Any pilots here?

[1pudding1]

Just had a quick look and it seems Ezy want 500 recent A320 time for an application, although im sure one of my colleagues said that we have an ex-bmi skipper in the RHS as Ezy in BRS, so mabe worth getting in touch with Ezy anyway to enquire. Aren't Loganair taking on quite a few ex-bmi people, using your current ratings?

 

[esmozz]

Hey guys, thought I'd give this thread a bit of a revival!



I've had an amazing time with said airline for the last 18 months, however I'm sure most of you know who I'm talking about and what happened to them at the weekend. Its a bit of a long shot but I know some guys here are airline as well and I was wondering if I could maybe give you a shout in trust about my rather abrupt "career move"!

Cheers

Sorry to hear about flybmi as well. I think we're entering a shaky period for airlines.

My lot might be worth a try - we fly around in aircraft a bit like rudolph the reindeer. The press reports about our imminent demise are probably over exaggerated. That being said we're probably not the safest port in a storm. I believe they don't make you pay for the rating but bond you (at least on the 737) - but I'm not sure.

The other option is Ryanair, I know the're a pretty shabby employer but at least its a safe bet. I know guys there, it's not quite as bad as websites like pprune would have you believe, particulary if you can get employed directly with them as opposed to one of these shady self employed contracts. I think there's been a bit of a change in the attitude of the company towards its employees, at least that's what a friend who recently joined has told me.

It depends on whether you want to still live in the UK, my career took me abroad 15 odd years ago and although at times its been a bit tough, I don't regret it. Emirates are crying out for pilots for example. But Dubai isn't for everyone.

Or my old lot - AirBaltic, a lot of people seem to hate on the company, but to be honest I didn't think they were that bad. Latvia's not for everyone either and the company management style is very authoritatian. If you're young and single, Riga's not a bad place to live. And you can fly the mighty Crash8 (or A220). I got my first command on the Dash and in my opinion it's a good aircraft to cut your teeth on in the early years of your career. Of course not wanting to move off jets is a valid concern.

I lived in a few different countries now, not all of them the nicest places but I think spending time living around the world has done me a whole lot of good - it certainly broadens your horizons and make's you see thing differently. It might be worth considering.

Good luck.

 

[miller745]

Currently doing PPL(H) went solo last month. Solo cross country will be very soon, now that will be squeaky bum time

 

[Oasis1974]

Aren't some pilots hired to fly planes at cruise level aboard long haul flights just as system monitors .Not allowed to takeoff or land unless at the captains discretion . Can't remember what title there given anyone?

 

[1pudding1]

They're normal pilots with full qualifications, just very junior in the company and act as cruise relief pilots. Give it time though and they get their turn at landing and working their way up the ladder.

 

[Dynix]

Currently doing PPL(H) went solo last month. Solo cross country will be very soon, now that will be squeaky bum time

Awesome, well done!

I'm plodding along with my ATPL studies again as of last month after being messed around a little and having to stop.

 

[miller745]

Cross country solo is done now. Was certainly nowhere near squeaky bum time! Route was Newcastle > Haltwhistle > Kirkbride > Haltwhistle > Eshott > Newcastle. I'm quite confident on the radios so I think that helps. Not easy when Scottish is coming through like Norman Collier's faulty microphone routine!
9/9 theory exams done, need the oral radio exam and then the skills test. Need another 40mins of solo time, could have dragged out the cross country if I had time but I had a job to attend, didn't want to be rushing.
So glad I started training, just need a lottery win to fund the hour building and year off work to do the CPL exams

 

[SupraWez]

Congrats, I haven't managed to do any more flying for over a year, I hope to pick up again at some point.

 

[Blinkz]

Cross country solo is done now. Was certainly nowhere near squeaky bum time! Route was Newcastle > Haltwhistle > Kirkbride > Haltwhistle > Eshott > Newcastle. I'm quite confident on the radios so I think that helps. Not easy when Scottish is coming through like Norman Collier's faulty microphone routine!
9/9 theory exams done, need the oral radio exam and then the skills test. Need another 40mins of solo time, could have dragged out the cross country if I had time but I had a job to attend, didn't want to be rushing.
So glad I started training, just need a lottery win to fund the hour building and year off work to do the CPL exams

Congrats! Always nice to tick boxes. Hour building is the fun bit and at least you can do it slowly over time. The ATPL exams aren't fun but just need to put in the work for them. The hardest part by far will be the IR!

