Directed towards oilstar and monk. I joined the pool start of June and don't expect a start date till May/June.

Anyone got any idea of how many 76 guys are in the pool and what the crewing requirement might be??

Kempus,

How reliable is your info? I've been in pool since May and have heard from several reliable sources that 73 courses are starting in April with calls in January...

Good enough. All my answers have been to individuals and I also stated my case and for you will be sooner. A friend just got the call to start mid March and he's been waiting since May. Think what you need to remember is that the 737 isn't expanding and is in fact doing the opposite and so all new places are based on attrition as FO's move onto other fleets. I know of 10 moving onto the 777 over next 5 months and 737 courses seem to have slowed to 1 per month. It's winter at the moment and lgw is hemoraging money. Bean counters won't allow a 50k plus salary to be added to the books when the company is losing millions at Lgw.

Well considering BA have been doing that since 1992 and the Dan-air take over, I don't think it will have much of an influence. LGW has been a merely strategical base for a long time! A number of 73 peeps start courses in Jan on the 777. Perhaps that may give a little clue.

2 points, it's no longer BA and is now IAG and not 1992. If you've friends at LGW I'm sure they will be able to inform you of the meeting the other week and IAG's demands to turn Lgw around asap. 2nd point, 737 peeps moving onto 777 I already made but you seemed to have missed out the the fact that the fleet will reduce and thus we are also talking about courses to come rather than those announced as it doesn't help those in the pool.

True, it is IAG. But the BA commercial department and the Gatwick business unit commercial department make the money making decisions as to how the operation runs down on the grass strip. The LGW 'SHAG' fleet is actually destined to expand to 25 units.......shhhh. But then when ever pilot pay negotiations occur, doom and gloom is always the mantra from those of higher mortal status. 17 P73x ers are off to the triple. Unless I counted incorrectly.

An increase to 25 units for the 777 is fair enough but then your making the assumption that all those pilots are going to come from the 737 which isn't the case and that is what effects myself and others with the type rating. Share holders rule the roost and if Lgw is losing money, cutbacks will be made to see a return. Simple economics.

I've been pretty much spot on when I've said courses will run ever since I joined the pool but alas not at the volume I hoped for and once you've passed selection that's all that you become interested in.

The LGW 'future fleet' has been under discussion for a long, long, long time with the decision being pushed ever further back.

The 737 is on its knees (hence doing a Glasgow Shuttle in the 777!) and need to be replaced. The question, as always, is how much cost against profit can the SH model at LGW bring in the face of Lo Cost competition and that decision is well above my pay grade. Perhaps potential future IAG acquisitions may well add to the picture if you get my drift.

As far as the new 777-300 hulls are concerned, AFAIK, the crewing has already been forecast in the current manpower availability plan. The 787 pilots are converting through the 777 before the 787 aircraft gets delivered hence the extra hulls are covered.

Wouldn't we all feel better, if someone was going to tell us an earliest / latest start date, and some reassurance that we do not fall out of the pool, no matter how long the wait?! :hmm:

Given the many variables that determine recruitment needs, well outside the control of the flight ops department, I don't think anyone at BA would put a date on that. As to the pool, rules is rules guv.

Nowhere in any of my correspondence from BA does it suggest we will ever drop out of the pool.

Just because a time frame was put on it in the past doesn't necessarily mean it applies now. Could do of course, but I only 'know' about it because of this rumour forum........

My point exactly Full Left Rudder, wouldn't it be nice to know?! Would make the wait somewhat less tense ...

Indeed it would. But at least things are moving at the moment, or so it would seem. More courses on the A320 offered today apparently.

Just my opinion but I think IAG/BA learnt a lesson from letting people go from the pool last time after wasting a large amount of time, resources and money searching them out.

I, personally, feel that they will empty the pool this time but, as has been said previously, with so many ivory departmental towers and budgets in IAG/BA who knows if common sense will play a part in the decision making.

Good luck.

With respect to the pool, I have neither seen nor heard of any time limitations to tenure.

Additionally, with regards to the 737 fleet, it sits at about 19 frames; am I correct? 19 frames and decreasing by any account. Im not sure how many folks are in the holdpool, however I would stagger a guess that a large proportion are either 737 or A320 rated. As I am aware, BA are currently streaming holdpoolers in relation to their current ratings. However it hasn't always been the case and I don't believe it will remain so either. BA haven't recruited specifically to a rating a person holds. They never have to my knowledge. They appear to be more interested in a person who appears to fit BA itself. There are a few in the pool who hold ratings on aircraft that BA don't operate. There are others who are direct entry from the military world as well. What fleets will these candidates be flying?

Naturally and understandably, BA wish to keep costs low. However I don't believe that they actually thought that they can have 150 odds in a pool who's current ratings can be directly corolated with their fleet requirements. I, for one, don't believe that everyone who is 737 rated will end up on the 737. I don't think it is even possible? It is heartening to hear that courses are still being offered, even with all the economic uncertainty that surrounds us. How long these 'offers' actually continue remains unknown though. :sad:

Hi all,

While in the hold pool previously I received a letter in Jan 2009 of which some is copied below. Of interest is the second paragraph which makes reference to the validity of the holdpool and its extension to 18 months from 12 months.

My bold and underline.

Binsleepin

Do you have any update on these figures, plus does anyone know which types were fished out yesterday?

Great post Callsign Kilo! It gives hope to those of us who will almost certainly go beyond one year in the pool due to the current "streaming" process. A320 is moving so much faster than 737 right now ...

Hi,

LHRbound: Sorry no further news but things seem to be moving so hopefully the 12 month limit should not be an issue.

In my post above I was replying to Callsign Kilo who said: Granted, my letter was from the time of the prevous hold pool so things may be different this time around.

Regards