Italian CAA (ENAC) spike free employment
As some here know, I was supposed to go to Italy on a 6-month contract to fly an ATR42 for a new start-up called Air Industria.
I was, until Gill's sad demise 8 months ago, current as a skipper on ATR's, both 42 and 72.
I was phoned this morning by the pilot agency concerned to say that a spanner had been inserted in the works by the Italian CAA-equivalent. They apparently require non-nationals who are qualified on type but not current (which they define as having flown within the past 6 months - JAA use 1 year) to go through 3 times the sim time previously expected and a minimum of 20 line training sectors.
The same requirement is not, apparently, being specified for Italians who are not current.
I am led to believe that there is an FO working for another Italian ATR operator who thinks he should have a command, which he will not get with his current operator. He has an acquaintance, friend or relative in ENAC, whom he contacted when he heard that Air Industria were planning to hire a few non-Italian captains. ENAC have now inserted said spanner.
Result?
Half a dozen unemployed captains are now back in limbo. The airline cannot afford to employ pilots who are not "current" on type and cannot, of course, afford to upset their regulatory body. There are still quite a few ex-Gill ATR people without a job.
All because of this protectionist action which, according to my understanding of EU Regulations, is totally illegal.