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BA Direct Entry Pilot.

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BA Direct Entry Pilot.

Old 8th Oct 2018, 17:04
  #5081 (permalink)  
 
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I’m still sceptical Bex, after all if JSS is going to be so incredibly efficient and able to work us to within an inch of our lives, then why are we right now embarking on another massive recruitment drive (I’m told 2019 will be possibly a new record for numbers)? There aren’t that many people retiring.

(oh by the way see you in the sim soon!)
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Old 8th Oct 2018, 17:31
  #5082 (permalink)  
 
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Oh no that’s it. Job’s F£&ked ��

Look forward to it.



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Old 8th Oct 2018, 17:39
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Well for one, JSS has to work within bidline rules whereas Final Assign does not. Also, I think there will be quite a few people retire in 2019 and 2020. BA has been barely coping to cover the work even with three years of bidline rule alleviation’s. Suddenly those alleviations will be gone (hopefully not to be replaced with new ones). There’s a lot of catching up to do to establish the correct pilot numbers.
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Old 8th Oct 2018, 18:20
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Originally Posted by Pickled
Rex, scheduling reps have confirmed that under JSS a pilot on an 85% part time contract could still do 5 x Lagos (or Accra or Kuwait or similar trips) per month. Thats a fact.

Take a look at the 747-400 rosters, some pilots are already flying more than 6 trips a month. Shocking but true. No wonder sickness and fatigue reports are rocketing...one day the company may even acknowledge that a floating body clock and multiple night out of bed seriously affects a pilot's health, short term and long term.
Someone once said there was no fatigue at BA - yikes things must have changed,,,,
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Old 8th Oct 2018, 18:42
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Originally Posted by Mr Angry from Purley
Someone once said there was no fatigue at BA - yikes things must have changed,,,,
They have...FWIW there is a lot of disquiet now about the very fatiguing nature of some rosters/trip constructions.we’ve gone well beyond the level of grumbles over a beer post flight, people are now raising Air Safety Reports/Mandatory Occurance Reports, more so than ever before.

Also following increasing complaints and following the stalwart efforts of one individual in particular some in authority outside BA are now looking at BA’s handling of those who go sick....







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Old 8th Oct 2018, 19:07
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As someone who is considering applying to Ba this year to look for an airbus command over the next 2 years, would this be a good bet? I’m not interested in LH, already done enough of that. What I’d like to know is what sort of working pattern a new SH FO or CPT have and whether you get any choice over base at interview/ offer time. Can anyone help me with this?

someone said, BA is a long term bet, is it worth the move financially and career wise for someone mid40s who has the hours for command but wants out of the northern bucket and spade outfits?

any pm welcome too.
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Old 8th Oct 2018, 19:36
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Can someone outline the part time options available in BA please. Is there a waiting list and how long from applying can you expect to get it?

many thanks
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Old 8th Oct 2018, 20:17
  #5088 (permalink)  
 
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NG708. You would be mad to join BA for SH only and a quick command. You will work nearly every weekend working the inefficient trips others don’t want. You will be paid less than that of a captain at both EZY and RYR. On top of that three months of the year you will be on reserve so are at the companies back and call for 28 days at 2hrs notice. Under JSS you could expect to work 18-20 days a month as a junior captain to make cap. The only bit in the above that is an assumption is JSS the rest is first hand info as reliable as you will get. Quick commands are never certain
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 00:54
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Originally Posted by AIMINGHIGH123
I am mid thirties with young kids and been having doubts. I think I might be too old to take full advantage of a career with BA.

I have been bit later to aviation than some, career change guy, or my other plan with my age is to just go to EK for 10 years be flogged to death then come back and go EZY or someone like that.

I would love to try long haul, and hope if i get in to BA I can try it. From what I gather it’s possible to go to LH and if it’s not for you go back to SH? Obviously not straight away.

Im at a crossroad just weighing up options.

Go through the application process if you’re interested, brother. You ain’t got a decision to make until you get offered a job.

You may get offered long haul or short haul, depending on what they’re short of on the day. Apparently, at the moment, you get offered a job once and once only. Your choice.

if you accept a seat on one of our fleets you will be there for for 5 years unless the company wants to move you. That includes long haul back to short haul.

EK for 10 years? You outta your f’ing mind?

Best of luck, dude!

Buter
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 01:03
  #5090 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Pickled
Rex, scheduling reps have confirmed that under JSS a pilot on an 85% part time contract could still do 5 x Lagos (or Accra or Kuwait or similar trips) per month. Thats a fact.

Take a look at the 747-400 rosters, some pilots are already flying more than 6 trips a month. Shocking but true. No wonder sickness and fatigue reports are rocketing...one day the company may even acknowledge that a floating body clock and multiple night out of bed seriously affects a pilot's health, short term and long term.
Could you please email me the screenshots of the 744 pilots doing 6+ trips, sir?

Regards

Buter

3.5.4.3, by the way...

Last edited by Buter; 9th Oct 2018 at 01:26.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 06:03
  #5091 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Buter

Could you please email me the screenshots of the 744 pilots doing 6+ trips, sir?

Regards

Buter

3.5.4.3, by the way...


’Morning Buter...good to finally meet you in person the other week ..

The coffee hasn’t kicked in yet so I may be resistant to detail but a quick 1 minute skim read of iBid final rosters shows at least one 744 P1 with 6 trips completely contained within October, though the individual is so far above CAP they may have deliberately loaded their line up or have been RA’d. It certainly looks like Bidline rule 3.5.4.3 hasn’t been “deployed” or wasn’t in play for some reason.

Even if it’s the case that you don’t ever have to do a 6 trip month there are certainly some who do and for many 5 trips will be the norm on at least some of the Longhaul Fleets, which I suspect may come as a surprise to a few of our readers and prospective joiners.

