SS: Good post!
Gypsy: Of course you are entitled to have a view point. My point is that you have a different view from the outside. Those of us who are here and living through the moving goal post of upgrade have a different view point The DEC program is possible through the expense of the First Officer's at EK. It is reasonable to expect us to have a differing opinion on the matter. It effects our lives and careers, not yours! Would you have us believe that if you were in our situation you would just accept it and not get angry. In a nutshell you are telling us to get over it and move on, and that is just we are doing, We are after all professionals and we go to work and do our jobs to the very best of our ability. That does not mean we have to like it, and neither would you.
quote" other guys in the industry are also well qualified and professional and deserve to be able to move their careers along as well." What do you mean by that. Are you refering to the DEC's who came here at the expense of the qualified First Officers? If so I would love to hear logic behind that statement.
And finally, I did not leave a LHS job to come here. I have said before on pprune, DO NOT LEAVE A LEFT SEAT JOB TO COME TO EK! IT WILL BE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF YOUR CAREER.
I came here because I had the misfortune of flying for 20 years for an airline in the states that is in a downward spiral. After 3 mergers, 2 bankruptcies, 55%pay cut, loosing 80 % of my pension, parking 150 jets, and laying off 2000 pilots, I found myself back in the right seat after many years in the left. I am sure that you are not so silly as to think I did all of this by my own choice. It is called starting over and many First Officers at EK are in the same boat as me. Most of the F/O's here from my former company were captains, have over 15000 hours and are First Officers again. We were all told that we qualified for accelerated command and would upgrade in 18 months. I must be honest though and tell you that even if it 3 years I will still get to the left seat faster than my mates still at the old company.
Jackbauer: I can not stress the point enough. We did not leave our old company as captians to come here to be first officers. We were all trying to find the opportunity that would get us into the left seat as soon as possible. I do not want or need your sympathy, but your statement was based on an assumption that was incorrect. Voting with our feet is not so simple. I am one of those who still think this is a great job. Even with all of the crap, I love going to work every day. I know that I am probably in the minority, but I like working here. It is not that simple to find a captains job when you have been in the right seat again for a few years.
Saltaire, I agree with you to a point. You are correct that a 8k hour pilot is just as ready for command as a 15k hour pilot. And a 15k pilot probably has no better skills than a 8k hour pilot. The only advantage to having those extra 7k hours is the experience.
You will see more problems in those 7k hours and you find that you are surprised less often. They both will make great captains, it is just that one will have less hair, it will all be gray, and he will have to sit on a doughnut because of the hemmoroids. But then thats just me!
Regards,
330 Man