Aero-care Australia

[Wilcome]

Hi Guys,

Just noticed Aero-care Australia are recruiting baggage handlers at the moment. Does anyone here know much about the business and what its like to work for them? Eg. wages (penalty rates?), conditions ...

Also, as i am still studying i'd be available only on weekends and friday evenings so i'm sure i'm pushing it a bit there! What you think??

Cheers.

[coops]

I worked for this company for two years in Cairns. They dont look after there staff. You get No penalties, or overtime ect. All Shift work and you can't ask for days off. Just hope that you get it, if not swap with someone else.As for not employing Pilots. Apart from myself there where 3 other guys with the licences. They dont like employing them as the know they will end up leaving for a flying job. (Which I Did).

Apart from that it is good to talk with the Tech Crew and the lovely ladies.

Coops:ok:

[Wilcome]

Shame to see they don't look after their employees... I hope the case is different in Sydney. Could i ask what the rate for a baggage handler/aircraft loader is/was?

[SkySista]

Go Skystar mate, if you can. They get paid more and treated better. You know the AC guys can work up to 13 hours, and there's technically no limit on how long they can work? Heard this from an AC employee, is this true across the board? If so, you guys need to get a union/agreement of some sort!!

And true, if you want to have a life/study/other job, forget it. I had two or three weeks left of study, would be in class all of 2 or 3 part days per week, rest of time they'd own me, but they didn't want a bar, even though have experience and happy to start at 2am if Ihad to. Seems they like turning down experience for newbies who don't care how crap they get treated. Know of 2 mates personally who had flying/ground handling background, working on much bigger a/c than 737s, who got the flick despite being available 24/7. Their loss I say!!

HOWEVER, if you just want some experience and something short term, why not? (But do give Skystar a try, by all accounts they are MUCH better to work for!!)

Good luck!!

[Double Donk]

I heard about a mob called Menzies in SYD. i think they do baggage too. not too sure about their operation though. Has anybody heard about them.

[CoodaShooda]

No1 son worked for AC's Darwin operation for 8 months.

He's happier and earning more washing cars for a local car dealer in 35C/95% conditions.

Enuff said

[Wilcome]

Ah, doesn't sound too good really!

I've been invited to an interview and been given the choice of 3 times, all on the same day LOL! I'll be interstate:ugh:

I look forward to seeing the outcome when alternate arrangements are suggested...:sad:

As for Skystar, sounds great, but i live in Sydney...

[topend3]

i worked for them for 4 years in different roles in 2 of their Australian operations and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. You will in fact find that they pay more than Skystar, Menzies or most other ground handlers, offer excellent penalties on weekends and lots of other benefits. of course they will never match qf's pay rates, but then no other contract company can.
you might find the reason pilots are not preferred is they tend not to stay in one place too long, hence the expense to employ someone may be better invested in someone more stable. i can tell you from experience that 99% of people employed who were looking for flying work didn't last too long. it's a companies right to determine who they should employ and for what reason.

just wanted to show there is another angle to this...they also offer significant opportunities for advancement to higher positions something you may not find in other similar companies.

My advice to you "Willcome" is to make your own mind up and not be swayed by the biased, mis-informed opinions of those "experts" who have posted on this slanderous threads, judging by their profiles most have been around aviation for 5 minutes and are hardly qualified to be judging...

:)

[CoodaShooda]

A fair post topend3



up until the last 2 1/2 lines :ugh:

[SkySista]

biased, mis-informed opinions

Mate, you can't be misinformed if it comes from personal experience, or it's been said to you personally by someone who works for them!!!

judging by their profiles most have been around aviation for 5 minutes and are hardly qualified to be judging...

Hardly. :rolleyes:

Topend from some of your comments in the past I'd hazard a guess you've speculated about certain things, we all do it mate, doesn't mean we're 'not qualified to be judging'... and there's more than a few people on here (D&G) who know a lot more than they let on, and are in a position to know... they just don't wish to be ovbious about wher ethey are/who they know...

