ERJ-145 with FlyBMI - a good first job?
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: London
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My first jet job was with bmi regional on the 145 and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned loads. The aeroplane is complex enough to allow you to gain valuable experience and simple enough for it to be a relatively easy transition.
If I had my time again, I would be looking at bmi regional to start my career.
If I had my time again, I would be looking at bmi regional to start my career.
Just for a show of hands, how many of you, in the current hiring climate, would shell out the £20.000 for a job on an E135/145?
I know the benefits of flying "old tech". I came up through a turboprop older than I am without any automation and flying tons of NPAs in crap winter weather. And that experience continues to serve me well. But I also had to deal with the fact that that turboprop was under 10 tonnes and a 19-seater, and a few years ago no one would even give my CV a second look. Some guys had been pretty much stuck on the type for years, as MTOM and seats was an easy filter for job applications. So unless you wanted to pay up for the next rating or knew the right people, replies to applications were few and far between.
So when the current hiring boom slows down again as it inevitably will, those filters will probably come right back and it wouldn't be strange to see a bunch of companies asking for 30+/50+ tonnes MTOM experience. And there you will be with your E135/145 rating, barely anyone flying it anymore, and probably bound to cough up money for another rating to move on. I'm sure there will always be options for connected people. But right now, I don't know why you would take your money to BMI Regional instead of an A320 or 737 operator that wants you to pay for the rating. Unless BMI provides you with the exact lifestyle you desire.
I know the benefits of flying "old tech". I came up through a turboprop older than I am without any automation and flying tons of NPAs in crap winter weather. And that experience continues to serve me well. But I also had to deal with the fact that that turboprop was under 10 tonnes and a 19-seater, and a few years ago no one would even give my CV a second look. Some guys had been pretty much stuck on the type for years, as MTOM and seats was an easy filter for job applications. So unless you wanted to pay up for the next rating or knew the right people, replies to applications were few and far between.
So when the current hiring boom slows down again as it inevitably will, those filters will probably come right back and it wouldn't be strange to see a bunch of companies asking for 30+/50+ tonnes MTOM experience. And there you will be with your E135/145 rating, barely anyone flying it anymore, and probably bound to cough up money for another rating to move on. I'm sure there will always be options for connected people. But right now, I don't know why you would take your money to BMI Regional instead of an A320 or 737 operator that wants you to pay for the rating. Unless BMI provides you with the exact lifestyle you desire.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: 30W
Age: 40
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with the posts above, looks terrible to me. Shocking in fact. I recommend returning to the job you love until a proper job appears, one your experience demands, maybe the 350 at Cathay.
A good chunk of the best pilots you will ever be lucky enough to meet and maybe fly with flew aircraft less than 30t. The Cessna 310, king air, Navajo, Harrier, Tornado, Sea King, Euro fighter....
It won’t be the aircraft you fly that limits your flying career.
A good chunk of the best pilots you will ever be lucky enough to meet and maybe fly with flew aircraft less than 30t. The Cessna 310, king air, Navajo, Harrier, Tornado, Sea King, Euro fighter....
It won’t be the aircraft you fly that limits your flying career.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: UK
Age: 45
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was grateful for anything that was offered, weight didn’t even come into it. Fokker 50 was my first job and I was the happiest man alive the day the letter arrived with the offer. It was the best flying I ever did. I miss it every day, 4 years of proper flying, short line ups, early turns, squeezing in between heavies, 220 knots to 4 miles, bouncing around in bad weather and parking next to Concorde at T4! I’d say flybmi was a great job be it first, second, third etc. To be honest, at your stage you really shouldn’t be being this picky, get your head down and learn.
I was grateful for anything that was offered, weight didn’t even come into it. Fokker 50 was my first job and I was the happiest man alive the day the letter arrived with the offer. It was the best flying I ever did. I miss it every day, 4 years of proper flying, short line ups, early turns, squeezing in between heavies, 220 knots to 4 miles, bouncing around in bad weather and parking next to Concorde at T4! I’d say flybmi was a great job be it first, second, third etc. To be honest, at your stage you really shouldn’t be being this picky, get your head down and learn.
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
it doesn't matter whether it's £20k or not, if this is his only offer and you're prepared to pay the money then take it, all this weight nonsense is irrelevant, the question you have to ask is, do you want to fly for a living or not? If you do then you take what's offered. How many of you Top Guns here who are too above themselves to fly an E145 would honestly recommend the original poster not to take this opportunity if it arose? It would be a brave person to turn it down in the arrogance that you're going to get other offers. One thing is for certain, if you're sat behind a desk there's absolutely no way of progressing your flying career, get your backside in the industry by any means possible, once inside the world is your oyster.
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: FL370
Age: 38
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My career to date; Jetstream 31/32 - ERJ-145 - EMB 170/190 - A320. The first two were definitely the most fun I’ve ever had flying. If I could only fly one of those types for the rest of my career, it would be the 145. The A320 is very comfortable, but it’s also very sterile.
