Industry Insider,
I have to believe the above photo of the Houma base is real. It confirms my own observations a week ago, when I watched the first launch two days in a row from both of PHI's Houma facilities (the one pictured is part of PHI's main base, while a separate BP facility lies across the airport). The weather both days was perfect.
These would normally have been two of the busiest days of the week. Houma is a major base flying medium and heavy aircraft in support of one of our largest and most important customers. By 0800 only 1/3 to 1/2 of the normal departures had taken place. Additionally, on the first day we witnessed a large passenger bus arrive and discharge passengers who we learned had just come in from an all-night boat ride. A second bus was standing by.
My assigned aircraft (S-76C+) was tied down (normal when not scheduled to fly) and plugged (only done when the aircraft is not expected to fly for an extended period). My aircraft and those like it were purchased in order to provide significantly more reliable, more comfortable, and by virtue of their increased performance, safer transportation. As a result of this strike the company has elected to make compromises in these areas in order to maintain some level of service.
A drive-by of the Morgan City (Amelia) base at 0900 a week ago Tuesday revealed six 412s, six S-76s, two 214s, one S-92 and a 206, all parked and nothing moving or even running.
Other bits of information were relayed to me that further confirmed operational activity far below normal levels (and far below what the company has been claiming), but since that's heresay I won't detail it here.
Perhaps the union has made some tactical mistakes in the way this campaign has been conducted, however, PHI has made some very serious strategic mistakes. In pursuing such a hard line and refusing to seek a mediated solution, the company has done and continues to do irreparable harm to its relationship with some major customers. I won't speculate here on the reasons behind the company's actions.
Many long-serving company staff are probably oblivious to and unsupportive of the pilots' concerns because they don't interact with us much in the normal course of their duties. On the other hand they do interact constantly with and are supervised by those who advance the company's position.
-Stan-
Last edited by slgrossman; 14th Oct 2006 at 00:37.