The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines

[parsifal]

It seems that the great expectations generated by the creation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines(CAAP) is not going to be met in the near future. The Aviation industry is still waiting for some semblance of leadership of the office in such area as aviation safety, efficiency in airport operations, good public service and in providing long range direction to an industry that has so much potential in the economic development of this country.

To wit, how is the CAAP addressing the findings and recommendations of the FAA and ICAO regarding our airport operations? Will we regain our Category I status? The downgrade to Category II had dire effects particularly on the transpacific operations of PAL.

[subsonic69]

how is the CAAP addressing the findings and recommendations of the FAA and ICAO regarding our airport operations?

by changing their name to CAAP.... and after that?? none...

as long as most of the people there received money from airlines and other operators, they will simply do nothing about it .. But they will try to make it look like theyre doing something ofcourse.

Its actually a shame to be downgraded from that category to a lower one. But lets be honest to ourselves.

Is there any changes with the CAAP ?

let me give you an example: there is one profitable airline in the Philippines whose aircraft are handled by a company that doesn't even have a hangar of their own.:ugh:

Im amazed how their engineers and technicians do all their job outdoors.. or should I say on the Bays of the new Terminal 3?:hmm:


Good thing the license I'm using right now doesn't have the RP-ATO or CAAP logo on it.

Love the Country, Hate the Government... Just simply CORRUPT!

[parsifal]

i have to agree with you, subsonic. we continue to be blighted by this disease called graft and corruption. and it is not just the government but also the people. we, the people, are as guilty as the politicians or public servants for tolerating their existence and by even agreeing to their terms sometimes. we pay their salaries thru the taxes we pay. so maybe we should altogether stop paying our taxes. anong say mo?

in most capital cities in Asia, their international airports were moved to the outskirts of the capital long, long time ago. they are connected to the metropolis by fast trains. additionally, these airports have parallel runways which provide for efficient simultaneous handling of departures and arrivals. sadly, our planners do not see these. only us, the airline pilots, see and experience these things. from their airconditioned offices and limited view and perspective on the matter, they obviously will fail to appreciate the benefit that can be derived from correct infrastructure.

under the present conditions, the congestion at manila TMA will continue to obstruct the development of our aviation industry. the industry won't be able to harness its full potential.

[amihan]

I am one of the many ATCs working in Manila. I do agree on what has been said; expectations on CAAP will not be met. Infact, they will NEVER (short or long term) be met.
Ciron is on his way out. Whoever replaces him, I doubt if he/she can save the reputation of our Civil Aviation industry. They are all the same.. goodie-goodie sa simula then lumalabas din ang tunay na kulay in the end.
The ATCs, as civil servants, are getting paid by the taxpayers. Whatever amount we take home, I assure you.. those are honest and hard-earned money.
Some years ago, an issue has been raised on a meeting between the ATC facilities: how to decongest the air traffic in Manila? RPLC came to mind. When this was presented to the administration (then ATO), their reply was: "kikita ba tayo dyan?" (typical)

[chairwrecker]

RC used to "brag" about his spirituality as a pastor. unfortunately that is not nearly enough. however, i will take him anytime versus the DG he replaced who is the most shameless collector of under-the-table favors, which led to what subsonic has just described.

they tried to change the system, let's give them that. but the problem is they hired white men from ICAO as "consultants" and followed these guys blindly. without any technical know how, they were in no position to find out if the sanctimonious lectures of the white men were any good.

they surrendered their brains to people who have good english accent and no common sense.

[Toruk Macto]

Love the Philippines and the people, It's said, people get the goverment they deserve.

People, you deserve more!

[parsifal]

AMIHAN

I would like to correct myself when I said "the airline pilots see and experience the efficiency of other Asian airports in handling arrivals and departures." I failed to mention that the ATC controllers are also at the short end of the air traffic situation at NAIA. I can only imagine the stress you are experiencing during the peak hours.

RPLC or DMIA is the only viable option we have to replace NAIA as the Philippines' international airport. The Aviation sector should clamor/work for this objective. The CAAP needs an office head that has a grasp of what the industry is all about. No more Generals, please. The industry is about business and safety in air operations. The CAAP is not concerned with air defense.

[amihan]

One factor that contributes to the congestion is the runway configuration of RPLL. During peak hours, the runway would accommodate upto 60 movements an hour which is the norm basically for busy international airports. But while others have parallel runways, we have to makedo with a single runway. Its like having a single toll booth on an expressway collecting both ways. Imagine the traffic jam there.

I say, while we've been reclaiming Manila Bay to put up gigantic malls and exclusive subdivisions, why not build a parallel runway with equally good terminal on it. I just don't know if any builder still trust our government after what it did to PIATCo when they built NAIA terminal 3.

[win_faa]

RP among aviation safety flunkers
By Rainier Allan Ronda (http://www.philstar.com/ArticleListByAuthorName.aspx?AuthorName=By+Rainier+Allan+Ron da) (The Philippine Star) Updated January 28, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is in a list of countries with unsafe civil aviation systems drawn up by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
ICAO has listed the Philippines among countries whose civil aviation was found with “significant safety concern” (SSC), according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines-Employees Union (CAAP-EU).
Cesar Lucero, CAAP-EU vice president, said that this was not surprising in view of the CAAP’s failure to address deficiencies of the country’s airport network.
“As we have said time and again, the Philippines will continue to fail to regain Category I status with the US FAA (United States Federal Aviation Authority) and get a satisfactory rating with the ICAO until the leadership of the CAAP, especially the director-general, Ruben Ciron, is replaced,” he said.
In an electronic bulletin last Dec. 18, the ICAO listed the countries with SSC findings as Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Congo, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Philippines, Rwanda, and Zambia.
“The safety oversight audit of the Philippines under the comprehensive systems approach revealed a Significant Safety Concern which remains unresolved by the State,” the ICAO said.
The SSC finding for the Philippines is a double whammy for the country’s local civil aviation industry after the US FAA downgrade of the country from a Category I to a Category II rating due to deficiencies in its civil aviation systems in December 2007.
The US FAA downgrade had caused the Arroyo government to rush passage of Republic Act 9497 which created the CAAP.
Lucero said Ciron, as CAAP director-general, had mainly attended to the hiring of his fellow retired military officers to vital and highly technical positions at the CAAP even without having civil aviation experience and expertise.
“We blame Mr. Ciron and his hiring binge of his fellow retired military generals and colonels and his fellow comrades in the Reform the Armed Forces of the Philippines Movement at the expense of organic ATO personnel who have civil aviation experience and expertise,” he said.
It will be recalled that the CAAP-EU has questioned Ciron’s appointment of retired military officers with no civil aviation management expertise in the CAAP since its creation in late 2008.
The group stressed under RA 9497, the CAAP was supposed to absorb the regular employees of the Air Transportation Office to retain the experienced air traffic controllers and other crucial technical employees of the agency.
Another reason for the creation of the CAAP was to enable it to retain its more than P2 billion income raised from the collection of landing and navigation fees to raise salaries of employees such as air traffic controllers, he added.
Sought for comment, Ciron downplayed the ICAO issuance of the SSC on the Philippines.
“We are addressing that already,” he said.
Ciron said that the reason for the SSC rating by the ICAO was the finding of ICAO inspectors that CAAP lacked technical personnel.



