EK and Factoring

[new tomcat]

A couple of months ago I made the charge that Emirates was running an illegal operation. This was because of Emirates pilots flying over 900 hours a year in clear violation of the 900 hour max imposed by the GCAA. In the mean time management has quietly said that the factoring was going to go away.
Talking to my friends suffering at Emirates they have said that the factoring has not gone away and will not go away anytime soon. If this is true what does the long oppressed EK pilot have to do to make sure Emirates stays within the law.
Emirates tells the world that they obey C.A.R regulations then make modifications to their own rules. This has to stop.
If Emirates can not play or fly by the rules they should not be allowed into europe, Aus, or the US.

[donpizmeov]

Tomcat lots of guys didn't make it through the whole DEC process. Its time to let go. Your friends are no better than you just because they got hired. I am sure you are just as good a pilot as anyone else. Everyone can have a bad day.

Keep that chin up fella, and forgive yourself,

The Don

[trimotor]

Was at meeting very recently where the topic came up with senior management: the response was that UAE GCAA didn't even blink when it signed-off on other FTL areas. factoring is here to stay.

You might also remember that GCAA was recently audited by the FAA, with a pass.

While I neither agre with nor like factoring, your charge that it's breaking the law is a fallacy.e

[kennedy]

Unfortunately it's not illegal according to EK, this dispensation was inserted in to the new OM-A last year,( and not removed in this years revision) and as the OM-A is a GCAA approved document, it's legal!

Had a department inspector on board 6ish months ago, and we discussed this at length, he wasn't aware of it and said he would look into it. As we haven't heard anything about any changes, means the usual sweep under the carpet has occurred!

Quizzed the CP (H.A.H) about it as well, he laughed in my face!

[InnocentBystander]

Vast majority of pilots who exceed 900 hr. rule with factoring still are below the 1000 hr. threshold without factoring as scheduled per the FAA rules.

If you swap into ULR's and exceed 1000 hrs unfactored you can't blame the CRS bidding system.

[cerbus]

So we are at 1000 hours per year now? When did that change?

[fourgolds]

Innocent , I disagree , if the vast majority as you say are under 900 hrs a year that means many are over 900 hrs a year ( DUH) , myself included. So lets not beat about the bush , there are many over 900 hrs a year !
Completely unsustainable.

[Visual Procedures]

Contacted :ok:

Whats written on the voyage report for the augmenting crew is what is added to their yearly total. No one can prove how long you were actually in there.

I can think of hundreds of reasons to justify a voyage report that said the augmenting crew spent a lot longer than 50% of the cruise in the front seats. :E

[Plane_Sailing]

Can i ask is flight pay paid on your factored hours or unfactored hours?

[Panther 88]

Nice work, Contacted. :D You have stated managements position perfectly by quoting the OM-A. Thank you. Oh, BTW can you explain to me while you are acting as part of the crew in the jump seat (re., augmenting), perhaps helping with the preflight, acting as a third and fourth set of eyes, acting as a "safety pilot", perhaps taking care of some issues in dispatching, or coordinating during an emergency that you are credited with zero flight hours? In fact, one would be expected to assist in an emergency in some way (but don't expect to be credited with any flight time). Only time in the operating seat IN CRUISE. Using this logic, I should be able to relax in a pax seat prior to my being called to the flight deck for duty. But I have to be in the designated Crew "operating" Rest Facility. DH crews don't have to be in a CRC.

Gee, I thought FTL were imposed to protect from flying too much, protecting from fatigue, etc, or whatever. YOU ARE PART OF THE CREW and are expected to operate and conduct oneself accordingly. Oh, but that doesn't count towards your FTL monthly or yearly.

Can you name me some other carriers that operate in such a manner? And why was it changed approx four years ago when it had not been so for years prior? And do you think it prudent if one does two ULRs in a month not to have approx 15-18 hours a month not applied to ones monthly max? Add that to a 95 hour month and there you go......110 hrs plus a month of flying duties. I'll tell you, my logbook reflects 110 ten hours of flight time, period.

And I believe that the final FAA audit decision has actually not been officialy published....still.

Finally, do you think it "wise" to operate only to the minimum standards that an airline's regulatory agency sets forth? If that were the case then we should make everyone a captain that has the minimum age and hours to be a skipper. We are way over the minimum for upgrade according to the GCAA but we are at the absolute minimum with regards to FTL. Riddle me that.

[fliion]

Tomcat

Eventhough you failed the interview you can now reapply within 12 mos instead of 24...

...eh that would be for FO...which considering you are passionate about rules and ethics...is the rightful joining position for a new-hire.

Good luck this time...plenty of gouge out there son...

f.

[fourgolds]

Panther is spot on. I have on more than one occasion been rostered more than 100 hrs a month . So anyone who disputes this is quite simply lying .
The rosters are unsustainable . Even though our colleagues on the 330/340 are not doing as many ULR's ( if any) and that their rosters are as a result not likely to be over 100 hrs a month , they are substantially more brutal given the number of night turns etc. The F/O,s overall are working a little less ,but still hard.

Having said this though , I did laugh when a brand new Captain offered to pick up a trip of mine( turnaround) in return for a day off. I was curious why , so he told me he was in a hurry to get his 500hrs PIC so he could go to KAL ! , LOL.

The real toll is going to be long term sickness , and we will continue to see policy change to adapt to increased sickness ( and not to the benefit of those that are ill). How long do you think you can continue to fly 900++ hrs a year , multiple polar , night turns etc . 5 years , 10 years , 20 years ?

If I was an actuary doing some sort of projection , I would be worried.

[Alconguin Crusader]

Does this surprise anyone? Life in the sand. They do whatever they want anytime they want and we the pilots are the ones to suffer. Long term health is very much an issue.

[fatbus]

Why is it that every summer this gets brought up? Just give it a rest or do a search.