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-   -   BA Direct Entry Pilot. (https://www.pprune.org/terms-endearment/538503-ba-direct-entry-pilot.html)

student88 2nd Mar 2018 22:40

For me it comes once I've left the BS bravado of the CRC behind.

Some pilots are currently getting their knickers in a twist because current ops have made voluntary airport standby available for long haul pilots to help with snow disruption - BUT THESE ARE ONLY MEANT FOR SHORT HAUL PILOTS! God forbid..

If you don't want to do it don't volunteer and move on with your life.

:ugh:

blimey 3rd Mar 2018 01:26


Happiness remains V1 at LHR though.
Crew car park in the rear view mirror.

wiggy 3rd Mar 2018 02:05

Student88


, the problem with most of the bitter old BA pilots is that they've only ever worked for BA

Want to put some numbers on that? I can’t speak for the bitterness percentage but the top of the seniority list is actually more diverse in terms of background than it has ever been, or possibly likely to be...

The older pilots are mostly mid 1980’s/ early 90’s DEPs who almost all had been around the block a bit and had flown for some time before joining BA (ex-mil/Brittania/Air Europe/ and a thousand and one outfits now long forgotten...plus a few who came up the self improver route) plus a few of the very senior original ex Prestwick cadets who you obviously can tag as only ever working for BA. It’s no longer rammed with pilots who went through the same training school on the south coast.

GKOC41 3rd Mar 2018 04:43


Take the negative comments here with a pinch of salt, the problem with most of the bitter old BA pilots is that they've only ever worked for BA and they don't realise how good they've had it, or how good they currently have it.
Wiggy is correct, it used to be BA "Nigels" now its Rupperts

Northern Monkey 3rd Mar 2018 08:39


Originally Posted by wiggy (Post 10071161)
Student88




Want to put some numbers on that? I can’t speak for the bitterness percentage but the top of the seniority list is actually more diverse in terms of background than it has ever been, or possibly likely to be...

The older pilots are mostly mid 1980’s/ early 90’s DEPs who almost all had been around the block a bit and had flown for some time before joining BA (ex-mil/Brittania/Air Europe/ and a thousand and one outfits now long forgotten...plus a few who came up the self improver route) plus a few of the very senior original ex Prestwick cadets who you obviously can tag as only ever working for BA. It’s no longer rammed with pilots who went through the same training school on the south coast.

While that may be true, most of the stories I hear sitting in the RHS are about how great life used to be back then. 7 days in the Caribbean, bus juice, one out one back to somewhere in Europe. I don't often hear stories about how awful the old days were and how great it is now.

I don't think it's unfair to suggest that most BA captains, certainly most LH BA Captains at any rate, are unlikely to have experienced the real low-cost world that started with the birth of Ryanair. How many could honestly hold their hands up and say they have worked 5 days of 4 sector days, 25 minute turn arounds, helping to clean the aircraft, filling up water bottles from taps outside portacabins, not getting any food or drink provided, paying for their own hotels...the list goes on.

Full disclosure; I can't say I've experienced that level of low cost either. It sounds horrific and I tend to agree with jettropo above that its interesting, at the very least, that people have popped up on this thread to make the case for Ryanair, just as BA launches a large recruitment drive. Particularly bearing in mind the well documented retention issues at Ryanair currently.

EDITED to add: Many of us in the RHS won't have experience of ultra low cost either. My point is that whether we like to admit it or not, some (most, all?) of us have probably forgotten or never knew the worst excesses of the low-cost end of the industry. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't fight to protect what we have either, just that we should be aware that what we have is still a pretty good deal, comparatively speaking.

wiggy 3rd Mar 2018 09:09


I don't think it's unfair to suggest that most BA captains, certainly most LH BA Captains at any rate, are unlikely to have experienced the real low-cost world that started with the birth of Ryanair.
True, but that wasn’t the claim being made in the post I responded to...


How many could honestly hold their hands up and say they have worked 5 days of 4 sector days, 25 minute turn arounds, helping to clean the aircraft, filling up water bottles from taps outside portacabins, not getting any food or drink provided, paying for their own hotels...the list goes on
But we are back to the four Yorkshiremen sketch again....I don’t remember being pampered in that portion of my flying career in the 70s and 80s in my life before BA - being ******rushed, hassled, secondary tasks (sometimes unpleasant) not even staying in hotels, buying your own food etc etc isn’t something new and it wasn’t something suddenly invented by the LoCo sector 20 years ago....I’ll resist the urge to tell folks to pull up a chair...

I think some of the supposed “ bitterness” is down to some of the older pilots experiences before BA, and their intimate knowledge, gained from years of experience of how “BA” can behave when it suits them.

BTW I take it those here who couldn’t get to work because of the snow have written their letter to the headmaster.........

jettropo 3rd Mar 2018 13:13


Originally Posted by Windshearescape (Post 10071461)
The realities of the Irish world may seem like they are many hours flight time away when you fly longhaul for BA but rest assured the aircraft is heading in that direction and it's only a matter of time before you land and you might not know it until you are filling up your water bottle outside the Heathrow porta cabin on day 5.

