Ex-BA Captain on jobseeker allowance
 

Fate can be cruel, even to the experienced:

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Hereford/Worcs | 'Hero' airline captain signs on

I wish him luck.

He took VOLUNTARY redundancy I would guess thinking he could slide into another DEC job and be quids in. Poor timing but there are lots of qualified guys out of work that did not get a redundancy package to cushion the fall.

Fate can be cruel, even to the experienced
 

Fate is, all too often cruel to the highly experienced but, that's another story:mad:

Rgds
The Moss:ok:

I have been reading some of the online newspaper articles and before anyone starts ranting I would like to make some comments. I have read various manner of negative comments over the past 18 months and I've had to sit back and simply read but not respond, I feel confident now that I can respond to today's articles.

My wife, Maria, did not approach the press. The local paper found out that I had taken jobseekers allowance and phoned for a comment. Maria confirmed that it was true and they asked if I had a job to go to. She told them I didn't have a job and jokingly mentioned about "no accident/no incident" at Korean Air. We knew I had been rejected for an interview at Korean back in May/June and have accepted that this is their policy.

I "signed on" so that my NI stamp and national pension could be paid. I think I have paid enough tax over the years and surely the least I can ask for is that there is no stop in my NI contributions?

I chose to take VR based on numerous reasons that I will not talk about now, but the decision to take it was always knowing that I wouldn't be walking into a job. I chose to take a year's pay with the gamble that I would get a job within 12 months. I have learnt since Jan 08 not to just plod along but to live and enjoy life, and as a family we decided that leaving BA and having the security of 12 months pay was worth the gamble to find a job.

I have known that EK are not recruiting DEC for a little while now and happily changed my application from DEC to F/O. I'm sure no-one can be suprised that I intially applied for DEC? I have also applied to some other carriers as F/O. It is also no secret on this site that no-one is as of yet interviewing for F/O on the 777. (if you do know of anyone then let me know so I can tell the dole!).

I expected to leave BA at the end of Aug and have some months with the family. I need and want this time to relax with them. It is my impression that various airlines should start interviewing soon and I would like to think that I should get an interview as an F/O, even thinking like this, no job would start until 5-6 months from now.

I chose to take VR. I expected to not be flying again for at least 6 months. 3 weeks from leaving BA nothing has changed from my expected plan so why would Maria whine to the papers? We have seen a comment on a couple of the online papers that state that "our finances are so tight we may lose our house", then in a later paragraph it says "if Pete doesn't work then in Aug we may have to start thinking about selling the house". Today are finances are not tight. Last year was different, after a reduced wage for a few months we noticed our finances were stretched and maybe the first quote comes from then. The second quote is valid, but if I have a year's pay and didn't work in the 11 months from now until Aug, then there would be issues with my finances, but that would be the same for anyone. And I don't expect to not work in the next 11 months (whether this be in the air or on the ground).

I do not want anyone to think that Maria is whining about money, we are more fortunate with our finances than a lot of people, I walked away from a job with a payout, a lot of people are not so lucky. We took this gamble and we will see where the year takes us, but today we are happy and positive. I am thinking of attempting to do after dinner speaking and Maria and I are writing a book - but do you think we would be stupid enough to be so extreme in this that it shoots me in the foot to never being able to get another job?

Maria is taking on extra shifts in work as a Paramedic not for the money but because she enjoys it. At the moment she works 3 shifts a month, as I do the childcare and she had to work around my days off (I've 3 boys - 4,3,2). Now that I am home she can do extra shifts as I am free to have the boys anytime.

Some people will never understand why I took VR at 45 with no job to go to. Some people may one day decide to find out why I took it. All that matters to me though is that it was the right thing to do for the family as a whole, and things are going as expected. The papers have totally gone wild regarding KAL and we cannot believe how things have kicked off today with the media interest over something we have known about for 4 months.

Mmmayday38

I see Etihad have a new list of positions on thier careers web page, including B777 Captains & FO's. A tad warmer than Blighty.