RP among aviation safety flunkers | The Philippine Star >> News >> Headlines (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=544534&publicationSubCategoryId=63)

Sources from CAAP say that the ICAO has generated around 100 audit findings/items during their Safety Oversight last November 2009, wherein all of them are serious findings! Hmmm... I'm quite surprise that ICAO only found 100 findings! :bored:

[win_faa]

CAAP warned on issuing invalid licenses to pilots


Philstar.com - Saturday, January 23

MANILA, Philippines - The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is issuing invalid licenses for pilots and aircraft mechanics, as well as certificates of registration and air worthiness for aircraft as a result of the appointment of unqualified officers into key technical positions.
Cesar Lucero, vice president of the CAAP Employees Union, warned that the issuance of the invalid licenses and certificates by the CAAP could pose serious problems to aviation firms in times of air mishaps especially when it comes to claiming insurance. “Insurance companies could refuse to honor claims by questioning the licenses and certificates of concerned pilots and airlines,” Lucero told The Star.
Lucero said that the Flight Standards and Inspectorate Service (FSIS), the main regulatory arm of CAAP, was in effect issuing invalid licenses and certificates due to ultra vires acts and illegal appointments of consultants and co-terminus employees into highly-technical positions, who have recently signed the licenses and certificates issued by the agency. He said that under RA 9497, otherwise known as the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008, which created CAAP, the power to issue airman licenses and aviation related certificates exclusively belongs to the Director Generals alone.
Since 2008, the CAAP-EU has observed that the FSIS director appointed by CAAP director-general Ruben Ciron, Eduardo Batac, have been issuing and signing licenses and certificates in direct violation of RA 9497. “The signing of the pilot and aircraft mechanic licenses as well as certificates of registration and air worthiness could not be delegated by Ciron to Batac,” Lucero said.
Illegal
“The acts of the FSIS are what can be called ultra vires and illegal, in effect rendering their issued licenses and certificates null and void,” Lucero said.
Ciron, for his part, denied the allegations of the CAAP-EU. “There is no question on the validity of the licenses and the certificates,” Ciron told The Star in an interview yesterday at the ground breaking rites of the P2.5 billion Caticlan airport upgrade project at the Caticlan airport. Ciron said that Batac, as FSIS director, merely endor-ses the licenses for him to sign for his approval. Ciron said that Batac also had the qualification for the FSIS top position. “I’m the one who signs the licenses,”Ciron said.
Batac, a retired officer of the Philippine Air Force like Ciron, it was learned, was one of the head executive assistants hired by Ciron into the CAAP, with the post being a “co-terminus” appointment which means that the appointment expires upon the end of the appointing official’s tenure.
Batac’s deputy, Romeo Alamillo, also a retired military general, was hired into the CAAP by Ciron as a consultant.
Lucero stressed that both Batac and Alamillo have no civil aviation management experience or expertise.
The CAAP-EU, Lucero said, noted that under existing laws and regulations, both Batac and Alamillo are prohibited to hold positions exercising control and supervision over regular employees.
It will be recalled that the CAAP-EU is questioning the appointment by Ciron of retired military officers with no civil aviation management expertise into the CAAP since its creation in late 2008. - By Rainier Allan Ronda (Philstar News Service, Philippine News for the Filipino Global Community (http://www.philstar.com))




CAAP warned on issuing invalid licenses to pilots - Yahoo! Philippines News (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20100123/tph-caap-warned-issuing-invalid-licenses-b9426e6.html)

[parsifal]

win faa

your posting are very relevant and all personnel in the civil aviation industry must be fed this information continously to keep them aware of what is and what is not happening at the CAAP. let's hope that people who can influence the situation will read our postings and will be guided accordingly.

keep them coming, kabayan!

[x_feed]

that's true..

last year, a group of aircraft mechanics from etihad was terminated because of this issue..


they hold the original license
but when the company verified their license..
they discovered it was invalid.

because of the license no#

[chairwrecker]

please let us remember the original "flunking" happened before RC's time. RC was put in place to fix the years of mismanagement. you may have misgivings about RC's effectiveness and (in)competence as a leader, but it is patently ridiculous for some people within CAAP to act as if it was all RC's fault. let's keep a good perspective here, gentlemen.

having said that, however, 100 serious findings is certainly mind-boggling. what have all the ICAO "consultants" been doing all these times???

[parsifal]

chairwrecker, you hit a nerve there. these ICAO people had been with us for so many years already. their fat salaries and allowances are paid for by us. somehow they should answer also to the audit of ICAO HQ.

on the other hand, is RC receptive to recommendations from these ICAO
consultants? does he understand them? does he have an adequate understanding of the implications of his job?

[parsifal]

flew to ozamiz and butuan recently. didn't have papi lights there. i also remember shooting the ils at mactan and manila not so long ago. now we only have vor/dme approaches. does RC even know what these things are and how they tell on the safety of our flights.

these are basic safety reqmts of airports. CAAP should be minding these things.

[win_faa]

Government should help PAL
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS By Babe Romualdez (http://www.philstar.com/ArticleListByAuthorName.aspx?AuthorName=Babe+Romualdez) (The Philippine Star) Updated February 02, 2010 12:00 AM

Whatever they say about taipan Lucio Tan, no one can argue that he has been relentless in his efforts to keep Asia’s oldest airline and the country’s flag carrier, PAL, a source of national pride, keeping it afloat. The Asian financial crisis in 1997 definitely did not help and almost brought PAL down to its knees.
The gradual turnaround, plus the operational restructuring that resulted in its successful exit from receivership several years ago, encouraged PAL to take on a more ambitious expansion and re-fleeting program in 2006 as it inked a deal with Boeing for the delivery of six B777-300ER aircraft to be completed by 2011. PAL was hoping to increase its flights to the US and expand its services to several destinations like San Diego, Chicago, New York as well as Saipan.
Unfortunately, all these plans and hopes were dashed when the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in 2007 downgraded its rating for the Philippines from Category 1 to Category 2, saying the Philippines was an unsafe port of origin as it cited the government’s failure to comply with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in providing safety oversight of its air carrier operators.
This downgrade adversely affected PAL because the carrier could not tap new destinations and expand its US market since it was not allowed to increase its flights to the US and US territories. PAL could not also use the new Boeing 777-300ERs to existing US destinations. These long-range aircraft were bought specifically for long-range markets like the United States, and it’s rather ironic that while PAL is contributing to the US economy by buying these American aircraft, it cannot even fly the same to American soil.
After all, it’s the government’s aviation system which failed in the reviews/assessments conducted by the FAA – not PAL – so why can’t an airline which has an impressive safety record bring in American-made aircraft to their place of origin?
In any case, the government reacted to the downgrade by closing down the Air Transportation Office and rushing the creation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines or CAAP in 2008 to address the findings of the FAA and upgrade the status of the Philippines to Category 1. If I remember correctly, GMA even gave them a 90-day deadline. But aside from the name change, nothing much has been done by the CAAP to rectify the situation.
And as if the FAA downgrade was not enough, here comes another blow with the ICAO’s recent inclusion of the Philippines among several countries with “Significant Safety Concern” or SSC rating such as Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Congo, Djibouti, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.
Simply put, ICAO is saying that the Philippines does not have safe civil aviation systems, perhaps because the people who are supposed to oversee air safety concerns are busy quarreling with each other. CAAP director general Ruben Ciron has been at odds with an official of the employee’s union who is blaming the former for the country’s failure to regain Category 1 status with the FAA.
Cesar Lucero, the union official, has accused Ciron of being more concerned with hiring fellow retired military officials to highly technical positions who do not have the necessary expertise to efficiently run the agency. Ciron in turn tried to downplay the ICAO’s SSC issuance, even pointing out that the problems plaguing CAAP have been in existence even before his term and were mainly due to corruption and mismanagement in the former ATO administrations which Lucero was part of.
In the first place, the Philippines will not be able to upgrade its rating if these people will not stop their wrangling. Perhaps they should listen to a suggestion for CAAP to consult with the pilots of PAL who have the training, the discipline as well as the expertise and experience regarding safety and other issues. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that as long as the downgrade is not addressed, tourism, transport, cargo and other sectors will continue to be affected.
PAL president Jimmy Bautista has been quietly and patiently pushing for government to get the Category 2 rating lifted. Jimmy, known for being an unassuming and low-key guy, has worked so hard and done great in the successful turnaround of PAL, and it would really be disastrous to see all his efforts gone to waste just because government can’t get its act together.
No one will argue that the airline industry has been going through tough times partly due to the global financial crisis, and just how gloomy things have been can be seen in the recent bankruptcy of JAL, Asia’s biggest carrier. Fortunately, the government of Japan is stepping in to bail out its flag carrier by way of a loan.
Obviously, no one would like to see this country’s flag carrier go the way of JAL. Which is why government should help PAL by making sure that the agencies tasked to oversee the country’s civil aviation systems are doing their jobs properly, instead of engaging in protracted turf wars.


Government should help PAL - TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS By Babe Romualdez | The Philippine Star >> News >> Business (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=545871&publicationSubCategoryId=66)

A valid point indeed

[soaring.high]

Has any one heard of Aero International Airways? Heard their base is in Zamboanga.Can any one provide some information regarding this airline and their fleet etc.

[Habagat]

Good day to all fellow aviators!

This is my first post, however, ive been surfing this site for quite sometime.

Factually, there is no "turf war" inside CAAP but a legal conflict between the organics and the consultants which if not resolved the soonest will dive the Philippine aviation aground.

