Monty my dear friend-
Of course your were not criticised for flying when the weather was perhaps not "suitable"-More money for the companies pockets and the student wouldn't know the difference anyway.
I remember one day when the cloud base was low. As soon as it "improved" to 500' operations started moaning- go on you can start to get your IMC students in.And this aerodrome without an instrument approach?Yeah right.Or forcing instructors with "i'll ring the CFI and ask him why you won't fly" - when you've got an early student who obviously needs to see some kind of horizon for his/her early details and its a real merky day with not even a haze layer to help. Or a really windy, bumpy day and you're supposed to teach S&L 1.
I witnessed flights to and from maintenance with students paying rather than it be just a ferry flight.
Monty - you were not sponsored, so did you spend 2 full years at sCabair or just a few months whilst an airline job came up.Remember they have the sponsored guys/gals over a barrel and they know it and they certainly enjoy shafting them any which way they can- instructor or student.I've seen it.
Most of the management try to rule the instructors by threats, here are some that I heard;
Do you WANT to be a pilot?
We will send you to Redhill?(knowing its miles from your home)
When the new european max hours came out last year,and the instructors didn't want to sign the form exempting them, they were individually called in to see a director who said it "could ruin your career!"
Balpa know a lot about sCabair.Give them a call.
They do not treat their instructors with the respect they truly deserve.They are true professionals who have studied hard and sacrificed much only to be treated with contempt and like school children.
Tread carefully, very carefuly.
Frank being honest and frank!!
[This message has been edited by Honest Frank (edited 19 May 2001).]