Airlink- South Africa

[Half-Pint]

Hello there

Could anyone please PM me with information regarding the selection and hiring process at Airlink? Any such things like minimum flying requirements and any tips on the interviews would be greatly appreciated!

Many Thanks

Halfie :)

[luther55]

Check airlink web site all the details are there,its under the contact us section if i remember corectly!!!They recently looked for fly boys about 2mnths ago.

[Half-Pint]

Thanks alot- I'm actually sifting through Airlinks new website now. Any comments on Link as a Company? Spoke to some JS41 pilots the other day- seemed happy enough (heard that they weren't at a stage?)

:)

[Deskjocky]

Heard the ATP subjects were very important.

[JetNut]

Why would any "airline" hire someone without ATP subjects.

[nugpot]

Why would any "airline" hire someone without ATP subjects.

'Cause his daddy works there? Your company is famous for that particular SOP. :E ;)

[Alternative]

Well Nugpot....So is yours!!!!

[nugpot]

Alternative,


Touche!

[moonshine707]

Yes I agree Airlink is still a very very unhappy company with extremeley bad pilot/managemant relations. I will not advise anybody to go there as Airlink is not career orientated and do not hold pilots in good regard.:ugh: They only have pilots because they have to!:suspect:

[moonshine707]

Airlink is probably the worst aviation company in SA, with many unhappy pilots working there. Airlink treats pilots like dirt, and sign them into such one sided training bonds, that only the few brave dare leave! And dont think for one second that Rodger Foster won't attach your house by court order and put ur wife and children on the street. Rodger have managed to divide and rule the pilots!! by creating by now 3 fleets. For the new comer your fellow pilots on the Jetstream pool are the ones that will be your worst enemy! Dont go there, there are many other nice companies you can go to instead:=

[Balmy]

How clever of Rodger to have created 3 aircraft fleets, just so he could divide and rule the pilots.......what clever thinking.........

And I thought the decisions regarding composition of a fleet were based on issues like number of seats, cost per seat mile, range, favourable leasing arrangements etc........silly me!!

[moonshine707]

Oh yes before I forget those poor pilots are normally about 30% or more under paid in relation to the industry and have to resort to strike threats every 3 or 4 years just to get some adjustment. In the meantime old Rodger has pleaded constant poverty while making huge provits at the pilot's expense. Nice boss hey:confused:

[reptile]

......silly me!!

Indeed you are!

Aircraft are selected on the factors you mentioned, but Roger keeps the fleets separate with little or no chance for pilots to move across and thus enhance their careers.

P.S. sarcasm really suits your hairstyle

[Balmy]

Reptile....... Firstly I don't have a hairstyle, Secondly I think you misunderstood the point of the post and Thirdly it wasn't sarcasm....suggest you look up what sarcasm is.

Interesting pseudonym that........but then I guess it was chosen by your friend and not you???

[newcrew]

go there only if...

you cannot get into any of the others (mentioned above)

overweight t/o, mel items, no diversion fuel - wont bother you to much

be careful

:mad::mad::mad::mad:

[TerminalVelocity]

go there only if...

you cannot get into any of the others (mentioned above)

overweight t/o, mel items, no diversion fuel - wont bother you to much

be careful

:mad::mad::mad::mad:

11th August 2007 17:15



Thats quite a statement to make without any substantiation! :=

Is this something you know from personal experience or are you just parroting a rumour you picked up from some other dubious source?

And if its personal experience then why did you do any of the above?

Its certainly not expected from Airlink crew. In fact the opposite is.

[moonshine707]

:( Terminal Velocity is partly right, there is a problem with Airlink diversion fuel policy, THEY PLAN TO LAND WITH DRY TANKS!!!!! at first alternate, Yes no fuel in tanks on touch down. Nice hey?:ugh:

[moonshine707]

Salaries - pilots just had a big increase - maybe still not quite on par with other airlines but not bad, especially for a youngster.

Training bonds - unreasonable but not an issue if you are prepared to stay for 3 or 4 years, again not bad for a youngster

Suitie its not that bad, but its not good either, at SAX, 1TIME and many other you will get a far better deal without all the Airlink problems, hope u didnt get to suck the hind tit at Link for too long:{

[TerminalVelocity]

Based on the hate and animosity in that previous post of yours can the rest of us ask if you are a current member of the Jetstream pool?

Pretty personal comments too. Have you considered editing them?

[Avi8tor]

without all the Airlink problems, hope u didnt get to suck the hind tit at Link for too long
Moonie friend - you have a lot of anger going on in your life. Suggest you see somebody.

Not sure if you are ex/current Airlink or not, and I am the last one to let facts get in the way of a good story, but you clearly have NO idea what you are on about.

