"But we do have a lot of Gay pilots in BA so don't despair."

Erm, "a lot"? As a % what are we talking, 1%? Bit of a silly statement really isn't it.

I'm. Alright. Jack.

FC, what is your point? As long as enough type rated people want to join up, then it's financial sense to focus your recruitment on them. ON the plus side each type rated person who joins, leaves a hole in a company further down the chain.

"leaves a hole in a company further down the chain" for another P2F'cadet' to jump into. The problem for many is that hole is also being filled by those with the 'right' type rating.

Meanwhile, those with the 'wrong' type rating remain in their turbo/dole queue.

It's a fair point. However, I don't see why that is BA's problem.

But they say 500 hours on type... no? so type rating is not enough

gUys:p

500 hours removes the requirement to base train thus allowing ZFT training.

Samca - if none of your 2500hrs are on the A320, then you unfortunately have to wait until BA changes its requirements. At the moment, you've got to have 500hrs on the A320 series aircraft. A TR with less than 500hrs is not sufficient.

In the past, BA changed its requirements from time to time, so I will imagine continued future recruitment will again see the criteria move.

Is it true that part of the interview process is that you are put in a room for an hour on a chair (perhaps with all stripes on the walls and nothing else in the room)and they monitor you to see what you do?

Haha, honestly I do hope they do that!

In order for guys to understand what's going on here, and why BA are so determined to find type rated pilots, it is purely and simply as stated earlier in this thread:

Training Capacity!

As a result of the financial ills of the last 2-3 years, resulting in no recruitment, BA cut back markedly in the training departments. "No need yer see!"

Now the wheel has turned, the only game in town which provides the numbers of new joiners that BA is DESPERATE for, is short courses for folks who already have the type rating! They can't even train trainers at the same time, because they don't have the human resources!

So the problem is far more basic than the purely financial!

If the leader of the Red Arrows applied, or a Test Pilot/ Astronaut, without a TR, BA don't currently want to train him/her!

Will that change? Yes. But only when it is totally unavoidable.

Yeah it's not too bad though. They give you a newspaper and a coffee and you just sit there wondering what happens next.

To be honest it's a bit like flying an airbus.

For those of you who struggle to see why these little nasties 'creep up' on the brave BA management boys unawares, a little reasoning.

As has been stated earlier in this thread, by many probably more in the know than I, the training department was massacred in the cuts and the TC's and TFO's traing requirements trimmed and culled to cope only with LPC's, OPC'c annual checks and route checks with the occasional blind wanderer who came in nfrom the clam of LH to the chaos of SH. All was good (if a little grumbly) in the training world.

The CC part one started, the VCC's were actioned to...... nothing. Most of the CC turned up and the flight crew were cunningly utilised to, well, fly. The programme was 'expanded'. Great news everybody, I've got an Idea! If we can expand when there are tough times, said the scheduling people from their ivory tower, why not expand all year! Let us bring back the hulks from the desert, dust off those dodgy old 'G-BUS' things (Not G-BUSH though, that has, like its namesake, been a global embarassment on Beleusconi proportions) and get back to the good times.

So the scedules were re-written and the aircraft bones cast and lo and behold, some junior pencil pusher in Operation noticed that the monthly CAP (minimum required monthly contractual flying hours) was rapidly passing 100 hours! Bugger, said God (Stephen Riley). Inter departmental wrangling later someone from the Microsoft Excel department told God that if he recruited before the new financial year the Tax liability for the redundancy payments gone before would come out of Gods pocket. Bugger again said God.

So, recruitment began (like a swan, serene and calm on the surface, paddling like buggery underneath) and the first bunch were sought to alieviate the pressure. Not enough! The sceduling people wanted more, the Training department couldn't give more, there was no space at the mill and the system ground to a halt. Now the training department is full, the scheduling people keep wanting to boost the schedule (no bad thing but a 1% increase on LH schduling has a massive effect on pilots required hours, EASA FTL's anyone?)

They want the best, most expedient and efficient way to get people into to system. Until that source of experienced, qualified and adaptable people dries up the company will continue to exploit it. Be aware however that the future planning in BA is happening now and the ability to 'hedge' against shortages in personnel are being given almost as much creedence as fuel hedging! (almost but not quite, apparently we are not quite as volotile!)

Watch this space. I have heard rumours of the stalled Cadet scheme being resurrected and BA are as keen as always to maintain their position within the military as a 'safe bet'. Once all these things are on the table then possibly BA will look at instigating its normal recruitment criteria which specifies a licence, some experience and flight in an aircraft over a certain weight irrespective of type. It will come back, the only question is when?

Edit: Sorry fur thee speelink mistukes, was typing on a phone wif kak handed fungers.

Thanks Wirbelstrum, a very informative response. It would seem that BA are as bad at planning these things as the rest of the industry.

If training capacity is really the limiting factor then surely the next stage after type rated pilots is experienced non-rated who would not require base training and possibly need less line training?

SSP's will require the most training, including touch and go's and possibly more sectors line training. Not what a stretched training department really needs.

Keep the information coming guys. Very helpful.