KLM looking for pilots
 

Starting december 4, there will be a two week window of opportunity to apply for a pilot job at KLM. KLM needs quite a few pilots, and their flight academy is unable to provide enough new candidates the coming months.
There are no drawbacks, ifs or buts.
-permanent contract, the same as everyone else
-therefore no chance of a commuting contract or other exeptions
-no b-scale, we don’t have that
-placement at the bottom of the seniority list
-EU passport required (or swiss/norway/etc)
-english LPE level 6 + requirement to learn dutch eventually.
-being at the bottom of the list, expect to start as a cruise relief pilot on the intercontinental fleet.

I haven’t seen the requirements just yet, however I would be very surprised if fluency in Dutch wasn’t one of them. I suppose like in the past they’ll look for a mix of ex NL Air Force and experienced guys with a training background in the Netherlands (NLS- if they still exist, EPST, Martinair flight academy).

exactly how many martinair boys were forced to find other pastures,in spite of being fully qualified and operational?
thanks to the fine VNV members.....

I'm not too familiar with the internal structure of KLM, so if I may ask, how long could you expect to be an SO before moving over to something like FO Cityhopper?

Could be an interesting small opportunity to go 'home' but on the other hand going from left seat to relief seat for years, does not appeal too much.

Unbelievable; First the VNV KLM Union forced hundreds of Martinair pilots out of the country after destroying their career and pension, declaring that in 48hrs of looking they couldn't find a place for any of them within the AF-KLM family... and now KLM is hiring? What a hit-job...

+/- 2 years. Salary for an SO is exactly the same as an FO with the same seniority. That is why most people stay a while longer as an SO. Your choice.

Ah come on. You know that it didn’t happen like that. This is a recruitment opportunity. If you would like to re-start the SCB and Martinair self destruction discussion: go right ahead in another thread.

Not this again.... Either you are/were a party in the whole screwup and know what you're saying isn't entirely correct, or you aren't a party and are wrongly informed.

Almost 3 years

The VNV made a mess out of the Martinair debacle.

However it is a good thing KLM is opening doors. Quite a few suitable candidates in the market. It is not only KLM Flight Academy students who qualify as pilots ;)

It varies quite a bit. Back during the financial crisis years where there was very little movement it could be 3 or 4 years or maybe even more. However around 2014 it’s been as short as 1 year. As quoted above 2 is probably around average.

Get in line behind 100+ eager Transavia F/O's who will probably be considered first....

Track

I doubt it. Transavia is a 100% KLM company. KLM will shoot in their own
feet.
KLM looks at pilots from their own flightschool or NLS (current CAE)
or the Dutch Navy or Airforce.
A lot of former NLS pilots went ito RyanAir. Also easyJet and TUI Netherlands.

What about all ex-Martinair pilots? They spread out all over the world.
I hope some of them will land a job at KLM.

Curious though.

But would it only be people with background from NLS/EPST and airforce? Or would they include also the others like DFA,Stella etc? I guess once someone is experienced the academy doenst matter annymore. More info from inside about this?

Hurdle,

Don't know from the inside. But that's what KLM wants. It is very rare that they
take somebody from outside these flightschools or MLD,KLU.

Remember some people from epst went in a couple of years ago. They had to finance their own B737 sim bridgecourse with KLM sops. Than the interview with the risk of failing.
Having said that. They try to streamline the Martinair flightschool into a KLS/KLM fit as well.

So perhaps pure speculation some people from there as well. The article said that it will be open from the 4th of December for 2 weeks.

Good luck

Falck. In the last twenty years there were three recruitment drives. Every times there were vastly different requirements regarding background. I do not think you can extrapolate anything from that. Let's wait and see. Anyway, unless they change their strict seniority rules it will be difficult for some to apply.

