Bad news and help needed

Re Msg from”theplane” – No i am working for a fruit importer here. Funnily enough I was working at Abu Dhabi Airport in the mid seventies and was offered a job with Saudia here in Jeddah in November 1976 which I turned down as I didn’t fancy it. Now having hit the big 5 zero I will take any work given to me anywhere if the money is right – like a mangey cur being offered a bone.

Thanks very much for all the replies. Some great info as well.

Martin – Thanks for that but I don’t think he can find £18,000 without anyone saying there is a job for sure at the end of it. There are still unemployed 737 rated people with type experience on line who are unemployed.

Saab – I think CityJet are one of his best bets but I didn’t know they are recruiting at the moment, thanks.

A330C – In the UK a 146 rating automatically gives you RJ as well so that is a possibility. Unfortunately onle BACX operate them in the UK and I believe they are overstocked with rated people. By the way he is being made redundant by Flightline.

Skyjet – Very interesting about Aegean/Cronos. I think his young family/long haul cabin crew wife will prevent him being able to look abroad but I’ll certainly mention it to him.

WD – Thanks, I think that is his only option in reality if he wants to buy himself a type. There would still unfortunately still be a small expense to incur to get the UK CAA to validate his FAA type rating. Damned administrators!

Steve R – Virgin Blue look like a great little outfit but there are experienced Boeing people all over the world looking at gtting in there. We have already lost 2 757 pilots to them and I know a couple of experienced 737 guys trying to relocate out there to join them.

Mongu – Quote ‘You get rid of expensive employees first. The older they are, the higher the cost of employment: higher wages, higher pension costs’. Strangely enough in flightcrew circles it doesn’t work like that. Everything is done on seniority so although he is mid/late forties he would earn exactly the same (and cost the company the same) as an 18 year old recruited at the same time.

If I haven’t mentioned your name it doesn’t mean I haven’t found your input helpful!

That’s awful news, such a sad state of affairs. If he is looking for a 737NG rating the best palce to get it GECAT in Bournemouth, they charge £18k for a type rating. Ryanair appoint directly from them.

All the best to him.

btw Ogit, u work for Saudia? one of my friends’ parents works there as well, in Jeddah too….

I know Cityjet are currently looking for pilots.

A list that may be of some use, BAe 146 operators in Europe:

City Jet
Air Berlin
Fly Be
Flightline
Titan Airways
Eurowings
TNT Cargo
Albanian Airlines
British Airways (CitiExpress)
Axis Airways
Croatia Airlines
SN Brussels Airlines
Malmo Aviation
Meridiana
Aer Lingus
WDL Aviation
Skyways.
Atlantic Airways
Club Air

I dont know if he can operate the RJ series too?, But if he can here’s what else is available.

Swiss
Lufthansa
Air Botina
SN Brussels Airlines
Air Baltic
British Airways

re wysiwyg sos for pliot friend

wysiwyg
why do you ask your friend the 146 pilot to try contacting
agenean/cronos airlines of greece they operate that airgraft out of athens all over greece and the islands you never known onces luck do you

good luck
skyjet

from the sun and the new europeans

My heartfelt sympathy to yr friend wysiwyg and unfortunate that his kids are young as well. I am in the same boat and have had to come out here to work and maybe yr friend should have a look at doing something similar because at his age it is only going to get worse. The downside here is the fact that I have to check under my car and the wheel arches for bombs every morning (I don’t live on a compound which are all guarded like Fort Knox now) as advised by our embassy. I have been told I am nuts by some people but the alternative at my age is going home probably having my flat repossessed and preparing for a long stint on the dolio.

Originally posted by wysiwyg
For a low cost operator he’ll need a 737 type rating which would set him back £20-25 big ones.

If at all possible he might want to check into getting a 737 type in the US if he can transfer it. They cost a fraction of that here in the States.

Here’s an example for $8,500:

http://www.fly-in-america.com/html/common/courses-typerating.htm

Continental Airlines even does it in there own sims. The price isn’t quoted here but I think it’s roughly the same as the above outfit.

http://www.continental.com/programs/training/b737.asp

If he was prepared to move down under, Virgin Blue is looking for Experienced pilots

Unfortunately, ba*tards like me are often in charge 😮

You get rid of expensive employees first. The older they are, the higher the cost of employment: higher wages, higher pension costs, less desparate to take any deal you want to push on them, more likely to mess around with shift patterns…

It’s still a shame though, and I’ve seen good people go through similar things. My old man was forced out to work in Africa after he was made redundant in the UK at the age of 48; he was too old for a serious job being over 40, or so he was told by the agencies. Preferred age for senior jobs is mid 30’s.

In a round about way I suppose I’m asking if Wysi’s friend is prepared to leave the UK for work, or does family life preclude that.

I too would like to wish your friend the best of luck..
Let us know how he gets on…

You would think that in this day and age companies would look on experienced members of the workforce in society as an asset..Will these companies ever learn..

It is bad news when someone loses their job. Its a sign of the times now with more of the big companies who you would think would be around forever are shutting up shop.
I guess its like a footballer the money is good when you are playing but take it away then you need to start all over again.
Good luck to him, I hope all works out.

Aer Lingus are getting rid of their’s hence the pull out of London City.

Which airline did he work for?

Only operators I know of in the UK that use the 146 are:

FlyBe
Flightline
Aer Lingus(Ireland)
BA

For a low cost operator he’ll need a 737 type rating which would set him back £20-25 big ones. Because of the appalling state of the industry the low costs are forcing pilots to pay for their own ratings these days before then working these people into the ground. Other airlines will generally type rate you then bond you for typically 3 years and £20,000 but in his later 40’s he’s not really a prime candidate with so many young commercially experienced already redundant whippersnappers out there despite having 4 years commercial jet time.

Thanks for the web address by the way.

Will he able to get a type rating for something else Wys, or does that involve huge personal costs as well ?

Good luck to him anyhow.

http://www.jethros.i12.com/