The sooner Jet2 ramp up their interviews and selection the better. This thread has turned into a complete embarrassment.

Currently offering:
85% contract variation: 3 months off between Nov and Mar. 85% salary spread over 12 months. Pension contributions based on 100% salary
90% contract variation: 2 months off between Nov and Mar. 90% salary spread over 12 months. Pension contributions based on 100% salary
'Buy one, get one free'. For example, 1 month off between Nov and Mar is given as 2 weeks paid, 2 weeks unpaid. Pension contributions based on 100% salary

These people are supposed to be Professional pilots 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Brutal / savage, sometimes yes. But 5 -7 days of ALC, never happens. Complete random roster and not normally more than 4/5 in 6 and then 3 days off.

But it really is horses for courses. What floats your boat may not float someone else's boat, so don't come on here saying how much better it is! What suits some people doesn't suit other people - don't try and say it is better or worse - it depends on your lifestyle, your point in life, your family circumstances, and your desire to fly. Never done more than 550 hours a year, some times as low as 320. Very few people in aviation I know get as much time to spend with their kids as I do. Suits me now - yes. Suit me in 10 years? Maybe not.

Now can we can please get back to this being a Jet2 Hold Pool Thread?

Ok I agree what suits one doesn’t suit someone else but I was stating that ALC route as my mate sent me his roster. Yes it is summer so will be about as worse as it gets but man it looked tough. Comparison to my July. At RYR I had 15 days off in July flew 86 hrs. My mate flew 85 hrs but only 10 days off.
What I think should be mentioned is not flying hours but duty hours.
At my previous TP I regularly flew 75-80 hrs. Short 4 sector days. Duty time average was around 140 a month knocking on 160 a month in summer.
Duty hours in July at RYR 118 hrs. Yes the days can be long but man I feel so much fresher.

I would rather do a 25 min turnaround and get back in the air than sit on the ground in ALC MAH, etc for 40 mins plus.

I haven’t experienced J2 I admit but looking at the rosters for me personally it’s got a few more negatives. Summer not many days off and winter loads off when I would rather it was the other way around or a bit more balanced.

Positives salary/overall package is pretty good.
Part time options for those interested and they are quite open about offering those which is nice.

Not trying to have a dig but give my view. I sat down weighed up pros and cons asked guys/gals I know there.

My mate absolutely loves it at J2 and will probably be there forever even if summer is tough. Another mate of mine hated it and moved on after barely 2 years.

Well, then welcome to the new reality. 640 hours in the last 12 months and counting.

you may have missed the irony

No news is (perhaps) good news
 

To get this thread back on topic.

Attended recruitment session previously. Really positive experience from the start with pretty transparent process. No contract, rejection or hold pool offer just yet but considering the sheer quantity of applicants (plus internal moves) I wouldn't say that is particularly unusual in a 'normal' year, let alone one recovering from a Pandemic. All bets are kinda off the table....

However, given that the intake is being done primarily in preparation for Summer 2023, and, when a candidate starts, the speed of training moves as 'considerable pace' (as described to me by folks who have been through the process), I'd wager it's still early days yet.

For context (and if you have been through the process please feel free to dispute the below) timeline is loosely:
Ground school: 2-3 weeks
Sim: 3-4 weeks
Circuits, Base training, Line Training: 5-6 weeks

So realistically the training segment could span 2.5 to 3 months, without including breaks in the training dept for Christmas If you're working for an airline currently you're probably on a 2-3 month notice period anyhow.

So total of 4.5 to 6 months lead time they may want to issue contracts and then have you fully line ready for the ramp up of the busy period.

If we called that start of the busy period March/April, with the 40 odd line sectors taking place in Jan/Feb/March, then hearing something in Sept/Oct at the very earliest wouldn't be totally unrealistic. And if it was for the peak of summer with the line training taking place in March/April/May then that becomes a call at some point before end of the year.

