Swimming In The BA Pool?
 

As a 737 rated 'Swimmer' has any body been given a course date and type yet? I was led to believe we would be swimming for 4-6 weeks, with Jan and Feb being a good estimate for course dates.
Thanks.

Airbrake - check your PM.

Dates coming out poss this week I heard.

Would you likely stay on the 737 (or your present aircraft) or could you start on the Airbus, 777, 744, etc.?

LVL CHG - if you have an ATPL you COULD start on anything. As to if you would - not even HR know that......

Hi guys

In a similar position and wondering if anyone has any gen on when they'll be offering contracts and on which types etc...

Cheers

Last week's rumour in Big Airways was that 8 DEPs are required in January on the Airbus fleet. The next batch of pilots joining on the same fleet is now allegedly in April 2005. (Sorry, no idea about other BA fleets.)

Wow that's nowhere near as many as I thought it would be over the next 6 months !!

I thought the figure would be around 10 a month !! ( 120ish p.a.)

Anyway we'll see what happens. I'm just guessing !

Also heard last week that 43 DEP's to go on 777 from January. Don't know how many per month I'm afraid.
Good luck to you all.:ok:

BA are today pulling people from the pool for 737 jobs at LGW.... Start date 6 Jan.

Any more on when 320 rated types will be fished out and to where?

How is the salary for new hires with typerating?

Cub71, I see that's a first post...

For better or worse PPRuNE is not always the friendliest place! by this I mean you would be well advised to read the FAQ and even 'lurk' for a while before posting. Those who don't regularly get 'flamed'!

There is a search facility at the top, its quick and easy to use and always worth a check prior to posting. This forum is large, long established, well read and well used, most if not all topics have been covered before! This one ad infinitum, just scan through the second page of topics for the 16 page thread on it!!!

Finally, don't expect to avoid complaints about your spelling and grammar usage, even assuming English isn't your first or maybe even second language; there are many pedants around. All that said enjoy it!

Welcome to PPRuNE!!

S.B.

Why be so down on newcommers? That is saying Club71 is a newcommer?

At the end of the day people are interested in British Airways' t's & c's. BA sets the standard for the rest of the industry (in the UK)....I for one would be interested in what the new DEP contract includes? further to that published on pp.

As you can tell I ain't a nigel......but dependant on what is offered, I may think about it!!......

TR?

Sorry, I thought that was a nice way to let Club71 know what the set up here was and maybe help them avoid a flaming!!

I took the first post (as shown in his/her profile) to indicate their newcomer status too.

Anyway, BA's current DEP terms and conditions are well covered here, the only thing left outstanding is what the final pension contribution will be.

Isn't this thread about when and where pool swimmers are going?

Easy to see why you got into BA Spearing Britney ! ! Fit the mould totally ! Arrogance in abundance !

Practicing not waving at other pilots already! :}

JetA1, will apeak to you next time we meet in ops!! ;)

SB.

Thanks for your information. You are right on the money, I am new here, and I haven't browsed any other threads. The question popped into my mind, and out to you just as fast. It will not happen again.

I thought you explained it in a nice and polite way.

Cheers, mate. I did genuinely mean it as a friendly intro, I hope you enjoy PPRuNe, even if we do have some who enjoy the banter as the main focus it's a great site and well worth a read! JetA1 is just sore that BA didn't like his type of monkeys ;)

Back on the thread....

Has anyone else been pulled out of the pool recently ? What about 757/767 or 777 dates ?

Currently a 757 driver hoping for something bigger....

Just a thought...

Speaking to various people ( none in BA ), there is a notion that in the recent ( 5 Months !!) recruitment drive not many people have been recruited and offered jobs. They have interviewed hundreds of people.

Could it be that BA are actually just having a look at what's available on the pilot market ?

Could it be that they don't actually need to recruit as many people as we all think ?

It costs them relatively little to open recruitment at Cranebank for a few months. It would be interesting to know some actual figures of how many people have been offered jobs. confirmed ?

Anyway back to the swimming !!

120 contracts ready to be offered, started last week they tell me, 24 fATPL's from ab initio courses in addition...

Think that it is alot of hassle for a peek at the market, seems like only the start of a long spell of hiring to me.

SB,

BA may be offering contracts but lots of guys at easy are turning BA down due command time and lifestyle ( no LHR/LGW hassel).

