Thanks for all the replies.

Unfortunatley many of you have confirmed my fears regarding the bases.

Someone mentioned that, do you love pushing thosee thrust lever forward more than you love your "none aviation life"

Luckily for me I'm not in the position yet as having a mortgage and kids. However I do have a very long term relationhip and a place we live together. Can I really say one day that I'm off to [insert place name] and I'll be back 1 or 2 days a week? Or come and live with me there and leave your career friends and family? I think that would be extremely selfish.

I think the younger guys who are in a great position to join someone like Ryanair. They don't have any ties to the UK and moving abroad would be the first time away from home and would be one big adventure. Well I certainly didn't have any ties when I was the age some of the guys going for F/O positions at Ryanair.

For the likes of the more mature graduate such as me (still on 26 may I add :)) it's a little more difficult I think to uproot everything.

I think I already know the answer as base allocation seems to be bottom of Ryanairs list but: Do you find out where you will be based before you start your training?

Ryanair: Choice on bases? Or "you're going there!"
 

I was wondering what the base allocation process is like at Ryanair.

Do many get UK bases or are they mostly overseas?

I know some people are willing to go absolutely anywhere but I'm sure others aren't

Any information on bases etc at Ryanair would be much appreciated.

You've opened a can of worms there!!
The best thing about FR: 5 on 4 off.
The worst thing is everything else.
But the very worst thing is the basing policy.
For once I'm not expecting anyone on pprune to disagree....

Or:
So is everyone else.

You have zero choice and slim chances of getting anywhere near you want to be. Welcome to the O'Leary's Jungle there is no fun and games:ugh:

i,m wondering how much pilots are willing to sacrifice to get into a cockpit... taking your wife and kids around the bases and countries? not really an option with your payment- so what ? give up all the private life for pushing the thrust levers forward?

it reminds me on my airline time and the bae146 where we also were far away from home, mostly in a hotel, no friends, no private life.

after this i decided to try general aviation where you can manage yourself in this things a little better- but you are stuck to relative small airplanes and when you get to old you will never again reenter airline operation.

where the old days in aviation far better? i,m surprized how it will continue in the future.

best to all !

LVL_CHG, all you have been been told is 100% correct:uhoh:

Run!! Run for your life!

Thanks for everyones replies.

For the most part, everyone has confirmed my fears unfortunately.

Luckily I'm not in the position of having kids and a property here, however I have a very long term partner who is settled into a decent career here. I think it would be extremely unfair to ask her to drop everything to come and live with me in [enter place name].

I'm not completely unflexible and am willing to live in certain places in Europe, but to have no choice what so ever it something I dislike immensly. Like someone mentioned previously. Do I love pushing the thrust levers forward more than I love my friends, family and way of life to give up for possibly 6 days of the week.

Do you know your base before you commence training? I think I already know the answer unfortunately.

No, and I doubt Ryanair have decided that either. From as far as I can interpret, once finished line training, you are released by the training department to operations. It is here that your fate is determined. It may be as scientific as someone sitting in an office in front of a big piece of paper with a list of bases. They close their eyes, wave their index finger about a bit; where it lands determines your future. It could be that ludicrous, who knows? However there is neither rhyme nor reason to base allocation. Some get what they want, some get what they want eventually, some just don't. In the last DEC intake it appeared that many received the base of their choice whilst CUs got shafted with the likes of TPS, KUN, SVQ etc. it is now a comman expectancy within FR that if you upgrade you had better prepare for a life of living from a bag!

It sounds like Ryanair pilots need an effective union!

You know Ryanair’s slogan

“We’re not happy:D:E until you’re unhappy:{:mad:!”

Welcome and enjoy the little gnome’s playground.

Guys/Girls,

Basing is a serious issue, as are; annual leave, contracts, bullying, unfair dismissal etc.

The only way to change these things is through a united, coherent Pilot group... It's your lucky day!!!!! The answer is clear & simple...please join REPA & IALPA.

...you are welcome! :ok:

Problem = Not happy in my base
Information = None/Useless list from Mugabellew
Options = 47 bases
Select = Unable/Done for me
Execute = Unable/Done for me
Evaluate = Still in a !!!!e base!
:ugh:

Brilliant:D The best use of PIOSEE Iv'e ever seen!

Crap use of piosee. You don't have 47 options!

Im doing the Type rating now and i don't have a clue about what base i will get.
I think they tell me after the line training.

So if you can't handle with that maybe Ryanair is nothing for you.

The key is to use Ryanair to go where you want to go!

Why are lots of new pilots joining Ryanair? Because they know that after circa 3 years with 2,000 hours jet time they can apply to many more airlines with much better Ts and Cs.

The penalty is being shoved off to a base not of your choosing.

Ryanair are using you, just make sure you use them!

Unfortunately this is very true, and now seems to be the common attitude of the majority of crew. Which is great for the individual but not for the majority, as by taking this attitude you are cheapening the position you hold. Ryanair is no longer an 'Airline', and is used (abused) by the employees as much as the management. In return it churns out cabin crews and flight crews by the hundred, and the only people making money out of it are the shareholders and management, NOT the employees who are inadvertently paying for it through the nose with their ever decreasing T&C´s. Just hope YOU (i.e. the common pilot) do not take this attitude to your next position after RYR or those better T&C´s you are hoping for with the next company will cease to exist! :sad:

Why do people not realise the narrow mindedness of this point of view.
The screw up in our ability to protect ourselves in RYR is only infecting the rest of the industry in turn as they try to compete.
So the s**t we put up with today to get started is at any airline by the time we are redy to move.

PEOPLE WAKE UP, join repa join IALPA / BALPA, engage brain

I was wondering some 6/7/8 months on those of that were in line training whether you got any of the 3 base choices. Or whether you got none and whether you had to work somewhere else temporarily and then got moved to one of your choices. Or indeed whether the sheet of paper you put your 3 choices on was a complete waste of time?

Where are all these fantastic jobs that you guys are holding out for after three years? Would it be crap-pit to sand-pit! Boy, does all this reek of desperation!
I only hope the OP has another option so that he/she gets a life, before it runs out.