I think people need to be careful with the generalisations about total hours and by inference, suability for command. I know at least one airline in the UK where the time to command is around 14 years. Most of the F/O’s approaching command will have in excess of 9000hrs.
I know people who were F/O’s that were well down the seniority list, who then jumped ship to get a command with Easy. They have done well for themselves and are now training captains. (Usually be seen on TV) Bloody well done and good luck to them I say.
The boys and girls at Easy need to sort out their working lifestyle as we did. It’s not about money, but about not working an inefficient and unsafe roster. We all know that you can become fatigued working well within the rules if subjected to too many changes that don’t allow you to plan your rest and recover from the prior duty.
In the company I work for we had “the summer of discontent” that was 1998. I had 13 roster changes given to me prior to a duty, in one day!! The usual number of changes was around 6 or 7. I have never experienced anything like it before or since. I almost resigned. The workforce was not capable of sustaining that kind of pattern. We went to the edge during negotiations and we stuck together and stuck to our guns.
We now enjoy working practises that were largely devised by one BALPA man. We now enjoy roster stability that is almost unbelievably good and the company save money and we work more efficiently. It’s a win win situation. I say stay the course, stay together and in the end there will only be winners’…on both sides of the fence. Good luck.
PS If they do achieve a decent working life for themselves, Ezy will become a serious threat to MOL.
Last edited by max_cont; 23rd Jan 2003 at 16:35.