I would guess that ops' reference to 8-day trips is probably to do with the LGW-TOB/GRA schedule which strts in May (I think). This will be on the 747-200, so you won't be doing that! Australia has been on and off for years. I'm not holding my breath. A340 now has one schedule out of LGW (PHC), but all pilots (744 and 340) are based at LHR. It's up to you which airport you park at; I have passes for both.

thanks for all your help. Just have to wait for the yea or nay letter now, then sit down and make the decision. Once again, judging from the hits this thread has had, its been very useful to many. cheers.

Have any of you Virgin chaps had Sir Branson sitting in the jump seat while you fly?

Yes, but not since the rules changed.

I would agree with all my colleagues' posts above. However, I would also like to re emphasise the lifestyle choice and say that I personally thoroughly enjoy the long haul life. I gave up my jet command took a pay cut to come here. Sure, things could be better and with all the hard work work our company council are doing, I hope that T&C's will improve. However, the approach to your own happiness is often in your own mind and a very personal choice. I would recommend anyone to try and understand what makes themselves tick and then match their lifestyle to that.
Sure, I could be earning more cash at a low cost carrier, but I doubt whether I might have over the last few weeks: walked up Table Mountain, taken my wife shopping in the markets in Dehli, or hired a convertible and driven up the Pacific Coast HighWay. That may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is certainly mine and one of the reasons that I still look forward to going to work. My colleagues (both flight and cabin crew) are invariably nice people and extremely professional, I very much enjoy their company when out and about downroute. Again on a completely personal front, I have done enough multi sector days and night Dalamans in my past to find the long haul flying enjoyable.
Sure, someone else can reply with tales of how they are fatigued, away from their kids and fed up, but they are not me and more importantly..not you.
I hope you get the offer which will provide you with the chance to make up your own mind based on your knowledge of your own circumstances and personality.
Hopefully will be able to buy you a beer sometime with the proviso against: laid off again/ no payrise/Virgin go bust (delete as applicable).

;) ;)

FlyerFlier: When you drove up the PCH, did you drive on the RIGHT side of the road???:D

I envy you, because I think VS is a great company. I would enjoy the flying you do with the crews you have. Too bad I don't have a JAA.

Guess I'll apply to these guys:
https://reservations.hootersair.com/images/header.jpg

Scroggs,

Would you say Virgin is in a better position now than 9/11? Or still on dodgy ground for new entrants?

767300ER: Sorry to read about your layoff notice, and have no info on VS. As for other licenses, a buddy here was one of only about two US pilots who flew for Cathay years ago (when it was a very good job) and said that the foreign license system over there (similar to British/JAR?) stressed practical but also lots of very useless academic aviation knowledge, which does not improve one's piloting skills, from what he had noticed... C. said that he was trained in Australia.

By the way, I've talked to at least eight pilots with one of our regional partners based here, who are from Scanadinavia, South Africa, Israel or the Netherlands. Have no idea how they were "sponsored". My company has some British, a South African, a Hungarian ( I flew with R.), the Dutch lady who flew the Saab, plus others who I've never met.

A pilot I talked to today applied about two years ago to Cathay and of the three applicants, for a possible base in ANC or Canada, said that the company hired the one young pilot with very limited experience (less than 1,500 hours or so). The other two guys had at least 8,000 hours of transport jet flying. Maybe certain foreign airlines seem to prefer the very naiive young pilots over those who have many years of experience, prefering the ability to be indoctrinated over a well-rounded aviation background. Sometimes the IOE can be 80-100 hours or more, and for the first job as a turboprop FO! The younger, the more gullible, I suppose. There is also a top US airline which years ago preferred many of their pilots to be both married and have no previous exposure to civilian aviation, but the company's name "escapes me" at the moment. They needed no detailed scope language, or so they believed.

I wish you and the others much luck out there.

The only way to survive "Financially" at Virgin is to move offshore. My take home, including down-route allowances is approximately £3800 per month after National Insurance and 6% to the pension. Standby's are a pain in the arse but otherwise life is good once you learn how to manipulate the roster.

GoForFun

Are you talking about the company's financial position, or about time to command?

As far as I understand it the company is pretty sound financially, and it has plans for considerable expansion over the medium term. VS took a loss of c£95m in the aftermath of 9/11, but its cash reserves were still more than adequate. A very extensive cost-reduction exercise has seen the company trading in the black over the last year, though I expect this quarter to be negative. No airline over the Atlantic has had it easy over the last 2 years, and United's ability to charge very low fares while in Chapter 11 has distorted the market somewhat, but we are holding our own!

The expansion I referred to above may take a slight delay thanks to GW2 but, as this week's stock market movements have shown, business and consumer confidence is likely to return quickly once some certainty returns to the Western economies. My bet is that the US and UK will do very well out of the post-Iraq situation, and that recovery will be strong. In that circumstance, the airline may well be able to expand strongly over the next 5 or 10 years. Time to command is unlikely to return to the < 2years that was once common, but should settle at about 7-8 years which is still good compared to most mature long-haul outfits. (Yes, I know you'll get command faster at EK!).

As Flyer Flier states, it's a lifestyle choice. I think the overall package is likely to be considerably improved quite soon, as well.

I have to say that I find long haul flying a hell of a lot less tiring than getting up at 4am 3 or 4 days on the trot to do 4 or 5 sectors followed by a night flight then another early.

Nice destinations, nice crews, pay mediocre hopefully to improve soon.

Personally I couldn't imagine going back to the short haul treadmill.

For those still interested in working at Virgin here is some information that may be of interest.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFr...659251,00.html

Go for it lads and just to egg you on, I've been with BA for 4.5yrs and fly short haul, my take home is...

£3000 +/- £300.

You deserve more!

Good luck

When do people expect Virgin to recruit again? And has the pilots pay deal been reached??

Thanks

Pilot's Pay deal is said to be 'in the final finishing straight' (direct quote!) Without SARS I believe the recruitment would have continued, albeit at a trickle, throughout the year. It was originally intended to, I know that much. Send them a cv and see what happens - I got in by writing to them on a rumour of 'impending recruitment' late last year.