Thin Albert,
While I do not disagree with your comments on the fleet office, they cannot be blamed alone.
The now departed CEO, whose inept slash and burn management style started RBAs downward slide 3-4 years ago.
Cutting all pilots, cabin crew, and engineers salaries to the bone, changing the slip patterns to minimum rest days down route, and leaving only 8 days off a month in Bwn, (never more), has lead to the fatigue so common on the Boeing fleet.
Yet this clueless manager has left, as is his policy, with his pocket full of cash, for someone else to sort out the mess, he is no longer responsible, so it will be the new CEO, DFO, chief pilot, fleet office that will have to carry the can when something happens, yes when, not if, as even some trainers have said, very low experience levels, heavy rosters, short slip patterns, and only 8 days off in Bwn a month resulting in fatigue on the Boeing fleet, and an ageing fleet with numerous defects.
Also by cutting pay, allowances and annual increments, unlike in the past, has made RBA a very temporary job prospect, with no-one ever contemplating staying long term any more, get the minimum experience required to move on. Although staff were very unhappy at RBA, there were little options available to move to in the past few years, but prospects are better now, and assuming options will remain, an exodus is about to start. The supplementary allowance increase just given is way too little, too late, in fact it would not even cover the increments and allowances cut over recent years.
Then you have the DFO, who should be the last line of defense to flight operations against dangerous and inept management. Unlike his predecessor, who many say, was there to line his own pockets, apparently he did have the spine to stand up against rogue management. Now you have castor, who is too spineless to stand up to anyone, and as his name suggests will meekly get pushed wherever by whoever. He never did fly much long haul before did he? now he doesn’t fly at all, he just wanders around the office waiting for some new policy to be pushed through by management unhindered.
The deputy DFO has jumped on the band wagon, recently publishing an order saying, when standbys are rostered before days off, you cannot refuse to fly, thus the meager 8 days off a month in Bwn, becomes 4 to make any sort of plans. These 4 are when you get back from Fra-Bkk then position Bwn and are too exhausted to do anything.
Perhaps if they stopped rostering standbys before days off, or in the middle of days off, there would not be a problem. Why not only roster standbys before a long haul so they could call you to operate an earlier long haul, (as that’s all the Boeing does)
You have the fleet office writing there own rosters, and intimidation through contract renewal threats, as mentioned.
Then there’s the training dept writing there own rosters, the only good training flight are 4 day Syd’s (2 sectors), 2 day Bne’s, not the 6 day Lhr’s (4 sectors), or 5-6 day Fra’s (4 sectors), is it any wonder the line pilots only do Fra and Lhr, with minimum days off in Bwn and down route and are so fatigued, thus it takes 6 months to train pilots to line.
We have certain trainers gloating about their pay, being on top capts increments, and just received a $2600 a month pay rise, saying they only fly 4 days Syd’s. This when pay increments have been stopped for all new capts for the last few years, not surprising line pilots are operating continually fatigued.
Do they realize AT LEAST a third of the Boeing fleet has applications with other airlines, both local and foreigners, and many more about to reach there 3000 hours command, ready to apply. One local capt and fo have already left, another local trainer rumored to be leaving.
They are so short of staff a few new pilots, whose behavior has been irresponsible, are kept on, unbelievable as they will have no option but to promote them at some stage as there will be no-one else with the required experience available.
They have advertised for UK license holders only to apply, yet the package, rosters, slip patterns, housing (allowance cut, you have to pay out of your own pocket if you want somewhere reasonable) are such that you would have to be desperate to join RBA if you had any jet experience.
It may be ready to implode.