SWISS

Check_Six

Well-Known Member
I was reading the thread from last month about teaching for the SWISS and RWL programs. Has anyone around FSA discussed a possibility of being considered for employment at SWISS (i.e. sign a teaching contract and eventually end up as a new-hire pilot for SWISS)? I thought maybe if you're qualified to teach their pilots then maybe they would consider you qualified to work at the mainline operation.

I know they have certain requirements for standard new hires:
JAA ATPL
German language proficiency
Swiss work permit

But, I was also told that there are a few expats from other countries working for them. I'm just wondering if this might be something of a back door into European aviation. My girlfriend works for Swiss and I have been searching for an way to fly in Switzerland without much success. :rolleyes:
 
To be a pilot for Swiss you have to take their 18 month training program that you instructed in.

*edit- and likely pay for it
 
In order to fly in Switzerland, other than have a JAA (or a swiss CPL for other than airline pilot jobs), you need to be a citizen of EU or CH.

Swiss is not the only one looking for pilots, we have: Edelweiss, Hello, Darwin, Flybaboo, Balair and Helvetic. Not all of them pay for the type, some do and you have to sign a 36 month contract, a JAA type on A320/MD82 runs around 30-35K $.

If you qualify for a direct entry (mainly exp FOs), you may be considered also if not EU or CH, but they will prefer those guys. If in some ways you get a CH citizenship you will not be able to apply anyway, because to fly for a swiss company you need to complete the swiss military (at least use to be like that when I was in training), that is mandatory for every swiss male.

The only foreign working as cockpit crew are citizens of EU, mostly germans.

Different story for the rest of the crew, where you can find people from all over the world, like India…

Speaking German is important, but remember most of the other candidates speak 3+ languages, and in swiss intl air they don’t really speak german between each other but swiss german that is about as different as spanish to italian.

As american is probably easier try to get with ryanair or flybee, or just get a FO slot in one of the many corporate company flying N-registred planes, but here mins are rising.


Bye!
 
... in swiss intl air they don’t really speak german between each other but swiss german that is about as different as spanish to italian....

Dass stimmt aber wirklich! Ich speche lieber Englisch in der Schweiz als dass ich versuche die Eidgenossen zu verstehen.

I would imagine however that pilots for SWISS speak english in the cockpit and [swiss]german for nonessential conversations.

JAA conversion (or breaking into the market in Europe for that matter) seems not impossible but very difficult to pull off.

FWIW the biggest hurdle is the bias against having somehow circumvented the established career path progression. For LH that means you can come with a Nobel Prize in astrophysics, but they will ask you about your high-school diploma...

YMMV
George (vom Bodensee)
 
Dass stimmt aber wirklich! Ich speche lieber Englisch in der Schweiz als dass ich versuche die Eidgenossen zu verstehen.

I would imagine however that pilots for SWISS speak english in the cockpit and [swiss]german for nonessential conversations.

JAA conversion (or breaking into the market in Europe for that matter) seems not impossible but very difficult to pull off.

FWIW the biggest hurdle is the bias against having somehow circumvented the established career path progression. For LH that means you can come with a Nobel Prize in astrophysics, but they will ask you about your high-school diploma...

YMMV
George (vom Bodensee)

swiss piloten sprechen meistens English (sort of) in dem Cockpit, aber bin nicht sicher avec le suisse romande..:D

You now in europe they don't care if you have a degree, unless is aviation related (nothing like Riddle, I'm talking about engineer qualifications not engineering courses), look ryanair you can be a Phd but they will still take the guy that scored the best in the SIM, also if he worked in a farm before, and this company doesn't even require an high school diploma!!!

Gruesse!
 
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