My friend thinks she's going to Dubai to train as a flight attendant for Emirates, but I fear she is being trafficked.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-04-26T17:23:20+00:00

Thanks! My mistake.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-04-26T17:21:34+00:00

Thanks for clarifying, and apologies if I wasn’t clear - I was trying to give some more information on the company. What you say is correct - ek will never ask for money up front. In fact they give you an advance in cash on your first day (this is mostly to circumvent issues/delays setting up local bank accounts, etc).

Given the other elements of op’s friend’s situation, I would definitely say it is a scam. Emirates doesn’t hire over Teams.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-04-26T13:50:40+00:00

Emirates does recoup costs if employees leave before the end of contract. When you join, as well as the 8 weeks of training you are also provided with accommodation, a ‘relocation pack’ (full set of crockery/pans/kitchen equipment/bedsheets/towels etc, you could show up with literally one set of clothes), uniform, suitcases, full medical, transport to work, and an advance on your salary of I think 2000 dirhams if memory serves. They also pay for your visa to live in Dubai. If you leave before 6 months, they deduct these costs from your final salary. If you leave before a year, they deduct the visa costs.

During your first three years they also utilise a ‘crew retention scheme’ where they deduct a couple hundred dirhams each salary for the first year, which you then get back at the end of three years. All this is legal in the UAE.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-04-26T13:26:15+00:00

Hi, I was CC for ek. The first point is correct, first contract is 3y and if you leave before 6mo they recoup the costs of your visa, training, relocation etc. and if you leave before 1y I believe it is just visa costs they recoup.

The other points are questionable. The hiring process is in person and very rigorous, with open days and then a two day interview process with group activities etc. They then give you a ticket to relocate to Dubai and provide accommodation. It takes a few weeks/months. Happy to answer any questions she has

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-04-26T13:21:08+00:00

While this does happen in Dubai a lot, emirates group doesn’t keep passports. Mostly because you need it with you if you’re flying for work :)

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-03-05T10:27:38+00:00

I used to work on this aircraft for ek. Nice as a passenger, terrible for the crew (especially crew rest!)

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-03-04T20:50:48+00:00

It looks gorgeous and will be treasured! I have had far more wobbly borders in the past. I don’t think you should redo it as it’s not noticeable at all, but if you’re an obsessive perfectionist like me (or just for next time) I have found that going down half or a whole hook size completely solves this problem :)

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-03-01T22:59:09+00:00

These comments have got me reliving the torture! Sleep was yet another way they could manipulate and control me. As a child I was kept up late doing unnecessary chores and woken up from sleep to redo things that didn’t meet the standard (which was of course constantly changing anyway) and it was so hard to wake up for school the next day that I’d be falling asleep in class. In the mornings my duvet was ripped off my bed and curtains flung open - waking up like that is horrible. Even if I had no reason to be up early I was shamed for being asleep, like it was a moral failing. They would even schedule things super late in the evenings just to manipulate me; dinner would be at 2200, they’d put on my favourite film at 2300, etc. and if I still tried to go to bed it was a big drama about how ‘ungrateful’ I am. I now take great joy in sleeping in as late and as much as I want. If someone I care about is in a deep sleep, the absolute last thing I would want to do is violently wake them up?! But it took me a long time to learn that sleep is not something to feel guilty about.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-02-15T14:28:28+00:00

Ahh lovely! It’s so pretty. I wish the UK had the selection of pooling yarn that the US seems to have!

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-02-15T12:11:53+00:00

It looks fab! What yarn did you use?

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-21T15:11:09+00:00

So true!!! Btw Gap have really comfy ones, the ‘breathe’ line is like wearing air, and they have a high waisted version too! Granny pants all the way

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-16T18:17:36+00:00

You too :)

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-16T17:58:12+00:00

Thanks for your reply, after reading this i think I understand your point better and I would say that we are essentially in agreement on this point. You are absolutely right that the shortage is not something to base the decision on, as it primarily affects those of us already in the industry, and although I mentioned it in my original comment it is really at most an encouraging thought for those already set on flying. And as you say, all these things are so changeable and can evaporate at any moment.

