Vendetta & All,
Very well said Vendetta, a very important topic, a real serious issue, and I fully agree that change is needed ASAP in this regard. I am so disappointed that this is going unchanged all these years, with Engineering, the head of the Simulator Department, the head of TST, all willing and eager so share this new found and recurrent information to the pilots.
The issue is the balance sheet, we might be an airline, but we are a business.
Our directors have no "long term self-interest in CX," nor long-term integrity for the airline & brand. Their primary interest, is the company annual results, this year, and a few to come, not the stability, reputation, financial and political health, etc., in 10-15 years time. These "suits" will either be finishing off in another role amongst the Swire Gang, but most likely will have their assets and days off, secure in hand, feet up and retired in Monaco or such.
If our airline were serious about their long-term future (as CX's Employee's have), it me would start from the top, allowing those of us at the bottom, to fearlessly recommend ideas to enhance our safety, customer relations, operations, or anything within reason to make us a better organization. This is what is known as "Modern Management." Commonly used and well practiced by the most well respected employers globally, Fortune 500's, etc., including some airlines themselves.
For "Our Airline's" safety sake, why in God's name (Vendetta's topic,) are we not under undergoing annual (or bi-annually) a '3-5 day recurrent ground school,' covering everything from basic operations, to complex emergency handling, hot topics, changes in a fleet's aircraft's systems (hidden to flight crew), maintenance-system practices to improve pilot-engineering communication, etc. Then fishing off with written input from the trainees for company review, to enhance "our" operation? The CAD should mandate such an event, as other ICAO Aviation Authorities mandate for obvious safety reasons. Why can we not mandate it, it is our company too.
Why do we as the employee group have "no say, no input" and "no control" with the board director’s decisions? It's the employees that built this airline, continue to strengthen it, and the early days were mishandled, as employees did not take action to ensure financial involvement. If a company-stock purchasing, options, & stock sharing program were embraced, with profits allocated to staff via CX-stock, "WE" as the company (THE STAFF) would be involved to a real level that is surely in the interest of any company. Our various junior and senior staff from various departments, the real experts, should be involved in critical board divisions, our allocated individuals from each department involved in such meetings. This is our airline too.
These "suits" shall not abuse OUR airline, come to join CX for their relatively short term, high paid duty, taking their annual cash bonus in hand annually. We should change this horrible self-interest pay system to that of the wise Warren Buffet; ensuring all directors do, and HAVE, a long-term interest in the financial (amongst all other aspects) in the airline and our group of CX subsidiaries.
This can be done one of a few ways; instead of high salaries, and high annual cash bonuses, we (our company) provide reward in the form of company stock, which is contractually locked for a long period of time, 10-20 years, a gradual ability to cash out; in return, creating a long term financial success of CX.
And, stop the "annual" & manipulated "mark-to-marketing" bullsh**; stop the complicated complaints to staff about the eroding bottom line, pay us fairly WITH inflation like EVERY OTHER COST TO THE AIRLINE, and finally, WHEN a cash bonus is payable to a director or manager, make this "annual bonus" paid out 5-10+ years later. As his/her actions of this year, last year, etc., will affect the airline for MANY YEARS to come.
Annual results are a manipulated method for directors to get their pie without the integrity of long-term responsibility.
As for our new method of hiring ONLY zero-time experienced pilots, this is a mistake. The results of this mistake will surface not this year or next, but when these "suits" are long gone, having financially manipulating OUR AIRLINE, and unsure, as they do not care, of the risks and costs this decision carry's, do to my statement above. We ALL know, there is not a procedure to follow for aircraft emergencies, it's the background of our past flying experience, even if it only happens to be CX time, that allows are grey matter to strategize a survival outcome, usually involving our actual aircraft handing skills to a level we never wish the sane of us wish never to be challenged with. CX780 in example, an incredible outcome, to what likely would have been an accident if the majority of pilot's were challenged with the same situation.
The general public will become aware of the eroding flight crew experience at CX, and it will result in a number of issues. Not having a strong training system in place is downright wrong, and legally, will definitely surface, just a matter of time. All ERAS documents are accessible, and the lawyers will have a "hay-day" with the competence reports, critiquing all of us in one way or another, of having "known" weaknesses. The courts will not take such formal company documentation lightly.
Our MNGT, rather than simplify this critical documentation system, feel they should further detail issues of flight crew ability. If we, as a pilot group, along with the CX legal department, were in fact invited, or were obligated to be in attendance at 'Board meetings,' what do you think we would have to say? Provide real training, scrap all documentation for legal purposes, and ensure your pilots are competent, rather than making a note of weaknesses, The reports (ERAS - Emotional Report And Senseless) true or not, an "emotional opinion" of a "pilot" (just a pilot - not an instructor, trained professionally, at a university or flight training regulator), whom "makes these critical and legal judgments."
The airline has a lot right, but a fast growing list of doing things "wrong." For the younger pilots at CX, keep your CV & licensing overseas valid, this is a short-term opportunity, as per the viewpoint of our very own "directors."
Thank you for the discussion, taking the time to see my point of view, and I hope for a intelligent thread, perhaps even resulting in any positive change. I would have wrote such on the AOA forum, but I would like the management of Cathay Pacific to honestly look in the mirror, with hope, that they see light and positive idea.
MD.
Last edited by Maid Day; 2nd Aug 2013 at 05:00.