Are the Easy guys turning down 737 slots or are they turning down potential 757/777 slots?

I can see why they wouldn't necessarily want a lateral move to the 737 if they have to put up with LHR/LGW 4-5 times per day, but I think I'd rather be flying a 777 personally and visit some exotic places....

So would I... :}

Yeah great
6 newarks/riyadh/kuwaits (delete as appropriate) a month
and no weekends off
Stuck at the bottom of the list for eternity too..

thats why a lot are turning down even the 777

More 737 courses for late jan being given out today..... just hope thats not what I get !

Just done the sim check seemed to ok got a well done anyhow.

What is the time scale for discovering whether or not you have made it into the swimming pool?

What's the score if they offer you a 737 place and you fly a 757 and have aspirations to fly something bigger? Do they say take it or leave it, and then dump you from the pool because you dared say you would rather upsize as opposed to downsize?

Cirro,

I got a call seven days after the sim telling me I had passed. It's then a waiting game to find out the fleet they want you to go on...

I was told if you had real lifestyle issues you could get away with declining their first offer. But who knows when the second one will come?!

Cheers

4AD

Thanks 4AD! R u on the line there now, if so on what and how do you rate it vis-a-vis your previous mob, was it charter or scheduled? There seems to be a lot of ppl saying don't jump not sure if many have ever flown a charter roster post 9/11. I was on an long day trip today, unrostered 2morrow now I am on a night Palma!

Cirro,

I'm not at BA now. Still flying charter and waiting for a course date. I have to wonder as well if those advising against the move really know what life is like in a charter outfit.

Good luck with the sim result.

4AD

got my 1-11 sim on Tuesday....any tips 4AD ?

Cheers

TFG

Cirro

My understanding is that you won't be offered 737LGW.

They'll save that for the 160 hour boys.

Don't listen too much to the doom and gloom.

Being bottom of the senioriy is not the best but you have to look at it in context.


You still get roster stability (albeit blind) lots of leave, staff T, and the money's good. There is route diversity even in Shorthaul and you will get to fly the 777/747-400 and who knows what else in time.

You don't get that chance with

Thomas Cook
Britannia
Excel
Easy
Ryan
FCA

etc etc.

and before anyone starts with their anti-BA chip that is a fact.

I know from a family member it beats charter hands down.

Anyone who thinks otherwise I suspect has never had the option.

Good luck

BTSM

BTSM,
guys with several thousand hours on 737s have already been offered jobs at LGW on the 737. No doubt low hours guys will be going there as well, but they will have some very experienced company.
What the experienced guys have to decide is whether they are prepared to sell up and move from their present location to do in most cases the same job on the same type but in a new uniform on very similar pay for several years. Many short haul guys applied to BA hoping for long haul jobs.

Gunman
the sim is 90% about how you act as a crew member, 10% about flying ability. Help each other. You won't score points for not helping the other guy when he's struggling where you didn't.
Treat it as a normal flight and make normal requests to ATC for help - vectors, weather, etc. We even asked "company" where they wanted us to divert to - "company" politely told us we had to make that decision for ourselves!
Enjoy :ok:

1-11 Sim
 

Gunman,

I agree with JD. It seems to be a test of how you are as a member of a team on the flightdeck. Help out your partner as much as possible. Use the 10 mins you have before the exercise to get as much planning done as possible. (Where to divert to, possible holding fixes etc.)

You are bound to get a diversion at some stage. Do as JD suggested. It will probably be procedural so the NHP will be maxed out setting up stuff for the HP. Think this through at the briefing stage.

When things are getting fraught during the exercise you can expect to be asked some questions by the examiner. These are mental arithmetic type probs to try to distract you!

On the plus side the sim is not the beast to fly I had expected. Although the autopilot was more a hinderance than a help!

All the best for tuesday.

4AD

anyone on here been offered a job yet ??

Getting a little impatient.

I accepted 737 at Gatwick starting 25th Jan last week. Suits me fine, can't wait to get started. The best advice I have been given is: with BA seniority is everything!

FT...

Out of interest, could you summarise the words used in your offer re. Pension Contribution rates please?

NoD

Well done FT

I think that's pretty good advice....seniority !

Any more people ???

Look

Do you want to leave banal all night Kos and back and open your eyes to the real world of aviation or not?

If yes and you're lucky enough to be invited then go for it.