The NLS is no longer - bought by CAE some years ago and now part of the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy who I understand KLS used to subcontract a proportion of CPL/IR training to in the U.S. until a nasty fatal and midair shortly thereafter lead to cessation of that working agreement. I believe KLS use Lufthansa's fair weather facility now under a similar arrangement. The NLS was yet another highly respected quality school that is no longer with us.

Interesting that they mention NLS in that link - I wonder if they mean this is open to graduates of the NLS from before the name change to CAE OAA Amsterdam?

I think it is not updated. It could have been on the KLM-site for a long time already.

We will see

Since when do i have to put on my CV my (flight) training as experience?:ugh:

They want to know where you are coming from, what to expect.

Some time ago the Dutch work permit required the candidate to pass an exam in the Dutch language by 18 months after issue.

I have flown with FOs from all those schools and to say they maintain some magical high standard is a bit of a reach... it's just another random stage of filtering the hundreds if not thousands of applications. Idiots can fail their way through all of those schools ;).

Do most SOs transition onto the Cityhopper fleet to become FOs or do some stay as SOs on the intercontinental fleet until they can become an FO there?

What would the pay be for the next say, ten years, for someone in his thirties, assuming normal career progression?

(if they even hire such old pilots :), nothing surprises me in the NL-aviation scene )

Yes, and yes. Most SOs become FOs on the Embraer or B737, and some (a few) who already have had flying jobs before wait until they can become FOs on one of the intercontinental aircraft. That’s currently about ten years seniority to hold.

You would start at about €65K, and end up at about 150K, if you were able to become a long haul copilot within 10 yrs.

Currently residing in the ME3, 27 years old with a bond for 2 years to come. KLM always a dream but now thinking about the financial cut as I have no clue what starting at KLM will earn me roughly per month.

It's a huge step back from 777/787 RHS to a SO but it's KLM or am I lieing to myself. Anyone from KLM care to chat with me?

Ok, so after ten years I would be more or less back at where I am now.... I thought it would be worse. Thanks for the info. Any more info would be appreciated, like an exact calculation of pay. I saw a formula ages ago..

So any opportunity for non Dutch nationals? ��

See link in post above. On joining you'll probably be around number 2900 on the seniority list. The other details you can fill in yourself.

Thanks! The % on the right I assume are for tax?

the amounts are all before tax. if you see a % sign it is an indication of what you would receive while working at a reduced production rate (i.e. part-time), which is available after five years or if you have kids.

Ok makes sense. Thank you for your help. Makes the dilemma a bit less

The vacancy has now been added to the KLM jobsite for online applications.

The salary figures make interesting reading. They don't seem to have changed significantly since the last tables I saw in 2006! This seems to echo a trend in all the flag carriers, where pilots are working harder and trading ever more benefits in order to keep the top line salary.

Very interesting to compare the 737 Capts with Ryanair's new offer. I suspect that a few people at FR might be more willing to accept the new deal after seeing that, but let's not go there.

I wish the Dutch was not a requirement to apply in KLM Flight Academy, only to learn dutch eventually. We, the non-Dutch people deserve a chance :)

No, the language requirement is perfectly alright.
I don't want to communicate with my colleagues in a third language, which is not my mother tongue.

And I haven't heard of any airline in Spain or South America, not demanding a perfect Spanish Level 6.

:confused: There are quite a number of pilots in KLM that don't speak any Dutch... As all Dutch speak English, I don't see what's the big deal?

You could comunicate in English :)

That´s true , I don´t see any problem as long as they commit to learn Dutch, but we have to settle for what there is. :ugh:

It was the case some years ago that dutch speaking was used as a filter when they had more applications than vacancies. If they are seeking pilots outside NL it might suggest there is not enough home supply. I heard from mates some time ago that, surprisingly, many dutch pilots from other local airlines were rejected. No idea what their standards are, but these guys did;t get to interview. They also had some very strict 'union imposed' age restrictions, but once the supply dried up that was relaxed. They do things their way, as does LH, IB, AZ etc.