Pilot Pete
16th May 2003, 19:45
Following on from
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6911&perpage=15&pagenumber=1
I thought I would try to provide a little more inspiration for those who are finding things tough during these difficult times for being a Wannabe. So here is the latest instalment in my roller coaster airline career.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ah yes, that’s right, I last told you about the one-on-one with the base captain announcing to me that I was formally being made redundant. I had known for some time it was going to happen, it was just a case of the company getting the formal 90 day negotiation period with BALPA out the way. Once again it seemed I, along with 24 others were being dealt a dodgy hand from the chief pilot in the sky.
The benefit of the company holding the 90 day negotiation period separate from the 90 day notice period was immeasurable and I think an oversight on the part of the new MD who was chopping to the bone. He’d become rather aptly nicknamed Scary Spice due to his initials (of middle eastern origin) being ‘M. el B.’ Other companies pilots faired less well and the two periods were run concurrently. The jmc pilot management had been excellent throughout doing everything possible to reduce the numbers for compulsory redundancy from the initial 55 down to the 25 who were receiving formal notice. Not much consolation for the 25 of us however who now faced the distinct possibility of being out on the unemployed pilot market at probably the worst time for over a decade.
The stress at home was intense, our third (and final!) child was due in March and I was to be laid off at the end of May. I had managed to get payment protection insurance before the redundancy issue and felt a little relieved that at least we wouldn’t lose our home. What I couldn’t control was the fact that we were still unsure as to the health of our soon to born baby, the scan problems I highlighted in a previous post.
A stay of execution came by way of management negotiations with Air2000, who had cut costs rather too far after September 11th, certainly with the number of pilots laid off and who were now facing a deficit for the start of the summer season. A deal was struck to supply 9 pilots for the summer season, on a loan basis at Manchester and Gatwick. The pilot managers at jmc could show the reduced cost on paper thus getting agreement to extend our redundancy date until October 31st. Other voluntary redundancy options, early retirement packages and pilot loans to anyone around the world looking got the number down to about 5 once those moving on to better things (Emirates etc) had been taken out of the equation. It was agreed that they could stay the summer as a ‘buffer’.
I had just completed my first renewal in the sim with jmc and it was off to Air2000 to start again. The usual conversion ensued with more tech, crm and sim. The two companies’ procedures were very similar and that made the transition reasonably straight forward. Once my line training was out the way I settled in for a summer of hell, just grateful to still have a job. They were very short of pilots and my roster may as well have been torn up considering how little of it I actually ended up sticking to. Terminal two at Manchester was my new home and the staff car park issue came more to the fore because the staff bus didn’t even stop outside T2! What an airport!
The upside of flying so much was the duty pay, which helped keep our heads above water, the down side being disrupted sleep patterns and the slow onset of fatigue. Thomas was born on 22nd March and although very good, still did his best to let me know he was there at times that didn’t suit my body clock. Suzie was finding life tough, to say the least, with three boys under the age of five to look after and me seemingly only ever sleeping when I was at home.
All through the summer I had been keeping abreast of developments through the Balpa company council website/ forum and in constant contact with friends and colleagues. It became obsessive. Every little twist and turn, every glimmer of hope, every downturn in negotiations. The stress was terrible and with hindsight I now realise that, certainly towards the end of my stint at Air2000 I should not have been flying. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. So is experience, and I have taken from the whole episode a greater understanding of stress and fatigue and fitness to fly. I have even been to see Brian Simpson MEP to voice my concerns about the FTL scheme for Europe, but that’s another issue!
Ever since January I had been badgering DHL for an interview, as they were the only 757 operators who were currently recruiting. I guess they couldn’t believe their luck to find so many qualified and current 757 pilots banging on their door? They had big plans for a fleet of around 29 a/c, which were being delivered at the rate of around two a month. I had phoned and mailed, emailed and phoned again only to be told that the current round of recruiting had closed and I would be considered in the next round a month or so later. I was dismayed to hear in July that several of the guys kept on at jmc as ‘buffers’ had been given jobs at DHL. It transpired that they only needed to give one month’s notice to jmc as they had been served formal redundancy notice. Well? So had I. Ah, but I was on loan to Air2000 and therefore had to give Air2000 three months notice! But I was still employed by jmc! The phone was snatched of the receiver and the Fleet Manager’s number dialled to register my protests. He hummed and arred for a minute or so as I pointed out how unfair the situation was – 9 of us were cutting costs for the company and being penalised for it. He then took the bull by the horns and said that jmc would not hold me to the 3 months notice should I find an alternative job. I think under employment law they probably couldn’t have stopped us giving only one month, but as you are aware the industry is just too small to be stamping all over employers toes……….
My next phone call was to DHL offering the news that I was available at 30 days notice. Just to prove the last paragraph’s final point I was advised that I would be called back, as they weren’t aware that jmc had changed their view! All through the whole process jmc/Air2000 and DHL were conversing to prevent ‘pinching’ each others staff. Understandable I guess, but a little shocking when I first found out. It appears that my 3 months notice was what was holding up my application. I was called back the same day and asked for interview.
continued on next post, due to character count being too long. Could the moderators merge them please?