It has already been brought to the open especially in the aviaiton world that "consultants" foreign or local are lording over the CAAP with their impractical and out of this world programs and policies.

Under existing laws and regulations, consultants are PROHIBITED to exercise supervision and control over regular and permanent employees. However, this is blatantly violated in the case of CAAP.

Consultants were illegally appointed to key and top positions by RC to the vehement opposition of the regular and organic employees. What compounds this issue is the arrogance and incompetence of these consultants. They came professing and vowing to make needed changes in CAAP. True enough, they changed the situation of CAAP from worse to WORST!

Worst, foreign ICAO consultants are also calling the shots in CAAP! Not only a violation of the Civil Service laws but an affront to the SOVEREIGNTY of our beloved motherland!!! All because RC allowed it!

RC and his consultants will never achieve their goal for the CAAP how noble it may be (kung ganun nga) because they stand on the wrong side of the law.

Fellow aviatiors, lets not make the issue inside CAAP complicated. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT RC AND HIS CONSULTANTS DO NOT REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

No "turf war", just a wrong interpretation and implementation of the law. That simple.

[parsifal]

Whatever analyses we make on the situation at CAAP, the aviation sector need the agency to establish order and safety in our skies. The air traffic congestion at the Manila airport had resulted to numerous TCAS RAs and had been reported by the pilots involved. What is the CAAP doing about these events/incidents? Do they really know what to do about things like these? Do they still conduct flight checks to calibrate the precision/accuracy/quality of our navaids like the VORs, PAPI/VASI, ILSs, DMEs?

There is indeed a turf war waging. And the loser is . .

There seems also a failure in the implementation of the law. ..or misinterpretation of the law. Now what to do . .

[Mikkideez]

I am just wondering...

Are we oblivious to the fact that government employees are what they are. Now I am not gonna make general statements...but if anyone has been to CAAP and has checked out who the regular employee Check Airmen are, y'all would agree that they are idiots. They do their jobs because they have to in order to get paid...but what are their jobs...do they know what they are doing? No they don't! They love going on work trips (even if they have no clue what they are on a trip for) and collecting dollars, or even performing checkrides "under the mango tree". That is why you need the consultants.

CAAP employees want Ciron out? To be replaced by who? With one of their own? Now there is a Category 3 (if there was such a thing) waiting to happen.
Why put the blame on him.

Not for nothing, but I think we should stop sugar coating and giving these CAAP employees credit coz it definitely isn't due. Stick it to them where it hurts. They should replace all personnel of the Aviation Safety Division (doubt if the law will allow that)....which precisely why they are so lax with their jobs...they are protected by the law...our country definitely screwed up somewhere!

Just my two cents.

[parsifal]

miki . . .

your two cents worth is more than a penny for your thoughts.

i definitely agree with you. the CAAP is a microcosm of the government, where inefficiency, insensitivity, non-accountability and rudeness is the norm. people in government flaunt the law but when they find themselves in a corner, they take refuge in the same law that they mock.

what can we do? us . . who still care.

"the greatest failure is the one never attempted."

[Habagat]

Very well said Parsifal!

RC and his consultants do not really know what to do with the highly technical operations of CAAP.

This is what we get of the palakasan system. kesyo bata ni Enrile at Ermita, kesyo malakas kay Lucio Tan, kesyo malapit kay ganito...ayun nilagay na sa puwesto.

Isa rin sa dapat nag iingay ay ang aviation sector. Dapat nirereklamo nila ang mga kapalpakan ng CAAP, pero ginagawa ba nila? Hindi rin...bakit? Dahil marami sa kanila ang nakikinabang sa ganitong sitwasyon. Aminin na nating lahat na ang dami daming operators airline man o gen av ang gumagawa ng mga milagro kaya ok lang sa kanila kahit mali mali na ang mga ginagawa nila Ciron and Co.

Sa lahat ng mga nag iingay dito tungkol sa kapabayaan ng CAAP, matanong ko kayo...may ginawa na ba kayong solidong hakbang para punahin o ituwid ang mga ito??? Wala rin di ba? Kasi natatakot kayo sa pwedeng gawin nila sa careers nyo!!!! KAYA HANGGANG GANYAN ANG PAG UUGALI NG AVIATION SECTOR WALANG MAGANDANG MANGYAYARI SA AVIATION NATIN.

Meron naman sanang CAAP employees' union na pilit ibinibunyag at nilalabas sa publiko ang mga kalokohan at kapalpakan ni Ciron pero ANG TINGIN NATIN SA KANILA AY MGA "GRIPING" PEOPLE LANG. When in fact, they have already brought to the courts their legal issues against Ciron and his consultants.

AVIATION SECTOR, WHEN WILL YOU REALIZE THAT AS LONG AS THESE PEOPLE ESPECIALLY THE CONSULTANTS (FOREIGN OR LOCAL) ARE RUNNING THE SHOW IN CAAP WE WILL NEVER TAKE OFF? We cant talk of solid programs in CAAP when your status therein is outright illegal. Simula pa lang mali na. Have you checked your certificates? Sino mga nakapirma? Batac? Alamillo? Las Marias? These people are not employees of CAAP!!! God forbids, have you realized the implications of an invalidly issued licenses and certificates in times of accidents an/or surprise inspection by FAA and EU?

The CAAP employees' union knows what they can do. I know their members especially their core officers. By the way the CAAP employees' nion is mainly and largely led by incorruptible people from ATS kung integrity lang ng Union nila ang pag usapan. These leaders have taken a very strong stand to resist and repulse illegalities committed by RC and consultants.

Let us, in the aviation sector make our stand also in light of the difficult times the civil aviation is going through.

BY THE WAY PARSIFAL, IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE DATA OR STATUS OF NAVAIDS IN THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINES YOU CAN ASK FOR IT FROM CAAP EMPLOYEES' UNION. BY THE END OF THIS FEBRUARY, NO MORE AS IN ZERO OUT OF THE 197 NAVAIDS AND FACILITIES WILL BE CURRENT/CALIBRATED.

RPLL RWY 06/24 IS NO LONGER INSTRUMENT PRECISION APPROACH RUNWAY FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. TWO OF THREE ENROUTE RADARS COVERING THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINE AIRSPACE ARE NON FUNCTIONAL!!!

Now ask yourself......WHAT TO DO.

[win_faa]

Sa lahat ng mga nag iingay dito tungkol sa kapabayaan ng CAAP, matanong ko kayo...may ginawa na ba kayong solidong hakbang para punahin o ituwid ang mga ito??? Wala rin di ba? Kasi natatakot kayo sa pwedeng gawin nila sa careers nyo!!!! KAYA HANGGANG GANYAN ANG PAG UUGALI NG AVIATION SECTOR WALANG MAGANDANG MANGYAYARI SA AVIATION NATIN.


The only thing you or me can do is to exercise your right on May 10, 2010, and then hope and pray that the Philippines chooses the right President :) This is what I think I can do

For now we can't do anything else as nobody in the government will ever hear your sentiments now because politicians are busy with the upcoming elections.

[parsifal]

let us list the players of the aviation sector team:

flight mechanics air traffic controllers
flight attendants flight deck crew
flight dispatchers aircraft operators
airline owners aviation employees
others . . . etc

not much of a population to make some thunder in the halls of power and influence, don't you think? but if we convince all air travellers that the safety of the skies is also their concern, then we might just be able to get the "kalampag" we need.

politicians, as we know, look at numbers(as in votes) and not on issues. we know that we don"t have the numbers now but we can launch a campaign to generate that number.

ultimately, we might just be able to muster that mental strength to join in the partylist election in the future. gargantuan task? well, we got to start something and somewhere and sometime.