I started at bmi regional and I loved it. None if us newbies spoke about moving on, we were all happy to be there. The 135/145 is a great aircraft, we flew a lot of sectors in busy airspace and it was a wonderful experience. A big shiny jet is not the be all of aviation. In the beginning I suggest you accept any job and gain experience, then later on when your priorities have changed a little, say with a family for example, you can choose an operator that fits with your home life. But right now with nil experience you would be silly to dismiss any offer. Good luck.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Qwerty
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does the OP have a better offer on the table?
Brexit looms and there is rumblings of European if not of world wide resecession again and we all know what that brings to the industry, which could be kicked off by a hard Brexit when the EU looses the UK cash cow. I would get in now, ensuring I purchased redundancy and loss of licence/critical illness insurance to cover any debts I had.
Good aircraft, swept wing jet, an ideal stepping stone to say Jet2 who are sucking up 250 this year alone if you believe PPJN, or BA or the Middle East etc etc.
Never turn that first job offer down unless you get a better offer before you start.
Brexit looms and there is rumblings of European if not of world wide resecession again and we all know what that brings to the industry, which could be kicked off by a hard Brexit when the EU looses the UK cash cow. I would get in now, ensuring I purchased redundancy and loss of licence/critical illness insurance to cover any debts I had.
Good aircraft, swept wing jet, an ideal stepping stone to say Jet2 who are sucking up 250 this year alone if you believe PPJN, or BA or the Middle East etc etc.
Never turn that first job offer down unless you get a better offer before you start.
it doesn't matter whether it's £20k or not, if this is his only offer and you're prepared to pay the money then take it, all this weight nonsense is irrelevant, the question you have to ask is, do you want to fly for a living or not? If you do then you take what's offered. How many of you Top Guns here who are too above themselves to fly an E145 would honestly recommend the original poster not to take this opportunity if it arose? It would be a brave person to turn it down in the arrogance that you're going to get other offers. One thing is for certain, if you're sat behind a desk there's absolutely no way of progressing your flying career, get your backside in the industry by any means possible, once inside the world is your oyster.
Also maybe worth to note that the original poster doesn’t mention that there is an actual offer in a way that you and I may understand it, simply “I heard that they are hiring low-hour pilots” and that what they have on offer is decent.
I will just repeat my original advice a last time since people don’t seem to read the actual posts and just want to wax on about how they climbed the ladder in different times and how you shouldn’t refuse anything
.If the terms and conditions are good, it’s a guaranteed job and you feel it’s worth dropping 20k on the rating, go for it. Otherwise there are better ways to spend that money. You’re doing the right thing by ALSO thinking about what comes next, instead of only what is right now.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Qwerty
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is he British, how many UK licence holders will Ryanair want or be able to employ post Brexit to operate his Irish reg aircraft if we go down the hard Brexit route which seems likely with the let's give the EU everything they want deal Mrs May is proposing?
UK licence on a G reg aircraft might be important, the likes of Ryanair might not be so keen on Brits until they know what the fall out will enforce for UK residents trying to gain work in Europe in the future and there are bucket loads of Italians, Spanish etc to fill his right hand seats of those B738's. Could the EU turn round and say sory we have enough of our own 'new airline pilots, Brits not required'?
I would personally be jumping in any jet I could at the moment, subject to due diligence on the short and medium term prospects of the proposed employers business. To spend £20k on a rating with a company that might not last 6 months would be a risk but please understand I know nothing of Midland Regional finances and this is just a general statement.
(PS Never paid for a type rating, vowed I never would but it's a fight to get to top and times have changed I am afraid. Like any part of life aviation is a battle to beat your competitors, some people are lucky to have the odd £20k to chuck around)
UK licence on a G reg aircraft might be important, the likes of Ryanair might not be so keen on Brits until they know what the fall out will enforce for UK residents trying to gain work in Europe in the future and there are bucket loads of Italians, Spanish etc to fill his right hand seats of those B738's. Could the EU turn round and say sory we have enough of our own 'new airline pilots, Brits not required'?
I would personally be jumping in any jet I could at the moment, subject to due diligence on the short and medium term prospects of the proposed employers business. To spend £20k on a rating with a company that might not last 6 months would be a risk but please understand I know nothing of Midland Regional finances and this is just a general statement.
(PS Never paid for a type rating, vowed I never would but it's a fight to get to top and times have changed I am afraid. Like any part of life aviation is a battle to beat your competitors, some people are lucky to have the odd £20k to chuck around)
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Up north
Posts: 1,657
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What’s the status post March 2019 for a UK AOC holder with G reg aircraft to operate intra-EU routes? My understanding is that this will not be possible in case of a no-deal outcome. Might be something worth keeping in mind before getting a job with BMI.....just a thought.
CP
CP
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hotel Gypsy
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Intrance
The thing is that when you start putting down money in numbers like that, you don’t necessarily need offers... Take that money to Ryanair, pretty sure they still need some pilots and you’ll get a 737 rating out of it.
Also maybe worth to note that the original poster doesn’t mention that there is an actual offer in a way that you and I may understand it, simply “I heard that they are hiring low-hour pilots” and that what they have on offer is decent.