[Ozgrade3]

Topend, I have to wonder what planet you're on.
I worked for them in sydney for 5 years from mid 2000 to 2005 in sydney. Impulse ramp, DHL Jedi, hazoz/rex ramp, VB, Lighties. Apart from the first 12 months on the Impulse operation where we were the gun turn around team in the world ( try 14 mins and 10s from on blox to push out) for a 717 with full oad in and out during the Olympics. oh and 2/3 of the boys there were active pilots.
But it all started to unravel in mid 2002. The owner started out as a top bloke and everyone got along with him, even to the point of the boys turning down union advances in 2002. But employing the wrong middle management.....including family was the turning point.
The final straw was the bringing in staff from quiet little outports(such as Townsville and Canberra.....one in particular wet behind the ears supervisor from townsville, all of 21 years old comes to mind) to tell the sydney guys how to run the Rex operation in Sydney ultimately cost them the Rex contarct. It told them it would happen before I left. The middle management was arrogant and out of touch.
Their moto, safety..............well ask airport doctors about their injury rate. efficiency, well u get efficient labour when you have staff being rostered to finish at 2am and start the next shift at 5am. I myself did 2 x 24 hr shifts. integrity.............mmmmm what was that rule about not allowing somone to give their ASIC to someone else to gain airside access.
In the final 6 months on the Rex op in Syd, we had almost 100% staff turnover in 7 weeks.

[topend3]

mate i would hardly say it's unravelling...they handle virgin in most of the major regional ports, just picked up hobart and also do SQ and UA in SYD/ADL,with more international work in the pipeline. XR, DJ, PacBlue, Continental all seem pretty happy! the bottom line is they do the work that the airlines can't do themselves efficiently and far better than they can...but that's it from me.

[SkySista]

they do the work that the airlines can't do themselves efficiently and far better than they can

Not always. :E

they handle virgin in most of the major regional ports

One thing I have noticed around the place is that some AC staff think DJ is the be-all and end-all to the expense of other things that they should be doing... they need to realise that ALL their clients are just as important.

But, like I said, make up your own mind if you want to work for them... we're just giving our sides of the story, it's up to you to do what you will with the info you get. Try searching to see if they have any awards/agreements.

[Swift6]

I am a former employee of Aerocare and worked with Ozgrade3 in the impulse 717 days. They were the good old days where the company was small enough that you knew everyone and there was good morale with the staff (mostly pilots) - all for $15 or so an hour (any hour!).

A lot of us got the flick from the company after Impulse became a part of QFlink, with the promise of being taken back on by the company when work became available.

I spoke to the GM early the next year as the company had just won the contract to handle Freedom air out of NTL. I was brushed off numerous times and given no reason why I was'nt to be taken back on. After slogging your guts out, working for peanuts it was a bit of a slap in the face. If you work with them don't expect any favours or any love to be returned.

I got the last laugh though. I ran into Old mate whilst I was working for JQ as ground staff. He asked why I was working for Jq and not for him. I laughed in his face. And told he had got to be kidding! And basically walked off.

At the end of the day if your after the experience GO FOR IT! But don't expect it to be the best job in the world. You may be working around aircraft, getting experience. The enthusiasm wears off quickly!!

As for me I can't complain too much, after being layed off from Aeroscare, I went to uni, was taken on by JQ as ground staff and since then have
worked as a flight attendant.
And am now working as a pilot, which in certain aspects (Pay especially!!) is kinda of like working for Aerocare all over again, but this time with a difference I'm following my own dream!:)

[topend3]

I got the last laugh though. I ran into Old mate whilst I was working for JQ as ground staff. He asked why I was working for Jq and not for him. I laughed in his face. And told he had got to be kidding! And basically walked off.

i bet he was devastated!!!:D

[oz_aviation]

G'day all, first time here.

Must add my 20 cents to this post. I worked for Aero-Care for 3 years in 3 different airports and found it to be one of the most enjoyable jobs that I ever had. Anything from loading B727 freighters and Saab's in SYD winters, to Fokker 50's in PER, and CO/DJ B737s in CNS - not to mention all of the different types of aircraft that you get your hands on with charter ops!!!

I have heard all of the negative sentiment from those above before, and from first-hand experience found that my former teammates who carried on like this were simply not suited for the job. They obviously expected more than they found, and I was never sorry to see them go. :D :D

Wilcome, as suggested by topend3 you would be much better off by making up your own mind, and ignoring the statements of those who have a bee in their bonnet about one thing or another. Those who have worked for other operators and heard second-hand information are simply not qualified to comment about a company they have never worked for. For every peanut who has something negative to say about any former employer, there are many more who see a very different picture.

If you are just looking for short-term experience with a view to moving onto something else you may be selling this company short for your future.

It may pay to ask the question 'why is Aero-Care now getting so big with airlines like SQ and UA getting involved?' I don't see this resulting from mismanagement. :rolleyes:

Happy trails :ok: :ok:

[Xcel]

if your in sydney why not menzies, dhl themselves...

or better yet toll at bk. $30 per hour and reasonable with time off no shift work.

[adl1745]

Aero-Care don't do baggage handling in Adelaide. It is handled by Toll.

[west98765]

any more other comments about this company??
i will just give it ago to try
i booked the interview time at 9am

how about you?

