Air Nelson - JH out at last.......... [Archive]

Spinner69

6th May 2009, 06:16

Here's what Eagles GM had to say......

All Eagle Staff
Hopefully by now you would have been made aware (either by the staff announcement yesterday or by the rumour hot line) that I have accepted the role as General Manager Air Nelson, with a proposed start date of 1 July.
Many people today, have commented, and I quote “Gee you haven’t been here long and we have only just trained you, now we have to go and start all over again” end quote, I agree, it has been a very short period, but very enjoyable.
The past 18 months has been a very rewarding experience for me, at work and also my personnel life. I have had the opportunity to work in an environment with a team that makes you fell part of a family right from day one (even being an Aussie).
Living in the Waikato and having the opportunity to travel throughout this fantastic country is something that many Kiwis don’t even get to do……certainly a great country to live in.
I will definitely miss the Eagle family, hope to catch up with as many of you as possible before I become a South Islander (but will always remain a solid Wallabies supporter)

Regards
GK

terronnd

6th May 2009, 06:20

Well that is good news CC, they certianly deserve it.

Hanz Blix

6th May 2009, 06:43

Jesus:confused: this could be the fabled beginning of the merger of all the regionals.

terronnd

6th May 2009, 07:45

Combining into one, with two aircraft types from the same manufacturer?

Fark'n'ell

6th May 2009, 08:12

Jesus this could be the fabled beginning of the merger of all the regionals.

You're onto it Hanz.

Sqwark2000

6th May 2009, 10:25

Merger of the 3 regionals will be at a corporate level only. there's no way you'll see a combined pilot group, the 3 entities will have one GM, one accounts department, combined engineering etc, but the the individual flights ops dept's will remain as well as their respective CEA's, just cutting out some middle managment in the corporate world.

S2K

Bombay

6th May 2009, 11:28

Well hell. This isn't good. To all of you who said that the negotiations would be the end of him, what do you say now? Never think for a second that a bad negotiation round prevents promotion. Always thought he'd ascend up, regardless of the outcome of the negs. I hate being right this time.

Make no mistake - he will be trying to find a way of bringing it all together, including the pilot groups. Yes, the seniority list will be one of many sh*t fights but he'll have a go. It ain't going to be pleasant. I see turbulence ahead for all concerned. Hunker down.

Bombay

always inverted

6th May 2009, 20:30

They probably could not sack him for the contract f@#k up but put him in a new job that really does piss all and there is probably someone in the miriad of jobs at air nz that already does that anyway.
So what are they doing, give it time to settle and you will probably find that he will slip out quietly with a fat bonus or something...

As for an amalgimation of the links, whay would that be so bad, less cost in the management side has to be good. Just alot of issues with the merger but hey if it saves our jobs and makes the group more profitable then bring it on.
I suspect that it wont happen as there would be to much power in the regional when it comes to negs, but still similar to the freedom merger. Interesting times with the recession only just starting to hit nz.

Cloud Cutter

6th May 2009, 21:53

Interesting times with the recession only just starting to hit nz

Actually, we're just starting to recover from it (maybe) - NZ went into negative growth in Q1 last year, and therefore technically into recession in Q3, so it's been quite a period of harsh economics already for us.

if it saves our jobs and makes the group more profitable then bring it on

Certainly it would make the group more profitable, but by definition that means it will cause the loss of some jobs - that would be the main reason for doing it. The current situation is inefficient in terms of labour - not only in flight ops, but also engineering, airline ops, and airport services.

Bongo Bus Driver

7th May 2009, 00:53

The new guy's an Aussie and intends to support the Wallabies. He'll be lynched as soon as he sets foot on the mainland.

always inverted

7th May 2009, 03:21

If you think that nz has seen the worst of this recession then you may well have your head in the clouds... Just because people are buying houses does not mean that we have seen the worst of it. The problem with alot of kiwis is that they seem to think that things wont happen to them, but it does.