I doubt that very much as the pilots in BA are in a totally different situation to those in FR. Proper union recognition with the power to take action with all pilots on the same contract in 2 UK hubs. Also BA has a customer base that would be more wary of booking with an airline with potential strikes than those customers at FR who are mostly price driven and return to buy more tickets even if they have been disrupted in the past. BA pilots have far more power within their airline to not let things get to those lengths.

Mizar 3rd Mar 2018 15:02

Right so..... back on the pool topic, any further info out these days?

rustynut 3rd Mar 2018 15:17

This threat has been off topic for far too long now! If your stupid enough to believe the majority of recent comments on here, don’t apply!

If your not, apply and come on in! It’s great, Iv never been happier!

zero/zero 3rd Mar 2018 15:40


Originally Posted by rustynut (Post 10071693)
If your not, apply and come on in! It’s great, Iv never been happier!

To be fair that’s largely dependent on what you were doing previously...

rustynut 3rd Mar 2018 16:40


Originally Posted by zero/zero (Post 10071705)
To be fair that’s largely dependent on what you were doing previously...

As in working for an Orange LoCo....?

Love_joy 3rd Mar 2018 20:23


Originally Posted by Mizar (Post 10071676)
Right so..... back on the pool topic, any further info out these days?

Nothing, things have gone very quiet whilst they shake the Airbus tree.

4468 3rd Mar 2018 22:30


I don't think it's unfair to suggest that most BA captains, certainly most LH BA Captains at any rate, are unlikely to have experienced the real low-cost world that started with the birth of Ryanair. How many could honestly hold their hands up and say they have worked 5 days of 4 sector days, 25 minute turn arounds, helping to clean the aircraft, filling up water bottles from taps outside portacabins, not getting any food or drink provided, paying for their own hotels...the list goes on.
Oh, how very, very true!

However. I have worked 14 consecutive (LONG!) Days. Living in a sleeping bag. In a freezing cold tent. Going flying wearing an AR5 respirator. Eating cardboard sandwiches, from a cardboard box! Without a pot to p1ss in! (Swing the Tillie!) All in the mid eighties. A year or two before “low-cost” (perhaps even you?) was a twinkle in Stelios, and/or MoL’s eye?

(In fact elsewhere, I believe my record was 28 consecutive days on duty. Available for call out 24 hours a day!!)

Oh, and at times, people were shooting at me!

But of course, being one of those LH Jonnies, I’ve never known what REAL hardship is!:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I defer to your superior experience.

Four Yorkshiremen indeed!

And yet, I have also known, 7 day trips to the Caribbean! Bus juice. One out, one back. Etc. Etc.

Does that make me a bad person??

Yet bizarrely, actually. The times in a scratcher in a tent were by a country mile, the best of my life!

Just because you’re sitting next to a fat old git in the LHS. Please don’t presume you’ve lived the same life they have! You MAY not be entirely correct!

Northern Monkey 4th Mar 2018 08:47

Oh dear. I suppose I should have seen that coming really.

I certainly didn't mean to cast aspersions on those who have served in unpleasant conditions at Her Majesty's pleasure, or indeed anyone else who has worked different unpleasant jobs in other industries. No doubt there are countless examples of both. But then this not too brief diversion from the main topic of this thread has been about commercial aviation (which makes money for shareholders) and the stark differences between BA and some low cost carriers.

I think this point provides a good opportunity to retire from the debate and let it drift back to the central theme of BA recruitment.

The Blu Riband 4th Mar 2018 11:48


Originally Posted by Northern Monkey (Post 10071346)
I'm not suggesting we shouldn't fight to protect what we have either, just that we should be aware that what we have is still a pretty good deal, comparatively speaking.

So, other than having a dig at captains, what's your point?

Either senior pilots stand up for you, and try to fight deteriorating t&c's or they don't.
It would appear you'll criticise them either way.

bailey7 5th Mar 2018 14:09

Hi guys,

Understand its been mentioned a lot in the past, but could not find any info/examples on the following for the Day 1 assessment:
- The new style Verbal Reasoning test
- The current computer tests being used

If anyone could post any info it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Mizar 7th Mar 2018 13:34

Bailey,

Computer based tests you will find examples on latestpilotjob.com under BA section, for the verbal resoning you do not need real practice like the older days but I guess if you type in on google Follow instructions verbal test you will get a good idea of what you are expected to do.

Hope it helps.

Magnus456 8th Mar 2018 08:21


Originally Posted by Mizar (Post 10075880)
Bailey,

Computer based tests you will find examples on latestpilotjob.com under BA section, for the verbal resoning you do not need real practice like the older days but I guess if you type in on google Follow instructions verbal test you will get a good idea of what you are expected to do.