[Mr. Hat]

They are the very height of incompetence. And its not because of the staff members that work there but due to the lack of training and staffing levels.

An accident waiting to happen.

[Ozgrade3]

Oz Aviation(and his attitude) is precisely why I left Aerocare after 5 and a half years. The first 2-3 years were great, I learned more about the industry and what it takes to run a ramp operation than I ever could dream of. My time on the Impulse 717 ramp at Sydney was the most stressful, exhausting part of my working life, but also the most enjoyable. We all felt we were achieving something and felt for th most part, the Impulse people actually appreciated us. We often went way way above the call of duty, but that was just they way it was, and we relished it. I think we did some good work, and made some life long friends. At the time we had a great relationship with the owner.

Some things I learned,

When you have a sucessful company..........NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.........EVER employ family to be managers. They just turn it into thweir little fiefdom.

Aerocare want brainless workers who will follow management ideas without question. The last type of employe they want now is a pilot, who has the brainpower to think about what is going on and , oh my god, speak out about it. Disagreement with management is a cardinal sin.

Oh one more thing, one of the funniest things I have ever seen is one certain managers spanish inquisttion when in just before Aerocare lost the REX contract, some one wrote on the white board in the office below T2, the REX ramp one. "The end of Aerocare in Sydney as we know it". The interviews of all sydney staff, photos taken, notes made, endless questioning of who did it. God how I was able to keep a straight face at the time.

Well, it was ..........ME......I did it.

[Islander Jock]

OG3,
I'd expect nothing less from you. :ok::ok::ok::ok:

Year before last when I was contemplating life back in Oz after a few years dodging IEDs in Kabul, I thought about applying to be a bag chucker at Perth. Thank god I woke up to myself and soon got over that idea.

[I_In_The_Sky]

I work at aero care so I feel qualified to talk about working for them.
If you are one of those types who thinks the world owes you something, then Aerocare is probably not for you. However if you are willing to work hard and you take some pride in your work, what have you got to lose? You could be working within 2 weeks from the initial application.Then, if you dont like it then leave. Nobody there will hold a gun to your head.

I'm not going to say that it is the best place in the world to work, but if you want to get your foot in the door and work at the airport, it's a damn good start.

Oh and 1 other thing. 90% of the rumours you hear about Aerocare are just that - Rumours. the rest is bulls**t :ok:

[Gear Down & Welded]

Worked for them for the best part of 3 years, various operations, left for flying... like so many others I see!

I doubt that they are getting more than Menzies and Skystar... weren't in my time there!

Oh yeah they don't have SQ or UA any more... and PB isn't looking too good either from all reports!

OG3 100% agree... great company, massive potential... stuffed my middle management who care more about bonuses than staff morale or getting the job done right. Several others and myself busted our asses getting things setup in various operations at the port I worked at. Mind you not one word of thanks... no thanks for all the 'fudges' that we did to our blocks times to make our OTP look impressive! No thanks either when I left after all that time, in fact on my last day my port manager just left without a word said. :ugh: Barely got a thanks and a hand shake when I came back to hand in my uniform!

According to them you can't have any misgivings, otherwise you are not 100% commited to them! You can't question, just do... if you don't then you'll find you have either no shifts or a DCM (if you give them reason to dismiss you, unfair dismissal is something they are scared of!). They don't really care about you, because (in their opinion) there are hundreds behind you who are willing! That theory doesn't change much even with seniority, but they hurt more when the senior guys have had enough and move on.

I've got a student now that has started working there, told him the same as I'll say here... great for the experience, just watch your back and don't put up if you don't think it's right! Most of their staff will end up in better jobs later on... just think of it as a launch-pad to the airline industry!

Swift6 & OG3, blue skies... see you in the crew room! :ok:

I in the sky,

I'm not going to say that it is the best place in the world to work, but if you want to get your foot in the door and work at the airport, it's a damn good start.

100% true!

Oh and 1 other thing. 90% of the rumours you hear about Aerocare are just that - Rumours. the rest is bulls**t

Yeah the rumours about the airlines they work for... according to rumour they were getting the NZ contract when I worked there... oh let's not forget MH, CZ, FDM, CA, CE... the list goes on. Let's not forget about the rumour that AC was loosing the UA contract to Menzies and management came out and said it's totally unfounded and crap, then they lost the contract about 4 weeks later :yuk: . They don't let the truth get in the way of a good story! Unfortunately most of the rumours about staff pay and conditions are true... but as you have in the first quote, great start point in the industry!

Like OG3 (I'm sure, and others) I don't regret working there one bit, great experience which I have now taken into my flying career.

[kirisimasi]

Hi In the Sky.