ATB..


Last edited by wiggy; 9th Oct 2018 at 09:13. Reason: Getting rid of blank space at bottom..blame iPad.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 08:07
  #5092 (permalink)  
 
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5 trips and two sim days for me I’m the latest bid. Without the sim, that line was a few minutes over CAP. That particular rule not in play sadly, Buter.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 08:19
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I met a junior 747 Captain the other day who claimed to have done 17 trips in a row with just 2 days off between each trip!
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 11:02
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Scanning down just the first 36 names on the 747 captain's status list there are 3 pilots with 6 whole trips in October (one of those also has an additional carry in trip). There is also one with 5 complete trips and 2 days in the sim.
Many of those 36 pilots are part time.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 11:03
  #5095 (permalink)  
 
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Bex88 said:

On top of that three months of the year you will be on reserve so are at the companies back (sic) and call for 28 days at 2hrs notice.
Just to clarify, the first 7 days of the 28 days reserve are normally ‘fixed days off’. One can elect to work during those days (excepting the final two) but BA can not assign any trips.

NG708: I was 42 when I joined BA, having had 10 years in GA and 10 years in 737 UK Charter Ops (including 8 years in command). I joined onto the 747 fleet and spent 14 happy years there. Then 5 years A320 LHS and now LHS on the 787.

As my BA experience spans the last 20 years, it’s difficult to give advice because the situation is now different but I just wanted to point out that it worked for me.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 11:21
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Originally Posted by AIMINGHIGH123
I am mid thirties with young kids and been having doubts. I think I might be too old to take full advantage of a career with BA.

I have been bit later to aviation than some, career change guy, or my other plan with my age is to just go to EK for 10 years be flogged to death then come back and go EZY or someone like that.

I would love to try long haul, and hope if i get in to BA I can try it. From what I gather it’s possible to go to LH and if it’s not for you go back to SH? Obviously not straight away.

Im at a crossroad just weighing up options.

It is likely that someone joining BA in their mid-thirties could have a good career at BA. That should allow enough time to gain a long haul command by about age 55...as ever it is impossible to predict the future, but historically that would be about the time frame. BA still offers security of employment and a stable lifestyle. It will be damn hard work with a lot of time away from home with people you do not know. It may also become a practical requirement to live within 90 minutes journey time to work. Pressure to cut costs may lead to the BA package becoming ever more "market competitive" rather than "market leading."

It would normally be necessary to stay 5 years in long haul before going to short haul if long haul does not work for you. An exception may be made if you can make a strong case to move earlier or if it is in BA's interests. Overall BA pilot managers have normally been very reasonable and considerate, but the whole company is under constant pressure to continuously cut costs.

Good luck with your decision.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 13:09
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320 course in January

Hey guys and girls, just wondering if there’s anyone on here that’s starting the 320 typerating on the 7th of Jan? We’re trying to get a watsapp group going before the whole thing starts. Send me a pm if you want.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 15:28
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Ladies and Gents, speaking as someone who is in the current DEP recruiting round, I'd like to say thanks for the all the posted info, even if it does make for slightly depressing reading. I'm early 40s, soon to be ex Mil and am now wondering whether BA is not going to give me the life/work balance I'm after, especially as money is not the be all and end all.

I have a solid job offer with a stable 6 on, 5 off roster. I now have a lot of thinking to do as to whether BA is the answer I thought it once was.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 15:54
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Skaterboi.

I am ex military and an ex turboprop driver and joined BA SH 3 years ago at age 46. I can honestly say it is the easiest gig I have ever had.

Yes I fly with people who are 15 years younger than me, but that’s not an issue.

Yes I will never get a LH command but frankly It doesn’t bother me, in fact I have deliberately not bid for SH command as it’s about quality of life for me and I have been there and done that.

BA is not the be all and end all and it most definitely has its problems but show me somewhere that doesn’t, other than the night Moscow you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of SH flights that are still airborne after 2330 so that’s a massive plus in my mind, the fact you actually get off the aircraft to explore the city you are in is also a massive plus to me. The biggest plus of all is the ability to move fleets and reinvigorate the job.

there are always people who are unhappy, it goes with the territory, I believe you could put pilots in a bar and give them free beer and a free lap dance and we, as a group, would complain because it’s bitter not lager and a brunette not a blonde, there are 4200 pilots at BA and I can’t believe more than 100 a year (and that’s a very generous estimate) leave for pastures new that’s about 2%, I wonder what the percentages are at other carriers?

like I say BA is not the be all and end all and it has its issues, talk to ex military mates to get a proper feel of how it is but take it from me it’s perfectly easy to enjoy it as an “older” FO.
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Old 10th Oct 2018, 00:01
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Originally Posted by wiggy


’Morning Buter...good to finally meet you in person the other week ..

The coffee hasn’t kicked in yet so I may be resistant to detail but a quick 1 minute skim read of iBid final rosters shows at least one 744 P1 with 6 trips completely contained within October, though the individual is so far above CAP they may have deliberately loaded their line up or have been RA’d. It certainly looks like Bidline rule 3.5.4.3 hasn’t been “deployed” or wasn’t in play for some reason.

Even if it’s the case that you don’t ever have to do a 6 trip month there are certainly some who do and for many 5 trips will be the norm on at least some of the Longhaul Fleets, which I suspect may come as a surprise to a few of our readers and prospective joiners.

ATB..

Nice to meet you as well, sir.

I‘ve had a look through the C744 rosters and some of them look suicide inducing. However, very few of them were in the realm of the 5 trip rule. If you look, many of the trips were picked up at stage 2, IOT or EOT. There’s no protection, and there shouldn’t be, from a pilot loading up his/her roster as much as they want.

Sooooo happy to be on the tanker...

Cheers

Buter
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