hoistop
Originally Posted by hoistop
I cannot say for FTL, but definitely CAMO/airworthiness management was taken pretty much from UK model. So pointing a finger in EASA is futile here I think.
Given that the thread is about Virgin pilots and fatigue your comment about EASA finger pointing over CAMO/airworthiness seems rather irrelevant?
SteveHobson
When I left the armed forces and joined the airlines I was flabbergasted at the vitriol that existed between airline managers and pilots. I quickly learnt the reasons for that animosity.
1. Airline managers are ambitious individuals chasing more superior positions. It very much supports their mindset to see subordinates they 'manage' as being inferior to them. Unfortunately most Captains (for their skill-set and licence) get paid more than these managers and that very much sticks in their throat.
2. In the big, bad world of competitive management everyone has KPIs.... Some target you have to reach by the end of the financial year in order to trigger your bonus. For many managers that can be as little as 0.5% increase in productivity. Every pilot has seen notices published that inform of changes to procedure or reduced manning levels in some area and thought.... 'Another disaster in prospect'! The author however does not care if Rome burns as long as he triggers that bonus, problems in other departments are not his concern. After all, he is only going to be here for a couple of years, he will do untold damage and move along elsewhere with another gold star to add to his CV. Just like the manager who joined EZ a few years ago and decided he could run the summer programme with fewer crews. The fallout cost EZ a fortune and a summer of chaos ensued.
3. Managers are constrained by company procedures and rules, in many cases their sphere of influence ends at the edge of their desk. Pilots OTOH work in a huge dynamic environment where thinking outside of the box is a part of daily life. Whilst the manager is scraping around trying to find another 0.5% productivity to make his bonus, the two guys at the sharp end have infinitely more latitude to make good decisions and serve the bottom line (or otherwise) than the airline manager can ever aspire to. The possible corporate liability that lies in the hands of pilots is mind-boggling.
4. Pilots don't have to wander down the corridor and get every decision the make OK'ed by their boss.
5. On the HR spreadsheet of salaries pilots stand out like a dog's hind leg. Consequently, every pay round sees the pilots as the aspirational target for 'more work/less pay'. The annual cycle is utterly predictable.