AAi Operations
Fair enough I'll tee off.
I was employed by AAI, for a short period between 2000 and now. I am not going to be more specific than that.
On the positive side I thought the training and checking was done in a relaxed and fair manner by the instructors I was rostered with. As has been said before there are some fine and clever personal employed by this company both permanent and contractors, people that worked hard and tried to improve things for all of us.
The rot in the "management", in my opinion, was deep seated from the chief pilot(s) on up right through to the VPFO. I included the CP's as they were company "men" and they should not have been. Also in this wide swipe was at least one person at mountain high, which was then, and probably still is AAI and HR. During my brief incarceration at AAI I witnessed some of the most accomplished lying, blatant examples nepotism and abuses of power as I have ever seen. This cancer was at the top and filtered through and the only cure IMHO was to axe the lot of them and start again with a complete lot of new management. The crews had no person to go to regarding grievances except management and this was wrong!! The CP'S should be balleted. Also as has been pointed out before, having a 2 tare pay structure for doing the same job is the quickest way to destroy moral amongst the troops I can think of. It has never worked and never will sustain a happy work force. Not referring to yearly increments etc. but to T & C's between the "elite" and the contractors. Maybe this was part of the plan to destroy moral.
It is the old story if you don't like it and it can't be fixed then leave and that is exactly what I did. Would I go back in the most unlikely event I was asked? NEVER!