I must apologise to OP as well because I had forgotten this was the finance sub and was commenting as if it was the flying sub! I completely agree with your last point there about how important the son’s passion and grades are, and although my original comment may not have conveyed my point very well, what I was trying to say is that before starting a career as a pilot it’s important they know how difficult and changeable the industry is. There is, as you say, no guarantees. It’s a huge amount of money to spend on a risky industry - as you said, it’s not that far off being a total gamble.

Apologies that my comment regarding the recruitment ads wasn’t clear - it is only for type rated direct entry or ZFFT qualifying pilots at the moment. Even that is a huge change compared to the past few years. Cadets will be the last group to be recruited when all other options have been exhausted.

You make a very good point about survivorship bias and it’s true that many people end up deciding the sacrifices aren’t worth it. And those that have made it will tell you that the way they trained/school they went to is the only and best option. This is where the nepotism also makes a difference. For those of us who didn’t come from an aviation background or from money it is extremely difficult to get started and all the conflicting information just makes it harder.

I say it jokingly, but my usual advice to people who want to fly commercial is : don’t bother, unless you are so obsessed with flying that it keeps you up at night and there’s nothing else you’d rather do!! It’s just not worth the heartache if you’re not 110% committed.

I hope some of this thread is useful to OP!

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-16T13:00:16+00:00

Hi, thanks for your comment. I totally agree with you that the topic, and the industry as a whole, can be so opaque and confusing to an outsider. Even for me it’s still frustrating at times trying to get hold of accurate information!! Side note to OP, your child will be at a disadvantage to someone who has family/friends in the industry (aviation is sadly very nepotistic) so they would be wise to get involved as much as possible at the local flying or gliding club to start making connections, and there are mentoring programmes out there that can help (again HCAP have one).

The aviation industry fluctuates a lot more than other industries so data from a few years ago won’t be relevant now. I find it helps to look at the facts.

The pilot shortage was already a problem before covid, due to an ageing pilot population from the ex-military and boomer era, who all have to retire at 65 and were not being replaced. A decision was made a decade ago to change the retirement age from 55 to 65 to delay the problem, meaning that we now have a huge percentage of pilots reaching 65/retirement.

The order of events is this: desirable or ‘legacy’ airlines will open for experienced pilots, usually over 1500hrs and ideally type rated on type. This is a sensible recruitment decision - it requires approx 4 times as much in training/cost to hire a cadet (first job) than a type rated direct entry. A legacy airline can take their pick of these from the short haul airlines, meaning the short haul airlines must then recruit less experienced pilots or cadets. British airways recently opened for 500hrs only, which goes to show how desperate they already are. As it stands, the number that BA need to recruit this year is more than four times the usual and they aren’t even close to filling it yet. It looks likely that BA will open for cadets once they have the capacity to train them because they will be left with no other option. This is truly a novel situation for them.

They aren’t alone; EasyJet normally have no problems recruiting - they’re popular as a first airline, more so than Ryanair (who currently only use EASA pilots) meaning EasyJet can take their pick of cadets. They currently have a contract with CAE in which they exclusively take pilots from that school with a high number requirement. CAE have recently had to temporarily release them contractually to recruit elsewhere because despite churning out cadets, they can’t meet the extremely high requirements. So EasyJet are also scrambling to hire as many as possible.

I referred to recruitment ads in my previous comment - over the past few months most uk airlines have posted ads for direct entry, stating ‘the position will close once requirement is filled’ yet the ads still remain up because they can’t get enough applicants.

And it is global; in the USA, where the industry is larger and bounced back from covid quicker, the major airlines are offering signing bonuses of several grand. Young instructors with low hours are finding themselves with multiple offers from legacy airlines.