[win_faa]

Filipino airlines suffering from poor aviation rating
GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc (http://www.philstar.com/ArticleListByAuthorName.aspx?AuthorName=Jarius+Bondoc) (The Philippine Star) Updated February 17, 2010 12:00 AM

RP aviation’s poor international rating has begun to trouble Filipino airlines. This is the gist of Foreign Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin’s recent letter to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines chief Ruben Ciron.
On Feb. 8 Ebdalin wrote Ciron that Korean civil aviation officials had nixed Philippine Airlines’ bid for a Cebu-Seoul route. Saudi Arabia too may delay resumption of the flag carrier’s Manila-Riyadh flights. Authorities in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia have begun inquiring about RP’s aviation record and policies. Meaning, international operations Cebu Pacific and Zest Air too could be impaired. Revenues would be lost from the traditional high-profit routes.
The cause of all this is twofold. First, in Nov. 2007 the US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded RP to Category-II in security and safety. Facilities and personnel of the Air Transport Office were found wanting. Sadly it was the private sector that suffered from government’s poor grade. Filipino carriers to the US were barred from setting up new or expanding old services. The CAAP hastily was formed to stop the decline. Hardly any improvements happened, though. So hit, second, the recent posting by the International Civil Aviation Organization of “significant safety concerns.” RP was lumped with backward or failing states like Angola, Bangladesh, Congo, Djibouti, Kazakhstan, Rwanda and Zambia. The UN agency found that of 191 navigational facilities RP-wide, only 16 are reliable, eight are due for recalibration by end-Feb. 2010, and the rest are in disrepair. Again private carriers are the ones punished for the CAAP score, in terms of restrictions like the Korean action against PAL. Yet 90 percent of CAAP revenues come from navigational charges on airlines.
Ebdalin in his letter asked Ciron what CAAP is doing to address the US-FAA and ICAO concerns. The answer is yet unknown, as Ciron’s performance is being reviewed by Malacañang. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza is claiming in press releases that airports RP-wide improved under President Arroyo. This was supposedly because of an 800-percent funding increase in 2001-2009.


Filipino airlines suffering from poor aviation rating - GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc | The Philippine Star >> News >> Opinion (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=550387&publicationSubCategoryId=64)

Seems to be that the aviation industry in the Phil is already f**ked up :ugh:

[win_faa]

Cusi in, Ciron out at CAAP
By Rudy Santos (http://www.philstar.com/ArticleListByAuthorName.aspx?AuthorName=By+Rudy+Santos) (The Philippine Star) Updated March 07, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Alfonso Cusi will soon leave his post to head the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Cusi, who withdrew his candidacy for a congressional seat in the 2nd district of Oriental Mindoro last Thursday, confirmed the appointment in a telephone interview yesterday.
He will replace CAAP director general Ruben Ciron after a transition period.
Cusi said for the remainder of his term in MIAA, he will focus on getting an ISO 900 certification for Terminals 2 and 3, which will mean that the terminals have met international standards for service, safety, and security.
As the new CAAP chief, Cusi will face the task of restoring the country’s civil aviation rating to Category 1 after the US Federal Aviation Authority (US-FAA) downgraded it to Category 2 in 2007 because of safety issues and the lack of technical personnel.
“Of course, there is an urgent need to address the downgrade,” Cusi said.
The civil aviation downgrade prevents the Philippines from taking advantage of routes to rebounding global economies, whose citizens are traveling more.
To restore the country’s aviation rating to Category 1, the CAAP needs to hire more technical experts. Its employees are also demanding higher salaries.
On Thursday, Ciron announced that the CAAP is now hiring check-pilots, aircraft inspectors and other technical personnel after the Civil Service Commission approved the qualification standards for the applicants.
Ciron said he is preparing to brief the incoming aviation chief on the status of the restoration of the civil aviation rating.
Ciron is scheduled to leave for Brussels next week to present to European aviation bodies the response of the CAAP to the October 2009 audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Cusi said he will announce who his successor will be in a few days. Airport sources said MIAA executive assistant Robert Uy and Terminal 3 manager Melvin Matibag are at the top of the list of officers likely to replace Cusi.



Cusi in, Ciron out at CAAP | The Philippine Star >> News >> Metro (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=555608&publicationSubCategoryId=65)

[parsifal]

Ciron out . . . yes, we ask for that.

Cusi in . . . . . no. we didn't ask for that, did we?

the NAIA was his turf for many years.
and every year, the portion of taxiway charlie from E-5
to holding point of rwy 06
is always undergoing repair. and more . . .

he is also a part of the problem. he doesn't see
the need to move the international operations
to DMIA or elsewhere. he cannot comprehend
the airspace congestion at the Mla TMA. he would love to
build more terminals. as a matter of fact, he has
allotted Php40B for the upgrade of NAIA in the next five
years.

[parsifal]

hope springs eternal. . may your optimism be rewarded, Cessna95!

for all our sakes.

[jamestaylor]

Sorry but he will make a great Choice - Congrats Al - onl man to get terminal three up and running plus plus. Can you please give him a chance..................

[win_faa]

Another score for the Philippine government :eek:


RP aviation faces European blacklist
Manila Standard Today, March 18, 2010
by Vito Barcelo

The Philippines faces being blacklisted by the European Community over aviation safety issues, according to Alfonso Cusi, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

In a draft resolution circulated among the European community, the air safety committee had proposed blacklisting the Philippines because of its failure to resolve aviation safety issues, Cusi said.

But the Europeans have been assured that the Philippine aviation industry meets international safety standards, said Cusi who attended a conference in Brussels convened by the European Community’.

“Our delegation will prove that the Philippine aviation system meets safety standards and that the blacklisting is not necessary,” Cusi said.

Cusi met with European Union Ambassador Alistair MacDonald and informed him of the steps taken to address the safety concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The Philippines will invite the EU Air Safety Committee to conduct its own safety inspection of Philippine airports, Cusi said.

Cusi’s agency will apply with the international aviation regulators for the lifting of the significant safety concern during the ICAO Aviation Safety Conference to be held on March 29-31 in Montreal.

The Federal Aviation Administration assessed the now-defunct Air Transportation Office in July 2007 and raised serious concerns about ATO’s inability to conduct consistent, effective safety oversight.

[twotters]

Who is this Alfonso G. Cusi? Any good? Got silent here.

[FlipFly]

Yea; he's good, he actually cares and wants to make a change in the system. But like most governments it needs a cooperative effort from all who're within.

[parsifal]

up to the '90s, we have an ILS for the NAIA. then it downgraded to VOR/DME. now its just a visual approach for the premier airport of this country. imagine foreign int'l airlines arriving from other countries being asked by approach controller if they accept a visual approach upon their arrival. what is their choice? they have only a few gallons of fuel left for their alternate.

this is not an int'l airport. it is a runway in the bushes. the only difference is that the bushes here are concrete.

the officials of CAAP, if ever they have any delicadeza at all, should own up to this fiasco - a result of their incompetence, inefficiency and lack of knowledge of what their office is all about. do not blame the airlines for flight cancellations. they are only concerned with the safety of their passengers. besides, IFR flight plans and clearances require instruments.

[fr8tdoggy]

Agreed!!! I love the country, fantastic people, beautiful women, but horrendous airport and facilities. I don't think there's a major airport in Asia that doesn't have at least one operable ILS...even little Penang island. What gives!?! Going down for maintenance is one thing, but how long does it take to replace/repair a glide path indicator? Oh well, at least I can use the ILS into Cebu..uhm ok, Clark.

[pare]

IFR flight plans and clearances require instruments


very well said parsifal. while other countries are using RNAV/GPS approaches we are still using vor/ils/dme approaches. worse, we are not doing a good job maintaining these navaids which is really, really shameful.

lots of unacceptable practice right now in CAAP. maintenance check being done only when equipment fail. Manila ACC don't even have thermal strips. they do manual, handwritten flight progress strips.

bad planning on the management part. :yuk:

[parsifal]

but what can we really expect from these officials of CAAP and MIAA. they know nothing about flying and what is takes to have a safe flight. i am so riled at the gall & temerity of this attorney-spokesman of the MIAA when he said in a press con that capt pena do not have the authority to say that VORs are requirements for the safe conduct of flights. capt has more than 20,000 airline flying hours which include times in the big airline jets. he is the president of ALPAP and a consultant of ICAO. he may not have the authority of a person in a government position but he certainly have the knowledge and experience on the matter. what about this joker-lawyers?

this is what happens when you put nincompoops in government positions. the only thing they can do is to wash their hands and put the blame to somebody. no sense of responsibility at all. in other countries, this kind of situation calls for the resignation of these officials. not to expect here in the phillipines. no sense of shame at all.

i hope that all foreign airlines cancel their flights to manila until at least a vor/dme is installed and calibrated. for us here in the philippines lets us observe the minima for day and night VFR as stated in our CAR. lets take care of our flights. nobody at CAAP and MIAA will.

[chairwrecker]

can somebody enlighten us about the rumor that P-Noy will be installing a new guy in CAAP to replace the current DG?

[valiant05]

Aquino plans on replacing Cusi with an airline executive. Let us wait and see!

