Gyni:

I was offered summer contract as CC with EZY but when I saw the contract it was a joke. Pay for own uniform (which you must give them back when you leave), pass/ID, etc in exchange for poor pay and being allocated 7 days holiday in 9 months!!

I know I'm not alone in declining the offer, but sadly I suspect others will accepts those terms. And guess what will happen to CC T&Cs next time..... Unless people stick to their guns of course.

a320typerating
 

"Dear Mark the aviation industry is in turmoil at the moment but don't worry there are opportunities out there if you know where to look.

Its not ideal I know...who actually wants to pay to fly. Unfortunately this is the reality we have to deal with.

Therefore what you need to decide is, do I do a type rating at the lowest price... You can get some very cheap deals if you look, but they will not open the doors we can.

Mark we cannot promise the world but we can offer you now a proven route. We have just secured interviews and assessments to the best performers from the bmi scheme.

In fact this year 11 pilots out of 15 have secured the opportunity of flying the A320 after training.

2 pilots joined Tiger in Singapore - 1 pilot joined Wizz

In these difficult times we believe this is exceptional.

Mark check out our assessment page and book your place as soon as possible as places are limited. One of the team will contact you once payment has been made to confirm a date at our Gatwick office and simulator.

Click here: Assessment page

Mark you can also email a320typerating to start the ball rolling. One of the team will get back to you with more info and assessment date.

In the next message we will be offering you an opportunity to take part in the private a320 programme.

We have also placed pilots from this route too!

Until then Mark all the very best.


a320typerating team"
speechless:confused::confused:, i'm going to be sick now

Cabin crew, like piloting still has the pretence of an 'aspirational' career. While guys like yourself who obviously have a bit of life experience and an understanding of self worth will turn ridiculous offers down, the problem is that there are many who won't. Companies like mine will continue to prey on this regrettably.

Still don't understand why the pilots at easy let this happen.. it's in their own hands.. they're the ones that can change it.

Because next step is short term contract captains and then your own jobs will be in danger.

Stop the complaining on ab-initio's and take action!
sjeesj

Some more gems from the 'new' company's site:

"I do believe if I had carried out my type rating a year or two earlier I would of gained immediate employment"

"I wouldn't have been able to get into the airlines any other way"
(What does that say about you?)

"I am now in the position that given my experience on a jet, airlines are putting me well in front of other pilots with more hours but no type rating"
(What airlines would these be? What do you mean by "in front of"? How many airlines have you got queueing up for your services?)

...and the best one... "I’m now coming to the end of this contract and I have over 500 hours on type and the number of companies hiring A320 first officers is increasing as the world economy recovers"

Company names change; the complete b*llocks stays the same. The new website is just as amateurish as the old one was. It certainly wouldn't give me the confidence to spend a large five-figure sum with them. They even refer to the JAA as the "joint airworthiness authority!

Also, what's with this constant reference to "the TRTO" in all those testimonials? Can they not decide what they're called?

£450 for an assessment too! Haha, what a bunch of idiots, money would be better spent on a week in IBZ with the lads!

Just don't do it seriously not worth the investment. :mad:

Also, what's with this constant reference to "the TRTO" in all those testimonials? Can they not decide what they're called?

Zippy, didin't you realise that referring to yourself in the third person makes you seem more grandiose? Either that or mildly psychotic! :ok:

Or then again, maybe they're trying to start a trend, and we should all refer to ourselves as 'the pilot' in casual conversation?! 'The pilot' would love a tea, white and one please! :O

Just feel so sorry for the BMI guys about to be displaced by these 'ATPers'. That's truly immoral..

Wonder if any BMI skippers will refuse to fly with them?

if you look at the testimonials:" ...500hours later, I am ready to look for a job"

They are still JOBLESS !!! (and heavy debts to pay!)

bmi/LH
 

re bmi, I am sure Lufthansa would not countenance such an iniquitous scheme in Germany with the home airline. Or am I wrong here?

