I'm not murmuring anything. Just genuinely curious/concerned on the crewing levels with the new FLTs (just been voted through BTW). Virgin or others.

There are industrial agreements in place to protect us against some of the new rules.

For example, any flight over 9.5 hours requires 3 pilots, regardless of flight time limitations.

These must not be given up at any cost!!

And my comment was just a joke!

That's good news for the VS chaps then. Will there be any impact of the new FTLs on Virgin crew whilst the industrial agreements stay in place?

You sure? Many left VS to go to the sandpit. Any returnees will go to the bottom of the seniority list.



Greener grass?

What's the policy at VS - if you leave are you "dead to them" or will they welcome people back with open arms? :p

It may seem to some that a lot of people are trying to get back to the UK but there is also a huge amount of talk and no action. This goes for all nationalities. It will never change as people either think they are hard done by or just prefer to live in their native country.

Every airline in the world is looking to cut costs and we are a prime target as are all employees in any business as a major cost. So if they can increase your productivity they will. Also they will pay good money to someone who is skilled at doing so.

As far as having industrial agreements in place to protect you from the increase in FTLS,well don' forget that 97% of the workforce at VS stood up against the company for all of a few days and then got screwed by Balpa and VS. A common outcome these days in our industry. I can't see your chances being any better if you try to fight FTL changes within VS. There will always be someone willing to sell themselves and go to work for a lump of cash. We have all seen it before.

Better we try to rebuff these stupid changes in FTL at source.

Thats just my 10 pence worth anyway. Good luck to you all and the grass/sand will always look a little greener/whiter on the other side, but in my experience they are all the same but different.

Non T/R DE VS 747 course starting in next couple of weeks.

Course or opening for applications?

Course. Hold poolers.

When time to command in Emirates is circa 5-7 years, why would a 4 year guy leave to return to the bottom of the VS seniority list?

Returning to the issue of recruiting only relevant rated people, and ignoring those on vastly different types, all stems from the airline concern over training risk. I.e. The guy already on a Boeing, is quite likely to pass the course.

But this argument does break down at VS. I have witnessed with my own eyes the recruitment of Airbus guys to hold pool, then thrown on the 747. And in this case, they are just as likely to pass the course as the regional jet guys. Maybe even less so if the side-stick has robbed them of their talent.

All things being equal, you'd go for the TR candidate. Equally, it stops 1000s of CVs coming in.

If you want to live in the UK, Emirates is not for you!

And if you are not happy living in the UK, then go and live on Necker.

Probably plenty of GSS 747-4/8F pilots salivating right now... The VS FO pay would be a bump-up in their wages.

For those that are interested..

Year 1 F/O, £65,580

(£51,480 basic + £14,100 guaranteed flight pay) for 750 hours.

Plus $800-$1000 a month in allowances.

Several reasons - if you don't want to live in Dubai or commute.

Am I being too simplistic here or is it simply that it's cheaper and quicker to hire type rated guys? It makes business sense.

Re 5 years to command in the desert v being home and a lower salary? Home wins. That simple.

Virgin Atlantic FOs Required!
 

Can't see this posted anywhere (means that it probably is) but my place are hiring if anyone's interested.... so I'll leave this here! :ok:

https://careers.virgin-atlantic.com/...cuynhjxavtqjrw

Quite a few Cathay B744/Airbus F/Os and JF/Os will/may be interested in this, considering Cathay not offering bases anymore.

Not sure what the Emirates chat is about. No-one has gone to Emirates and returned. There were a number who went to Qatar on sabbatical and who have all returned now. Obviously, since they never left Virgin but were on unpaid leave, all those involved returned to Virgin having never left the seniority list.

It goes without saying that no-one would have taken a sabbatical if they had to give up their place on the seniority list.