I will just repeat my original advice a last time since people don’t seem to read the actual posts and just want to wax on about how they climbed the ladder in different times and how you shouldn’t refuse anything.
If the terms and conditions are good, it’s a guaranteed job and you feel it’s worth dropping 20k on the rating, go for it. Otherwise there are better ways to spend that money. You’re doing the right thing by ALSO thinking about what comes next, instead of only what is right now.
Also maybe worth to note that the original poster doesn’t mention that there is an actual offer in a way that you and I may understand it, simply “I heard that they are hiring low-hour pilots” and that what they have on offer is decent.
I will just repeat my original advice a last time since people don’t seem to read the actual posts and just want to wax on about how they climbed the ladder in different times and how you shouldn’t refuse anything
.If the terms and conditions are good, it’s a guaranteed job and you feel it’s worth dropping 20k on the rating, go for it. Otherwise there are better ways to spend that money. You’re doing the right thing by ALSO thinking about what comes next, instead of only what is right now.
We don't know anything about the OP, is he/she in their early twenties or mid forties? Have they got an offer or haven't they? Have they got a career to fall back on or haven't they? Do they have £20k to burn or do they not?
Are you that confident that you can tell the OP to take a gamble and wait for a firm offer elsewhere before the industry takes a nosedive? At the end of the day whether they spend £20k at bmi, Ryanair, easyjet or some chicken **** outfit in the arse end of the earth it's kind of largely irrelevant, at least they'll be in the industry if they so desire, days got to be better than not spending it and sitting behind a desk wishing you had. Take what's on offer (if it is offered) and enjoy it.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Qwerty
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was very lucky. Wrote to Cobham and got the usual ex military types only on the Falcons. However they had an Islander at East Mids so I went and stuck my CV under the office door at the back of the hangar. They were just upgrading the DO228's at the time, one to replace the Islander at EMA, and the increase in weight meant that the CAA would no longer allow them to fly them single crew but as a single pilot aircraft operated by a mult crew. Suddenly two weeks after being told to get lost by Hurn the guys at East Mids were on the phone as they needed 7 FO's for the three Dorneirs the company operated.
Truly a case of making the effort to putt myself in the the right place at the right time and accepting if I got paid to fly then it was a good job to have what ever the aircraft. Especially lucky as this was just ten months before 9/11.
Last edited by Council Van; 22nd Dec 2018 at 12:09.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Qwerty
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What’s the status post March 2019 for a UK AOC holder with G reg aircraft to operate intra-EU routes? My understanding is that this will not be possible in case of a no-deal outcome. Might be something worth keeping in mind before getting a job with BMI.....just a thought.
CP
CP
Opinion or fact? The fact is you cannot just turn up at Ryanair and say "I've got £20k, give me a job and a 73 rating", it doesn't work like that.
We don't know anything about the OP, is he/she in their early twenties or mid forties? Have they got an offer or haven't they? Have they got a career to fall back on or haven't they? Do they have £20k to burn or do they not?
Are you that confident that you can tell the OP to take a gamble and wait for a firm offer elsewhere before the industry takes a nosedive? At the end of the day whether they spend £20k at bmi, Ryanair, easyjet or some chicken **** outfit in the arse end of the earth it's kind of largely irrelevant, at least they'll be in the industry if they so desire, days got to be better than not spending it and sitting behind a desk wishing you had. Take what's on offer (if it is offered) and enjoy it.
We don't know anything about the OP, is he/she in their early twenties or mid forties? Have they got an offer or haven't they? Have they got a career to fall back on or haven't they? Do they have £20k to burn or do they not?
Are you that confident that you can tell the OP to take a gamble and wait for a firm offer elsewhere before the industry takes a nosedive? At the end of the day whether they spend £20k at bmi, Ryanair, easyjet or some chicken **** outfit in the arse end of the earth it's kind of largely irrelevant, at least they'll be in the industry if they so desire, days got to be better than not spending it and sitting behind a desk wishing you had. Take what's on offer (if it is offered) and enjoy it.
.As for the rest of your reply, turn that argument around towards the load of posters calling the OP a Sky God who only wants an A350 seat or something, and are basically telling him/her to jump at the opportunity because he/she should be happy it’s there.
I’m just trying to point out that yes, concerns about the type you are going to fly can be justified, and I backed it up with my own experiences. I think that’s what these forums are for, right?
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 912
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Depends on your age. If you are under 25ish I'd definitely be looking for varied experiences in aviation. Going for TP might be a bit extreme, but the 145 is great to fly, you'll get lots of landings and experience of flying, rather than button pushing and you might be knackered, but not bored. In this game, variety is very important. Following the line across the Atlantic might sound attractive (Long haul is definitely something you should do) but like most things, gets boring after a while. Frankly, I've been incredibly lucky to have done everything from GA to widebody and feel sorry for anyone facing 20/30/45 years of Airbuses.
If you're closer to 30 and/or have domestic commitments, big shiny jet is the way to go, I'm afraid.
If you're closer to 30 and/or have domestic commitments, big shiny jet is the way to go, I'm afraid.
