Not being privy to all the correspondence between WP (OP) and the company makes it difficult to arrive at a balanced conclusion, however. WP has provided an expression of interest – in confidence. IF we are to believe that 'someone' unauthorised breached that confidentiality and felt free to provide 'that' response, then this, standing alone, casts the company system and management in a very poor light.
Whatever form it took, (the signed or unsigned excuse is legal weasel speak and gutless) it stands as the company response and begs not only many questions but brings other unsavoury aspects to the table. I have lately been looking at opportunities and conditions offered by some of the offshore carriers; many are quite 'up front' about their age limitations and corporate preference. They may for example specify an aircraft type rating ;or, minimum time on type; or, pink socks must be worn. etc. That, discrimination issues aside is fine with me; maximum age at time of employment 55 – cool, not worth applying so save the stamp if you're 54.9. If there is a preferred age or any other 'company' policy openly stated, then it's furry muff. This crowd didn't do that and WP, believing (rightly IMO) that 10,000 hours of experience would be of value, duly applied.
There's a bit of 'tit for tat' in the next part – 'if' WP had known there was an age limitation; would the application have been made ? You see my point is that either by error or deliberate omission the company has opened a can of worms. If there is a clandestine policy of age barrier; then they should be smart enough to have had that covered. If they just hadn't thought it through, it risks the notion of immaturity and basic incompetence of management being mooted.
This is further compounded by the company response to the WP retort; "You're too old" says the doyen of Jetgoo – "No I'm not and that's discriminatory" says WP. Game on. Any Australian knows how quickly a campfire can become a bushfire. Once again, immature management fans the flames, not sensing the potential for trouble, wades in adding insult to injury, instead of taking the potential mess to a grown up.
No matter by whom, how or why: the email response was sent and the holes in the cheese lined up then. The 'type' of company that employs someone immature, ignorant and arrogant enough to stuff up a simple matter of pilot selection cannot be considered a serious player. The underlying elements and attitudes which allowed this type of error can and probably will promote other, perhaps more serious commercial errors to occur. It's not only money and bad business which drive fledgling companies into the dirt. Bad ethics, bad management, bad manners, bad people and blind arrogance are always willing assistants.
There is a reason proper airline management never openly respond on a forum like Pprune, particularly with regard to an issue like this one. It should never, not ever have been allowed to get to this stage. Bad form Jet Go, supported by a disappointing, patronising response.
AH "Anyone who is sending emails of this nature to applicants ( whether they are authorised or not) is a workplace pathogen and should be sacked."
Anthill, I would suggest that whoever hired and managed the fool that fumbled the ball be fired, it all smacks of insular, immature, arrogant behaviour from the top down.
Nothing can repair the breach of confidentiality, the risk of exposure to legal action, risk of public sanction or the insult to WP, who simply applied for job and had the temerity to ask "why not". Perhaps they don't want real, experienced command pilots, just cardboard cut-outs with nodding heads, deep pockets and no idea of how the real world wags.
The young blokes and blokettes who are serious about a flying career should be looking overseas not pissing about in Oz. There are some great opportunities to see the real world, live somewhere else for a while, fly some real aircraft, meet new folk and have enough adventures and laughs to last you until marriage, old age, booze and bad living carry you off to a happier place. There really is a world beyond flight school and Mum's apple pie.
Times up caller – to extend insert another two bob. Click.. Buuurrrrr.