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Old 9th Aug 2009, 07:28
  #18 (permalink)  
Saint Jack
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South East Asia
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East Asia Airlines, or whatever it's called now, must have gone a long way down-hill since I left Macau. I was one of the original non-Japanese there, at the time when the Coloane hangar was built (I understand it now has to be vacated) and when EAA was run by a HK-based American CEO, a real gentleman. The original Bell 222's were there and during my time we went from flying about three round-trips per day to seventeen including night flying. In order to reduce both the turnaround time and engine cycle count we performed hot refueling.

A great bunch of pilots, mechanics and local staff who understood what was required of them and were not afraid to go the extra mile.

Then, about 1995, the Americal CEO was replaced by an Indian, who brought along his English hatchet-man with him, and things changed - very much for the worst - virtually overnight. The Indian's claims to 'fame' were quite bizarre, he would begin each meeting by having everyone present say a prayer with him, he also said knew all about commercial helicopter operations as he had "...flown Alouette 3's in the Indian Navy" and his proudest achievement was that he was Earl Mountbatten's last batman.

The Maintenance Manager was quickly run-off and replaced by a guy from the HK CAD, a nice guy but totally out of his environment. Others, both pilots and mechanics, quickly ran foul of either the CEO or his hatchet-man and were gone. It seemed the entired original bunch were gone within a year or less.

From then on it appeared that the company had a revolving door - people appeared one day and were gone shortly afterward.

Don't worry, it must get better soon.
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