 

[miller745]

Thanks folks! Dare I ask what is so hard about the IR? If all the stars align and I find a pot of gold I'll end up doing it.

 

[Dynix]

Cross country solo is done now. Was certainly nowhere near squeaky bum time! Route was Newcastle > Haltwhistle > Kirkbride > Haltwhistle > Eshott > Newcastle. I'm quite confident on the radios so I think that helps. Not easy when Scottish is coming through like Norman Collier's faulty microphone routine!
9/9 theory exams done, need the oral radio exam and then the skills test. Need another 40mins of solo time, could have dragged out the cross country if I had time but I had a job to attend, didn't want to be rushing.
So glad I started training, just need a lottery win to fund the hour building and year off work to do the CPL exams

Great job! Loved my solo QXC though I remember my landing at Gloucester being a little dodgy I was hoping to have my hour building complete by now but had a set back for most of this year so got some catch up to do, and still working through my ATPLs. Let me know if you have any questions on that front and want a fresh/current perspective!

 

[miller745]

Great job! Loved my solo QXC though I remember my landing at Gloucester being a little dodgy I was hoping to have my hour building complete by now but had a set back for most of this year so got some catch up to do, and still working through my ATPLs. Let me know if you have any questions on that front and want a fresh/current perspective!

Thanks, how many hours do you need before CPL? Just thinking about all the learning required for CPL/ATPL gives me heart palpitations. Think I'd need a year off work!

 

[Dynix]

Thanks, how many hours do you need before CPL? Just thinking about all the learning required for CPL/ATPL gives me heart palpitations. Think I'd need a year off work!

Off the top of my head I think it's 175 total to start, of which 100 must be P1. I've got a couple of friends who have just gone through it, or are about to go through it, and I'm told it's a glorified PPL skill test, just a bit 'stricter'. As Blinkz says, it's the IR we all need to be worried about

ATPL is a lot of content but sadly no way around it. I've really struggled to knuckle down with it and introduce it into my lifestyle/routine. I'm with BGS but use other material like this book which I can highly recommend as it does a decent job at explaining topics better than BGS content in some areas, and this YouTube channel which has videos covering all of the topics - downloaded all of these to my iPad and just sit and watch them.

 

[miller745]

Got this in the post today! The authorities are actually going to let me loose with a helicopter.

 

[Dynix]

Got this in the post today! The authorities are actually going to let me loose with a helicopter.

Amazing - well done! I've sat and watched the G2s which are based over at Leicester on maintenance flights - they look like proper good fun! Would love to have a go in one, have a real urge to have a lesson in a helicopter but I'm not sure my partner would appreciate that

 

[miller745]

Amazing - well done! I've sat and watched the G2s which are based over at Leicester on maintenance flights - they look like proper good fun! Would love to have a go in one, have a real urge to have a lesson in a helicopter but I'm not sure my partner would appreciate that

I'd say do it but you may turn one lesson into 46 hours of dual instruction

 

[thingemajib]

Well after a few months up in Aberdeen flying the tartan flag its finally time to say goodbye to the ERJs and I'm back in London, moving up to the E-Jets and getting to tick something off my bucket list that been there almost since day 1 - LCY based!

One thing I must admit - after the sad demise of flyBMI the response from the industry was amazing, within a week or two I had one job offer, three interviews/assesments lined up and freebies on linkedin ranging from suit dry cleaning to a sim practice!

For anyone that's wondering, I'd say about 90% ex-colleagues managed to stay in the industry one way or another. Roughly half of the flightcrew and pretty much all engineering went tartan as the BMI aircraft and all of the UK bases except Bristol were completely taken over. Of the Bristol lot, quite a few FOs and some Skippers have been taken on by who I'm working for now (including some cadets who were still in type rating when BMI went bust - kudos!). Those who wanted to stay local went purple in Exeter and others scattered a bit, very few actually left in Bristol now which is a shame but there were limited job opportunities there at the time and none that didn't involve paying for a type rating. One poor sod managed to get into Thomas Cook, definitely not his year, thankfully he seems to be sorted again though!

Thanks to everyone here that gave advice a few months back, it was a very strange experience I would wish upon no one, but should it happen to anyone here then please do give me a yell in trust if you need help as I'm not so active on these forums as I used to be.

New Years Resolution - back to North Weald and blow the cobwebs off my SEP - I miss the Cessnas!