Are the airlines heading for a training crunch?

[TWOTBAGS]

This subject came up over a group discussion about the short sighted view by some in the aviation management world about the investment in training programs by the far majority of aviation operators here in Europe (sains the few “legacy” carriers), we are talking about type training not zero-to-hero type ab-initio training.

Back before any of us could afford a type rating we generally accepted a bonding period and knew that were going to be FO’s until the old bugger in the LHS ran out of round engine stories and croaked. Scratch one off the seniority list and we had what is called progression, these airlines we joined with a long term view and it was generally a retirement job.

To elaborate we need to look at the current trends.

It is plainly clear that any “loyalty” a company held with its crew is dead as the dodo, now we see that the minimum entry requirements are a type-rating. Preferably that someone else has paid for.

If pilots move from one job to the other the are seen as a long term risk because they are not “stable” and entrenched (read as “bonded to the hilt”), third house, second wife, kids at school, you know the story. If management jump ships its called a “career move” do they have performance bonds or 6 month checks? No but they get performance bonus’s. Ever hear of a pilot that got a bonus for consistently making block time or better… No, nor have we.

So now to save a buck the airlines training departments have been cut back so far that the only way to get some one on line relatively quickly is to poach someone else, the circle begins. No type rating no job, or bonded up the kazoo and treated like dirt. Having said that there are also quite a few “type rated” but no time on type guys out there that have been deemed unsuitable, we know of several individuals who have been to just about every interview and not got the nod…. “but I paid for my rating I deserve a job”…. Sound familiar.

There’s also the case that happened in a well know operator a few years back when FO’s were being passed over for DEC’s, the FO’s basically got together and marched into the DFO’s office.
FO’s: “hey we’ve been here a few years, we’ve got 2200 hrs why aren’t we being made Captain?? DFO: How much time on type?
FO’s: 2000
DFO: Command time?
FO’s: Does ICUS count?
DFO: No
FO’s: 110
DFO: On type?
FO’s: errr…. no total.

What happens next, well people get where they thought they wanted to go and sudden realize that its not all as advertised, (see the thread in wannabes) never ending nights, long haul advanced aging, what ever the problem is people finally get jack of it and do something else. We (the discussion group) could easily put together 20 names of guys who simply got jack of it and left the industry as a whole. We are not talking about BA 55’s either, were talking about those 30-45 who’ve had a gut full.

Then here is the crunch, if you are Captain/TRE/TRI with a rating you are in demand, airlines are having lots of trouble finding suitable applicants. At the other end, some airlines are now training limited, management proposed increased utilisation can’t happen because the crews are at max already and the training departments simply don’t have capacity. Also some of those coming out of the sausage factories even with self-funded ratings are lest say short on aptitude and long on attitude.

Are we soon to face this problem? Every training department we know of has been cut to the bone, and are running at max already. There is the signs of movement in the UK, Germany is still consolidating (GEXX & DBA), LH group are starting to suck up the 300 odd Bremen Babies that have been in waiting not to mention LX. The shake out has happened in Austria, France, Switzerland, Holland & Spain, Italy is on the precipice. We can’t really comment on the Scandic countries.

Have we reached the point where the lo-co’s, big regional’s etc are going to have to invest in their own people & training departments, and maybe just maybe start to invest in keeping people?

Your comments.