Hi Otterman,
you are right, the vast majority of the KLM pilots are not guilty of discrimination but KLM is i am afraid.
When cityhopper pilots were merged into KLM they did not have all of the problems that the UK pilots have, also it is not fair to compare a UK pilot to Martinair or Transavia, they do not fly in the same flightdeck as our KLM collegues to KLM sops. They may fly the routes now and again but on thier own AOC. Transavia and martinair have not had their aircraft merged into big blue also their companies continue to replace pilots who may leave / retire /die , KLC uk cannot, in 4 years the pilot force in KLCuk has reduced from 240 pilots (not including the BUZZ pilots) to todays 130, the 110 pilots positions lost have been and continue to be filled by new applicants to KLM who join on the KLM mainline seniority list, so british jobs are being slowly moved to holland. Let me ask you..... If for some reason Air France decide that you personally do not fit the Air France corporate profile therefore you can stay as a KLM captain but frozen on that fleet and no more Dutch contracted jobs into KLM only French, they will move the 777 fleet to france and combine it with the Air France fleet, you have to learn french Sops operate with Air France pilots on the flight deck of what was your aircraft and see no more recruitment into KLM at all and all the Dutch jobs are slowly moved to France do you think you would consider that fair?
I am sure the Air France pilots would treat you well , but as a group if the KLM pilots were treated the way we have been by Air France as a corporation then their would be hell to pay!!
When KLMuk was a wholly owned subsiduary of KLM recruiting its own pilots to crew its own aircraft there was NEVER any attempt to join the big blue.
KLM are guilty of discrimination to this group, what they and the KLM pilots are not guilty of is racism.
By the way are you Canadian? as that is the most common country I think Otters can be found :-)
Last edited by bluepilot; 22nd Jan 2007 at 08:37.