Originally Posted by
Kaboobla
Tinfoil
What you say makes sense. Except the impetus for this is not from AIPA or from any mainline pilot.
It is from public statements by Gissing and an email from QF the chief pilot which says (and I quote directly) :
"Importantly, this flying will only commence once all our 737 pilots are stood up. The timing will depend on the rate of recovery in travel demand but is currently expected to start in June 2021. However if we experience more border closures which impacts our projected stand ups, then we have flexibility to delay the commencement of the Alliance flights. Alliance is keen to also provide opportunities for Qantas pilots and cabin crew to operate the E190s, particularly with international markets expected to take several years to fully recover. Alliance will cover training costs for successful applicants. We will send through details on this opportunity separately in the coming weeks "
Now I agree with you who knows what will happen. But these guys are not going to be saying any of this unless they believe it to be true. Because they dont need to. Its quite likely there will be backpedaling and a change of tune on all this later.
I realise this is upsetting for you and probably you feel you are going to be professionally effected. But ever since 1989 the entire history of pilots employment in the country has been one group getting ahead at the expense of others. Thats how it works in this part of the world unfortunately.
The training cost argument you lay out is logical, but again not an issue as I have it on good authority that QF will reimburse Alliance for any endorsement costs involved when a seconded pilot joins them and if in the future that pilot leaves.
So they wont be at the back of the queue. They will be at the front. And I am betting that if and when you get to fly with one of them you will find that the guy or girl sitting next to you is just like everyone else you work with.
At least in Qantas we dont overnight sleep in an aircraft with the APU running because we didn't get a hotel room and then exhaust all the fuel on board resulting in the fuel system needing to be re-primed before the aircraft's next flight.
First of all Im sure the QF pilots are decent people, I was just having a crack, no offence intended. It is a different situation if QF are paying for all of their training costs but ultimately the decision still lies with Alliance as to whether they take them on or not.
Im sure if QF pays to train up all of these crews then yes, they will take some of their crew until they return to Qantas. Of course as you correctly point out there most likely will be some back peddling at some stage, this is aviation so Im sure no-one will be surprised by that.
However ultimately Alliance will have the final say on everything and rightly so. Of course business and making money will dictate those decisions which they will have to live with and justify. I do know type rated E-Jet 190 pilots are highly sort after at present because they literally have no E-Jet pilots in Alliance and CASA does not want green on green flying together if it can be avoided, that I have on good authority.
Im not sure how many E-jet pilots are or have returned from the US but for 30 jets their simply will not be enough type rated guys and gals.