I never said that there would not be job losses, did I... But a few job losses is better than alot isn't it, or am I wrong there too.:ugh:

Another thing, whats up with paying out another flippin treaty claim when the govt/ country can't afford it and seriously does not have the money. (Heard that on the news last night):oh::mad::ouch:

CTOT ON

7th May 2009, 05:18

Is General Manager to Project Manager a promotion?

1279shp

7th May 2009, 06:37

S2K
Merger of the 3 regionals will be at a corporate level only. there's no way you'll see a combined pilot group, the 3 entities will have one GM, one accounts department, combined engineering etc, but the the individual flights ops dept's will remain as well as their respective CEA's, just cutting out some middle managment in the corporate world.

:hmm::hmm::hmm:Air New Zealand Link will be ONE airline operating a big fleet of different sized Bombardier props and a number of 1900's.

CTOT ON: Is General Manager to Project Manager a promotion?

Last person I know who became a PM after being a GM ended up getting truly PM'd - as in 'permanently moved'. Out of the company!

Though 'Hatchet Hambleton' does have an interesting ring to it.

##

Question: Why would they put in an ex HR guru - General Manager Human Resources for Pacific and Regional Airlines - to run MCA?
To deal with the merger with Air NS?

Captain Condom

7th May 2009, 09:39

Get back to the purpose of the thread - celebrating the departure of the narrow minded tosser. Drinks tomorrow at the Moutere Inn (I'm working unfortunately).

Maybe we can now start to rebuild the company (have to get rid of a few of the dinosaurs and air force types to really finish the job though).

Bombay

7th May 2009, 12:27

Air New Zealand Link will be ONE airline operating a big fleet of different sized Bombardier props and a number of 1900's.

Not a bad idea...except that Air NZ has purchased the ATRs off lease which means they're commited to them for a while (years) yet. If you wanted to dump a fleet, it would be smarter to keep them on lease and then just not renew it. Selling/disposing of aircraft is much harder.

Besides, the Q300 is now middle-aged technology with the production line being wound up and the Q400 still has teething problems.

If Bombardier would hurry up and sort out the Q400, then get the shortened Q400 up and running as the Q300 replacement, we'd have ideal machines for NZ.

Cloud Cutter

7th May 2009, 18:46

But a few job losses is better than alot isn't it

Absolutely, I was purely looking objectively at the business, and the sad fact is, it is more labour intensive than it needs to be.

I woundn't be citing NZ housing figures (or any NZ figures for that matter) with reference to economic recovery, but we'll have to wait and see who's right, I won't bore you with the details.

waren9

9th May 2009, 08:23

One pilot group will never happen. Would you risk grounding the entire regional network when the boys threaten to down tools at negotiation time?

Neither would I.

muttly's pigeon

11th May 2009, 01:31

You guys will be right GK is a good sort :ok:

Gotta second warren9....... Air NZ Link as such will never be a company. 1x HR manager, 1x GM, 1x Payroll officer, 3 Fleet managers etc etc would make sense but im sure politics will prevail before commonsense which should have been applied a decade ago.

27/09

4th Jan 2010, 06:56

I told her Nelson is better if she can get it and that if she does go to Eagle it would be hard to swap across. Sound about right? No not really if the info I hear is correct.

No probs swapping across from what I have heard though I'm not sure that many do. I hear it's partly to do with the generally quicker progression at Eagle and the fact that an FO upgrading to Captain at Eagle does not go back to year one salary like happens at Air Nelson.

Yes Air Nelson pays more but I've been told that once you have a bit of time in at Eagle it's not worth going onto the bottom of the list at Air Nelson you never catch up to what you would have got at Eagle. If you were to start at both on the same day Air Nelson would be a no brainer choice from a salary point of view. However if you start at Eagle first by a short while then the choice isn't quite so clear cut and eventually I've been told it's better to stay at Eagle.

custardchucker

5th Jan 2010, 21:19

An Eagle FO with a few O/Ns will actually earn more than an F/O at Nelson

in the hand (net) FO's get round about 1650 F/N with one a week and a few bases have reg ON's now.

