How long are people waiting on average for their sim assessment? Been waiting approx 3 weeks now for a sim slot.... is that pretty much the case for everyone at the moment?

thanks in advance

Heard recently that BA SH is really struggling due to Pilot shortage. Is that true? I’m not sure what exactly was meant by struggling? Are they cancelling any flights?

Might not be news to you Barcli but it’s happening in every industry in every company so get over it. Got a mate who’s got a good job in the Home Office, he was telling me their official mantra is “do more with less”. We’re actually reasonably insulated in the aviation industry comparison with the demands of the real world..

(listen to me being the positive voice of reason for once :) )

Yes, I did. They never mentioned it as I think it’s just for ID. I also took my Drivers Licence just in case. My other passport was with the Visa people so I took a copy of that one along too but didn’t need it. Good luck!

I did my sim on the 13th of September, got the email that I was in the holdpool on the 17th, and got the call today the 21st, for a January start date on the 320 at LHR. Im not 320 rated at the moment btw. So things can move very quickly!

Just over 2000 hours total. Of which about 1200 on a turboprop and 400 on a jet.

They clearly getting desperate . Interesting times .

Not sure “desparate” is the adjective I would use but BA need a lot of new bums on seats for the foreseeable future, certainly on the A320 out of both LHR and LGW.

As for the hours flown, well perhaps the pool of high hour type rated applicants prepared to accept the lifestyle change that goes hand in hand with working out of LHR on BA shorthaul T&Cs has reduced.

Anyhow congratulations to Mansnothot, who will be joining just in time to be one of the first very very junior victims of the new rostering system ....I wish him/her the best of luck.

I know many widebody pilots with thousands of hours who couldn’t get through the BA sim so well done, with the numbers we need you won’t be very junior very long!

A Junior Pilot on the A380 shown me their Oct roster. Short on that fleet as well perhaps, by the workload. 4 LR trips and 2 Sims. 20 days work. And only 11 airframes, one away on Heavy maintenance in Manila.

Was told 700 retirements over the next 5 years, plus A350 deliveries start next year. Interesting times ahead

SH commands are also expected to go very junior, to the extent that we may not have enough bidders for LGW 320 P1s. Anyone joining in the next few months with the required hours may well have a very short wait for a LHS if you’re prepared to go to Gatwick.

FlipFlapFlop...

I’m possibly looking at a official comment/ document/message that quite possibly EMB has seen and whilst I won’t quote that source verbatim here I would suggest it strongly supports his opinion regarding shorthaul commands, especially at LGW.

I’d also second the comment that the timescale involved in moving to a left hand seat on longhaul is a completely different order of magnitude...:}

Hope it wasn’t one of mine..:\ .... I think over the last year or so there has been what I shall call a err..”shift” in an attitude to recruitment, possibly driven the realisation that the irresistible force of “costs flat” actually can’t shift immovable objects such as the reality of FTLs, rostering and 900 hours a year.

There will certainly be direct recruitment to long haul, for which 2000h on aircraft over 50 t MTOW I believe is required.

Solely going on past practice, if you are Airbus rated, you are going to the bus. Other aircraft experience, it is to an extent the luck of the draw based on when you enter the pool and the slots available at the time. It is suggested that 2019 may be another record breaking year for recruitment.

Not any longer. Dash 8 Drivers direct to the 777/787 in recent months and years. No comment.

In the context of the ex-military guys (and to partly answer the question posed by skaterboi) that’s not always been the case on Longhaul. FWIW earlier this year I flew with one ex-Voyager, very very new DEP on the 777.

Nope, it’s true. Although I think it’s quite a new thing.

As it was explained to me at the sim, BA have had some people struggle with a new type and they think it’s partly down to the infrequent nature of LH flying.

So in the sim they will assess how quickly you adapt to an unfamiliar type, the speed at which you learn and take in information, spare capacity, accuracy of flying etc...

At the end end of the sim the instructor will tick a box on your report whether they think you’re suitable for long haul, or whether they think you’ll benefit from some time with more regular sectors.

Also there was the caveat that if you get sent short haul, it doesn’t mean you failed the longhaul assessment, probably just that they need short haul people at the minute!

Its clearly not about flying skills as I got LH!

Its all explained when they go through the power point before the sim. Don’t lose sleep over it!

Wiggy is correct. Ex RAF Voyager Pilots recently DEP on to 777. And previously also direct to the A380.

I stand corrected.

The “suitable for long haul” policy has also been confirmed internally and has, to say the least, generated a bit of controversy. It was supposed to address a few training failures which are now being “solved” through selection rather than squeezing everyone through a minimum footprint course then immediately putting people under all sorts of extra pressure if 6 landings and 8 approaches with bonus jet lag (you probably haven’t mastered controlled rest yet either) isn’t enough for you to get to grips with your first heavy jet in the real world.

If it’s any consolation the fact that such a policy actually exists on a formal basis is news to me as well, though I can see why: for the reasons you have stated.