BA Direct Entry Pilot.

[The Mixmaster]

As with most operators I hear Thomson not as good a gig as it used to be due EASA FTL's. Personally I'd like to see more industrial pressure brought to bear on FTL regulation, rather than the usual depressed acceptance of "that's just the way it is". Some of the new rule sets under EASA are not safe.

[Snapper5]

I guess the issue is that there will always be a new pilot somewhere willing to bust there a@@ on a rubbish pay to fly contract , as long as those people continue to accept poor T&Cs then other airlines just can't compete

[The Mixmaster]

When management release a statement which affects your t's and c's, replace "due to our competitors" with "due to corporate greed".

[wiggy]

I take the point on expansion but there's still sustainability to cover retirements and perhaps part time contracts. We're certainly due an update that's for sure!

It could be a while, whilst they'll have a handle on retirements ( roughly), the rearrangement of the work patterns for existing part timers has only just begun, with bid closure for those involved in May. Only then will follow the handling the new (internal) bidders for PT, my guess is only after seeing demand for that will they look at external requirements ...I short I think it will be a while before any concrete news.

[4468]

Ea300

FPP only fills spaces in shorthaul. There is still LH aircraft arriving in 2018.

Kind of true.. But the impication that FPPs cover SH vacancies, leaving LH vacancies for new entrants is completely wrong.

BA have never, to my knowledge, recruited onto LH unless they have insufficient unfrozen internal bidders. FPPs joining at the bottom, simply enable other incumbents to move up the food chain.

So the monster feeds, and the excrement leaves at the top!😄

Oh, and anyone thinking they'll only do one month of Reserve per year, better hope they don't join on LH!🙄

[wiggy]

As 4468 has said and as far as I'm aware there's no guarantee that BA will offer DEPs Longhaul slots. Recruitment has slowed down from the frenzy of twelve months or so ago, internal transfers to Longhaul usually trump external "bids " so unless BA can show they are restricted to recruiting direct to LH by a lack of training capacity, or there's a lack of unfrozen internal bidders, the vacancies are going to be entirely/almost entirely on Shorthaul.

[VJW]

With that in mind, having applied long haul, being a SH captain already for LoCo and having said I'd accept a SH offer from BA; how likely is it to get LGW as a base? LHR is a bit of a drive. For LH that drive would be fine 5 times a month, but for SH it'd be tougher to leave my 45 min drive LHS position I'm currently in.

[Snapper5]

A very brave move willing to give up a command for BA SH ?
I guess everyone has there individual situations

[Superpilot]

Nothing worse than gaining command at 30-35 with the prospect of doing 4 sectors 4 or 5 days in a row for the rest of your life.

[Snapper5]

Do LH Bullets instead ,
I would choose command and part time in SH

[bex88]

I think you would get Gatwick easily enough. 12 captains were moved for the summer from LHR because LGW were short.

The grass is not greener though. Yes three sectors not four and yes we night stop but Heathrow is like swimming against the tide at times. Even if you got command quickly you would still have taken a big pay cut from easy.

[Stocious]

Originally Posted by VJW

With that in mind, having applied long haul, being a SH captain already for LoCo and having said I'd accept a SH offer from BA; how likely is it to get LGW as a base? LHR is a bit of a drive. For LH that drive would be fine 5 times a month, but for SH it'd be tougher to leave my 45 min drive LHS position I'm currently in.

If you bid for it, you'll likely get it fairly promptly. Not many people want to come down to LGW but there are lots of FOs at LGW who want to go up to LHR (more fool them).

[Mr Angry from Purley]

Some of the new rule sets under EASA are not safe

Mix - come on then spill the beans which rules. Sister airlines for Thomson e.g. Belgium/Scandi/Germany have been working to EU FTL for ages and EASA is only a slight re-jig of this. Its not just a Brit thing is it............

[The Mixmaster]

Mr. Angry - 2 man long haul ops allow for 13 hour FDP and 11 hours back of the clock on return leg. Until you actually operate a sector like this through the night, having had min rest downroute, you can't appreciate how unsafe it is. You will say show me the smoking hole then. My opinion is, sadly, it's only a matter of time.

[anson harris]

2 man long haul ops allow for 13 hour FDP and 11 hours back of the clock on return leg

Which trip are you referring to?

[The Mixmaster]

At the risk of thread drift, I was replying to Mr Angrys question about Thomson working patterns. I believe LGW-PHU is a 2 man of this duration.

[EF1S]

Originally Posted by Stocious

If you bid for it, you'll likely get it fairly promptly. Not many people want to come down to LGW but there are lots of FOs at LGW who want to go up to LHR (more fool them).

Unlikely. Gatwick command got to 3600 in the 2016 bid, 2017 back at 2300 and this coming bid the FPPs are eligible and eager.

I'm 3700-3900 and below a lot of guys keen for LHS at LGW.

[recall_checked]

Originally Posted by The Mixmaster

At the risk of thread drift, I was replying to Mr Angrys question about Thomson working patterns. I believe LGW-PHU is a 2 man of this duration.

This trip is a 3 man job at TOM.

[The Mixmaster]

recall_checked. Not since EASA FTL's were introduced.

[sudden twang]

Originally Posted by The Mixmaster

At the risk of thread drift, I was replying to Mr Angrys question about Thomson working patterns. I believe LGW-PHU is a 2 man of this duration.

Where is PHU?