mattyj
Not at all mate. Most of us are pretty happy there. I think we are treated fairly. The number of pilots leaving at the mo is purely a timing thing (caused by other airlines recruiting). Many pilots consider Eagle as a stepping stone, which is fine, and a lot of those have recently moved to the next stone. And for the record, I think I get payed what I'm worth (I doubt I'd fit into the 'eagle's finest' bracket though). With the last round of negotiations about 18 months ago, new F/Os got up to a 16% pay rise (with the intro of a much needed ATPL clause). We've just got to keep things moving in the right direction.
DeltaT
I definitely appreciate where you're coming from. To be honest, you have to be prepared to work for very little in most parts of NZ GA. I don't like this, but this part of the industry is a bit of a lost cause, and if you're using it to get where you're going you can bear it for a couple of years. What I said still applies though, you shouldn't be working for nothing, and certainly not paying to work. The boys at Sunair did a great job negotiating reasonable salaries a few years back, only to have them overthrown by the next round of hopefuls (I think this is what Hanz was talking about). I obviously don't have all the answers, just trying to get the newbies thinking. Cheers.
PB
I just re-read them, it is a bit doom and gloom at the start isn't it.
Hopefully they will stay to the bit where I said it's all worth it in the end
sally
I can also see where you're coming from. Things are not quite as dire in NZ yet, airlines requiring crews to buy a type rating is still the exception rather than the rule. I hope we can keep it that way. It gets impossible for one person to make a stand when everyone else is going with the changing tide. It's like being one of a small minority to vote for a political party, you might believe in their policies, but your vote is in essence wasted. That's why we need to stop it before this becomes the accepted norm.
BC
With all due respect, that's really neither here nor there. I'm sure your mate didn't have to fund his own type rating with TAA. I've got nothing against ambitious people who are prepared to do the hard yards in GA to get their first airline job, it's what most of us have done. But the line has to be drawn where the apprenticeship ends, and the fully qualified career begins. I liken it to a trade, you do your time as an apprentice, but when that's complete, your employer should pay for any further training you require, and if you move to a new employer, they should provide any specialist training you need (a type rating). The other commonality is that while you may get worked hard and payed little at the start, you are at least getting payed, and not paying for the pleasure of working. I hope you can see where I'm coming from.