I wonder if you could help me.. I submit my application through aero care website couple of months ago and haven't heard anything yet. I rang them to follow up mu application and they say check the website but there is nothing on the website to check application status..

Any info will help me...


Ta

[romeocharlie]

I can't say much for other bases, but there's 2 pilots employed at very least in Cairns, one check-in and the other in ramp - dispelling rumours there.

Secondly it's unskilled labour - that said there is plenty of opportunity to move into supervisory roles, and thence management if so desired. One of the pit crew leaders in Cairns has recently moved to Darwin as the Airport Manager, and I'm sure already doing a fine job.

One might say the opinions on here are inexperienced, I'd say 8 years in GA qualifies me to comment on the subject. As someone who at the height of the GFC lost his job (which was very well paid) and was employed a week later by AC, I can easily say I've had both good and bad moments, but as a whole enjoyed my time there and have met some great people.

Ground handling isn't for everyone nor is check-in, but as a company the fact that the highly coveted Gold Coast contract was awarded to AC must say something for the company.

My flying jobs for the first 5 years of GA never paid more than 23.5K per year, and I can sure as sh!t say that I worked harder than I do at AC which pays a hell of a lot more than that did.

RC

[camgreaves]

Romeocharlie Mate when did you leave?

[camgreaves]

My two cents worth mate... Coops hit it on the head but its pretty relaxed in the downtime depending on the sup on shift... i know id rather be working with them then in a bar

[tasdevil.f27]

There may not be any positions available atm, I know that the LST crew were offered transfers to a couple of other ports once Tiger pull out. Wasn't many choices for them.

[The Bullwinkle]

A total circus

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They are the very height of incompetence. And its not because of the staff members that work there but due to the lack of training and staffing levels.

An accident waiting to happen.

A most accurate description!

[twentyeight]

So, I have applied for a Customer Services, casual position with Aerocare based in Melbourne (not sure if they're looking for Tullamarine or Avalon?)

What is the pay rate? Even though it's a casual position is it possible to get around 40 hrs a week? Also, I don't drive, (but I do have a license), would this be a problem getting to work?

Any other comments on the company or the role would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Sunstar320]

Unless it stated Avalon its for Tullamarine and dont worry about the Pacific Blue comment, its all Tiger :} They will do their absolute best to ensure you dont break 38hrs a week, unless Tiger pulls a delay on you when your shift was meant to finish.

It would be better if you said you "did" own a car, and I presume you are catching a bus or getting dropped of. How are they meant to know hey?

Payrate is around $25 mid week, and up to $35 on weekends. Bit lower for training.

[twentyeight]

Thanks for your reply! Some useful info there

How long is each shift? Or do they vary?

[Jethro Gibbs]

Whats with the applicants paying for medical and paying for Dangerous goods course with their prefered trainer without having the job which seems to be casual sounds like a scam to me.:suspect:

[adl1745]

It's about $17/hr during the week, or $22/hr on weekends. See the link (http://www.fwa.gov.au/documents/agreements/wpa/CAEN085453175.pdf)for the full outline of conditions. They are strongly anti-union and discourage their employees from joining. Google Aero-Care Flight Support and you will find some unscrupulous stories (particularly on evenitup). A very amateur company.

[coco-nuts]

Agree, MH, was nearly pushed back into a CX A330, a while back. After a few complaints, the company i work for changed to Menzies.
Workers tried hard enough, but not well trained.

[AmanA]

Hey i just got a phone call today for a second interview. Any tips on what to expect? do's and dont's, will be much appreciated:ok:

[Jethro Gibbs]

? have you had to fork out any cash to them yet.

[not_aerocare]

Guys! Do yourself a favour & avoid any work with Aerocare........

Aerocare treat their staff like absolute crap.......

The Brisbane base is the laughing stock of the airport.

Its run by turkeys & the staff turn over is overwhelming.

The workload is overwhelming & god help you if you make a mistake! They treat you like crap..... Oh, & as for training...... There is no more than a fews hours training.. Thats it......

Apply for anything other than Aerocare:)

[nomorecatering]

Its a shame the company has gone the way it has, i worked there on the Impulse operation in 2000 in SYD and it was great back then, yeah little training but they guys were a great lot, oh and by the way betwwn the 23 guys in the group, we had around 7000 hrs commercial flying time. We had some very sharp operators. I still dont know if anyone in the world has beaten 14mins 10 secs from on blox to off blocks for a jet(717). That was by stopwatch during the Olympics at Sydney.

The Impulse op was a great one to work on and the Impulse guys were great, especially the pilots, and one Captain (C&T) actually badgered us to go on jumpseat rides with him once he found out there were pilots in the crew. I did 12 myself.