Maybe.

But again, many factors beyond just quantity of applicants, including desired base, TR or Non-TR.....

After a couple of months my application doesn't appear to have even moved to stage 2 yet (TR DEC B737), which is fine, and possibly due to me not yet having a U.K. licence. However, it wouldn’t really hurt for them to at least acknowledge either there has been a huge amount of applications (which there obviously has) that they’re still working their way through, and if they’re prioritising U.K. licence holders. Would be good to have some sort of interim communication from Jet2, or a PFO if that is the case.

UK Licence
 

I don't think it will be helping your chances if you don't have a UK Licence. Tough one.

From the Jet2 website:

"Successful candidates will possess a valid UK issued Pilots Licence"

and:

Pilot Licences

Jet2.com can only recruit Pilots who hold a UK issued Licence – that is either a full UK ATPL and Medical, or UK CPL (and Medical) with ATPL Exams passed (fATPL). Potential new joiners must therefore hold one of these licences to start an induction course. Whilst we may be able to communicate an intention to offer to non UK licence holders, no formal contract and offer will be provided without a UK licence.

EASA licence holders can immediately begin the process of licence conversion using the CAA channel set up for qualifying Pilots. This process is strictly time limited and new applications will not be considered after 31 December 2022. There is no firm guidance into the process of conversion after 31 December, so we strongly advise beginning this process without delay.

You will qualify for this route of conversion if you are:

• An EASA licence holder whose date of initial licence was issued before 31 December 2020
• An EASA licence holder who previously held a UK issued licence (Full UK ATPL and Medical, or UK CPL (and Medical) with ATPL Exams passed (fATPL) before 1 January 2021
• An EASA licence holder who completed the transfer process from the UK before 31 December 2020, but whose EASA licence was issued on or after 1 January 2021

Please remember:

• The UK CAA will not issue a UK Part-FCL licence if you do not hold a UK PART-MED certificate, with your medical records held on the UK records system
• It is vital that you ensure that the AME who issues your UK PART-MED certificate is acceptable to the UK CAA – this particularly applies to AME’s registered outside of the UK

That doesn't, to me, read that your application will not be processed unless you have a UK license. Rather they just won't make you an offer until you have one, like BA.

It does mean that they aren't going to sit and wait for someone to get a UK License if they have enough applicants who already have one though.

That’s assuming there are enough. Doesn’t sound to me like there is enough currently. Spread those applications across the three U.K. airlines currently hiring and I suspect there may be a lack of pilots who currently hold a full U.K. ATPL.

Some good rumours coming out of Jet2 is that over half the applications they received currently don’t meet their requirements.

1,500 is still not a lot. Jet2 want circa 200, Virgin have announced they need over 250, BA sounds like it’s going to be at least a few hundred. (200 to start, 200 for a hold pool) DHL have and continue to take on quite a few Pilots too.

Spread over the next 12-24 months.

that is before EZY, FR and the rest of the U.K. market opens up. (we aren’t sure about TUI right now) and the start of the ME3 coming to your nearest airport selling the expat dream.

it’s going to get a little tight around the waist I suspect. Jet2 were pretty much the first ones to come knocking but since then things have progressed very slowly whilst the likes of Virgin have already started phases 2 & 3.

I think we have to be quite real and admit that since those 1,500 applications went in to jet2, they have slipped down the list of priority for many individuals who may now have noticed BA, Virgin, Emirates ect walk in to the bar.

not all, but many.

Far as I’m aware, J2, BA (mainline & low cost Gatwick aka Euroflyer), Virgin, DHL U.K., Ryanair, Wizzair, West Atlantic U.K. are currently actively recruiting for U.K. bases. Plenty of choice.

However with the current and projected cost of living and a very real possibility of a recession on the cards, it’s worth a think about where you’d really like to go, and which is likely to be the safest berth in a storm.