[subsonic69]

any clues who the airline executive is?

is it from yellow, green and blue or red white and blue ??

Aside from that is it true that Lufthansa Technik will not be maintaining Philippine Airlines in the near future?

I heard PAL is looking at its main competitors garage for maintenance services?

tsk tsk tsk.. will that even work ??

[parsifal]

1. they should really be replaced by somebody who has airline experience. these two jokers know nothing about what their office is all about. their continued stay in the CAAP and MIAA will ensure our continued stay in Category II. one of the findings of the FAA and ICAO audit was that many unqualified people are holding responsible positions in the above mentioned offices. the two mentioned above and some others are the persons the audit was talking about. 2. the prospective replacement has vast management experience both in the corporate air and airline industry. 3. time for change. time for hope. cross our fingers.

[buskoto]

Once again, the VOR went offline today. Once again, many flights diverted to Clark as a thunderstorm passed through Manila. And once again, the airport authorities are saying the diversions weren't caused by technical problems but by the weather.

18 Manila-bound flights diverted to Clark due to bad weather - Yahoo! Philippines News (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20100628/tph-18-manila-bound-flights-diverted-to-d6cd5cf.html)

[Whatsit Doingnow]

Cusi, however, explained the flight diversions may happen even with a fully functional VOR or radar system.
But they probably wouldn't need to divert if an ILS was working. This airport is an absolute disgrace. The taxiways are dreadful, the terminal needs to be demolished and rebuilt, and how many other major international airports in the world do not have even one functioning ILS?

[parsifal]

a vor or vor/ils has to be calibrated and flight checked before it is declared operational. cusi and matibag don't know this.

[Pandayan_Ni_Pandoy]

What did not make news was that one flight had to declare an emergency due to low fuel. When the flight decided to divert to Clark, ATC told them Clark cannot take them because the aerodrome was already full!!! Aircraft parked on apron and taxiways.

The pilots had to wait for Manila weather to improve before landing in Manila with no alternate fuel.

[twotters]

it’s nice to see that there are some movements in the Philippines and in CAAP. In the interest of your aviation industry in your country, have you ever thought that you used the CAAP or the ATO with their corrupt business manners in the past for your advantages?
This person Cusi seems to be a straight shooter and a good one as such. Or do you still undertake your corrupt business transactions under his watch?
Many moons ago I was based there in the country and I had to give my facilitator money to get my license renewed in a fast and non-bureaucratic way without me appearing and still having a second license to fly during the renewal process! I bought this 2nd license for a few thousand Pesos from our local agent and it was delivered within less than 24 hours.
Our company registered several units in the Philippines, which were never inspected by any ATO inspector, and it never entered the Philippines. Thanks to our local representative who had excellent contacts to the top echelon of ATO.
NAVAIDS can fail especially if they are old and hardly maintained. Did ATO/CAAP ever maintain their NAVAIDS properly? Do they have a proper amount of spare parts?
Does anybody in ATO/CAAP do procurement planning? Does anyone really know how to conduct business with ATO/CAAP?
Why don’t you people in the Philippines stop trying to corrupt your government officials and learn how to conduct business in a world of international setting?
You are forming your ATO/CAAP business transaction. If you want to continue with your corrupt attitude, close your airspace, cook your own soup and be ousted from the international aviation community.
You are always pointing at the leader but you are the one who are the one who are corrupting his people for your personal and business gains.
Change your attitude and then demand what is due to you in a rightful and orderly manner and stop whining! Change your ATO/CAAP by changing yourself first!

[jamestaylor]

Cusi is at least not corrupt and has done many good things like get Term 3 open... Everyone likes to bash people right do we need more incompetent AF Generals who are clueless???????????

[x_feed]

we hope that the problems right now in philippine aviation will be over by this new administration..

@ subsonic69

sir,

about your question if lufthansa technik will not maintaining those aircrafts from PAL...

the answer: yes, it's possible to happend...


because PAL is a national flag carrier, it means that PAL is required to have a "own" mechanics.
and MRO repair station.

about airline executives,

i'm not sure if this person that i'm thinking will possibly assigned by PNOY..
no confirmation yet.

personally, i know this person,
a good and honest person.

[chairwrecker]

i tend to agree with what twotters wrote in so many words. no corruption if there isn't any bribe giver. matter of fact, some airlines/aviators in RP also take advantage of the corruption in the agency to get away with some things-- but that is exactly what the FAA downgrade was supposedly all about, right?

business people will always try and get away with things, but the regulator should be the ones to crack the whip -- that's true in any field where business intersects the government.

so my point is, to change things you really have to start somewhere. usually, it's with the one that can have the biggest impact--thus CAAP DG.

[chairwrecker]

by "main competitor" did u mean the one with the hangar in Clark? :eek:

[subsonic69]

the one without a hangar in MNL, but is occupying T3. And is going to be backed up by the one with a hangar in Clark. chinky chinky.

Got an offer for interview , but I'm only in Manila now vacationing.:ok:

[parsifal]

to this day, there is a pilot examiner of CAAP who actually owns a flying school. he is a friend of the son of a former ATO chief. the son earned his flying badge from his school. he now claims that his wife owns the school. does that exempt him from the "conflict of interest" situation? he is rated in the cessna type aircraft but checks the Boeing and Airbus pilots of PAL and CebPac until the "qualified personnel" issue was brought out by FAA and ICAO.
as far as i know CebPac is not hiring. it has 56 MPL rated newbies waiting in the wings. as for PAL, it is presently "farming out" its A320 operations to its sister company, the AirPhil.

[pare]

As much as I agree with what twotters is saying, I still believe that a crook will do anything to achieve his crooked ways.
Example: then pres GMA approved the multi-million $ upgrading of the Manila enroute radar system. At the bidding, the project was awarded to a company from the Czech republic beating renowned and respected ATC systems manufacturers such as Thales, Eurocat, etc. Ok, nothing fishy in there I guess.
Three months after the Czech company installed the equipment, the ATCs are still using the old one as there are alot of glitches and incompatibility on the new system. They later found out that the company specializes on terminal/approach radar system and not for enroute. The ATCs as usual will be the ones to adjust.
Words have it that some consultants benefited (commission, I guess) on the deal. And we are talking big bucks in here, and not just a few thousand pesos slid under the table.

[FlipFly]

Yup yup... your right on the money twotters. Good one. Everyone's gotta do something if they want things to get better for good.

[FlipFly]

By the way; Having gone through the renewal process for several years now. I always turn them down when they offer me an easy way out. Just do it the proper and legal way and it'll still get done with your conscience in one piece. There are several check pilots and CAAP staff that will give you the time of day even without having to offer them anything.

[legal_consultant]

Good day, everyone!

let me introduce myself. i have just been accepted as a consultant/researcher of a legislator. he gave me the task of researching and looking for news reports and other stuff regarding flight schools and performance of aviators/pilots who studied here in the philippines (w/c includes foreign students). because of some rumors regarding flight schools and flight industry, this honorable legislator wants to identify problems so he could draw some recommendations, which would later on become statutes to address these problems.

i have not started reading the posts here yet but i will by tomorrow (09/08/2010). if you have other information regarding the matter, please do not hesitate to send me a private message (as i am not yet comfortable disclosing my e-mail address and cellphone number).

please do not hesitate to do so. whether you are a representative of a flight school or an employee of CAAP, it would not matter for we really want to know everyone's side. we are aiming here for a win-win solution or a solution that will help not just one side, but both. thank you. :)

[parsifal]

legal consultant, you can start your research at the offices of former congressmen pichay and ablan. they both have fyling schools under their wings.both schools have been audited recently by the CAAP upon the complaints of the DGCA(CAA of India) that their products were below standard and were shortchanged also of their money and flying time. you can also visit the office of the ombudsman and inquire about the cases of graft filed against some officers/ pilots of CAAP for mulcting money from indians who came to this country for flying lessons and hoping to obtain a flying license. it is when and where policians dip their hands that things become murkier. is you politician sterile? good luck, anyway.

[parsifal]

legal consultant (1). use the clout of your politician to obtain a copy of the ICAO and FAA audit reports re our flight security operations and procedures which resulted in our downgrading to catagory 2. (2). get hold also of the act creating the CAAP and read about the civil service law and how it affected the implementation of reforms at the defunct and corrupt ATO(now CAAP). (3). read also the new Civil Air Regulations. (4). after reading all these, you may now have an idea on how to go about your noble intentions. best of luck.