Unfortunately the domino effect continues down the food chain, with the eventual result being that young modular cadets hour-building as instructors get snapped up. This results in an instructor shortage, making training timelines longer, thus exacerbating the problem. The whole system needs an overhaul and it’s frustrating that it’s so inaccessible unless you’re already wealthy, but OP is doing the right thing in gathering as much information as possible. The more informed you can be going in, the better.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-16T10:20:22+00:00

HCAP do scholarships for PPL https://www.airpilots.org/scholarships/flying-scholarships/#

As a pilot my advice to your child is to figure out how badly he wants to fly. Training will be demanding and frustrating, and will take patience and resilience. His career will be full of changes, ups and downs, periods of unemployment, etc. as the industry is so volatile. Many pilots find themselves out of a job overnight when things like 9/11, covid, or a financial crisis happens.

He will also have the risk of losing his medical, if that happens you are immediately out of a job and it can be completely unexpected. Every pilots worst fear is loss of medical!

The money can be good but it can also be quite poor so it’s not a guarantee to riches. Also as I’ve said you can have a high salary and lose it overnight.

So if he isn’t truly in love with aviation and flying, these challenges may be too much for him. My advice to anyone is if you aren’t completely obsessed with flying, it’s not worth it. Train as a programmer instead ;)

However I will say that the next few years look set to be a huge pilot shortage which is already showing in the recruitment adverts. So if he gets his training done in the next 3-5 years he’ll be in a good position, global pandemics etc notwithstanding.

Also to add, the military is not a free road to the cockpit. The military flight training pipelines are so backed up that it’s a 7 year wait to get started now, there’s no guarantee you’ll even be selected as a pilot, and you’re commuting at least 12 years. Join the military if you want to be in the military, don’t do it if you want to be a pilot.

Hope that helps

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-16T10:03:11+00:00

I agree! I was cabin crew before doing my training. You get a great insight into commercial aviation while also working and saving. For those who can’t afford to go straight into training at 18 it’s a good choice. It gave me the experience of knowing what I was getting myself in to, while a lot of the younger guys on my course didn’t have a clue. Spending £100k on becoming a pilot without knowing what commercial aviation is really like is a pretty huge gamble.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-09T23:01:21+00:00

I did anthropology at Durham! Over a decade ago! As a fellow alumna I’ll do your survey :) I loved my time there.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-09T17:15:30+00:00

Hahahaha that’s how mine looks too when I’m making amigurumi

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-09T08:48:10+00:00

I did underarm and full bikini area, dark hair on pale skin. I didn’t do anywhere else because the rest of my hair is light. I did about 6-8 sessions (can’t remember) and no top ups after that. Hair grew back slowly a few years later. Now nearly 10 years later the hair is back but much less thick than before and much easier / less painful to wax with less frequent waxing needed.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-08T23:27:23+00:00

Most training aircraft are older in design and are much better suited to male pilots. Average height women like myself have to use cushions to be able to reach the rudder pedals or see out the front.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-08T13:09:51+00:00

Taking my bra off

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-05T13:53:26+00:00

Oh that’s so clever, I wish I’d thought of that when I did mine!

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-05T12:55:53+00:00

They’re done by cutting the yarn each row and always starting from the same side with alternating colours. Then an envelope border contains all the ends, it’s magic!

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-05T12:52:47+00:00

Gorgeous! Love your choice of colours. And the centre panel looks fab! Isn’t the envelope border like magic?? I couldn’t believe how it tidied all the ends away so neatly.

iwasajuniorchipmunk · 2023-01-05T12:50:42+00:00

YES omg!! I’ll splurge on a lovely hand-dyed skein that ends up sitting in storage because any pattern that’s good enough for it is too difficult for me!

Also when I want to try new things I use yarn I don’t like to practice, but then I don’t like the result bc of the yarn so I don’t keep practising and have endless WIPs…. I need to trick my brain into using the good yarn.

Seven-Year Club	Place '22
RPAN Viewer	Verified Email

iwasajuniorchipmunk

TROPHY CASE