A lot of guys are doing their post command course line consolidation at LHR prior to moving down to LGW. The training system at LGW is not yet up and running so that's why they are at LHR. LGW commands are currently running between 5-7 years! Seniority of about 22/2300 was the bottom of the LGW list.

Commands at LHR are currently running at about 8/9 years for bottom of the list. Lots of LH SFO's have moved across as they can see the time to LH command sky rocketing and don't want to wait. Understandable! Unless of course you are a manager! Not only are they better, more experienced pilots than us mortal line swines but they can fly the MLS as well!

Gawd Bless 'em G'vnor.

W2P

(Non manager, thank god!)

I agree with the above figures.

LGW command currently 5-7 years, LHR commands currently 8-9 years.

Plus a further 8 years of career constipation, (no Posting and Promotion movement! 'Churn'?) is pretty well how I came to the conclusion of 12-15 years for a first sniff of a command, for the next people to join. I just think it needs to be factored into their thinking. That's all. I take no pleasure in saying it!

These figures don't take into account any shrinkage in the World economy, and associated 'downsizing' of the airline.

I don't think my figures will be far off the mark! :(

Have no inside knowledge or expertise but I guess once consumer confidence improves and senior guys feel they can "afford" to retire, presumably we'll see some movement again in the seniority lists.

I'm LHR-based but the skipper was LGW-based and working from LHR in the short term.

Morning all,

I’ve heard a rumour that the DEP Stage 1 interviews for the beginning of October have been cancelled TFN to stop the holding-pool getting any bigger. :(

Can anybody confirm this?

AA

blackred1443,

Please check your PMs :)

SJ777

Also heard something that backs us 'one post only's post on previous page....came from the training dept that they are expecting more recruits (SH only) in next 6 months but not much movement LH.

Just have to sit tight with fingers crossed. I cant see that with all the money that has been spent on assessments and sim checks that BA would simply let us 'expire'. I'm hoping if that is the case all we would have to do is a quick interview maybe.....can't see much point in having to redo everything!

Anyway what happened to "thinking positive"???!!! There's too much scaremongery on this thread at the moment....

And I sympathise with their frustrations, however, several of them will be flying with senior Captains who took well over 20 years to get their first command in BA (as I did) when on joining, we were told 10 years to command. Didn't happen, because the world changed. Life's like that!

Just who are these pilots who cannot extend their golden years?

As one of those who went before, it's true I didn't have the option of staying on. If the law had changed a bit earlier, I would have stayed on like a shot.

But why will this option will not be available to those who follow?

In both cases, did the legislation not outlaw the mandatory retirement age for everyone, not just those currently at the top?

Good Luck to all those hoping to join!

Dick

This thread is focussed on providing information to those people wishing to join BA. If you want to discuss what the airline was like 30 years ago, or indeed how lucky we all are now, I imagine most here would appreciate you starting a separate thread. :hmm:

Hold Pool
 

Just a quick one, does anyone know when the hold pool started to fill, I know of people in from mid June, has anyone been in the hold pool since before then?

(This is just a question for my own curisity, I know there will be a long wait)

A chap I know going for sim in Nov was told the hold pool was quite empty, not sure how BA define empty though.

Thanks

Evian

Maybe we need a seperate holding pool thread, as there has been in the past.

Evian perhaps you could start it, as I am not yet qualified (fingers crossed).

Perhaps people could list the time they started swimming, and then let us know when the get plucked out....

Just an idea...:ok:

Tandem - why the condescending/patronising post directed at Dick? Not like you to be so catty?!! In all seriousness............can't we keep things civil?

I had the initial assessment mid-March and the sim in mid-May. I don't know which is relevant for the pool but that is where I am. I am optimistic that in due course the phone will ring. I would hope that BA will require more pilots in the future. I would have thought that people in the pool would stay there providing they don't turn down an offer on one fleet whilst holding out for another. Happy to sit and await my turn for the moment. Just my opinion- anyone else in the same boat?

ppjn
 

Just seen on ppjn that all pilot recruitment now frozen. Have people recently been offered courses ??

Anyone in the hold pool waiting for shorthaul ??

jb

One of my mates did his sim on june the 19th.
Got the phone call two days later and the hiring call the week thereafter.
Starts his 744 course this week.
Had a current 744 typerating.

A rather snide response!

In which case, why mislead them by posting incorrect information? Seems you're one of those who feels free to glibly spout of about whatever you wish, but would deny others the right to question anything you've written!

There are a few (and fortunately for anyone thinking of joining, just a few) who fall into a third category.

There are a small number of embittered, opinionated, voluble, whingeing pilots, frequently ex-military, who seem to think the world owes them a living and a wide body command!

Selectors tried to weed them out, but weren't always successful. :rolleyes:

To those of you still going through the selection process, :ok: Good Luck :ok:, even though the latest information is that recruitment is currently only into the holding pool.

For which you can expect to be waiting in for atleast a year, at which point you have to redo assessment, doh!

Dick

Now you've vented your bitter spleen, please read the title of this thread, and ask yourself if any of your 'rivetting' ramblings are relevant? Once again, if you wish to persevere with this line, I strongly suggest you start a new thread, perhaps entitled:

"When I was in BA" :rolleyes:

BTW: Nothing I have posted is "incorrect", but let's discuss it on a different thread, hmm?

Back to those in the 'Hold Pool'....

I am reliably informed that BA is canceling sim checks from successful assessment day candidates.

Just a quick word to counter those of Dick.

BA is a big company employing over 3000 pilots from various backgrounds. Unfortunately within that framework you will always find a few bitter individuals or those with chips on their shoulders. Occasionally I have met balanced individuals with chips on both shoulders.

As an ex-military pilot I have no hankering after a 'coveted' wide body command, I am quite content biding my time on SH. Nobody owes me an early command. I may well bid for it but, as with ALL pilots, the seniority system ensures that everyone starts at the bottom. All of my mates who joined BA before or after me are WELL AWARE THAT THE SYSTEM EXISTS LIKE IT DOES. There are some who complain about it but that also goes for former cadets who have known nothing about flying outside of 'mother' BA. In all honesty some of the worst were the ex Hamble 'sky gods' who had flown nothing but airliners constantly bitching about the 'upstart' ex military pilots. I will have the same shot at command as the guy, 21 years old out of Oxford, who joined with me. That is not a problem and good luck to them.

To pull this back to thread and context, BA is a complicated company, it supports you well generally and lets you get on with your job with the minimum of fuss. It is NOT the BA of yester year, the workload is slowly getting greater but show me an airline where it's going down? There is no shortcut to command, unless you tread the dark side, but generally the people you will work with are excellent and the old addage of 'no Co-Pilots just Captains in training' really does seem to exist.

As long as you can accept this, warts and all, then it is a great company, just watch out for the moaners, many of which are only jealous of the fact that some people have flown slightly more exciting aircraft than they have and occasionally deviated from the green or magenta line ;)

Good luck!

W2P

Wobble....absolutely spot on. :ok:

I'm rather glad I resisted the urge to post last night; you have expressed my sentiments far more eloquently than my late night, post-work mutterings would have done.

Thanks.

Right, back to this vital thread which helped me no end...