[twotters]

@legal consultant

Go over to the ATO/CAAP - whatever its called now- and ask officially for docs. Or are you just after rumours?

[legal_consultant]

hi everyone... after a long silence, i am back. i've had some problems regarding my health. in fact, i was hospitalized for over a week. i am not sure whether i would still pursue this assignment since before i got hospitalized, i have not passed my contract with the congressman (regarding this work). :/ the only thing we can do is to hope that all things get back to normal (since i have final exams to conquer this month)... so yes, it's a pretty hectic month for me. please pray that i'd still get this work w/ the congressman since i am the kind of person who's really serious into getting things in our country solved in one way or another. huhuhu...

parsifal, i really want to know and see the audit reports of these organizations. i went into their website but i can't find the categories at all. do they keep these things as a secret? thanks for all the help...

[legal_consultant]

good news...

seems like i'm still getting the job... just that the contract has not been signed yet. but i'm already doing my assignment... thanks, guys!

[parsifal]

ICAO requires all airline pilots to obtain at least a level 4 proficiency in aviation english. CAAP had been screening/testing filipino pilots and issuing certificates for a fee of PHP3,500.00 (unreceipted). The testing/screening is a 30-minute dialogue with a lady who tries to speak better english than you. What gives? CAAP continues to tread the crooked ways ignoring the "daang matuwid" appeal of P-Noy. Twotters might say Cusi is not in on it. I think so, too. He is so disconnected to what is happening in his turf. China and Korea CAAs gives level 6 certificates to their citizen pilots. Ours give mostly level 4 so that you have to go back to them in three years time and steal your Php3,500.00 again. What a racket! We pay our taxes diligently and faithfully and this is the service we get! Do something, legal consultant!! Make your congressman earn his pork barrel.

[legal_consultant]

parsifal: i'm already doing something. i am collecting all your posts here and will be sending them to him... :) will be making some recommendations too when i'm already ready... :)

[twotters]

@legal_consultant - you think he'll listen?

@parsifal - stupid enough if someone pays! But it looks to me in the PI everything is possible.

[chairwrecker]

@twotters -- it's not just in the PI mind you. any one who has travelled the world over and met bureaucracy can tell you the philippines bureaucractic culture is indeed in a bad state, but not much worse than, say, India (just for example). i would make the government accountable to change for the better, but i am still proud to be pinoy enough not to have too much self-pity for the current state of affairs. :ok:

[B737NG]

There are not many, I rather say just a few.... Korean Pilots hwo have Level 6, you find alot who bearly make level 4 and some who scratch the heads because they did not pass the bench mark. So please stick to facts when you post something that you want to pass on to the Congressman. It would be pitty you load him with the wrong ammunition and when he want´s to aim and fire his gun´s the shots backfire then and vanish.

The European CAA´s gave alot of theire Pilots Level 4 without further testing as you have to do some ATPL written exams in English and also the Radio Licence you had to do in English before, written and oral exam. That was in 1980´s when I had the hurdles seen higher then my abilities first. Now the JAA is making a fresh policy for all Member Authorities to harmonise the application, I am smiling at this very moment as I remember a Instructor of mine back then, he told me to hurry up as there is a European Regulation on the plan and when I pass all exams before I am not subject to the new testing as I have the Licence received earlier. When I look into the CAA´s Website I see so many things not completed, yet. Maybe after my retirement then.....

In a few months I know if and when I have to do another ELP test, despite having a certificate received with Level 6 but unfortunatly before the regulation was modyfied, so the date is not valid and I am sure I have to pay another 150 .-- € to get another paper into the licence who states ELP level... valid until..... who is faster? Retirement 6 years or cashman 3 years?

Fly safe and land happy

NG

[chairwrecker]

i think the racket is not so much in getting Level 4 certificate versus Level 6, but on the validity of the testing. the lady tester obviously is not qualified to do the test, much less create the test. it's obviously a sham.

i suppose no pilot will complain about getting Level 4 (and therefore paying again in 3 years' time) if the test was fair and credible.

[legal_consultant]

twotters: he will. i can see the nobility of his intentions... :)

parsifal: do you think there is a need for an oversight committee to see whether or not CAAP is doing well in its job to improve aviation safety and industry within and without the nation? seems like we have too many irregularities going on.

anyone: please continue posting irregularities being done by CAAP, flight schools, etc. you know about. thanks...

[legal_consultant]

how effective are they? most of you said that Consultants are not helping in any way but are largely contributory to the bad stuff that are happening in CAAP but one person in another forum suggested that we should be listening to these consultants and implement their advice. the same person also said that we should follow what Singapore did - that is, follow their consultants - w/c was effective. how true is this? can anyone tell me. thanks...

[twotters]

legal_consultant
twotters: he will. i can see the nobility of his intentions...


I've bumped into your DG recently in a conference and we had a chat together. He seems to be straight forward, open minded and hard working. What is my impression from this short meeting is: You wants to bring the PI out of the "international aviation **** house" and make it at par with other CAA.

Tough job - specially he works in a political hostile environment - but my guess is: He will bring the islands up again if the politicians are staying out of his professional management style. If they mess it up I would say: PI kiss your ass good bye for the next few years and cook your own soup cause its hard to get good people these days like him!

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rma/lowres/rman7544l.jpg

[parsifal]

an oversight committee would be another clog in our already over-extended bureacratic red tape. what the house could do is to look into the development program of the CAAP and determine if their budget is being used towards the accomplishment of their programs. the house could also look into what direction the CAAP is bringing the aviation industry. As it is, there seem to be no significant effort to really leapfrog us into the company of the world class airports in the region. Among the capital airports in the region, Manila may as well be rank way below Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hongkong, Taipei, Incheon, Guangzhou, Osaka and others. These are all world class airports in terms of terminals, runway and airport facilities and navigational aids. In all these airports, precision instrument approaches are the norm. In Manila, we are still using non-precision approaches for landing, Needless to say, precision approaches provide or ensure more safe landing in case of inclement weather. The only world class things in Manila are the airliine pilots, cabin crew, mechanics and the ATC controllers. That is why you can see them in different parts of the world serving in other airlines of foreign countries. Clark has been named as the international airport of the country but so far no serious effort is being pursued towards this dream. Manila intl airport has no more space for expansion.
The CAAP has resorted to consultants because they do not have enough qualified technical people. Technical people do not seek employment in government agencies like the CAAP because they get better pay in private companies or abroad. That is why the civil service law needs to be revised. The pilot checkers organic to CAAP, for instance, are mostly turbo-prop pilots and are not, for all intents and purposes, qualified to check the airline jet pilots. The consultants resorted to are retired airline pilots which may well be the best option.

[legal_consultant]

twotters: i didn't understand a word you're saying... perhaps you can take it to PM if it's going to be personal... anyhow, looks like we're having lots of problems... i don't even know where to begin now... twotters, i agree with you. the politics here in this country ain't easy. @parsifal: what's the biggest concern over these consultants? their lacking in qualifications? their lack of worth in helping our nation retrieve a higher FAA Category? thanks... re transferring the airport to Clark: would this affect only the international flights or will this affect domestic ones too? my opinion regarding this is that passengers going to southern regions would have harder time getting to their places and traffic might be affected since these folks would have to necessarily go through Manila... since, i've never gone out of the country, you could probably enlighten me on this concern... thanks...

[legal_consultant]

last paragraph: thank you very much for this, parsifal... would try to look for that civil service law... perhaps a higher pay can help solve this problem... what do you think?

[parsifal]

all the international airports i mentioned are connected to their capital cities by fast trains. the ninoy aquino international airport will continue to operate to serve the domestic operations and as an alternative international airport. i would like to impress to you that the present operations at the NAIA are really congested and it has caused tremendous fuel cost to all airlines and somehow has become quite unsafe, too. i myself have a near miss a few months ago.about the present DG who refuses to relinguish his office to P-Noy, he was the NAIA manager for all the years that the airport deteriorated to its present state. he also used to be port manager at batangas. the airport used to have ILS(precision approach) but now has only non-precision approach. this airport navigational equipment is the responsibility of the airport authority. it would have been better if terminal 3 have been constructed at clark. this would have been the start of the effort to move the intl opns to clark. the CAR can be found in the house library, i am sure

[parsifal]

These are the consultants at CAAP:


1. Those who are in the payroll of ICAO - these are qualified airline pilots(mostly retired) hired by ICAO to perform regular checks on local airline pilots. This was resorted to because there are no qualified organic pilots who can perform these task. It was discovered by FAA and ICAO that single engine Cessna- rated pilots are checking B747 and Airbus airline pilots for the past years. This is of course downright anomalous. This is one of the reasons why we were downgraded to Category 2. The pay of these consultants are way above Civil Service mandated pay. Their pay is taken from the ICAO budget which is also funded by our government.


