Came across an interesting vacancy for FO in Flight last week. Things have really changed since the last time they were looking for FO. For those of you even remotely thinking of applying here are the Facts.
1. 6 Boeing NG not a variety of routes atleast 6 night flights to India every month and with great difficulty to get your 8 legal days off.
2. The contract specifically states you can be replaced by their own camel anytime and they will not hesitate at a drop of a hat. Hard work is somthing they dont understand and will not appreciate. Even to get your proper overtime allowance they were underpaying on that before the flaw in their computer program was pointed out. The computer was converting to decimals eg. 30 minutes would be 0.3 and not 0.5. Try working that out for the people who have been there a while and have not been paying attention to the salary slip.
3. What they will tell you at the interview is not what you will get. eg they lured a dozen fijians under false pretenses promising them the world and as with many big families if the company does not end up paying what they said on schooling and accomodation you will end up deep in your pockets as with many who are still there. Till now 3 have left with more in the pipeline.
4. If you think you will get command please stay where you are. An expat will never be put forward before an omani even if he has the requirement.Idea being is that the ever changing management want this outfit equipped with their own wether they are fit or not and I do mean that. Try finding the sick reports of the Omanis during the indian monsoon and watch the fun. Reminds me of the seven up add never had it never will. Ask the cabin crew about the comfort level when you have 2 camels in the front.
5. Training department: what training its checking fact 49% failure rates sounds like low cost to me.The omanis fear the sim and report sick for even support would you believe. One one of the training flights the abinitio wasnt even legal to sit in the seat as he hadnt completed his hours but we went all the way to Mumbai and back got away from that one lucky.
6. The management thanks to the kind dictatorship of Capt MM also known as "Topgun" thought it was very smart to go do stalls with a Trainee on a 737 Base check which eventually led to his promotion down to a normal line captain.Thereafter for a period of 1 year every flightops management position was acting by a bunch of people whose authorities were overlapping.Everyman for himself but wait the strings still being pulled by the top even now with the new gulf air DMO as efficient as a 707 still has his hands tied. Dance that tune Baby!
7. The rosters are daily so you will have no time to plan your life.Infact it is beyond the capability of Omanair to plan for a week. ExHead of rostering AKA the bald eagle took his program with him when he jumped ship to Arabia little did WY even know that there was a computer program fish without water wouldnt you say.Another example when they received their 737 A4O-BJ they had to send it on a wetlease to freebird inTurkey as they had no routes planned for it.All the workings of a taxi service a bad one at that.
8. The salaries the lowest in the gulf. Basic 1229 omani rial and no perks.Accomodation spend months looking around as by the time you find your dream place youve lost out as the accomodation department as fast as your local postoffice.Same with the furniture you pick out gone in 60seconds.
The allowance is also not enough to cover the rents today as the same numbers from 10 years ago.They dont believe in inflation.Probably too many letters in that word?
Save the best for last okay lets try for something positive.The only advantage of being with WY you come home after every flight so for those of you with families excellent quality time and by far the prettiest country in the gulf lots to do for the adventourous kind especially if you have a 4wd, but at what cost are you prepared to accept that you decide?
Cheers from the desert
3.