Originally Posted by
Ollie Onion
^^^ why? That is how a lot of big airlines around the world are or have been structured, why is Air NZ so special that Jets and Turboprops shouldn’t be mixed?
And what makes an SO seat so special that it gets paid enough money to ensure a good chunk of pilots would rather sit there than move to an A320 FO spot?
These are genuine questions, as apart from ‘losing the higher SO pay’ for new joiners and or ‘a bigger list so longer wait times’ there doesn’t seem to be a very good reason to be so scared of this change.
SOs went through a couple of years trying to gain pay parity when a dodgey management deal was done with the Feds to gain a 13% increase in SO pay! The reason why F320 jobs are less desirable is not a pay issue but rather lifestyle/work load issues.
i also like having SOs on the flight deck who have experienced more than a VFR flight from Ardmore to Hamilton and back. We have some of the most experienced group of guys and gals in the middle seat on the planet! Are they utilising their experience? Probably not. But they have a CHOICE. S/O on long haul or F320. Links Pilots won’t have that choice if we vote for this change.
There are no other airlines that I know of which train cadets to then sit as a SO for two years in a wide body then move to an ATR/dash. The problem is not in the jet fleet. It’s a Link problem! Train for the Links. Don’t reduce the conditions of our hard fought for terms and conditions.
SO cadets are off the table now anyways so it doesn’t really matter.