During the last recruitment phase BA did in fact conduct a abbreviated sim/ground school course if you we're already type rated. (On the 76 anyway)

I understand each person is assessed individually, however if you are current on type the abbreviated course of 5 sims will apply.

Likewise when the last entrants joined on the airbus

All purely hypothetical of course as there is just the small bit of BA recruiting, me applying and making it through the paper sift let alone the assessment BUT....if i did make it would they look at it on an individual basis.

I am 73 rated TT1700hrs of which 1500 are on the 737 I Live in the Midlands and could make LHR work but have a son with special needs settled in a school so moving closer to LGW for a 73 job would be very difficult to say the least, I expect in the current climate it would probably not go in my favour..

Wait and see i guess..worry about it then!

This seen today, and apparently approved by BA for public viewing:

It does appear that it will be type-rated pilots only, initially at least (for the first year?). I have seen no official confirmation what those types are, but previous posts suggesting A320/B737 sound feasible.

Advert for the pilot positions will appear on the BA jobs website on 1st OCT.

Will BA be offering a final salary pension for new joiners..?

Will you have to work each weekend for roughly the first 5 years at the bottom of the seniority list..?

Are you able to join a tax-free BA share saving scheme..? What sort returns are people getting if so..?

Is time to short-haul command still in the region of 10 years..?

Thanks.

No

Probably, except leave, DFW etc

No

Yes

Applying with a non-UK issued licence
 

Slightly off thread, but does anyone have any guidance on whether you can actually apply to BA with a non-UK issued JAR licence ? I understand the requirement to ultimately convert over but can you submit the online application without a UK-issued licence in the first place ? I'm a UK passport holder with a JAR ATPL (Irish issued ...).

Well there will be lots of disappointed people if it's for shorthaul only...

The word from some BALPA reps (and from the ex-head of pilot recruitment a few years) ago is this:

BA only ever recruit into positions for which there isn't a suitable internal candidate.
A suitable internal candidate is someone who:
1) meets the hours requirements (unfrozen ATPL for LH)
2) is un-type-frozen (when you join you are frozen on type for 5 years)
3) actually wants to move into the new postion

In practice this means that BA only ever recruit DEPs for longhaul if there aren't enough guys on SH that meet requirements 1 and 2 above (there's always enough to meet 3 ;))
During the last recruitment drive there were many on SH who wanted to move to LH but not enough had served their 5 year type freeze - hence DEPs going LH last time.

This time however things are different. Due to the recession and stagnation in the seniority list (due EU age regs which came in in 2006) SH guys have not been moving to LH at the end of their SH type freeze. There is a long queue of internal BA SH pilots who have unfrozen ATPLs and served their SH type freeze. Most of these guys want to move to LH asap, so it will be quite a while before there are any DEPs going to LH.

Of course this could change, but BALPA would not be pleased, nor would many current BA pilots. Thus far BA have been playing by the rules so I see no reason why that would change.

BusDriverLHR

Whilst what your saying is spot on factually, word round the camp fire is that removing (and then immediately replacing with new pilots) 100 from the short haul fleet would place an almost unacceptable strain on the SH training department.

Hence, the possibility that a portion of new hires will go straight to LH.

I hope the conversation I overheard amongst top(ish) management was incorrect - but it did have within it the phrase "you cant please all the people all the time"

CB

Chief Brody,

very true. I guess it'll come down to how quickly they need people. The last recruitment drive was far more substantial that what is being discussed at the moment and I think LH and SH training department coped fine then. Keep in mind that last time most of the new entrants to SH were SSPs, who required the full type rating and 40 sectors with a TC before being released. I would imagine that DEPs with at least 500hrs (whether type rated or not) would place considerably less burden on the training department than SSPs did.

So basically what I'm saying is based on current recruitment plans (or even a bit of an increase on what's planned) I think (and hope!) that the training depts will be able to cope while sticking to the agreement mentioned.

That said, should the company find itself in a situation where they need to recruit DEPs LH ahead of internal candidates then I'm sure BALPA will be reasonably flexible. Not something I relish the thought of though!

Just to be clear, was this specifically in relation to taking LH DEPs ahead of existing SH pilots?

Cheers

BDLHR

Yep,

In particular the 737 guys and gals at LGW - a significant portion of which are three stripers with elapsed engagement freezes.

Take them all away at once and fill the void with DEPers (be them rated or not) and the fit may hit the shan due to the burden placed on the 737 training dept.

My personal thought is that BA is a conveyor belt - you join as a FO SH and move steadily onwards from there. A DEP leapfroggin' this aint perfect but its the game we play - I sure wont loose any sleep over it.

CB

Quick question for any BA pilots,

Would BA consider an "older" applicant for DEP, early 50's with plenty of prior experience of Airbus/Boeing?

Granted there would be cock all chance of command but that is not necessarily the be all and end all for everyone. Does anyone know of any prior examples?

If not, no point in spending hours filling in forms.


Thanks.

CB,
good to hear you're so chilled out about the whole thing! I'm not losing sleep over it but a little concerned that some of the limited number of LH places will go to DEPs. Call me selfish but I know I'm not the only one who's been voicing concerns. I've no problem waiting a few months extra but to spend years more on SH while DEPs go LH would be a hard pill to swallow. Anyway, we'll see what happens.


Zeddb,
recruitment managers in the past have said they need to get 5 years out of a new pilot to make it worth employing and training them. With new EU age regs they probably can't discriminate on age grounds anyway. Either way you should be ok. There are certainly many older 2 stripers around BA, it's just not unusual. You never know, a SH LGW command or maybe 747 GSS might be achievable if you stay past 60.

BusdriverLHR, thanks.

Might as well have a go then.

Zeddb

Do you have P1 time on Airbus/Boeing?

The BA seniority scheme protects you if you start SH and then move to LH. If you spend 5 years on the bus and then apply for LH and your bid is valid then you will transfer. If there has been an influx of DEP pilots a year before you will still be above them in bidline and therefore have the ability to pick your work.

Seniority is king in BA so hanging back for LH from the start could cost you dear.

Afternoon folks, hope everyone is well,

I was just wondering whether a SH LGW FO roster is commutable from derby? are there many early flights and stanbys that would require a hotel? Its a 2.5 hrs commute.

Does anyone know if the hours requirement is going to increase to slim down the number of applications?

Many thanks

Nick

Firstly I'd like to wish everyone good luck with what looks like another bout of recruitment at BA.

As a recent ex HP candidate I've got my fingers crossed that I meet the new criteria and get another shot.

Can anyone tell me if I will need to fill out a new online application or can I update my previous details? When I log in it's still all available.

Regards B