Having said that, none of us has a crystal ball, and I don’t have the accounts for any of those companies in my hands!

https://www.dpdhl.com/content/dam/dp...on-Q2-2022.pdf

I think Jet2 have woken up to the (probable) looming shortage of experienced U.K. CAA Licenced Pilots, who also have the right to live and work in the U.K. Those two factors will have a big impact on the amount of viable applications going forward.

Out of interest, and slightly off topic, how are easyJet dealing with the post Brexit situation? How are they rostering between U.K. licensed and EASA licensed crew, and between the G and OE registered aircraft?

very evident DHL will be a very secure employer for the next few years. Air Cargo has done well, and will continue to do well even during a looming global recession.

Am I correct in saying DHL never laid off a Pilot in 2008 or during the pandemic (of course!)

Correct. No redundancies, furlough, pay reductions. Seemed very strange to keep working normally all the way through COVID in very quiet skies. Well, as normal as not being sure where the next meal could be sourced, multiple tests, knowledge of many national requirements allow for. Also while being well aware of how the rest of our industry was being torn to shreds.

120? Assume that’s a typo as the Winter 18-19 number was significantly higher than that!

Unfortunately DHL don’t take NTR DEC, so you’d be back on FO wage of about £65k.

A couple of Skippers left recently for RHS DHL
UK, with an anticipated upgrade as soon as six months. Could be a potentially good move if you want to be EMA based.

There have been/will be a small number of quick upgrades but I wouldn’t plan on it - plenty of existing talent too. Anyone joining now will be at the bottom of a rapidly growing DoJ list. Pay broadly similar to J2 I’d guess but not knowing all the details quite hard to compare. More FDP probably because trips are longer and fewer.

DHK is now a medium/long haul airline and the days of multiple short night sectors round Europe have gone. 767 is West to USA, East to BAH, BKK, HKG

Anyone getting on the 777?

TR joiners only, but shortly to start moving existing pilots across.

A few people over here seem lost and need directions to a DHL thread.

This forum is pretty quiet. I personally welcome any discussion. Check out some of the American forums and you will see pilots discussing and comparing different contracts, the exact opposite of here. In the UK finding terms and conditions of operators is pretty hard.

I welcome discussion, in it's proper place so it doesn't spam specific threads.

So we should embrace the anarchy of other forums and just discuss everything, everywhere? Let's just have 1 big group messageboard whilst we're at it.

It's very easy to find terms and conditions if you know where to look, use a search function, or just ask someone.

No thanks.

Any NTR DEC hear anything yet?

still nothing here.

Very unlikely any DECs will be recruited, let alone NTR.

Is that your opinion, or is that based on facts?

It’s pretty clear that something in Jet2’s plan has changed. They opened recruitment two and a half months ago, since then most people have heard absolutely nothing (with the exception of those with training qualifications). In the interim, several other airlines have opened recruitment and are progressing with interviews, I wonder how many of those people also had applications in with Jet2 and will now end up elsewhere?

Has there been a delay with Airbus deliveries, stalling the need for Airbus experience?

Not saying you’re wrong but they are still advertising for DEC & NTR. Surely they would at least take the ads down if that was the case?!

Probably unlikely for the Airbus given they're a new operator and will likely want to bring in experience.

But I have been told directly by friends on the inside, that they prefer the right person over the type rating.

That being said I've not heard anything, was previously rated on both 737 & 757 but my ratings have expired

agreed. I suspect a revision on their required numbers or caution with the industry forecasts.

I have seen the news in UK and it doesn’t look great.

But even in June we all knew that a big inflation rise was coming. Can things have changed that much since then? And why leave the ads up to this day?

What's the chance for a non-UK DEC (with Airbus experience) to get hired? I know that fluent english is (obviously) a must, but other than that, do they tend to prefer locals?

I believe you need the right to live and work in the UK. So that means UK or Irish passport, or visa/residency.

Did they say anything about which bases Airbus will be going to?