As an observer who wasn't in this country during the dispute I have to say that it is incredible how the obvious is consistently ignored.
A certain pilot at
VB who led the revolt in '89 that caused such bitterness for so long ,was ironically the same person who led Australian aviation's pilot salaries to the lowest level ever at the commencement of
VB. That same person who advised you all to hold out to the bitter end and call your brothers sc*bs, and tell you not to trust management, has, in his capacity as management lied to you all more than once - haven't you noticed, or don't you wish to see?
Does nobody at all see the irony here?
You're all just numbers fella's. Neither QF or
VB care about you, not because they despise you, but because on the balance sheet your costs come up in double negative red. When one is in trouble the balance sheet is the check-list of "where can we cut?"
You lost Ansett. You may lose a very significant part of what QANTAS was, as it morphs into a hybrid to respond to
VB. You believe
VB is good for the country, good for the public. Open your eyes. It's not dificult to see the illusion.
AN & QF (and TAA before them) were some of the best airlines in the world, and held that quality a lot longer than many can say. Their standards were always higher even though at times you got frustrated with bureaucracy - it is everywhere. The cost duopoly that QF and AN once was was not all that bad for the public. Can any of you say it is better now? The duopoly has different players, and the environment has changed forever.
The subtle incidiousness that has crept into Australian aviation in the past 5 years has ruined what was once an extraordinary example of professionalism. It isn't any more, and maybe that it why there is so much bitterness in your fraternity. QF and AN set world standards in Engineering and Flight Performance and Control. The world learnt from what you did. Boeing used to ask Ansett Engineering how to do certain modifications - NASA uses Ansett's Human Factors course. QF has as many admirers, and achievements. Not any more.
VB has changed the environment. It's not
VB's fault - it is what they are. But it is sad.
VB cuts costs where AN and QF never dared. You could say it was because QF and AN weren't hard nosed businessmen - that's fair comment. Aussies usually do things for better reasons than most - ethicaly, morally, integrity - catch cries that are nooses around their necks when the upstart turns his attention your way. AN died but has taught you no lessons.
It is no longer a bastion of aviation professionalism, the airline industry of Australia.
VB has put paid to that. If any of you
VB crews believe that your management know or give a hoot about how well you landed in that crosswind, forget it - all they care about is "did it save me money?"
And yet in the heart of most of you is the reason why you wanted to fly and why you still do, even though you complain so bitterly about your masters. You are all still "steely-eyed missile-men" and you know your sh*t. You're just lost in a world that really doesn't give a sh*t and would replace you with a robot tomorrow.
Since when did it become acceptable to change the standard command experience from 5 years of heavy jet and 5000 hours, to 500 hours on any jet?
Can you not see?