I've seen your arguments for more Lames and less AME'S.
I am just wondering if you guys are living in the past?
I have worked as a LAME on line in OZ and many other countries and I have never seen a ratio of 4 to 1 Licensed to unlicensed anywhere else!
In fact the old CAR 100 which I don't know if it even exists any more used to state 1 LAME to 5 AME's, not the other way around as you seem to have it.
Without AME'S the line wouldn't run efficiently! And would be very expensive operation which I think you are finding out now yourselves as work is being sent off shore.
Why send 2 B1's to do a wheel change?
Do all QF aircraft come in with a snag every transit? You must have a very unreliable bunch of aircraft.
The way you are talking I am wondering how your aircraft actually ever fly.
QF domestic is primarily a 737 operation or has it changed recently?
I work for an airline where we operate 60 737 NG'S 24/7 never stop unless they need an A check, engine or APU change or some other maintenance to be carried out.
also please note all our out stations are unmanned.
We also have the lowest amount of defects per airframe on the 737 in the world, so we must be doing something right.
We roughly do 200 transits in a 24 hr period give or take a few dozen.
On Day shift we have on a great day the following staff:
8 B1's
5 B2's
4 A cats
9 mech's/ AME'S.
numbers rarely get to these numbers but that's our optimum level for day shift.
Night shift
10 B1's
6 B2's
25 Mech's
4 A cats.
Once again these are our optimum numbers and are rarely ever met.
We use our A cats for dailies, wheel and brake changes and minor defects and allow them to do simple task MEL applications. They also do ETOPS departures.
Without the A cats we would struggle!
Without Mech's/AMES'S we would require LAMES/LAE or certifiers to all the mundane labour intensive jobs, what a waste of resources and money!
Think of the great expense just having LAMES on line.
A cats are here to stay regardless of what we/you think of them.
We have spent the last 3 years developing a large number of A cats.
We use this as a stepping stone to becoming a B1/B2, and also to ease them into the stress of having no one to turn to once they are a certifier.
In fact the last 18 months we have employed 12 A cats and only 2 B1's.
The comment was made by mr secretary Europe is trying to get rid of A cats, that couldn't be further from the truth. Most people doing their training are only doing their A cat modules.
If EASA was trying to get rid of the A cat then why would they allow it to continue?
For the rules to change in EASA all 27 member states must agree to the change do you realise how hard that would be to get them all to agree?
Do you realise how much and how many companies rely on these A Cats?
LAME'S should only be used for defect rectification and not wasted on the little things.
Get with reality and accept change, maybe then you can be competitive and allow for a once great airline to return to some of the glory days.
Sorry if my comments anger some of you but it's a harsh reality, one we all have to get used to.