Eastern Airways recruitment
 

Eastern Airways has recently advertised for DEC positions ("predominantly in Aberdeen") and I'm thinking of applying.

I would appreciate some information on Ts & Cs, Roster and overall morale of the troops in the " UK's fastest growing, most successful airlines"...

Thanks in advance

Are they recruiting direct on to the Saab?

They don't mention any specific aircraft type in the advert.

Word on the grapevine is that they do recruit direct onto the saab. Excellent aircraft, no argument best turboprop there is, if you can get on it, i think its pretty much luck of the draw which fleet you end up on. Great aircraft, great mix of schedule and charters and good bunch of guys. Morale... depends on who you talk to.. Rostering is changing, recently has been unstable but changes to the way rostering is carried out that have been implemented in the last month should make a great improvement, we wait with baited breath to see the results. From what i hear and have seen seen it will be a marked improvement.

Aberdeen is a J41 and Saab 2000 base purely depends on what you get offered if successful at interview.

HFS:ok:

Hi,

Will they be making direct entry captains pay for their rating?

Any ides on up to date salary?

Cheers

There are fewer and fewer Saab 2000s flying around out there. Looks like it would be a great airplane to fly - a real sportscar. How many Saab 2000s do Eastern have? Where are they based?

I know the selection for the Saab is not based on how good you are in the sim. Your friend with 200 hours is obviously blowing wind up his own pipe. The 41 is a demanding little aeroplane to operate compared to the Saab. Just right place right time is closer to the mark for Mr W

Do you fly the Saab, and do you enjoy it? Where do they normally fly, and which football charters have they been doing from MAN? Cheers.

Do they ask you for your preferred base??

How likely would you get offered the job, if you prefered EMA?

Cheers
CJ

I'm ex Eastern Saab 2000 - only way I can describe the plane is "Awesome":D, its got all the gizmo's but your still able to fly it like a big twin

Am curently on a big jet and its nowhere near as nice - I would love to go back one day and fly the SB20 shame the money at Eastern wasnt enough to live on

best of luck:ok:

King Chav

Just taken a load of Flightline huys and gals on, but I am sure they are still short, get a CV in quick before you miss the boat

TheRed(lfc)Baron,

May I ask a personal Q... Your previous post got me curious... Which a/c did you go on to fly after the Saab?

Thanks in advance!

AkA.

Only five skippers were taken across......

What are their requirements?
Do they accept overseas ATPL?

King Chav

Steve Jenkins = chief pilot

jobs
 

Don't quote me but i think Eastern is OK for Saab FO's at the moment.

Anyone care to answer the original question regarding T's and C's? :sad:

Saab Captains?
 

Any truth that Eastern are recruiting for captains on the SAAB? Been told that several have left recently, find it hard to believe in the current job market.

Is that they left with no job to go to?

Not all of them, I think one as nothing to go to

Recruitment?
 

In view of the escaping saab captains, and new swedish operation, has anyone been invited for interview with eastern recently?

Lots of people with £13-15k to spend?

Better than 30K with Easyjet and Ryanair, and you get a permanent job not hust 80hrs flying or whatever it is

Does anyone know if 1000hrs minimum has always been the requirement for FOs at Eastern?

They like people with a few hours under their belts, means they can look at you for command quicker. Most Fo's I fly with seem to join with 500 - 1000 hours, alot of ex instructors, unusual to find any 250hour skygods, there are a couple knocking about.

If you polish yer boots, and think hats are the bes thing since sliced bread, that should do the trick.

That's a shame. I'm currently sat on 230hrs, wouldn't call myself a skygod but eager to learn.

"If you polish yer boots, and think hats are the bes thing since sliced bread, that should do the trick."...... If it gets me a job at Eastern I'll wear whatever (within reason of course! :eek:)

I got an email back from HR a few weeks ago which said

"Please note our current minimum requirements are 1000 hrs total for FO, 3500 total for captains, and 1000 hrs on similar type."

Good luck North of the Field, I hope you find a job. :)

I know of FOs who've got into Eastern in the last 12 months with a lot less than 1000hrs....

HW

I agree with you HW. I have seen in it with other companies.

Cheers Will Fly for Food 06.

