Konehead

Hi All
I'm a line maint LAME with 12 years on B737 Classic, NG & BBJ. I'm considering short term contracting for the first time to earn an extra quid or three, preferably in heavy.
Both Kristec Resources (Malaysia) and AJI International (Singapore) have been in contact offering the following rates for B737NG heavy work:
Kristec: $40US/hr + airfares + medical, paid in ringgit @ 3.5 ringgit to $1USD (although colleagues recently negotiated $42US/hr)
AJI: $65SGD + accomodation + airfares + medical.
I've read posts on AirMech.co.uk which give Kristec a bad rap. And I can't find any info on AJI.
Does anyone out there care to educate a poor starving ignorant LAME about the pros & cons of the respective companies & countries? Personal experiences? Scuttlebutt? They both seem to urgently need B737NG licenses but with the AUD so strong against the USD, Kristec's offer just doesn't look as generous as it did a couple of years ago.
Any advice, info & opinions appreciated.

Konehead

Surely SOMEONE out there has been placed by Kristec or AJI, or worked on contract somewhere in the Far East?
BTW, please find attached the link to the AirMech forum re: Kristec. Interesting reading...http://www.airmech.co.uk/forums/show...hlight=Kristec

mainwheel

How do you feel about guys from that neighbourhood coming down and helping QF when they have their busy season?

Konehead

(Rant Mode ON)
I can only speak for Sydney, but it would sure ease the massive overtime bill QF is shelling out in Base & International Terminals. Workplace change at Sydney Domestic (ie roster change from 12 hr days & nights to days/afternoons, duck-shoving the overnight work and surplus manpower to Base) has been indefinitely postponed. The current management's maintenance planning strategy for QF Engineering has seen B744 dispatch reliability plummet, with B737 dispatch reliability on the cusp of heading south too. They refuse to acknowledge that:
1. the fleet is ageing and needs more maintenance
2. the airline is over-utilising the aircraft, leaving not enough ground time to fix them
3. they have cut back the manpower too far in Base and International Terminal
4. they have cut back Logistics too far, causing chronic spares inabilities, then privatised it!
4. They got rid of Sydney Heavy, with a two-fold effect: no spare manpower when Base have a surge, and no hangared aircraft to rob parts from
5. Base Maintenance management in its wisdom has chosen to extend A-Check intervals from every 500 hours to every 1000 hours with a commensurate effect on reliability.
6. QF management's treatment of staff, and the way they're running the airline into the ground has left the staff either not giving a s**t anymore or in despair.
There is more than enough work to keep everyone occupied into the near future, both in Base and at the Terminals. In fact, Sydney International can only operate by relying on overtime! And Base is so overworked that on occasion they've sent out text messages to 200 LAMEs/AMEs asking them to come in on overtime, and only had a handful of responses!
While I am a financial benefactor of the overtime, I'd rather have a home-life and a well-run company to work for.
So in answer to your question, rather than just come down to help out on an ad-hoc basis, I'd rather see more LAMEs like you permanently employed or current QF AMEs given the career path they were promised when they signed on as apprentices and then had taken from them by the current management. Considering the pending fleet expansion (A330, B737NG, A380 & B787) we could do with the extra numbers.
(Rant Mode OFF)
Now I am genuinely seeking some relevant info about contracting in the Far East or anywhere else for that matter. I've heard about quite a few people who've gone on short term contracts (ie 2 months which is all I'm interested in). Obviously I don't want to go in blind. If I'm too stupid to realise that I'm taking the food out of other poor starving contract LAMEs' mouths then mainwheel, please tell me. Am I living in Alice's Wonderland? Should I take off the rose-coloured glasses? Am I working in a sheltered workshop? Now, why do I want to go work in Malaysia or Singapore? The experience, to see if the grass is greener, to answer the questions just posed and of course the financial recompense. But only if I'm not gonna get jerked around as has been alluded to in posts on AirMech.co.uk! Oh, and for a decent rate. Or should I just wait for the collapse of the Pacific Peso and/or the rise of the USD?
Again, some genuine, relevant advice, experiences and opinions would be appreciated.
Regards
Konehead

mainwheel

KH,

Appreciate what you say. My view is QF are gearing things were there will be no option but to have the bulk of maintenance done out of the country. Leaving line stations manned by a large ratio of AME's to LAME's.

Working in SIN or KL can be a great experience, and you can make some $$.

A previous director of Startech (now changed it's name slightly) once told me that all scams rely on the suckers greed. Keep that in mind.

You apply and are accepted and make plans to go. They know this and also know it's hard to undo plans, ie-holidays can't be cancelled the day before you are supposed to start them.

Not all agencies are crooks but the ones that are play a few tricks.

Promise you an hourly rate in writing however on arrival there has been a huge problem and the rate will have to change. But don't worry, you'll be working a heap of hours and will make up for it.

Ring you just before you leave and instruct you to tell the check in staff at the airport that your someone's relative. Special staff ticket. Realise you are committing fraud.

Have a good read of the contract on offer. Beware of clauses like unable to work for another agency unless they give you a letter of release.

Get it is writing before you go the mail on tax. Some are trying a 10% witholding tax on guys. Do you get it back when you leave? Remember contracts can and are negotiated and not all the same.

Have a clear understanding of when you are going to be paid. One agency pays you for the month before last, so they always have a months worth of your money. Which certain deductions come out of when you leave.

If you sign a contract for say 6 weeks, which includes fares to and from. You are then asked to extend, are you entitled to go home for a weekend and then start new contract or offered compensation.

They supply a car for you. Only when you get in it after work the tank is empty. Their staff have been using it during the day.

PM me a contract and i will highlight it for you....................

Konehead

Hi mainwheel

Thanks very much for the generous offer of reviewing the contract.
By the way, what is PM?

Konehead

And don't get me started on QF! There's enough material for another discussion thread! And there's already a couple kicking around talking about how bad things are at QF - pilots, trolley dollys etc.

whataloadofrubbish

Konehead,


PM = Privage message.


Suggest you work out how to check them as you might find some useful info awaiting you!

Konehead

The wonders of modern technology!

PS thank you whataloadofrubbish. Very useful info indeed!

Cheers

KH

Syd eng

Revising an old thread, Are these guys ok to work for?

Please advise.

itwilldoatrip

Can't believe with all the threads on subject and time frame people still ask the same question.
OOPS just seen the continent of residency say's a lot ...... Mate