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Old 13th Feb 2007, 12:48
  #10 (permalink)  
Blackcoffeenosugar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Europe
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Why stay?

Winglet, I think you have found your ideal location. You seem to already have succumbed to the indoctrination into Eastern mentality. Watch out!
To give those of you who do not know this mentality an idea; In October 1941 Lavrentij Pavlovith Beria , NKVD chief, and member of the defence committee of the Soviet Union, received a report from one of the few remaining pilots of the Soviet Air force that a 20km long German panzer column was approaching Moscow, and had come to a halt only 170km from the city centre. Beria could not believe this, so he ordered another pilot to fly out and have another look. This pilot came back with the same report. Beria could still not believe it, and this time he ordered a pilot that had receive “extensive” recognisance training to take a look, and again the initial report was confirmed. – And here is where the eastern mentality kicked in – Beria then went to the next logical step, namely to arrest and execute the Air force squadron commander for inspiring panic!??
Later (in 1945) Beria was promoted to field marshal of the Soviet Union.
One of the post holders and captains in bt, will tell you that Latvia was never occupied by the soviet union. It was in cooperation with Russia. This is the same guy that, after a report on a Captain that did not advance the power levers to T/O power until the aircraft had passed the last of the high speed exits, resulting in rotation within the last hundred meters of the RWY! – Sent an email to all of the local captains to see if they could muster up any irregularities on the F/O that wrote the report. As he did not receive any negative feedback he wrote a reply to the report stating that the F/O did not understand the subordination principles of the aviation industry, and such actions as taken by the captain where “captains discretion”
I have countless stories, but what I am wanting to say is that there are so many jobs out there now, and I personally know that there are many pilots in bt that are more than qualified for them. (Subject to them not having lowered their personal standards)
There is no reason to start your career flying with captains that should not even have a license!
I know that were you come from Winglet, companies ARE taking in guys with no experience and paying for their T/P ratings – be it on F50 or ATPs. Five guys are starting on the F50 in a week from now. The salary is double of what I made in bt, and the captains teach you something worth knowing! They know procedures and laws and more importantly they follow them! Technical problems are addressed, not ridiculed. And the company would not repeat mantras like “no room for individuals, we are working for the BIG picture” and “ aviation is a risky business!”
If you have to wait at the airport for more than 4 hours they will give you a hotel room, not make you spend the night in the aircraft like bt does in St. Petersburg.
As far as what you said about the bond – bonds are illegal, so is the contract bt issues. It does not follow EU law, nor does it fit Latvian labour law (see http://www.vdi.lv/admin/files/LabourLaw.pdf and please pay attention to Chapter 12 section 45 and Chapter 17 section 62)
But for the 15000 Euros they charge you, you could get an A320 rating on a JAA license.
The one bt gives you is limited to bt ONLY until you have 500 hours on type and have completed a new skill test with a JAA examiner.

With regards to you comments on making changes, YOU cannot make any changes. The pilot union could… but as you may know, they do nothing (and some say that is what they are paid for) Bt will give you illusions of great things to come! And you may choose to run after this “luft schloss” but you could, and I urge you to consider, leaving and applying for other jobs. It would be what is known as voting with your feet. I did, and it took me three months to get rid of the bad habits I picked up at bt, and the Russian accent to my English -you know what I mean Jaa? It is normal, donnnt wooory!

In my new job I make 4740 Euros after tax and work 16-17 days a month.
Good luck to all of you! There are no offences intended by this post, I hope none were taken.
Happy landing – you never know when you need it
Blackcoffeenosugar is offline