> GB wrote:

>> Snapper y7mail.com.invalid> wrote in
>> news:l6u5b4dd30goho4r21ivbvqnppvdi2chuo@yarwho.com:

>>> I wonder what the procedure is to select the pilots for conversion to
>>> the A380. Would it be seniority - ie. top level B744 captains and FOs?
>>> Or some other system?

>
> Initially the most senior of the training people are ex-400, but they
> moved to the A330 a couple of years ago to learn French. The initial line
> people are also from the A330. But, from about November, it's simply a
> normal slot which people will bid to (or be assigned to) as per usual.
> Quite a few of the Classic Captains will go to it when their aircraft is
> paid off. Next year, the Captains' slots include blokes from the A330,
> Classic and -400. F/Os tend to come from A330, but a lot are will be from
> the 737. The reason for that is that the blokes from the 747 are generally
> in a position to bid for a command (on 737, 767 or A330), so I don't
> expect many of the more senior F/Os to move to it.
>

>> I reckon blokes who have demonstrated their worth by successfully
>> executing a plummet and/or a plunge ought to be odds-on favourites
>> for the new top job! :-)

>
> I start my conversion around May, but I've had that slot for quite some
> time.
>

>>

>>> How many pilots will they need for the fleet of A380s and how many

>> Ten crews per aircraft is a rule-of-thumb number that I read
>> somewhere many years ago. I wonder if that's still valid.

>
> Less than that. I think it's more like 6.5 crews per aircraft, but it
> differs depending upon just how the flying is made up, and which limits
> are most likely to be hit (i.e. 100 in 30 etc).
>

>>

>>> B744s will be retired?

>> Just the one :-)

>
> Not immediately, and which one are you talking about?
>
> The Classics will go straight away, and I guess we'll start to lose 400s
> in a couple of years. The ERs will be around for many years yet.
>
>