I am a professional pilot by trade (rotary) but I am writing in light of feedback I get when I fly with Ryan Air as a passenger.
I bought a house in Italy not so long ago (12 months) and because of that had to fly about 6-7 times to Rome from Liverpool. Each time with RA.
I also fly during normal hol periods with other airlines (mainly BA).
EVERY time I have flown with RA without fail, the landings have given me some cause for concern. Normally I wouldn't blink but when my family question the landings and then the passengers break out in nervous laughter, clapping hands and cynically commenting that the pilot needing L plates/Co-pilot under trng etc...and on two separate instances individual passengers trying to get to the toilet to throw up!!! Something has to be up.
Add to this the fact that they landed at the wrong airport not so long ago and shortly before that, misidentified the wrong airfield on finals....and now this news report, what is going on?
I have a theory:
From an employee perspective (having innumerable colleagues flying other airlines), no-one wants to fly RA because of the life style and working conditions they offer. O'Leary gets his money's worth and then some, everyone knows he is ruthless. [Is it true that the crew don't even get fed onboard (they even have to find their own bottled water)?
My assumption therefore is that only the lower echelons are attracted to RA either to get on the FW ladder and clock up hrs, or just to get a job flying!
Co-pilots have to practice, so combine the two and the flying standards in that cockpit cannot surely be on a par with the average airline?
It wouldn't surprise me if I saw RA on the News one evening suffering something a lot more serious than a heavy landing.