Blue Foot

And Aerologic if you haven't tried them. Good luck.

Thanks for that Blue Footed Boobie, application already in for Etihad 777 F/O. They are not advertising for 777 Capt, only A320/330 Capts. They have sent out the standard email to say they have the app form but nothing else.

Good Luck peter for the future.
Joe.:D

Thanks The Beak, Aerologic application in for F/O, same standard acceptance email but heard nothing else.

Mmmayday38,

I wish you luck with your search. Given your great experience, I would expect airlines to call sooner than later. There are corporate 777 operators in the ME too that could be interesting. Perhaps this exposure will expedite the process.

Qatar Airways are recruiting 777 Captains right now. Good luck.

Iver, that I didn't know, so no app form with them so no standard acceptance email!!

Anyone know any addresses for this?? Come on boys/girls any info hidden under your hats? PM me ... I don't know how long I can do childcare for 3 boys!!!

mmmayday38
 

Honest, sensitive and direct.
I read your comment and thought "You don't see that often on PPRUNE" well done and best of luck!!

"Mr Burkill is now on about £64 a week"

I think they mean Captain Burkill and unless you have recently bought a Lamborghini the £64 per week is wrong too :ok:

hope it all works out for you mmmayday38

That's the first time my 'S' reg fiesta has been called a Lamborghini - it feels honoured!

Have you had an application in with Qatar? They have recently been hiring 777 flight crew.

Best regards from Cork.

All the very best for the future Pete.

Watch out for the Worcester News lot old chap. I got in to a bit of bother with them once by talking to a journo from them about the Kegworth crash. I was flying the same type for a diferent company at the time. I thought the lady was a friend. I have never made that mistake again. Just remember they are working for a small regional newspaper, then ask your self why!

See you at Sixways for a pint?

Vietnam
 

M'day38

Vietnam are hiring on the 777. Parc, Rishworth or direct.

Best of luck. C U in the Far East?

Never mind the Heathrow incident, I'm more impressed that you've managed to get anything at all out of the Department of Shiftless Soapdodgers! Well done you.

Superdash

I think they got it right - Mr Burkil, as he is no longer a captain

QR is hiring DEC 777.

Just apply and you will get a chance.

EY will be hiring DEC again in 2010 (end).


ME airlines are not too bad to work for, AND they are not too far away from home.

On the side:

You can join the 777 stunt team, together with the ex CX Low flying display pilot and the ex AF Concorde jetjock.....Will be fun!

Like anyone I can only wish you the best of luck securing a new job.

I cannot understand what led you to throw away a BA 777 LHS job though. Especially given the economic climate at the time. You had the correct seat, fleet and company for the current situation yet took a years salary redundancy to give it up?

Don't feel you need to defend yourself but I'm curious and so are many others as to why you binned BA.


WWW

Like WWW I think it is a decision that in time he will regret making.

He will I suspect be spending far more time with his family in the years ahead.

If he had got that job with Korean he would have spent months away during training and then would have to commute monthly back to UK for days off.He would be far worse off than when in BA for time with his family.

With any Middle East airline he would have to be based there so he would have to drag his young family to the desert, perhaps on an F/O's salary.

I suspect also and I hope I am wrong in this but his "notoriety" for want of a better word will follow him wherever he goes. Just look at Pablo Mason as an example.

Expat airlines want quiet pilots with no "form" whether good or bad and will hate the publicity which will follow this individual.

Talk of writing a book and after dinner speeches will be the kiss of death and should only be contemplated when all hope of a flying job have disappeared.

It was as WWW said a strange decision from one presumably? with a secure position within BA during the worst downturn in aviation I have ever known.

Best of luck Mmmayday38 because you are certainly going to need it.


PS Big mistake saying a single word to the Press as you are now back in the news for all the wrong reasons.

What is the aim of the original poster?
Gloating with glee or does he/she simply belong to the same group of subspecies that feed on one's misfortune for own gratification?
A link would have sufficed to say the least.

Take a few months off, reclaim some of your paid taxes and in due course many doors shall fling open.