I do have to take some posts to task, while its not rocket science, its not for the brain dead either. A ramp during a peak period is a dangerous, dynamic place and you allways have to be on your toes. 26 REX turnarounds in 90 mins is a monumental task. Some of the hardest work I have ever done. Anyone who says its easy has never done it.

During that time, we all knew Steve Shelly well, he often came downto chat with the boys and was very friendly, the guys got on well with him. To prove a point, when the TWU came round looking for us to sighn up, they were told to bugger off, by us.. the boys.

I dont know what happened after Impulse died, it seems to have all changed. I'm sad to see that caus Aerocare in 2000 WAAS actually a pretty good place to work, and still remember those days with fondness.

BTW.......7000 toilet dumps......and only 2....er accidents.

[oz_aviation]

Ozgrade3, you seem like the person I was only too happy to see move on. Face it, your glory days are gone, and as the company grew new ideas and ways of working were needed. Somehow I think you had some good times and came to the conclusion that the world owed you something special.

I've heard so much crap here from people with an axe to grind, and honestly have to wonder what 7,000 hours of flying time has to do with making you a great baggage handler. I've spent over 15 years in this industry and have come to the conclusion that everyone has their own set of expectations - and if you expect to come to work, work to the best of your ability and expect to be paid for the work you did - well, you should be happy.

I've seen some great people come out of ground handling and make great careers in aviation, and there are many worse employers out there than Aero-Care. If you're considering working for Aero-Care, you'll get exposure to more of the industry than you will if you work for a single airline. You'll also get the opportunity for development and advancement, with heaps of career opportunities opening in front of you.

Give it a go, and screw the negative bastards!

[Ozgrade3]

Oz Aviation. My glory days are just beginning. Now about to crack 4000 Hrs TT, Grade 1 Multi Engine IFR Instructor.

[dont_go_aerocare_bne]

as a current employee of this aerocare I would say that I have heard mixed opinions. Each port is managed differently and can have enormous differences in opinions. I can comment on BNE and say that this is by far the worst and poorly organised port in Australia. Never ever believe anything that management says to you. Empty promises and you get treated like a slave to the company. you will get 20-25 hours a week spread over 5 days so its impossible to work even 2 jobs. minimum of 3hr shifts which they use more than often. They are quick to notice that you havnt shaved in 12 hours and are more than happy to verbally abuse you for the slightest facial hair. But never once would they thank you or appreciate the work you put in. the port is run by turkeys. dont bother if you value your dignity.:=

[bozbyron87]

i went for the info session at Brisbane. they said rosters are put out 6 weeks in advance and you can only swap shifts a limited amount of time. i didnt get a call back for interview. lucky in hindsight!

[aerocare_sux]

Having worked for Aero-Care in Brisbane for the last 5 months, I can confidently say that this is the worst company I have ever worked for. I dont know anyone there at the moment that isnt looking for a new job. These guys dont give a rats about you. They work you to the bone and pay you nothing for it. Do NOT work for this company!!!

[4 Holer]

I did a bit of google searching and found an article in a Sydney paper saying a S Shelly part owner of the handling business is building a 30 million dollar home in Sydney south ?????

Maybe that is why the staff get sweatshop pay.

[Paragraph377]

4 holer, you are correct. Shelly and his business partner have made a colossal amount of money out of the GHA business over the years. Most people wouldn't be aware of just how much money they have made.

[aerocare_sux]

Steve Shelly doesnt own it anymore, he sold it and thats how he is building a $30 million dollar house. I read somewhere that he is also having a tunnel down to the water from his house. WTF!

[4 Holer]

Out of interest who owns it now ?? It seems from a little digging the guy is from a drink family so maybe use to the golden spoon in the mouth ?

[aerocare_sux]

Not entirely sure but the CEO is Glenn Rutherford.

[Paragraph377]

Rutherford and Shelly started the company, built it up into a cash cow, made many millions over the years. Then yes, Shelly sold out his share. These boys used to splash out big dollars entertaining airline executives so that contracts would keeping rolling over, smart business method.
Unfortunately for the check-in chicks and bag chuckers the big dollars don't quite make it down to that level :*

[emergency000]

Don't like your company? Simple: quit.

There's plenty of warehouses that need someone to break down/build up pallets for them on roughly the same wages, all Mon-Fri 7-3:30 and without the added hazard of being sucked into a V2500.

Sitting on Pprune bitching about your company isn't going to change either your circumstance or the company's.

[jennifer choi]

Hi guys,

just wondering the Aerocare Brisbane, which airline do they work for on customer service?

Tiger and Jetblue? that's all?

THanks.