Considering that the thread started out with a bright eyed bushy tailed youngester looking for some info. It then turned into some sad old man ranting.

The fact that Airlink is not the happy place it was in the late '90 is true. The pilots didnt stand together at the right times. And good ol' RF does get some strange ideas sometimes. But looks like the lessons have been learned and things are on the mend.

But its still a good operation to cut your teeth on. Hundreds of pilots have gone that route. Its worth a CV.

[moonshine707]

Hey guys what I'm on about is the fact that Airlink has screwed many pilots with their contracts. Let me put it this way: dont refer your friends to Airlink, bucause if they get the job they won't be ur friend anymore.

The young guy asked if he should go to Airlink, I think that most whom has worked there will tell him NO!! dont go and there will be n 1000 individual reasons for it. My problem is that some oaks whom, is uninformed to the true situation there, will then give young pilots a twisted perception of the company. Be carefull of you uninformed objectivity.:D

[Avi8tor]

Be carefull of you uninformed objectivity.
I am hugely well informed on this issue. Not sure where your bitter twistedness came from. Sadly I dont think most pilots read their contracts before they sign them. You cant complain afterwards.

For a young guy thats got 1000hrs TT with some turbine, ME, 2 crew experience thats looking to get to the major airlines of the world. It's a good move. He will prob be there 3 or 4 yrs anyway, so contracts/training bonds are NOT an issue.

As for the long term prospects, that is up to the pilots at Airlink themselves. If they want the 'golden years' of the mid/late '90's back, they have to stand together.

[reptile]

If they want the 'golden years' of the mid/late '90's back, they have to stand together.

and Solidarity is possibly NOT the best way to go about it......

[Avi8tor]

To be honest, I dont think it matters what union umbrella they stand under. ALPA/Solidarity are NOT the union, the Airlink pilots are. Hence the union is only as strong as its members.

I think the lessons of the past have been learned, I hope that the 'golden years' can be regained.

[moonshine707]

Avi8tor you sound like the has been APA representative, you dont know shi:mad:t, your in Airlink no longer than a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Protect your companies lies, which you dont know. Your lack of insight and aviation knowledge in this regard is apparent, try to convince those who dont know!!!!!!!!!!!1:cool:

[Avi8tor]

you dont know ****, your in Airlink no longer than a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Protect your companies lies, which you dont know.

Hmmm...so shine the light of your knowledge upon us. All I have seen here so far is incoherent ranting.

Not sure who you are friend, but I think you are very much up the wrong tree.

[Champagne Lover]

Remember, Roger Foster knows it all. Neither you nor anyone else can tell him jack-**** about flying. Ask him who advised him to buy 146's? Certainly not any of his pilots! Why should he, when he's an accomplished pilot himself? For these decisions he has a Chief Spanner!
Ask him about flying his wonderfull choice of a/c to Antannanarivo, ask him about his pilot's fuel reserves....... But then, he's an astute "businessman", isn't he? Rules are there as a challenge arn't they, not to protect anyone?
But mostly (the above is simple drivel): Beware of the CHIEF PILOT! She smiles into your face whilst she drives a knife into your back, remotely. And no, the toothless wonder who wears 4 stripes and actually flies aeroplanes is simply an inconvenient necessity (as far as RF is concerned). He must just do as he's told, when she tells him to, and how!
But yes, you will get to fly very exciting aeroplanes, at least the J41, and no doubt the 146 too. So take a "further" 4 years of your life, and ascribe it to "training", once again, before you get a job, then you'll enjoy it.

[3rdBogey]

Hello Half-Pint. Currently it's a good time to apply to link. They like between 800 and 1500 hours. You should have something like a 1900 or similar on your licence. (weight-wise)
Turbine time is always good, but if Daddy allowed you to fly the family Goony-Bird or Skymaster, they won't hold it against you.
Subjects do always help.......
Nice crowd of pilots, not too many Brown-Aeroplane types left.
The flying is really nice.(Pleasant that is, not just "exciting")
Routes are very varied. Equipment is good, not certain about the 146.....
It always helps to get to see one of the boys doing the selection, if you can. Not sure where you give the CV in though.
You won't be welcomed on board with a party(get out there and work!)..... but when you walk in to ops, you will be greeted with a smile and handshake that is genuine.
Look forward to seeing you. All the best.

[reptile]

moonshine707 m' boy.....you are in urgent need of a strong tranquiliser. Quick to point out the shortcomings at Link, yet patently unstable yourself. I really hope you're just another troll and not an airline pilot! If you are indeed a driver at Link, you need to hand in that resignation ASAP. Take a long hard look..............I hear a time bomb ticking.