The progression is faster as well. The bad old days of Eagle management all being wankers has more or less gone because it is easy to keep out of their way. Also checks are ALOT easier than they used to be so if she has the choice to go to Eagle now rather than spend another winter in GA tell her to GO FOR IT we need all the crew we can get!

The Hill

5th Jan 2010, 23:29

As long as you can put up with pax complaining about how small/noisy/hot/cold the 1900 is, Eagle is a good place to be :ok:

T_Tail

6th Jan 2010, 09:05

With Air NSN you get an F/A, coffee, autopilot, APU and aircon on ground with good bases, decent pay and a good bunch of people:D

6080ft

8th Jan 2010, 07:30

Air NZ recruiting guys have been reported as saying Eagle guys do **** loads better in the sim and through their training, no doubt due to the hand flying.

The sort of people who feel the need to have a coffee every sector brought the them by the F/A, are also the sort of people who sit around the tables in the crew room, instead of the couches, and don't join the conversation with the eagle boys!

Steve Zissou

8th Jan 2010, 08:14

Or the Vincent boys. Oh, that's because there aren't any left to talk to.. :(

mattyj

8th Jan 2010, 09:15

theres still one or two Steve..still practising approaches to stay current...on a bicycle no less!!!

:E

Split Flap

8th Jan 2010, 18:22

Air NZ recruiting guys have been reported as saying Eagle guys do **** loads better in the sim and through their training, no doubt due to the hand flying.

I have heard that generally they dont do that well in the sim because they are not used to the automation.

News flash, you dont hand fly fly a jet.

In fact the eagle guy I did my training with got blasted in the sim for never shutting up about, eagle this, eagle that, at eagle we used to do it this way... Yawn.

NoseGear

8th Jan 2010, 19:31

The sort of people who feel the need to have a coffee every sector brought the them by the F/A, are also the sort of people who sit around the tables in the crew room, instead of the couches, and don't join the conversation with the eagle boys!

Oh please 6080, "feel the need"?....just because the option is there, hardly means there is a "need", its a nice extra...dont knock it till you try it fella:E:D

That last part is quite a stretch...:rolleyes: Could it be that during your short break in the crew room, one might not feel like talking to someone to whom one doesnt know? Nah, thats just too much like common sense....:ugh:

Nosey
PS my willy is bigger than yours too......

donkey123

8th Jan 2010, 20:46

All this Eagle vs Air Nelson b/s! What a load of crap.... "we hand fly, so are better pilots", "we get coffee", "our o/n allowance is this", "we have a F/A"...blah blah blah.:ugh:

Are we not all doing the same job? Grow up!

I can't even believe I bothered to write this...

Donk

mattyj

8th Jan 2010, 22:47

Nosey I can back you up on that!! :eek::eek: Python

Iron Hide

9th Jan 2010, 22:57

I think that almost everyone would agree that Air Nelson IS a better job than Eagle for various reasons, however that does not mean that Eagle is a bad job. There is always somewhere better isn't there.

At Eagle you get paid quite good money (for what you do) and get pretty good terms and condtions to boot. I think that given todays enviroment where things have slowed down a lot, especially those trying to get out of GA, you'd have to be very brave or very patient to not go for Eagle given that they are pretty short staffed right now and surely some interviews are just round the corner, when the crew levels at Air Nelson are still pretty good, and they may potentially not higher for quite some time.

Each to their own though, everyone has different circumstances.

ZK-NSN

10th Jan 2010, 03:53

Air NZ recruiting guys have been reported as saying Eagle guys do **** loads better in the sim and through their training, no doubt due to the hand flying
I think I know what your doing with your hands dude and it aint flying. Last time I heard that story the airline was cathay Pacific. They also come in handy if you need the oil checked. :E