2. TheICAO personnel (foreigners) themselves are consultants of CAAP hired to help upgrade the quality of service and operations of the Agency. They are here to assist CAAP in resolving the issues raised by FAA and ICAO in their previous audit which resulted in our downgrading to Category 2.


Organic pilots have resented these measures because in a way it has sidelined them and prevented them from enjoying the juicy travels and perdiems when they join the airline pilots in their recurrent training usually done in simulators in foreign countries. They were given the opportunity to get qualification training for the different aircraft being used by the airlines but they all failed in their training.

There is really a grave behavioural problem obtaining at the CAAP.

The complaints of our ICAO consultants is that their recommendations are not being adopted by the CAAP. Politics gets in the way sometimes especially when the subject targetted is an airline or flying school which is protected by a politician.


It is really a merry go round in this beloved country of ours.

[legal_consultant]

parsifal, i haven't got hold of the civil service law, will be buying within this week, i think. if you don't mind, can i ask the following questions:

1)what's the pay rate of organic pilots in private companies here/abroad?
2)what's the pay rate mandated by the civil service law?
3)what's the pay rate given to retired airline pilots as consultants of CAAP?

thank you...

[parsifal]

1. When I say organic pilots, I am referring to pilots who are employed/assigned as regular employees of CAAP. There is a new pay scheme submitted for approval of the Civil Service Commission. Their proposed pay is from 40T-50T depending on their seniority and position. This pay scheme is posted in the bulletin boards at the CAAP head office. The CAAP is inviting pilot applicants for regular employment.

2. The consultant pilots hired by ICAO are receiving 80T-100T. As I have mentioned previously, they are retired airline pilots. They are the ones who now checks the airline pilots during their recurrent training in a simulator in other countries. They are given per diems and hotel accommodations when they do the checks. This was the privilege removed from the organic pilots mentioned above because of their lack of qualifications.

3. A captain of an A320 aircraft at PAL or Cebu Pacific can earn as much as 250T net of taxes.

4. A captain of the same aircraft receives at least twice that much in other airlines in the region. That is why there is now an exodus of pilots from our local airlines. The present airline of their choice is Hongkong Airline and Vietnam Airlines. There are some going to India, Emirates, China and Korea.

5. I will retire soon and maybe I can help as a consultant also thru the ICAO.

[chairwrecker]

to second parsifal, suvarnabhumi is about 30 to 60 mins from downtown bangkok. KLIA and KLCCT are abt 30-40 mins by train and 60 mins by bus/car from downtown Kuala Lumpur. i agree that Clark should have been ideal to serve Manila as the distance to NAIA (about 100kms one way) is comparable to the set up in other ASEAN countries.

however i'd like to emphasize that the only time Clark will be feasible is if there is a fast link from Clark to Manila, such as a train link. on my last visit i found that with the impressive new NLEX, you can go from Clark to north manila in about 40 mins, so im pretty sure a train link extending from a central station in, say, makati, will do the job. however if parsifal's suggestion to make NAIA the domestic hub is adopted, then that means it should be a terminal-to-terminal link from NAIA to Clark as no international passenger should have to experience security and transport nightmares just to transfer planes for his final destination in, say, palawan or virac.

i actually favor to just move everything out to Clark and sell the land where NAIA currently sits. im sure the land will command premium price as it is adjacent to makati, the fort, and old Manila/ Roxas boulevard. i'm wondering maybe the money raised from that sale would be enough to finance the central station and train link plus terminal upgrades of Clark? if not enough maybe it can form the government's equity in a JV with a private company, such as the current noisemakers in Clark, MVP. (assuming corruption is tamed of course...) or maybe the government can provide the transport link, then bid out the passenger and cargo terminals to a private company under the BOT for a 25 year lease. i think it's definitely feasible and we can have a new terminal in 5-7 yrs, a glowing milestone for the next CAAP head.

or of course we can also wait for one big plane crash in NAIA where hundreds of passengers plus informal settlers plus travellers in the SLEX go up in flames (god forbid!) before the government is pushed to do something about it.

[win_faa]

legal_consultant
last paragraph: thank you very much for this, parsifal... would try to look for that civil service law... perhaps a higher pay can help solve this problem... what do you think?

P-Noy only gets around 60k monthly salary. If you can justify to the Philippine government that a government employee like an airworthiness inspector or a check pilot who are just subordinate to the President can get more salary than him, then your problem is solved!
A rank and file employee cannot get a bigger paycheck than his company President/CEO.

[legal_consultant]

good morning, captains... just some important note:

i am really sorry if i could not yet make a research that's up to th standards of some of us here. Here are my reasons:

(1) my papers are not yet fully accomplished. later tonight i will know whether the chairman of the committee has already signed the contract. geeez... i don't know why it's keeping them long...

(2) this research is not one of my priority researches. this is just among the "other tasks" written in my contract. but then, this is the only task assigned to me until now. regardless, i'm already doing my research...

(3) i was hospitalized for more than a week near the finals period. just imagine that! i don't even think that i've already fully-recovered from my sickness. my grades dropped thereafter. :(

(4) finals period arrived so i have to focus on it first.

(5) lastly, sembreak!

anyhow, my parents told me not to give too much attention on this "work" of mine. they told me to focus on my studies first. starting next week, i have to discipline daw myself (ie surf the internet just once a week :(...). in the meantime, if it's okay with any of you, can you help me by sending documents relevant to my research via e-mail? my e-mail ad is: [email protected] Thanks!

[twotters]

P-Noy only gets around 60k monthly salary. If you can justify to the Philippine government that a government employee like an airworthiness inspector or a check pilot who are just subordinate to the President can get more salary than him, then your problem is solved!
A rank and file employee cannot get a bigger paycheck than his company President/CEO.

@win_faa
Is that the amount of peanuts the guys in ATO/CAAP are being paid a month?

Here goes the saying: Who pays peanuts will get monkeys! How can anyone survive in ATO/CAAP without corruption? And I always thought you guys in the islands are being paid well and you need corruption to support your vices.....might be wrong......you really need this money to support your families.

What a shame! Who wants to work there if there are no proper payslips?

You'll stay in your mud-hole until the devil grills ya! At least you have cheap San Miguel Beer and nice looking girls but you have nothing to offer in aviation except peanuts.

[win_faa]

Thats the real score in the Philippines!
In fact PAL's B777 RP-C7777 is already 1 year old this coming Nov. 19 and Philippines is still Category 2. Its really a shame :ugh:

[chairwrecker]

wait i thought CAAP, being an autonomous body now, isn't covered anymore by the salary standardization law, so there is no need to align it's pay scale to the government? i know the old ATO did. wasn't that one of the key points when they passed the CAAP law?

CAAP is now supposed to manage its own finances and is no longer required to remit it's income to the national government. it no longer has to ask congress for a yearly budget, ergo, efficient management is supposed to make them offer competitive salaries to keep competent people.

[legal_consultant]

good day, Captains!

After a month of hibernation due to focusing on legal studies first, I have returned to this forum! :)

Just a question, how does the CAAP regulate the airmen examination board? I have just read the CAA where it states that the DG has the power to issue airmen certificates. and it seems, the DG has sooo many powers/functions. wouldn't that be too much?

[737students]

my friends in Philippines had submitted a complain against NINO LUIS JAMILI (Aeroequipt Aviaiton Subic INC) for taking money from Indians offering job and the action is still slow..... which amounts to around 9 million peso

[737students]

Sir we are Pilots from Indian we were offered 737 rating cum job offer for which we paid approx 27000$ each to Aeroequipt Aviation Subic Inc.. and NINO LUIS JAMILI was the one who took our payments in Dec 2009. And we were asked to wait and from last few months we no response from him or the company .we are here on the school visa and we are been provided even accomdation which is in our contract .we 14 students from India submitted a complain at CAAP and the NBI.
what would be your suggestion so that we can get the refund and get hold of the fraud who is now hiding at cebu

[parsifal]

is it true? cusi finally resigned? has this anything to do with the SeaAir-TigerAirways fastbreak? didn't P-Noy inaugurated this join-up?

