I heard back on Monday this week. Did not meet the recency requirements (200 hours in the last 12 months) so it was a rejection.

out of curiosity. Why did you apply if you did not meet the requirements.

Had anyone had the competency telephone/Skype interview scheduled yet?

Good question. Since I am 787 rated, it was rumoured that they were in need of rated guys and could potentially overlook the recency part. I guess that rumour remained a rumour. As a matter of fact, it's 0 hours in the last 30 months in my case...

That's your actual reason. Keep trying everywhere, and good luck for your future

Sorry to hear that. Did you get an email from Zenon?

Have you tried Norse? A few mates (787 rated) have started there recently and also hadn’t flown since March 2020. Good luck!

I believe the 200 hour limit is based on virgin doing an OCC course for rated pilots. To do so I think you need to be rather current so it’s only a few sims and an LPC rather than a full course. Correct me if I’m wrong…

The reality in 2022 is if you don’t tick every single box exactly as per the job spec, you’ll be dumped out. There will be so many that have applied, sifting is done mercilessly. If they didn’t want it they wouldn’t have asked for it.

Yes I did, plus I followed up with a phone call, which they happily answered, and explained that it was because of my recency (the e-mail simply mentioned 'eligibility requirements').

Looking for some clarification; on the job description it says "You must have a minimum experience of 1,500 hours of total flying time on the above with at least 500 hours current on type (hours spent solely as a cruise pilot are not included)."

Does this mean that it's a minimum of 1,500 hours on Airbus/Boeing or 1,500 total flying time?

i agree it isn’t written very clearly. Assuming the real requirement here is the ability to act as a cruise pilot/Captain whilst the skipper is resting in the bunk, the following requirements for an ATPL issue (from U.K. CAA website) are:

Flight time

You must have completed a minimum of 1500 hours of flight time in aeroplanes, including at least:

1. 500 hours in multi-pilot operations on aeroplanes

2. 500 hours as Pilot in command under supervision (PICUS) or
250 hours as Pilot in Command (PIC)
or
250 hours to include a minimum of 70 hours as PIC and the remainder as PICUS.

3. 200 hours of cross-country flight time, of which at least 100 hours should be as PIC or as PIC under supervision

4. 75 hours of instrument time, of which not more than 30 hours can be instrument ground time

5. 100 hours of night flight as PIC or co-pilot.

Of the 1500 hours of total flight time required, up to 100 hours can be completed in a suitable simulator (FFS or FNPT - but only a maximum of 25 hours may be completed in an FNPT).


Therefore I’d suggest it’s 1500 hours total flight time, with 500 hours on one of the Airbus/Boeing aircraft mentioned. This, in order to save time and money, giving the ability to do a shorter conversion course rather than full type rating.

I spoke to Zenon last week, apparently the SFO payscale isn’t an option, regardless of hours everyone will start on circa. £65k (this includes flight pay).

Has anyone heard anything different? Anyone from the inside able to confirm this please?

Thanks

Feel free to PM.

That is incorrect, Zenon are giving the incorrect information. Anyone meeting the criteria for SFO will join on the SFO pay scales.

Be great if true. What's the source of this information?

I don’t know where the person you’re quoting got that info from. But they are correct, I asked management and a friend has got the job starting SFO pay.

I was told by Zenon that for this current recruitment campaign the SFO rate wasn’t on offer. Was your friend in the hold pool from a previous round?

I hope Zenon have incorrect info but I don’t know who else to ask as they are the contact for recruitment.

It’s a deal breaker for me hence why I’ve asked the question on here.

a current colleague got the offer from VA last week and he said it’s definitely SFO Y1. We’ll see when the contract comes through I guess!

Anyone done the Cut-E assessment yet? If so, which tests do you have to do as part of it?

Someone I know that was half through the process with Zenon before Covid hit and recently just picked up where he/she left off. That person has hours for SFO and was offered SFO recently. So this person was not in a hold pool (Just a couple of stages ahead). Why would they get offered SFO and someone beginning process with required hours would not?

Thanks for the info. I can’t answer your question though. I can only hope that if successful, the offer will be on SFO rates.

CUT-E tests
 

Yes CUT-E tests, very similar to these:
https://www.pilotest.com/en/

Thanks egwechris! Does it consist of all of the tests found under CUT-E on that site? Or just a select few of them? Cheers

Surely not as hard as some of those 😑

Any in particular you got from that site?

Did anyone get an email prior to being phoned by Zenon or was it out of the blue?

Out of the blue mate to check up regarding the 200hrs.

Cheers mate. Roughly how long from app submission was it before they called?

Were they interested in the type you did the 200 hours on?

Has anyone any experience of the competency based interview?

Looking for the same
Was thinking to setup a WhatsApp group, anyone interested or can share ?

It’s a competency based interview? What ideas are you going to share?

“Tell me a time when…” it’s really that simple.

If you need a WhatsApp group to navigate past this stage, Zenon have a gigantic task on their hands.

pretty sure Virgin aren’t looking for Pilot’s who need their hands holding throughout.

Clearly you're a little narrow minded.

It's for the whole process and to get to know other people who you maybe in a type rating with.

Why are you here :ugh:

How long did it take for people to hear back after the competency interview to see if they were then invited to the sim?

In the process too. Comp Interview next week, when arranging this, Zenon were pencilling in dates for the sim within Sept too (providing Interview goes well..of course). Think VA are recuiting in 'batches' and if we're getting all these done now, we're in batch 1 according to someone at Zenon (pinch of salt to be taken) so trying to fire people through.

Would be good to chat people on potential type rating groups, cheers.

Anyone who wants into the WhatsApp group - PM me your number and I'll add you

Why not wait until you actually get offered a job before setting up a type-rating WhatsApp group, like normal people? :ugh:

😂😂 ok​​

Management has again confirmed that pilots with >3000hours will join on SFO pay, not FO pay.

The only improvements in lifestyle is a guaranteed 3 days off after some flights, still a lot of trips with only 2 days off after and no more than a maximum of 1 block of standby/reserve allocated at roster production ( no more than 7 days per block). However trips can still be replaced by standby blocks at the live stage.

Other improvements 2.5% pay rise this year and 4% next year.

Re: Zenon pre screening interview.

Anyone who’s already completed this care to share the ‘three’ questions asked? PM if you like. TIA