Originally Posted by
ElZilcho
If Link Pilots think a joint seniority list will benefit them in anyway, I'm sorry to say, but they're deluded... this will only benefit the small handful of Pilots who have previously failed Jet interviews and could now (potentially) get another shot through the back door.
As Fly Real Fast has already said, do the Math. My generation went from Link FO to Jet in 5-7 years, including those of us who dared go "external" Some have done it in 2-3, others up to 10 due to the cyclical nature of the industry. With a GOP list, new hires will be number 600 in line for a Jet Job... I've averaged 20 places per year since I joined Air NZ.
Once again, we see a handful of pilots frothing at the mouth to agree to a change that might benefit them but will crap all over the next generation.
Air NZ (or is it the pathways team?!) are making a mountain out of a molehill here. In another year or 2, the Wave will be over, we'll be back to 20-30 new hires per year to cover retirements and suddenly, 600 Link Pilots will realize there's no point in taking that quick command at an outbase. Might aswell sit in Nelson for 15 years waiting for a Command because that'll still come up before a Jet Job.
The proposed Cadetship will only make things worse. Lets give some 300 hour Pilots a 777/787 rating, 2 years on the Job followed by some T-Prop time. I'm sure they wont take those ratings and experience overseas and will be more than happy to sit on the GOP list for 15-20 years just for the privilege of an A320 FO job.
A joint list will clearly benefit regional pilots, how that can be disputed is beyond me. If you think the current recruitment model (prior to the 70:30 ratio) was in the interests of link pilots, it shows how out of touch you are with regional. Almost all interview slots were filled with externals, some ex Jetstar cadet pilots and the tipping point being a few Jetstar Dash drivers attending a panel.
The failed interview pilots as a reason to oppose a GOP list is also a misnomer, you can have a GOP list with criteria to be met before a move to jet is approved (such as an assessment sim). One or two of the pilots I’ve seen get through the recruitment board in the last 2-3 years has opened my eyes to how clearly it can be luck of the draw and that a pilot that fails a R2G isn’t necessarily the ‘unwashed’ you fear so much.
Any pilot joining the Links now is going to be a long time to Air NZ jet regardless of a GOP list, as they had been interviewing roughly based on tenure at the company anyway. It just shuts the option of them upping sticks, joining an Aussie jet operater whilst leaving Links with a manpower shortage then bypassing everyone for an interview back across because Link pilots are being held back from interviews due to a manpower shortage. That’s in the company and majority of regional pilots interests.