Yes I voted with my feet...the 4 engined Gas chamber wasn't so great but the Falcon was, without doubt, the nicest pilot's plane I'll ever fly, after the Fokker of course
I have no regrets about leaving Pixie, although as I slid down the 14 localiser from Kubuna the last time with a blazing sunset chasing me it got a little too emotional for comfort.
I choose, these days to concentrate on the good memories of 13+ years in 'paradise'!!
The odd poke at Sharpie aside
I pulled out an old seniorty list the other day and was amazed to see how many have left...I'd be well onto the first page, and yes, very likely looking at a 767 slot.
But next Saturday morning I depart for Seattle to complete a 767 type rating so I'll be ensconsed in one of Mr Boeing's finest shortly anyway.
As far as national pilots getting the same pay there is no argument...they absolutely should!!
But then again there should be only one seniorty list and they should come under the same disciplinary regime too!!
While national precedence reins and the expats are 'just there to hold a seat warm for a local' then PX will never be other than a short term gig for the vast majority of expat pilots....only there because they are needed...like it or not that attracts a premium...but you'd never guess that looking at PX expat pay these days!!
Since long before I joined people have been saying things like "we may have hired our last expat" or "the cadet scheme blah blah" and yet they have never gotten any closer to full localisation of the pilot body, nor will they, imho, in my career time frame. The more motivated and talented nationals are now leaving at (probably), as a % of total numbers, a greater rate than expats.
For decades Pixie has been a political and, to some extent racial, ****fight....probably the two biggest impediments to success.
When the whitey bashing (at all levels) stops and ALL the pilots are on one seniorty list with equal pay and equal everything else then PX will be back on the high road again instead of just being the best jet flying school in the world.
Don't hold your breath though.
Chuck.