupid thing to do when you're there doing it, but there are definitely valid reasons for it.
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Dubai - sand land.
Age: 55
Posts: 2,832
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by bazthehat
It's not just a "When I say jump, how high can you go?" situation, they clearly want to be able to judge your character, your management and CRM skills, communication skills, planning, leadership qualities, all on factors of which you (quite likely) will have no experience about. And lets face it - the situations that have ever had us sweating the most in the air is when something you've never trained for happens.
When I interviewed for a position as ATR DEC in the original CityFlyer (Gatwick based franchise of BA before big, bad Airways bought us and merged us - then spat out the AOC that is now the subject of this thread) in 1998, the interview was with Flight Ops fellah BH and an ex-pilot JK who was also co-founder of CFE. No HR bollox, if they liked you - to the sim for a 40 min check ride on 737 and I got the nod as I came out of the box.
No sign of HR anywhere! And guess what? All the guys and gals were first rate to fly with - all could communicate, fly, think, manage, plan, lead. (ok, 99% but that's better then pilots I've worked with who have been recruited by HR - FACT) And all the emergencies were dealt with pretty well when they happened - which was of course rarely!
The only HR hoop I was willing to jump through was EK - just so I could get out of BA
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great post White K! So true..Left BACF in 2007 unfortunately lost my job in 2009 and for some reason on my interview with QR DEC no HR person available in my group..so just a chat with two Training Captains and following the sim check got the nod 
So not far from you now..!! You are not the only one leaving BA mainline for the desert..
HR mostly waste of space unfortunately and overated kinda reminds me Health and safety in general going over the top in daily life back hame..Back to Basics will be refreshing one day. Less Bool888it
So not far from you now..!! You are not the only one leaving BA mainline for the desert.. HR mostly waste of space unfortunately and overated kinda reminds me Health and safety in general going over the top in daily life back hame..Back to Basics will be refreshing one day. Less Bool888it
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Honiton
Age: 47
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@White Knight: I didn't say that I agreed with the concept, just stating where they're coming from....
I can really see the advantage to pilots being interviewed by other pilots, with no HR around to justify their own existence, I really can. But I can also see that these days there's a plethora of freshly trained fATPL's out there trying to get a job and someone has to decide which few get in.
How would you try to examine those essential piloting skills (and I don't mean the trained skills, I mean the intrinsic qualities that make a bloody good pilot)? How would you separate the trained responses and techniques from the built-in common-sense?
(By the way, I don't work as HR, never bloody will thank you very much...but I would like to simply play devil's advocate and at least demonstrate why they do what they do. "Does it work?" is a completely different question.....)
I can really see the advantage to pilots being interviewed by other pilots, with no HR around to justify their own existence, I really can. But I can also see that these days there's a plethora of freshly trained fATPL's out there trying to get a job and someone has to decide which few get in.
How would you try to examine those essential piloting skills (and I don't mean the trained skills, I mean the intrinsic qualities that make a bloody good pilot)? How would you separate the trained responses and techniques from the built-in common-sense?
(By the way, I don't work as HR, never bloody will thank you very much...but I would like to simply play devil's advocate and at least demonstrate why they do what they do. "Does it work?" is a completely different question.....)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: A place where something is or could be located; a site.
Posts: 455
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How would you try to examine those essential piloting skills
Simples!
EK
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Honiton
Age: 47
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Using pilots with examining experience and qualifications.
That said, you sure as hell wouldn't want HR to sit with you in a sim check!