Erm, I think you will find that FR’s MOL did even worse than this when they started charging pilots for type ratings…

Best wishes from me too, get well soon.

So now you are saying that the 777 accident at LHR is BA’s fault too? Even though all the evidence so far indicates that it is most likely a technical problem rather than the fault of BA? Why not just blame the pilots?! Ah yes, their quick thinking quite possibly saved a huge amount of lives. Not many would have changed the flap setting as the Captain did… But let me guess, you know more about the crash than the AAIB and BA and the CAA and the pilots all put together right?

There is a HUGE difference between a bag that is missing and a bag that is not able to make it’s connecting flight. No one knows the whereabouts of a missing bag. If a bag is delayed the airline knows where it is.

He by no means is implying that BA are never at fault. He is saying that the majority of the bags that are not arriving with the passengers are not arriving BECAUSE the bags are coming from other airlines which are arriving late at their destinations. That is NOT the fault of BA, nor can BA do anything whatsoever about it.

BA is a business and it’s primary aim is to please the shareholders. Normally that would mean making PROFIT. Scottish routes are becoming less profitable… Cut them. Simple. You always have globespan right?
All the c*** about them not being the flag carrier? Most people if asked would say they ARE the flag carrier, and whether you believe it means anything or not is irrelevant… The vast majority do believe in having a flag carrier. Don’t like it? Don’t fly BA. MANY people do fly BA (33 MILLION last year). MANY people do think it is a fantastic airline (myself included). If they didn’t, BA wouldn’t exist.

To quote Lord Marshall:

“British Airways and its predecessor companies have been at the very forefront of air transport development since the dawn of this industry. We will continue to lead in the future.”

Couldn’t agree more.

Britain does have a national anthem… God Save Our Queen is the British national anthem. ENGLAND does not have a national anthem. The scots etc have their own which they use when Scotland are in something, but we have to use the British one as England doesn’t have a national anthem. We SHOULD have I vow to theem my country, but we dont.

Nick,

You need to do far more research into it before you make any kind of decision. I spent the best part of 5 years looking into which school, how, when, why etc for my training and then employment. I am currently about 4 weeks away from gaining my CPL, but few airlines will hire you with that. In fact, I cant really think of any airlines that will hire you with a CPL in the UK. You could possibly get some small king air charter work etc, but without the ATPL you dont stand a chance with an airline these days.

After you have your CPL, you will need to do the IR and MCC, which then qualifies means you have a “frozen” ATPL. All that means is you have passed all the necessary exams but to not meet the hours required to have your ATPL. You cannot become a Captain until you have unfrozen your ATPL, which can be done in just over a year, if you work hard. In terms of costs, Modular guys can expect to pay between £30,000 and £40,000 purely in TRAINING costs. You then have accomodation etc. Integrated students like myself pay up to £70,000 for the training. In all honesty a £100,000 budget for integrated wont be too far from the truth at the end of it all, as people often forget how expensive living can be!

You will come across a lot of arguing about which is better; modular or integrated. Of course with modular you pay far less, but then some airlines are less keen on modular students. In fact, the BA head of flight deck recruitment said two years ago that BA will not and do not take modular students. BA aren’t the only airline, and trust me many airlines do take modular students, it just depends on what your goal at the end of it all is.
I chose integrated because I felt it suited me better.
Check out http://www.pprune.org for info, and without meaning to sound rude, you need to do far more research. From your post I can tell that you dont know much about it all. Keep in mind that there are many many young students who want to be pilots. You will have to make yourself one of the lucky few to actually get the job at the end of it all. If you haven’t done your research, you can forget it all together.

In terms of salaries, BA pay for First Officers will start somewhere around £28,000 but they pay for your type rating (which will cost you in the region of £20,000). BA also pay you £10 per flying hour, so if you do the limit of 900 hours a year thats an extra £9000 on top. Most airlines have flight pay. BMi pay for starting First Officers is £41,000, but you have to pay for your type rating. At the other end of the scale, some airlines cough *ryanair* cough need a fair amount of research before even considering. Out of 25 people on my course, not one person has said they will consider working for them. I am not saying anything incorrect about them, I haven’t worked for them so I cannot tell you whether they are as shocking as some people say. Pprune should give you a good hint as to what the situation at Ryanair is like :p

It’s not the easiest career to get into, but the commitment to get good results in groundschool and you flying will show how much you want it. Best of luck and feel free to PM/email me if you have any specific questions.

Minidoh

P.S. A few schools you could google to check out their websites:
Oxford Aviation Training
CTC Wings
Cabair
Flight Training Europe