Batavia Air

[Hogger60]

Another Point of View

I would like to present a more accurate, first-hand view of what I have seen at Batavia. I can't speak for what Climbcruise's and manflex69's contacts may have gone through in the past, but the situation may have changed, and I would like to tell you what I have seen.

First (and foremost on most everyone's mind) - Yes the pay is very low, there are no two ways about it. And if you are an FO, you can probably make the same or slightly more money flying the right seat of a regional carrier elsewhere (although 2000usd net is more than you will make at say Colgan). I wish it were higher, but with the pilot job market the way it is right now (and it is the worst I have ever seen in 25+ years in the industry), this job is better than sitting at home watching the bills pile up, wondering if you will have to end up driving a delivery van rather than an airplane to keep from finding yourself on the street. This is a temporary gig for the expats (a year at a time contract), so if you want a career at a regional, or more experience instructing, please stay where you are.

Second - This is an LCC. Think Ryan air, Value Jet (er, Air Tran), Air Asia or Spirit Air. You get what you pay for (and one of the big reasons that the pay for pilots is so low). Single class of service, you will not be served anything more than a snack and beverage service, but when was the last time you rode economy in the US, where you got more than a soft drink and a bag of peanuts without paying for it? I know from experience that this is the rule, not the exceptinon in the US right now. But this is really a moot point anyway for those of us sitting in the pointy end of the jet. The people in the back know it is bare bones and when they are paying $38 usd for a one-way 1 hr flight to Yogjakarta, they don't complain about not being fed.

Third - The apartments are in a very safe area with tons of security, small, but clean and each pilot has his OWN apartment. The flight attendants share apartments in the same complex, but the building is only about three or four years old, and while it is a 30min-1hr (depending upon the traffic in Jakarta, which is horrific) cab ride from downtown, it is only about 15 mins from the airport. There are stores and small restaurants all within walking distance. They may not be the same kind of apartment you might be provided with as an expat in the UAE or other places in the Middle East, but they are above average for this part of the world. Are there some things that I would like to have here, like a good Internet connection? Yes, of course, but having lived in the 3rd world for a number of years, take my word for it when I say that this is more than adequate.

Fourth - The pilots are flying close to the max of 110 hrs each month, mostly due to the fact they are short of pilots, which is the reason the company got permission from the Indonesian government to bring in expat pilots in the first place on a large scale for something other than simply being instructors. Yes you will be flying almost every day, but if you like to fly, want to fly, then you will not be sitting around here. The workload will drop as more pilots come online, but like many of the LCC's in the US, you will be flying close to your max allowable time each month.

Finally - The MX issue. I haven't experienced any problems with mx, firsthand yet, and I am not saying there are none, but every carrier I have ever worked for has had issues of some kind with mx (Eastern Airlines comes to mind). But engine failures happen all over, I will cite a few examples to illustrate:

SQ A380 last week,
AA 767 Spring 2009
US A320 Spring 2009
AA MD80 Aug 2009
US Dash 8 Aug 2008

These are just a few examples with some quick research. Does this mean the mx at these airlines is shoddy? Maybe, but AA & Singapore for sure have the reputation, at least, of having very good mx. Batavia has had problems in the past (the unsafe report was early in 2007), and may still have problems, but they have greatly improved that side of the house. If I find any concerted effort to try and put an unsafe aircraft under my seat, I just will not take it. And if I see a regular problem I will not continue working there, and will let everyone know this.

I do not post this as a put-down to any other poster, I simply want to try and keep the postings as accurate as possible with what the CURRENT situation is here, so that if you are considering taking the job, you can do it being as informed as possible. Flying at Batavia will definately not be for everyone. Living in Indonesia can be a big culture shock to anyone who hasn't lived outside of the US or EU, but the people are friendly, the cost of living is extremely low, and you will be flying jets...a lot. This may be too much for some people, but just what others are looking for.

As always, I will do my best to answer individual questions anyone might have, so just ping me and be patient as I will try and get back to everyone.

Check Six,

Hogger