Airlines can operate without accountants, not for long and not very successfully but it theory it can be done, like in theory we could fly without ATC, but I just don't want to try that for real!
As for being a "team player" I think you'll find most of us certainly are. The non team stuff comes from HQ. There is a terrible "them and us" attitude that pervades everything in Emerald, the mistrust and bad feeling has to seen to be believed. The "workers" do get on well generally, most pilots and engineers have a decent relationship but since we very rarely come into everyday contact with the accounts dept. etc then it is difficult to get to know these people individually, only their actions are known. This is one of the reasons that mis-trust gets built up since thy are faceless to us and vice-versa. Having team building exercises would be a good idea, but are about as likely to happen as me landing on the moon next week!
I would like to think that we all want the same things in the company, i.e for it to be successful and for it's staff to be treated with respect, since only the first thing is happening currently, I don't see any long-term future for myself at Emerald, sad but true. Does that make me mercenary? To be honest I couldn't care less. I do my job to the best of my abilities, but when I'm not there the place couldn't be further from my mind.
Being woken at 3am when on SBY is fine, that's what being on call is all about, but when it's on a day off or you only got in an hr before it does get a little grating. One of the reasons I have such sympathy for the ops bod's, being forced to do that every day is bound to end up in a torrent of abuse from somebody or their partner.
Having to take a 'budgie' to cover a shed, may be common place, but why on earth should it be acceptable? We're talking about a route that been done everyday for 6 months, we have the a/c to cover nearly anything, but we don't have the crews to man them, so you've got a perfectly good machine sitting on its backside whilst a more expensive machine has to take its place. Not sensible.
Dada, hit the nail squarely on the head.
Last edited by Say again s l o w l y; 21st Aug 2004 at 09:27.