[kitkat777]

i know this is a kinda un-PC thing to ask, but any idea what the starting salary is in Link since the increase??

[kitkat777]

Could anyone tell me more or less what the starting salary at Link is for an FO?

[Half-Pint]

Hello everyone, and thanks for your many replies!:)

It is quite interesting to see the many different view points on Airlink. Some of it scares me actually!! :eek:

Just to clue you guys in on my situation: I am in fact reasonably young as some have assumed me to be. Im busy flying a Grand Caravan somewhere in RSA and I have a frozen ATP with just over 900hrs, with around 250hrs being PIC turbine. Unfortunatley, I'm not flying a multi-engined aircraft at this time (but I do hold a ME-IF Comm)

I thought it would be in my best interests to have a look at what South African airlines have to offer and to do a bit of reasearch at this stage of my career.

Many people have told me to apply to the airlines and to try get into one as soon as I can, for job stability and fringe benefits. However, I have become aware recently that some outfits, of which Airlink is included, don't offer items such as medical aid and pension allowances? I don't personally know any Airlink pilots (although I do know one lady that flew for them and thoroughly enjoyed it) so I havn't got a huge amount of information of what Airlink (or any other Line for that matter) is like from a pilot's working point of view (hence the reason for my post).

Therefore I wish to thank all for providing their input, it is much appreciated!! :ok:

So please, if you have any further comments, keep them coming (either on PPruNe or PM me for my email address)- they 're all going in my "Airline File" for future reference.

Fly safe

Halfie :cool:

[Q4NVS]

Yes, not Enough..!

:}

[126,7]

Lets not be shy, post a figure. I'm also keen to know what they get at Link.

[Q4NVS]

I'm also keen to know what they get at Link.

03 Left :E

Sorry, I could not resist, now back to the original thread.

[moonshine707]

Hey kit kat depends on ur experience and on which fleet ur be flying, not my place to blab out Link salaries, but it wiil be on Gross about R17 000-00 less than what a Sax co-pilot will earn:{

[moonshine707]

:) Hi reptile glad that you acknowledge my comments as true, not like some other pilots who lives in their dillutional bubles of thruth denial. Also tx for the medical oppinion, I'm sure ur qualified, excellent hearing there mate:rolleyes: I think there should be a lobour law forcing our good board of selector to reveal all the BS that exist in the company to the innocent candidate, before he gets employed and sign his contract.

He than have the choice to willingly accept the contract based on a true scenario, not the shiny and 1/2empty employment promises!:D Fact is not all of us are prepared to hide all of link problems, it is at least ethical to relay some of the problems so that the new pilots have a fair idea of what their getting into, I mean there has been so many problems throughout the history of Airlink that one can publish a novel here. But its not the point.

I hope that the senior pilots/Captains in Airlink will start to mature so that Union problems in future can be handled in a sensible mature way, and that we can part with the old immature boyish, fear driven ways by which matters were normally complicated and left unresolved.:ok:

PS it will also do wonders if the J41 pool will start to love the guy's on the E135 pool.:uhoh: Just hope uncle RF doesnt go and purchase a B737, just immagine the next explosion then?:O

[moonshine707]

Kit Kat I suggest u phone Airlink switchboard and ask to speak to Capt Andre Mellet very nice guy. He'll be able to answer all your questions:)

[moonshine707]

:) Suitie well said have known him for a long time, no problem there:D

[ExSAAF]

Working foe airlink is not so bad .... if you enjoy flying alot that is.... the J41 guys are flyin 90+...not to sure about the 135 guys.. and heard that the 146 guys are almost finished with their line checks and also flying about 70-80 hrs a month!! although its got 4 hairdryers its still a medium jet!! not to bad!!!:O

The starting salary is not good but the longer you stay the better it gets! fancy that hey!! It also depends on your hours when you start...<2000 JFO between 2000 and 3000 FO and >3000 SFO. Big jumps from JFO-FO-SFO not to mention Captain.

If you start on the J41 you will get command in about a year, depending on your attitude that is moonshine707. Not to sure about the 146 and 135 guys but I know theres 2 j41 captains that started on the 146 sometime in july.

[moonshine707]

Yes ExSAAF the only real careed path is when ur in with the J41 pool, E135 pool is almost as if in a deadman's shoe senario. But the E135 I think is the nicer pool of the 2 (my oppinion though), heard there is less annimosity. Yeah must agree that that the E146 is a bit of a 5 APU scenario. Believe the -200 uncle RF has bought doesnt really have any real range. Sounds like the -300 was the right option.

Remember J41 wheel base is wide so keep it straight at touchdown;)

[kitkat777]

thanks for the help guys! how about an approx figure for a JFO, min hours??