Hope it helps.

Thanks for the info Mizar.

The email invitation for day 1 still gives SHL practise papers for the old style verbal test. And suggests we still do the two computer based tests. Perhaps they have gone back to the old way of things ?

Mizar 8th Mar 2018 08:33

Don't know about that, last test I have done was different than the one they used to give. Best guess for you is to probably give them a ring and see what is exactly on storage.

Mizar 8th Mar 2018 14:08

Just received the good news 747 starting in June, Sim done october 16 boeing rated. Any other here on the same offer?

SkilledBoot 8th Mar 2018 16:40

Nice one Mizar!

Have any other Airbus guys been called recently? If so, when did you complete the sim check?

~ Thanks

Youngaviator254 8th Mar 2018 16:44

Congrats Mizar, excellent news, I had my sim October too and Boeing rated, was you early Oct? Good luck.

Mizar 8th Mar 2018 18:25

Early october correct

thetimesreader84 8th Mar 2018 19:30

@skilledboot;

Yes, A320 Rated, called 2 weeks ago for a start in May, Sim early Dec.

Jwscud 8th Mar 2018 20:25

I also know personally of more 787/747 offers going out over the last week or so. Down to Sep/Oct 16 sim dates for long haul offers I believe.

Wakarider 8th Mar 2018 21:08

Great news!!! For all of you getting start dates exciting times!!! 🤞🏾for those applying and in the hold. Hopefully a few DEP’s will come onto 380, we’ll need a few more!!!

Mr Fahrenheit 9th Mar 2018 09:54

How many NTR left
 
So with all these offers going out which is great news. How many NTR LH people are there still waiting that did their sim October and before ?
Please reply back with a ‘yes and date of sim’
Thanks all.

polepilot 10th Mar 2018 18:18

Random question...... does anyone know which car park is used by BA at gatwick? Cheers

Basil 10th Mar 2018 21:06


Originally Posted by polepilot (Post 10079418)
Random question...... does anyone know which car park is used by BA at gatwick? Cheers

Why do you want to know?

Love_joy 10th Mar 2018 21:13

NTR, jet & TP time. Currently LHS of a non-Boeing >50T jet.

Sim in June, have offers on the table, just not from BA yet.

recall_checked 10th Mar 2018 21:41


Originally Posted by polepilot (Post 10079418)
Random question...... does anyone know which car park is used by BA at gatwick? Cheers

The rubbish one. Car park x.

JulietSierra6 11th Mar 2018 06:37


Originally Posted by recall_checked (Post 10079562)
The rubbish one. Car park x.

No it’s not. Why post if you don’t know the answer? Cabin crew use X. We use a different one. Why the interest? You can walk to the terminal, I suppose that’s the useful thing to know.

Dupre 11th Mar 2018 07:31

Continuing on the track off getting to work at BA, is it possible/practical to go to work by public transport? (LHR and LGW)

shabon 11th Mar 2018 07:46


Originally Posted by Dupre (Post 10079742)
Continuing on the track off getting to work at BA, is it possible/practical to go to work by public transport? (LHR and LGW)

Well that would depend on where you live?

Im in southwest London Zone 2 and go into work with the tube to LHR or a bus and train to LGW. Cant justify having a car which I would barely use!

Dupre 11th Mar 2018 10:15


Originally Posted by shabon (Post 10079746)
Well that would depend on where you live?

Im in southwest London Zone 2 and go into work with the tube to LHR or a bus and train to LGW. Cant justify having a car which I would barely use!

Is sign on at the airport terminal, or a separate location? e.g. Waterside at LHR.

I don't live in the UK now, but this question is relevant for where to consider living if/when I do move back. To be fair, I'm not even in the hold pool yet, but nothing like a bit of blind optimism!

Thanks

Eddie_Crane 11th Mar 2018 11:05


Originally Posted by Dupre (Post 10079833)
Is sign on at the airport terminal, or a separate location? e.g. Waterside at LHR.

You'll swipe in for report at either T5 LHR if LHr based or LGW South airside if LGW based.
If you're LH and dual based, you'll swipe in as above at LHR and at Atlantic House landside for LGW reports.

RexBanner 11th Mar 2018 12:13


Originally Posted by Dupre (Post 10079742)
Continuing on the track off getting to work at BA, is it possible/practical to go to work by public transport? (LHR and LGW)

Heathrow based (commuter) and use nothing but public transport to get to work.

Boeing 7E7 11th Mar 2018 14:45


Originally Posted by polepilot (Post 10079418)
Random question...... does anyone know which car park is used by BA at gatwick? Cheers

Y car park

Boeing 7E7 11th Mar 2018 18:07


Originally Posted by JulietSierra6 (Post 10080146)
Another wrong answer. To put an end to it, we park in car park H.

The ones using Y are not real BA Pilots?

Stocious 11th Mar 2018 19:08

No BA pilots are in Y these days.


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