As for the reporter, the dss insider and the poster, sadly for them they will have to return to their miserable existences.

Best of luck Pete, not that you need it with especially with your background and experience.

Yes, Peter, Best of Luck!
 

It was your right to accept or resist VR. It was your decision and you had every right to make it. My own view is that there were considerations other than financial for you to weigh-up at the time. No-one but you knows how your human and political working-environment changed after January 08.... and in any case it's none of our effing business! I don't know you and we've never met... but I'd hire you tomorrow! Good Luck :ok:

S reg Fiesta
 

Your just showing off now.

I didn't even know you could claim jobseeker's allowance if you had elected to take voluntary redundancy?

You learn something new every day.

Good luck with your job search. I hope it all works out for you.

There are a few ex BA guys at Ryanair. They're looking for DEC's at the moment (did you fly B737?) and have a lot of UK bases.

Good money, home every night. Like all jobs has it's ups and downs but I think you'll find DEC generally have a good deal in this economic climate.

Best of luck, tomorrows fish'n'chip wrappers and all that !

Mmmayday38,

If you fancy a challenge have you thought about the AJX 76 gig in Japan. Its a bit of a commute, take a look in the far east forum. Also Air Asia, Turkey or Air India ??

Good luck

Can't think of anything worse than sitting in a dark 777 flightdeck for the next 25 years wondering whether the next time the thrust levers come up, nothing will happen...AGAIN...

:\

Like BoeingMEL says, the perrogative is yours and yours alone, presumably made for good reasons, so, all the very best for the future.

:ok:

We have an ex-BA captain at NJE. He did a couple of different things post BA and he's to be really happy with us.

He's enjoying the job again. :ok:

Peter, I haven't met you but if you were not enjoying yourself at BA, then you've done the right thing for yourself and your family. :D

Life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured.

Unless mmmayday38 feels like expanding on his decision then it will always seem like a curious decision to me.


There's no better paid or better rostered job in the airline world.


1 years salary in exchange for another 20 years salary looks meagre. Fine, if you're done with flying. Otherwise its just curious.


WWW

Well you will have to wait until your Christmas present arrives

WWW
 

I would imagine that mmmayday38 would not wish to expand any further on his decision on this public forum. Anything posted here by him will likely end up in the press which could well make his job seeking position worse.

He will have good reasons for leaving and the extra cash of VR will make the decision sweeter.

Although the market is tight out there for jobs at the moment I'm sure a Captain with his wide experience will not have to wait too long. Korean Air's loss I would say.


Regards
Exeng

Well he might comment here as he has done so in the past.

I think it will take quite a while to find ANY direct entry captains job at the moment.

So, its a bit of a puzzle, but I'm sure he had his reasons and he has no need to justify himself here. Doesn't stop people pondering it all though..


WWW

I don't think many would disagree...

But what I don't understand is 900hrs/year at work is 900hrs no matter whether or not you have an unparalleled control over your roster and get paid some good wedge.

Some of us are still flying 500hrs/year.

De facto we get more time off even if it is not exactly when we want.

Granted, we might not be doing it for much longer but it behoves one to look over both shoulders on the odd occasion and reflect on ones own "good fortune". I'm sure Confucius had something to say about that...

Maybe he wants to join The Antarctic Survey and do some real flying?

:ok:

I don't know this time next year I think there will be more than a few that will be quite jealouse of him making the move when he did, if the current strife with BASSA comes to a head.

He has way more options available to him than most in a similar situation.

If he isn't a CRMI facilitator that would be the first thing I would get. Free lance with his experence, a couple of weeks work developing a course and you could make a fair bit of cash off it. Christ it would make a change from the tenerife video.

The after dinner circuit will make some money.

Emergency planning and post accident procedures there's another course.

Although he might not want to go down this line. What a breath of fresh air it would be to have him as the aviation expert for say the Times or BBC.

There will be someone somewhere reading this thread thinking hey we can do with that bloke. Personally I think he is going to be spoilt for choice.