BD69 - Virgin Blue most certainly capitalised on the opportunity to employ
Australian pilots, some of whom are "89'ers", IN Australia, on salaries less than Ansett and QF.
Impulse kicked the ball off in "pure" domestic-Australia ops, but preceded by
Cathay and
Cathay Cargo.
Singapore Airlines has similarly followed suit, basing pilots in Australia at less than they pay their expats based in SIN.
Personally, I know several pilots who have left (much) better paying positions overseas - a couple of those pilots were working in the same company as I - for the opportunity to return home to Oz. So the definition of "conditions" is not entirely related to $$$'s - LIFESTYLE is a major factor for many.
As a sprog F/O with Ansett, and for the next 3 or 4 years, I also received considerably LESS than senior F/A's in the same company.
On the endorsement issue - yes, I paid for my G.A. endorsements, renewals, and I/R initial and renewals. Obviously NOT with AN, however we were frozen on type for a specified period.
I entered into a sizeable "bank guarantee" with SQ, to gain a new type rating there, and am
currently paid an "end of contract bonus" when I finish my time here, even tho' I joined rated and current.
Unless EVERY pilot agreed to NOT pay for his endorsement, the system of having pilots pay for their own rating will remain - and as we are all aware, "
pilots eat their own!".
Whilst I was with AN, we were required to do 3-monthly sims. However, since leaving - and having now worked for 3 other national carriers - I can assure you that they do only 2 sims a year, 1 Training, and 1 Check.
Maybe Ansett pilots NEED more!!
Certainly
VB pilots work for less $$$'s than AN and QF domestic pilots - however many were (unofficially, of course) black-balled from joining, following that year. Perhaps, had they been accepted, the current situation might never have arisen, so maybe your question is better directed at some of the APA "executives".
If you know the management pilots of Virgin Blue, you will know that Standards and Safety
never has been, nor ever would be, an issue with them!
[ 27 December 2001: Message edited by: Kaptin M ]</p>