Wizofoz: Which of course also brings home the point as I don't believe the Captain on the 345 in MEL used to fly aircraft <55T (please correct me if I'm wrong). So that it came as a result of MEL, although true, makes no sense!?!?!?
Eagerbeaver: While I'm sorry to hear about how your career in the RAF ended I don't believe it has many similarities with the EK arbitrary 55T requirement (good title for the thread by the way
).
In your situation your personal circumstances changed resulting in you not meeting the requirements for the RAF. As sad as that is it is the same in the airline world if you were to loose your medical for example. That is not what has happened in EK.
In EK there are a whole lots of people that joined while this requirement did not exists (i.e. pre MEL) and while the same qualifications that got them the interview and that also got them through the interview did NOT change the airline decided to change the criteria for upgrades.
So with the risk of sounding like a kid here it's just not fair that the people recruited while the rule did not apply are subject to it
(and before anyone starts shooting at me; I know that is how it is and there is nothing I or anyone else can do about it, ok
)
I believe that everyone should be given a fair chance. Sure there are guys that have flown aircraft <55T that are not qualified to be captains, just like there are people that have flown aircraft >55T that are not qualified to be captains either. Like I said: everyone should be given the same chance. Have a command selection when the time comes. Do a sim-check and take it from there. If you pass and are deemed qualified then you are (55T or not). And if you don't pass then wait for the next chance.
Now for people that join since the 55T requirement was put in place it is a bit of a different situation. They knew upon joining (one would hope) that they would need x hours in aircraft over 55T before they could upgrade.
Anyhow, we don't live in a fair environment (or world for that matter) and it's not going to change for the foreseeable future so time to suck it up and smile
Will
