Mt Cook f/o’s in Chch are not taking commands in Wgtn (12 commands was the number a month ago) when they have the seniority to. Air Nelson can’t upgrade guys because of the 1000 hr company requirement. These are facts. And Kel Duff and co are trying to address them.
The jet pilots will vote on a GOP and the general consensus is no. It’s not still in birth - it’s a miscarriage.
Aluminium hail I don’t think you understand the GOP if you think in time once the jet list is renewed (which will take 40 years in its entirety) that people will be given a group number. There are 3 separate companies we are talking about here. To join on whatever fleet and have a number means it would be one company with one contract like the jet fleet is now with different fleet pay scales. There’s a lot of change that needs to be implemented first.
The Links aren’t just going to hire low hour pilots that need 3 plus years to get their hours up. There would be a mix of experience from GA guys, instructors, overseas GA etc. You are naive to believe every pilot hired would be a cadet. (If we had them). This isn’t how the Pathways Project is designed from the hiring point of view.
A low hour guy needs stick and rudder time and sectors under their belt to get the experience up. Not watching 3 takeoffs and landings a month from the back and a couple of extra sims a year. They may learn the longhaul operation but that doesn’t help them fly the dash or atr from a skills point of view. The s/o role is fine for the guys sitting there now as the experience levels of s/o’s is quite humbling and they are effective members of the crew. You ask guys how many time the s/o has saved some paperwork for the skipper. Reality is a cadet wouldn’t have the same level of experience to.
I’ll say it again, the jet fleet has no problem, it’s the Links. And now it’s even better for Link guys as they know they will get a jet job, in seniority of the EOI now so there is a clear progression. A GOP stops externals and without them in times of expansion we are parking up planes left right and centre if we are only taking guys of the links. Externals don’t have to be hired when it’s slow, the Link guys can trickle through. 70:30 is a limit not a target.