737lpa,
It is very true that AJX is not what AJX & AJV used to be and they have got a long way to go before we will be the happy bunnies we used to be. Some things have improved, such as the introduction of the commuting days but those have been paid for, in the main, by the AJV pilots losing a day off and the AJV captains having their pay reduced. Yes, all the pilots are now on the same terms and conditions but the Company does still wonder why many of us were not singing their praises at the changes. Basically, I bought an extra day off per month whether I liked it or not, in order to placate myself after the complete balls-up they made of the 'integration'. The point I'm trying to make is there are still a lot of unhappy pilots, AJX needs to address a fair few points to get it right and I am not some happy-clappy driver who thinks all is well in the company.
However, I am not as bitter as some and whereas I think I know the reason for PoinDexter's vitriol, I'm not getting into that. I think he was trying to stress that nothing is guaranteed and if you fail then you're out of a job but I would ask if there's any place where this isn't true. I have to admit I was surprised by one of the DECs. He seemed to be doing everything right; he'd got through the type and ATPL checks and basically flunked the 'Captain' check (or wasn't put up for it being more accurate). A very personable pilot who kept his head down and certainly seemed to be making the right noises at the right time; it was certainly a shock when I heard he wasn't here any more. The others were less of a surprise from reports I've heard. I won't discuss them any more, as it is unfair to them and based on hearsay but it will ALWAYS be the case with ALL airlines that some people aren't suited to either that airline, that aircraft or that culture and so they don't get through.
I can only think that maybe some of you who are inside think that by not getting people to apply, management would struggle somewhat and improve terms, which I can sympathize with, although everyone knows that they will keep coming.
They have already suffered the consequences of their mis-managed 'integration' and managed to piss-off so many of us that word quickly spread throughout the aviation circles, leading to a dramatic reduction of applicants. They have been forced to improve conditions and that has been a good thing and, should they continue, they'll get back the support and encouragement that we always used to give, leading to full classes whenever they ran them (which is not the case now). Yes, it is good to have a few cards up our sleeves to force their hand but I don't think any of us think we have the ability to influence the Company through our Internet comments.
Or maybe some disappointed F/O's who were waiting for their upgrade obviously don't appreciate DEC's applying and jumping the q, which I can totally understand even more.
AJX don't have a quota to fill in terms of a balance of captains and first officers. They would promote every FO if their turn came up and they jumped through all the hoops. That's not to say there are not extenuating reasons for FOs not getting the 'nod'. Some are political (especially with the Japanese FOs), some are valid (in that the FO is not ready.....how touchy-feely was that
) and some are just plain stupid, making you realise some of the Japanese 'management' really don't have a clue. However, the point I'm making, badly, is that DECs don't jump the queue and they don't harm the FOs chances of upgrading.
It is important that you do come here with your eyes open. There will be a lot of angst caused by travelling half way round the world to go to work. There will be even more caused if you have a family and are not home regularly, even if it is for a short time. It's great having a big block of time off at home but you can guarantee the washing machine will pack up the instant you leave to go to Japan for 3 or 4 weeks and Skype is crap for fixing leaking pipes. Flying somewhere different is good for a while but it will become just as tedious as flying the same routes elsewhere. As for flying something bigger; well I reckon they're all the same size once the flight deck door is closed, so I'm not into all of this 'wide body' crap. Again, in my bad point-making, I'm trying to say it is certainly not bright and rosy and some aspects will be worse than RYR. However, this is not China and you're not dealing with the Chinese, who I wouldn't entertain flying for even if I was out of a job. You'd be coming in with the expectations of the salary you'd receive now, unlike a good deal of us who have seen it plummet and if you're happy with that remuneration then that's god for you. The Japanese are bonkers but they're generally decent, polite, respectful people and it's a far, far better place to work than a good deal of other places. The aircraft are the best maintained you will ever find anywhere in the world and they have all the bells and whistles fitted.
So long as you come here with all this in mind and are still happy to do so and you're prepared to just buckle down, play the game and tell them how marvellous their advice is, then you'll almost certainly be fine. The guy who surprised us by not getting through was just that; one guy. Compare and contrast that with those who have got through and also those who didn't but just about everybody knew they wouldn't.
PS: Cross country = everything outside the circuit. Don't get bogged down with it, just knock off all the time you mucked around in a Cessna doing circuits (technically I think it's within 7nm of the airfield) and the rest is cross country.