Well after all the speculation, a little bravado at times and some very emotive posts on here it looks as though they, the CTC Wings and CTC ATP pilots, have had the courage of their convictions and united to attempt to actually make some sort of living from the profession. It is very much the time now for everyone, both within and outside of the orange machine, to unify and make a stand with BALPA against the recent abhorrent terms and conditions being offered. If not, I would not be surprised to see the CTC pilots hung out to dry. A concern that still niggles away at me is whether the entire holding pool can resist this. Flexicrew pilots are being stifled with one offer whilst new entrants are being subjected to other offers which are extremely derogatory. I am sure there are other pilots fighting major battles of their own but surely the time to make a stand collectively is upon us. Halfway measures will no longer avail.
Of course, it is entirely believable that I'll be chastised and castigated for my remarks. When the harsh reality dawns that I will be readily facing bankruptcy if I choose to work for an airline or return to a previous career path and earn double the quoted easyjet annual FO salary then it leaves me with little choice but to abandon the aviation industry and any chance I may have had of realising my dream of becoming an airline pilot. I do not think of myself as being particularly special or gifted in any manner but I have worked damned hard to get this far and I'd be astounded if senior pilots within any airline would prefer to have a PTF or the so called 'rich mummy and daddy's son/daughter' sitting next to them in that RHS. Whilst a minority in CTC can and do come across as being particularly arrogant and selfish this is certainly not the norm and we need your help to sustain our presence in the industry. Perhaps we won't be missed should we all leave for seemingly greener pastures of old?
I went through through a particularly troubled period of time with a large engineering firm and there is no doubt that human nature tends to resort to a selfish mode of operation when there are demands from management and union(s) start to mobilise. Of particular concern is how I watched ardent union supporters crumble in the face of a little adversity and effectively write off the pensions of future employees for their own personal gain. A little foresight might have helped given that, no sooner had industrial action been averted, than several of their own flesh and blood became employees. It took a matter of hours to change votes and minds and I sincerely hope this trend isn't realised in the orange ranks. Perhaps a poor example but you get the idea no doubt.
We must all collectively fight for the future. Make no mistake about it we do not want to be labelled as the cause for further reductions in terms and conditions and we are doing our utmost to resist. In certain cases, including my own, this may unfortunately mean the loss of the opportunity to get into commercial aviation, and for some time. We've worked hard to save monies, get acceptance onto the course when times were more vibrant, prove ourselves as competent pilots and nobody believes they are entitled by some God given right to that right hand seat. It would be nice to think that one day in the future it remains an attainable 'dream'.
Apologies for the lengthy duration of this post.