So guys, what are we doing about it?

I've sent a letter to my MP. I think BALPA will huff and puff, yet ultimately they may prove to be a toothless tiger. I remain a member, but I'm not confident on this one.

Seeing all the posts from the bmi pilots about to sent out to the street whilst the banner 'Self Sponsored A320 TR and Line Training - Place available 18th Feb Start with Line Training out of Heathrow on the A319/20/21' is wrong.

I am a Ryanair pilot so many may warrant hypocrite status. I can't stand at idle watching my bmi and ezy peers being made redundant by 'pay for line training' schemes. Many of my colleagues in the UK tried to make a stand for recognition recently. There are a few of us out there that are offering you their support.

"Pay to fly"ers have kept bmi holdpool pilots out of work for a long time now. Now it looks like they will take even more jobs due to forthcoming redundancies within the company. LH are at the helm now and haven't given any indications of stopping it.

As you say, completely immoral. I hope that participating on one of these courses becomes something extremely undesirable to see on a CV in the near future.

Also, I hope the public become more aware of these schemes and stop flying with the guilty airlines. Perhaps then they would be pulled. To this end, I have written to several newspapers asking them to expose these airlines - one has already replied saying they have had numerous letters already on this subject and had forwarded my letter to the chief editor and travel correspondant. I would encourage others to do the same.

Nice too if PPRuNe could do its little bit to help, and cease to accept revenue for aforesaid banner ad.
But that won't happen either. :hmm:

Well they ain't popular in the crewroom

Thank you
 

I would like to thank everyone for their comments on this subject. I have spent the past couple of years thinking hard about CTC, amongst other options. I am completely appalled by what I have read here and if I ever do go commercial, I will be doing it all here by myself in the UK. Though frankly, at my age, I think there's no point even thinking about this any more.

callsign kilo


If you think they are a toothless tiger why remain a member ?

I think if everyone started to cancel membership to BALPA then this "might" get them to sit up and take notice. But they are so busy with BA they wouldnt notice anyway.

Good Luck to all.

Uni

Unimuts, I often wonder. They still however offer the pilot a legal protection package which is a worthy progam. I hope to God that I never call upon it, but it's there. The membership fee is also tax deductable (although not all).

It's the same bunch, still Jonathan Curd as he is mentioned on some of the testimonials.. If you meet the man, he is very charming and engaging. I just think what he is doing now is taking advantage of people and the industry as it is at the moment. I imagine he has moulded it into a different namesake to avoid the 'bad press' it got at EZY.

The 'cadets' were under instruction not to disclose any information about the cost to anyone at easyJet, line capt. etc. I believe it was a large sum..That and he apparently bought himself an R8 fairly soon after ;)

Every Line Trainer I spoke to said the standard was, bar a couple who were in-fact quite good, diabolical.

Needless to say easy walked away from it, BMI haven't. I know there are some militant fellows at BMI and quite rightly so.

It would be my guess that there are quite a few backhanders that go on we never get to hear about, as we can all see, it is just not common sense or moral to sack guys only to replace them with PTF's..And how did they get in ahead of CTC cadets last year with the power and connections that Chris Clarke wealds..:confused:

You have to smile when viewing the website, its very much on a par with typing 'get rich quick' into google and viewing the sites that brings up! you know the ones, guy sitting on a hamock by the beach/leaning over the door of a Ferrari/standing outside a large new build detached home....this could be you in bold letters..
But the video did it for me, looks like its been filmed on a mobile phone..

If everyone wrote to one of the national newspapers or to a BBC radio programme, and gave an account of what's going on, especially those with personal experience then it might get taken up as a news story. Try ipm on Radio 4 or Watchdog, or Panorama on BBC1. Unfortunately worthy a forum as Pprune is it won't attract the attention of an audience other than pilots. Letters to MPs are a start. Have a look at Fair Plane dot org dot uk as well: they have begun a campaign for a related problem, that being VAT relief for training.