The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Dear Backontrack – as MD of APEM I feel strongly about the comments you have made and would like to put the record straight.
Your first hand experience of working in our company (APEM ltd) extended to 3.5 months during which you undertook aerial photography survey work primarily of the River Tyne in summer 2008. As you know, back then we had just one single engined aircraft, now we have 5, including four twins. You left abruptly after being offered another flying position, using us merely to get a step up the aviation ladder. You were never and would never have been asked to undertake any flying that was unsafe or asked to fly in “inappropriate conditions”. APEM is an aerial survey company specialising in aquatic science and for the survey work you were undertaking we required not only good aerial photography conditions (bright, sunny, no cloud) but also low river flows. As a pilot myself I do not understand how such conditions could be described as “inappropriate”. Inconvenient (to you) may be a better description.
In terms of personal development, again you appear to be misrepresenting our firm – we invest heavily in training for all our staff including our pilots (and we always have). APEM currently spends over £50,000 annually on training and professional support. This includes medical, currency ratings and line training for our pilots (currently 6 full-time and 3 part-time). Whilst our existing pilots are not bonded in any way for these costs, we expect individuals to respect the investment we make in them as professionals to ensure they can safely (and legally) undertake their duties. Hence, it is not unreasonable to ask them to give appropriate notice as specified in their employment contracts.
Whilst this has not always been the case, our staff retention rate as a company is extremely high. Since 2005 we have employed a total of fourteen pilots, nine of whom are still with us, you were the second and in the following 4 years only two individuals out of a total of eleven have left of their own accord. Indeed, our very first survey pilot has now returned and is flying with us again. Once more you appear to be misinformed.
APEM employs over 130 people and has operated a Graduate Training Programme (similar to an Apprenticeship Scheme) for the past 10 years, with over 50 individuals having passed through the system, ten of whom are still with the company today in a variety of roles. We spend around £3,000 each on the training (internal & external) of these people and have a sliding scale of ‘Bond’ to reflect that investment. It has worked well and is highly regarded scheme in the industry. It has kick-started many careers as well as providing the company with good quality professional workers, albeit in the early, and understandably mobile, stage of their working lives.
We regard the Pilot Cadetship scheme in exactly the same way – a means of providing the firm with skilled pilots well versed in the type of flying we undertake but also an opportunity to start a small number of careers for people wishing to gain a foothold in an industry full of entry level barriers. The investment in our Cadets, especially compared to the training figures for the overall company, is substantial. We hope to continue this each year with a new intake of Cadets but would be foolish if we did not try and protect that investment in some way. We are not trying to establish some feudal system of enforced slavery – our cadets will be paid a salary, the going rate during training and afterwards as survey pilots without being asked to pay anything back. The Bond is specifically in relation to the investment associated with becoming a fully qualified commercial survey pilot and as you know is the norm in the industry.
This is particularly important with individuals like yourself around, who think nothing of taking all they can from an employer and then leaving them abruptly when the opportunity presents itself to jump onto the next rung of the aviation ladder. I suggest you examine your own character and behaviour before making scurrilous and unfounded allegations against others.
The accusations you make are untrue. As a professional pilot - I question your judgement; and as an individual - I question the accuracy of your memory and the perverse recollection you have of your brief period of employment with us.
If any of the above is anyway untrue or misleading, I look forward to hearing from your solicitors – I somehow doubt that I shall.
Nevertheless glad to hear you are back on track.
If anyone reading these comments has any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Regards,
Dr Keith Hendry
Managing Director
APEM Ltd