[traveller93]

Legal Consultant

If you are really interested in finding out what is going on, why don't you start investigating the flying schools?

Sugestion: begin with those that conn foreign pilot students into spending enormous fortunes and then are left with nothing...

A real hornets nest.

[legal_consultant]

to indian cadets defrauded by some aviation schools, please send me your contact details such as phone numbers and e-mail ads... i need more information. thank you...

[twotters]

Interesting?!?!?!

What can ICAO say about their own people in the islands? Specially the German who was made to resign in Gulf Air? Did they bring ATO/CAAP forward or did they cause the downfall?

Cusi Out at CAAP: Early Christmas Present or Curse for the Aquino Administration? (http://badmannersgunclub.com/2010/12/cusi-out-at-caap-early-christmas-present-or-curse-for-the-aquino-administration/)

In a development that should not have come as a surprise to anyone observing the Philippines’ now nearly three-year-long battle to raise its international air safety rating above the level it shares with countries like Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Cambodia, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director Alfonso Cusi tendered his resignation to President Aquino earlier this week, being variously described as “giving up” on what had become a thankless and compromised position, or being forced out of it. Cusi is to be replaced by current CAAP OIC Ramon Gutierrez, a retired Philippine Air Force Colonel.


Despite having done a reasonably good job in correcting a number of issues cited by the International Civil Aviation Organization that led to Philippine air carriers being blacklisted by both the US and EU, as an Arroyo appointee Cusi has been in the present Administration’s crosshairs since July, after declining to offer a courtesy resignation to the new President. Despite having taken his office — which comes with a fixed four-year term by the provisions of RA 9497, enacted into law during the legislative term of Senator Aquino — on March 8, two full days before the legal deadline for outgoing President Arroyo’s appointments, Cusi was routinely derided as one of her “midnight appointees.” Matters came to a head with the appointment to management positions in the CAAP by DOTC Chairman Ping De Jesus of three candidates “preferred” by Aquino, bypassing the CAAP Director and the prescribed selection and appointment process. In response to what they regarded as “politicization” of the agency, the ICAO last month informed the CAAP that a planned visit this month to reconsider the Philippines’ Category 2 rating would be postponed indefinitely.


What the ICAO will make of this will probably become clear within the next few weeks, but as far as the Office of the President is concerned, the obstacle to recertification is now on his way home to manage the family shipping business in Mindoro. “We welcome the resignation of Al Cusi. Now we can move faster in getting our country out of Category 2,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda was quoted as saying by the Manila Bulletin. But the most recent reservations expressed by the international body, whose guidance the FAA and the EU follow, were not about Cusi but about the competence of recent appointees, and the questionable administrative structure that put them into their positions. Taking the most optimistic view, it could be hoped the ICAO will look at Cusi’s resignation as ‘calming the political waters’ of the CAAP and in that sense helping to depoliticize the agency; the fact that Gutierrez is more or less an internal promotion might seem to support that point of view. If that’s the case, a category upgrade might be seen in the near future, something that would be a blessing to a faltering tourism sector and an Administration that badly needs at least one political win.


The various opinions expressed by the ICAO since the Philippines was first downgraded back in 2008, however, tend to suggest that the international agency won’t be so easily won over; Cusi’s resignation, after all, does not specifically address their most recent concerns, and in fact might be regarded as a sign that politicization of the national regulatory framework is actually deepening. The poor record of the present Administration in the identifying and recruiting of technocrats is also a cause for worry; after all, the entire issue with the Philippines’ air sector as far as the rest of the world is concerned is not one of proper facilities or overall safety, but of appropriate expertise among those responsible for regulating and certifying Philippine pilots, air carriers, facilities management, and maintenance providers. However well Al Cusi might have worked with others or not, his qualifications for the job were sound, and every other indication was that he was making progress at the CAAP. The Administration might be congratulating themselves now for ridding themselves of yet another evil Arroyo thorn in their side, but something tells me there’s a better than even chance they’re going to regret it before the coming year is very old.

Merry Christmas to the island from a lousy could East Coast :rolleyes:

[legal_consultant]

I just learned from my brother (who'll be enrolling in a pilot school this coming June) that Phils. is the only country that allows pilot schools to use airports as their hangars. what can you guys say about this?

[Airstink]

Oh, indeed! In fact, in the "Phils" they also use their roads as garages.



:rolleyes:

[HarmonRabb]

@legal consultant - I don't exactly know what your brother is trying to say but I have trained overseas and have seen schools in the U.S. and Australia that uses the airport as their hangars and as their offices as well.
OF COURSE, no school will build their hangar on or very near a runway, if that's what he means. Not even here.

[x_feed]

@ legal consultant..


The problems right now in aviation industry is very "disturbing"

It's not only the pilots suffers the problems,
but also "ALL" personnel who are working on the ground
[Aircraft Mechanics/Avionics,Engineers and other persons who are related in technical aspect of work].


And the most affected in this problems?!
College students who are studying in aviation schools..

Ask those students who are studying in aviation schools?
what is their comment and reaction about the methods of teaching of their instructors? the facilities and how they really know about aircraft system?

And how they are prepared enough to enter the world of aviation?


"Respect, Attitude, Discipline, Good Traits" -- these are the requirements to enter the world of aviation.

Learning about aircraft systems, or other things related in technical or non-technical aspect in aviation. --- requirements to bloom your career in aviation.


Shortcut?! ------- there is no shortcut in aviation,
everyone must learn step-by-step procedures.

Patience is the key of success in aviation.


I'm not really suprised about the involvement of some indian nationals who are the victims of the fraud related in their flying schools.

Why?

Ask those Indian nationals about their Education System in India..
how long is their education system in India?

ask them why they study here in philippines?!


ask also some students without experience got their Aircraft mechanic license already?!


if you want to help in our society..
go and enter the world of aviation


"maliit lang ang mundo ng aviation"

:cool:

[B737NG]

If anyone is running into a Guy who is called Steve Snelson then do not give him any money upfront. He collected alot of money from other people and they still wait that a operation starts.....and they get a job then to earn the money back they spent before.

Fly safe and land happy

NG

[onieangeles]

all the best caap do your job do your part and be fair with us
dont focus on big operators wer only small players

for those who want to apply wer now hiring coz some of us will be upgraded in 320 specially me and wer in need of crew goodluck everyone

[737students]

If anyone is running into a Guy who is called NINO LUIS JAMILI then do not give him any money upfront. He collected alot of money from other PILOTS . he had promised 737 type rating from his school AERO EQUIPT AVIATION SUBIC INC... He was a former employee at CIVIL AVIATION BOARD PHILIPPINES . He is currently running from the pilots whom he took money and hiding at his home town lapu lapu city,cebu

[win_faa]

Press Briefing by Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte:

On clarification on the issues of the appointment of the BJMP jail chief superintendent, appointees to the Civil Aviation Authority, the PNP promotions, Charter Change, & other topics
Briefing Room, 2/F New Executive Bulding, Malacañang, Manila

January 10, 2011; 12:00 hrs. EST

DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON ABIGAIL VALTE: First, lets get clarifications out of the way. There seems to be some mistake over the appointment of Jail Senior Superintendent Gilberto Marpuri. We would like to clarify that Supt. Marpuri was promoted to jail chief superintendent of the BJMP, and not as director as previously reported. And also another clarification. The appointees to the Clark International Airport Corporation, as announced last Saturday, were actually appointees to the Civil Aviation Authority, to CAAP. So, would you like me to repeat the names? Okay. Ramon S. Gutierrez as Deputy Director-General for Administration; Napoleon L. Garcia as Deputy Director-General for Operations; Wilfredo S. Borja as Assistant Director-General II for Air Traffic Service; John R. Andrews as Assistant Director-General II for Flight Standards Inspectorate Service; Andrew B. Basallote as Assistant Director-General II for Air Navigation Service; Edgardo L. Costes as Assistant Director-General II for Aerodrome Development and Management Service; Wilson B. Mirabona as Assistant Director-General I for Aerodrome Development and Management Service; Andres B. Laurilla as Assistant Director-General I for Civil Aviation Training Center.

http://www.gov.ph/2011/01/10/press-briefing-by-deputy-spokesperson-abigail-valte-on-january-10-2011/

[legal_consultant]

any updates, guys?

[win_faa]

^ so what time should they be on lunch break?