But if you are actually a fleet manager, then if you hate pilots that much, maybe you're in the wrong industry.
I don't hate pilots at all, I enjoyed my time flying pointyjets for HMG and now enjoy flying something considerably bigger - I walk in through a door in the side instead of climbing in a hole in the top! I even enjoy my own role in managing some of your colleagues.
My point, missed completely underneath all the vitriol which is seemingly passing for intellectual response, is that your job is to fly aeroplanes. You should stick to what you are good at! (Assuming, of course, that you
are good at that.)
As this is a free country, it is allowable, (within reason), to criticise people. This may be offensive to people who are doing their best, but it's allowable as long as it doesn't provoke a libel
suit. However, going quite a few steps further, and engaging in utterly pointless personalised criticism of each other, in criticism of takeover contractual details to which you have no input and about which you know little or nothing, only what you are told by management communication - well, that's downright foolish. Even further, there are clearly enough people on here who believe all your prattle - imagine how much extra worry and anxiety you are causing to those people!
Why not leave managing to the managers. To be honest, even as a Fleet or Training Manager, one is not consulted on matters of Company economic policy. That's not surprising, you wouldn't expect the Commercial Director to set SOPs for emergency drills would you? So, criticism of the managers in Flybe and BAConnect is futile, and only shows your wilful lack of understanding of how the system works. You can be quite sure that if the MD or CEO thought a manager's performance was below par, he would not last long. BTW, all Operational Manager salaries I have been involved with have been based in one way or another on a Captain's salary. (Plus 20, 30, 50 per cent or whatever) My point is that it is in the interest of us managers to get your salaries and Ts and Cs as high as possible, and that any economic cuts / layoffs etc come directly from way above us. It is then our job to implement them - we don't enjoy that any more than we enjoy failing peoples' LPCs / OPCs.
In the case of a takeover like yours, it's no different for managers. They will probably mostly be losing their jobs (from the BA side anyway), with far less TUPE protection than yourselves, and less chance of a future similar position, but you don't find them attacking either their opposite numbers in the other company, far less pilots on either side. Why then, do pilots feel the need to try and dictate terms that they will or will not impose on those joining them. Doubtless there
will be terms of some sort, but they will be decided by HR and Senior management. All you are achieving here is a long period of dissent and acrimony in your future mixed crewrooms. This behaviour is reminiscent of 70's style Union agitators, and by indulging your fears on this forum and/or on the Flight Deck, you are merely storing up future trouble for yourselves, and very adequately demonstrating your true levels of intellect and behavioural pattern.
I have no idea whether your deal will go through or not; however I am heartily glad I have nothing to do with either of your Companies if you are representative of the average pilot. Fear, mistrust, scurrilous rumourmongering, barely concealed libel and bad-mouthing make it all too plain what you may be like to work with.
For the vast majority of your colleagues (I hope) who do not write on here, or even read this stuff, I extend all my sympathy. Nonetheless, I wish you all the very best of luck. The Airline Business globally has a poor record. The return on capital enjoyed by all but a very few Airlines can be bettered by putting one's money in a building society - you really should be grateful you have jobs, and if you dislike the one you currently have, then come and apply for a position with us!
I look forward to assessing you during the interview and the sim.