I'd like to know how people are getting on with a lot less than 1000hrs! I've been looking for about 15 months now since flight school and despite 100s of emails I estimate only 10% have even got back to me! (think I've sent about 5 to Eastern).

Pretty annoying at the moment as I've watched countless people buy ratings and hours and despite keeping my hand in flying light aircraft (40hrs in the last year) does feel like I'm not getting anywhere!

Ah well let's all hope for a better 2010!

I would suggest you revisit your CV and covering letters. It might not make the slightest bit of difference, but if its not working after a year I think you need to change your cunning plan.

Some of the people who have been taken with less than 1000 hrs include guys/gals who have been working for Eastern in other departments for up to a year in various guises including cabin crew/ operations / ramp and dispatch.

Might give some of the low houred people another way in, rather than spit dummy out and say its not fair, get used to it life is not fair.

WB that's a bit harsh on the lad, I don't see him spitting his dummy out. Infact he deserves a bit of credit for persevering and not buying himself a rating etc.

I currently have around 260 ish hours and got a lovely e-mail back from a lady in HR saying the mins were 1000hrs. Fair play to Eastern, thy mat be swamped with CV's like other airlines, but that personal touch and time to reply was appreciated. Its little things like that, that will put Eastern ahead of other employers when it picks up again. Good on Eastern and keep it up.

They might be "ahead of other employers" but they're no saints. A few years ago, they were quick to start charging for a sim check and to introduce the pay-your-own-type-rating-upfront scheme when they saw the way the industry was going.

Here, here...some good flying with Eastern I would imagine, and to keep flying and a wage in these climates is a bonus...Wish I had the luxury of that choice.
Happy New Year to ya all
Ace
:ok:

Scratching: Why would anyone be on a Captain's salary after just 6 months with Eastern?

Sure they might be fully unfrozen and eligible for an upgrade, but you don't earn a skippers packet until you are actually a skipper, and being eligible for an upgrade is no guarantee of getting offered it or even passing it.... or am I missing something?

There are many FO's that have been with Eastern for years, have all the necessary boxes ticked, and are still waiting for their commands.

Yes the SAAB fleet seems to be losing a few captains, perhaps due to the large amount of unpredictability that the fleet has been subject to due to the leased/contract work. But surely anybody who joins today would be to backfill against the existing FO's that will then be put forward for upgrade...? Ya know, seniority/time-served/known quantities and all that...

I think to suggest that anybody joining EZE would be make Captain after 6 months is bobbins, IMO. Let's see if the reality bears that out.

Also, which fleet/base are you at that cracks the full 900 hours a year? Making 500 in 6 months? Not at Eastern mate...

The j41 guys in Aberdeen are very familiar with being maxed out, more j41 guys would be welcomed. Saab captains are working very hard too, it's just the Saab fos who fly 5-700 hours a year. We have had direct entry commands from guys who have never had a command before in other companies and with recent upgrades and some rumoured to happen one year seems minimum time, manual states 2 winters but company does it's own thing. Which is key here seniority means nothing for command if the powers that be like the look of you, congratulations. So however long other people have been fos is irrelevant, it's about you, and whether your lucky there aren't any direct entry guys due to start. A few captains have said it's easier to get dec than upgrade, as they only have seen the good side of you at the recruitment stage. The hours requirement for scs restricts upgrade to an extent on the Saab, although it's recently happened this month. I know the Saab fos believe these guys to be very lucky, and are pleased they have finally been upgraded after having command courses postponed for DECs last year and before the next round of DECs arrive in the next few months. The company ideally wants guys who can operate to scs as captains with 4000 total 2500 pic which is an issue for upgrade, which is why they look for decs.

The quickest way to get command here is to join as a captain. They seem not to promote the fo's, although a couple seem to be finally getting a chance now. Scs contract must have high hours for captains, but the company havent worked out the high experience = more reward yet, so they keep losing them. Other than that they seem happy to take on some fairly average captains, and overlook decent FO's.

If your face dont fit, dont expect promotion, and with some of the eccentric management we have, it is easy for a face not to fit. My fleet not to bad but the jetstream lot get worked to the edge of exhaustion at abz.

Lads if you finished training over a year ago and you are still sat on 230hrs, then that should tell you something?