No Qlink for Hotham this year

[Marvin Martian]

Just in from the Hotham RMB.
They have been told by Qlink that "due to crew shortages" there will be no flights to Hotham this year.

MM

[VH-XXX]

Hopefully everyone including every dodgey Tom, Dick and Harry dodgey operator doesn't see that as an opportunity to fly in there and take up the slack. I've heard to many stories of some regulars going in there in some quite questionable conditions. One guy supposedly even left because of what he was asked to do.

[Hugh Jarse]

And the other pranged....

[Friction Nut]

I wonder when the employees and Pilots are going to be told... Or is this another case of us all finding out on prune first.....

F.Nut:ugh:

[Jabawocky]

I have told you all before.....PPRUNE is the fountain of all knowlege:}.

XXX subtle as always my friend. Would have thought that new house would be keeping you too busy to be on here, is the missus not working you hard enough:E.

And ya mexican mates just phoned me looking for an entry visa into Qld.;)

J:ok:

[Kiwiconehead]

John Eacott posted it in the Qantaslink crewing thread a couple days ago - there has been no announcement thru staff channels yet.

There will be no Qantaslink anywhere soon the way Kumar is going - way to expand the business - well done:ok::rolleyes:

[Chocks Away]

:ugh:See... they should have stuck with the very successful "Hotham Express" shuttles at night (!) run by QRA in it's early days... the only approved operators to fly night time RPT into Hotham!:D

...closed out of expansion negotiations with Hotham, by QF's threat of withdrawal (funny that now!) and their offer of direct flights to Sapporo/Japan out of Cairns... where the Hotham owners have interests...

...:rolleyes:

[Tankengine]

Of course there are still some here who would say "there is no pilot shortage"
:ugh:

[beaver_rotate]

I'm guessing we are talking about Skytrans (ex QRA)?? Someone should tell Skytrans - I am told they have 3+1 DHC8-100's inbound to Oz.

[Teal]

From today's crikey.com.au

No chance of a Qantas flying visit to Mt Hotham

Ben Sandilands writes:

Plenty of snow but no jets or turbo-props is the latest forecast for the ski fields this winter. Qantaslink told its pilots last week that the snow season flights to the Mt Hotham strip are gone because too few pilots are left on its rosters.

So no scheduled Qantas snow flights from either Sydney or Melbourne to the Victorian Alps using the country’s highest air strip at 1295 metres.

REX has already put a big question mark over this year’s ski specials to Cooma for the Snowy Mountains for the same reason.

Both regional carriers have a similar policies of preferring to cut services rather than increase wages, which has seen their country networks shrink in recent months with more closures expected.

Virgin Blue has dropped hints that it is considering flying its smallest jet, the 78-seat Embraer 170 to Mt Hotham, but not this year, because it hasn’t enough of them in its fleet, and the alpine runway might need extending to allow high passenger loads on the return legs to the cities.

All of which could be academic if AirServices Australia continues to fail to keep the routes between Sydney and Melbourne under continuous and active air traffic control.

Air traffic control across Australia is routinely slipping into periods of third world status to the extent that Qantas, Emirates and Air New Zealand are among the carriers that have recently cancelled services or supported their pilots in refusing to use unacceptably compromised air space when AirServices has withdrawn the coverage it is supposed to provide.

[Toluene Diisocyanate]

Qantaslink told its pilots last week that the snow season flights to the Mt Hotham strip are gone because too few pilots are left on its rosters.Bull**** Ben Sandilands. Qantaslink tells its pilots nothing and hasn't communicated anything to its pilots about Hotham.
Check your sources next time, idiot.




See youse!

[Icarus53]

You could perhaps dial it down a little TDC. I received a message specifically stating that YHOT was to be suspended until further notice, through the company channel. I'm not going to sit here and say that we get detailed, timely communications from management all the time, but in this case they actually did put the word out.

Now how would you feel if I suggested you're an idiot for posting before clearing your Geneva messages? Relax guy.

[KRUSTY 34]

Gidday TDC.

We all know how frustrating it is dealing with intractable and incompetant management. Also the lack of accurate reporting on the crisis has most of us shaking our heads.

But go easy on Ben. He has acknowledged the policy of REX and QFlink in prefering to slash services and disadvantage the public, rather than pay to keep their pilots. As we all know, that is the root cause of this crisis. His mentioning of this is nothing short of a revelation!

Something we have seen very little of from the media so far. Just maybe the penny is starting to drop!

[Chocks Away]

Sorted:ok:

Beaver Rotate: "I'm guessing we are talking about Skytrans (ex QRA)?? Someone should tell Skytrans - I am told they have 3+1 DHC8-100's inbound to Oz.

QRA actually bought Skytrans and the Hotham Express was a year or so before that purchase. Not possible to restart it in the same capacity now though, as the 2 Captains that "got it on the boil", had specific night approvals for Hotham and left QRA some years ago to greener pastures... the approval went with them :}

[hoss]

i'd love to see an e-jet in there. like a lot of you guys i have flown in there regularly for the last 6 or so seasons and hardly ever saw snow on the runway, never had to use the contaminated charts and only had to divert once across to abx after a few attempts with a 'soft cock' pf.

:)

[John Eacott]

hoss,

I'm sure that the airport crew will be pleased that you had snow free landings: they are often working all hours to ensure the snow clearing is effective :ok:


the 2 Captains that "got it on the boil", had specific night approvals for Hotham and left QRA some years ago to greener pastures... the approval went with them

I think that you will find the night approvals are (were) issued to the Operator, not the individuals: my company one was. There has been a history of concern from CASA over YHOT approvals, some justifiable, others not. IIRC, night approvals were pulled across the board in 2006 by CASA, but I'm not sure of the current status. Semi retirement does that to you ;)

[Capt Wally]

ngt ops into Hotham would only be allowable under very dire circumstances. A mecry flight would have to be the flt cat. for my Co.

Dangerous place, not for the faint hearted in lousy wx & at night I'd say.

Where lucky in this country, the wx generally is near perfect compared to a lot of OS places. One snow flake falling on ML or SY would mean total closure 'till the sun came out !:) Tongue in cheek but you get my menaing!

CW

[oldsmithy]

Capt. D and the bosses of QLINK puff out your chests and be proud of Fxxking ux big time. Maybe if you and Qantas management had respected the quality of the PILOT group before they left you would not be in this extremely embarrassing situation. Not being able to operate to Mt. Hotham should be considered unacceptable, reducing services to Newcatle well there are plenty of other operators. Mr N Kuma if that's how you spell the invisible mans name you should be terminated immediately. It is time the lack of management are held accountable in this once fantastic company.
FAR TOO LATE QF TO OFFER CAREER PROGRESSION YOU BLOKES HAVE COMPLETELY Fxxxx UP.
This pilot shortage is not going to be over as quickly as you think. QLink will continue to bleed PILOT'S.:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

[oldsmithy]

I know the bleeding of pilots will continue and thats a fact. cheers boys and girls.......................................

[Kangaroo Court]

A lot of emotion there! Please remember that this is the same company that put food on your table for many years. Not even a dog bites the hand that feeds it.

Maybe it's time for a hangar session with management?

[Sue Ridgepipe]

Please remember that this is the same company that put food on your table for many years. Not even a dog bites the hand that feeds it.


Doesn't change the fact that they're a bunch of pricks and they deserve everything that's coming their way now due to their own incompetence and/or unwillingness to treat their staff with respect.