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6911&perpage=15&pagenumber=1
I thought I would try to provide a little more inspiration for those who are finding things tough during these difficult times for being a Wannabe. So here is the latest instalment in my roller coaster airline career.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ah yes, that’s right, I last told you about the one-on-one with the base captain announcing to me that I was formally being made redundant. I had known for some time it was going to happen, it was just a case of the company getting the formal 90 day negotiation period with BALPA out the way. Once again it seemed I, along with 24 others were being dealt a dodgy hand from the chief pilot in the sky.
The benefit of the company holding the 90 day negotiation period separate from the 90 day notice period was immeasurable and I think an oversight on the part of the new MD who was chopping to the bone. He’d become rather aptly nicknamed Scary Spice due to his initials (of middle eastern origin) being ‘M. el B.’ Other companies pilots faired less well and the two periods were run concurrently. The jmc pilot management had been excellent throughout doing everything possible to reduce the numbers for compulsory redundancy from the initial 55 down to the 25 who were receiving formal notice. Not much consolation for the 25 of us however who now faced the distinct possibility of being out on the unemployed pilot market at probably the worst time for over a decade.
The stress at home was intense, our third (and final!) child was due in March and I was to be laid off at the end of May. I had managed to get payment protection insurance before the redundancy issue and felt a little relieved that at least we wouldn’t lose our home. What I couldn’t control was the fact that we were still unsure as to the health of our soon to born baby, the scan problems I highlighted in a previous post.
A stay of execution came by way of management negotiations with Air2000, who had cut costs rather too far after September 11th, certainly with the number of pilots laid off and who were now facing a deficit for the start of the summer season. A deal was struck to supply 9 pilots for the summer season, on a loan basis at Manchester and Gatwick. The pilot managers at jmc could show the reduced cost on paper thus getting agreement to extend our redundancy date until October 31st. Other voluntary redundancy options, early retirement packages and pilot loans to anyone around the world looking got the number down to about 5 once those moving on to better things (Emirates etc) had been taken out of the equation. It was agreed that they could stay the summer as a ‘buffer’.
I had just completed my first renewal in the sim with jmc and it was off to Air2000 to start again. The usual conversion ensued with more tech, crm and sim. The two companies’ procedures were very similar and that made the transition reasonably straight forward. Once my line training was out the way I settled in for a summer of hell, just grateful to still have a job. They were very short of pilots and my roster may as well have been torn up considering how little of it I actually ended up sticking to. Terminal two at Manchester was my new home and the staff car park issue came more to the fore because the staff bus didn’t even stop outside T2! What an airport!
The upside of flying so much was the duty pay, which helped keep our heads above water, the down side being disrupted sleep patterns and the slow onset of fatigue. Thomas was born on 22nd March and although very good, still did his best to let me know he was there at times that didn’t suit my body clock. Suzie was finding life tough, to say the least, with three boys under the age of five to look after and me seemingly only ever sleeping when I was at home.
All through the summer I had been keeping abreast of developments through the Balpa company council website/ forum and in constant contact with friends and colleagues. It became obsessive. Every little twist and turn, every glimmer of hope, every downturn in negotiations. The stress was terrible and with hindsight I now realise that, certainly towards the end of my stint at Air2000 I should not have been flying. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. So is experience, and I have taken from the whole episode a greater understanding of stress and fatigue and fitness to fly. I have even been to see Brian Simpson MEP to voice my concerns about the FTL scheme for Europe, but that’s another issue!
Ever since January I had been badgering DHL for an interview, as they were the only 757 operators who were currently recruiting. I guess they couldn’t believe their luck to find so many qualified and current 757 pilots banging on their door? They had big plans for a fleet of around 29 a/c, which were being delivered at the rate of around two a month. I had phoned and mailed, emailed and phoned again only to be told that the current round of recruiting had closed and I would be considered in the next round a month or so later. I was dismayed to hear in July that several of the guys kept on at jmc as ‘buffers’ had been given jobs at DHL. It transpired that they only needed to give one month’s notice to jmc as they had been served formal redundancy notice. Well? So had I. Ah, but I was on loan to Air2000 and therefore had to give Air2000 three months notice! But I was still employed by jmc! The phone was snatched of the receiver and the Fleet Manager’s number dialled to register my protests. He hummed and arred for a minute or so as I pointed out how unfair the situation was – 9 of us were cutting costs for the company and being penalised for it. He then took the bull by the horns and said that jmc would not hold me to the 3 months notice should I find an alternative job. I think under employment law they probably couldn’t have stopped us giving only one month, but as you are aware the industry is just too small to be stamping all over employers toes……….
My next phone call was to DHL offering the news that I was available at 30 days notice. Just to prove the last paragraph’s final point I was advised that I would be called back, as they weren’t aware that jmc had changed their view! All through the whole process jmc/Air2000 and DHL were conversing to prevent ‘pinching’ each others staff. Understandable I guess, but a little shocking when I first found out. It appears that my 3 months notice was what was holding up my application. I was called back the same day and asked for interview.
continued on next post, due to character count being too long. Could the moderators merge them please?