QLINK parking Q300s at Tamworth?

[Username here]

Just saw a photo from a mate in Tamworth on the "facepalm" with about five dash 8-300s parked on the grass/aprons at Tamworth...

What's the story? Parking aircraft can't be a good sign?

[Fonz121]

They might have to start parking 400's soon with the amount of crew leaving/trying to leave.

[rightinitial]

Leaving to go where exactly?

[captwawa]

Some of the younger guys have gone to Rex, others to the Orange people and a few retirements.

[TOGA Flex]

network F100

[MaxFL360]

rex? why go to rex from qlink? less pay isn't it as well as worse equiptment

[TOGA Flex]

Command prehaps?

[Horatio Leafblower]

rex? why go to rex from qlink? less pay isn't it as well as worse equiptment

Command within a lifetime?

[BNEA320]

In both nsw & Victoria

[Backtoscratch]

Rumour is that 3 of them are going to be sold. But it's an old rumour. Hopefully they'll be the more hateful SB registered a/c

[Going Nowhere]

SBB,SBJ,SBT,TQY,TQY all stored in TMW.

It would've been a handy idea to use one as a spare in ADL seeing as they've gone U/S quite a few days recently and delayed a few pax to/from WYA.

It's not like it's a new market that they're trying to get traction in or anything. Oh wait... :ugh:

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

Also a few on the hold file for Cobham and a few thinking of taking LWOP to leaving flying altogether for a year or two.
Massively short of Q400 FO's in BNE and CNS recently but that'll hopefully sort itself out when the Q300 pilots who are moving across go through the sim. Still an excess of pilots in the grand scheme of things but at the current rate they are leaving they may to looking in 2016.

[Backtoscratch]

From the flight trackers it looks like SBT, TQM, TQY and TQZ are the ones there....but all x 4 due back to SYD today at 11:am.....hmmmmm....something interesting going on.....

[Going Nowhere]

TQM is back to SYD ex maintenance.

All others are stored as per my previous post.

[TOGA Flex]

Maybe start hiring again in 2017 (hopefully) ??

[funnelweb]

Good place to park em, better than Avalon with it's salt air and sewerage works, they'll move on, so will the 400s; all good honest aircraft that have earnt their keep.

[BNEA320]

Can any of these Q300's be utilised in next few months or do they all require major checks ?


Ask, as we have some work for such aircraft for about 8-12 hours per week ex SYD.




Who precisely would you ask ?




If anyone knows can they PM us.

[Tidbinbilla]

Rather than messing around on here, why don't you google the company name and telephone them directly? :ugh:

[BNEA320]

surely much MUCH quicker here than trying to phone & getting stuck at gatekeepers.

[Tidbinbilla]

Surely, if you're seriously interested in leasing one or more of those aircraft, and assuming they are stored due excess capacity - the 'gatekeeper' will put you through to the responsible person.

Here - I'll make it simple for you: 02 9691-2333

Now how about we get back on topic?

[Going Nowhere]

Plenty of Q300 crew in BNE. In fact enough on reserve to crew just about all of them.

It's what they were doing up until March...

[Di_Vosh]

Another Union achievement. Parked aircraft and retirements should be replaced by new aircraft, unless incompetent Union Officials drive them elsewhere. Congrats Champions!

Would have to be one of the stupidest statements I've heard lately!

DIVOSH!

[Going Nowhere]

Yeah I can't see how the Union reps had anyhting to do parking the Q300's.

They weren't even told about it until just before the news broke!

[ACMS]

Jennytal----so, all those overpaid Dash drivers working for a profitable QLink are to blame are they???????

Idiot

[dijical]

Jetstar set to announce NZ domestic expansion (http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/69491698/jetstar-set-to-announce-nz-domestic-expansion)

Although it's weird to imagine JQ flying turboprops :confused:

[206greaser]

Aren't Qlink recruiting at the moment? Their website seems to suggest it is.

Cheers,
Greaser

Edit: well it did as of a few days ago. I think it was only for Sunstate though. Truly it did but now I can't find it.

[Going Nowhere]

QLink are hiring for both Eastern and Sunstate.

It's just a limitation of the software used to generate the advertisement that only one group entity can be listed.

This has come from a member of the pilot council and management.

EDIT: It looks like the ad has gone but people have already been asked to conduct psych testing for an unknown interview date.

[yr right]

Latest rumour I'd they are going to NZ for jet star.

[206greaser]

Thanks Going Nowhere! I thought I was going crazy but there definitely was an advert! I'm surprised it wasn't more widely acknowledged. It's kind of a big deal when Qlink start recruiting again.

Cheers,
Greaser.

[Nulli Secundus]

EDIT: It looks like the ad has gone but people have already been asked to conduct psych testing for an unknown interview date.

These psych tests are getting very tricky

[noclue]

The add has gone because it's no longer a Qlink position, you need to look at Jetstar.

Jetstar - NEW ZEALAND OPPORTUNITIES (http://careers.jetstar.com/mob/cw/en/job/493304/new-zealand-opportunities)

[HappyBandit]

The add has gone because it's no longer a Qlink position, you need to look at Jetstar.

Jetstar - NEW ZEALAND OPPORTUNITIES (http://careers.jetstar.com/mob/cw/en/job/493304/new-zealand-opportunities)

So quiet a few have asked me at wirk does that mean there may be opportunities to move to the a320 in future?

I have my opinions but interested to hear others thoughts on this.

[Going Nowhere]

Noclue,

QLink still need drivers for the Aus operation.

[noclue]

Noclue,

QLink still need drivers for the Aus operation.


True, but with the advertisement pulled, I think the clear priority is now propstar.

[Shed Dog Tosser]

True, but with the advertisement pulled, I think the clear priority is now propstar.

That would not be the case if certain EAA / SSA individuals, you know who you are, stopped doing day off call ins, cancelling annual leave and accepting extensions.

4 Captains and 3.833 FO's per airframe, who are they kidding ?

To me, this sounds poorly thought out, poorly driven and a mess waiting to happen, I wonder how many marriages this will cost when it gets folded up in twelve months time ?

[swh]

Just saw a photo from a mate in Tamworth on the "facepalm" with about five dash 8-300s parked on the grass/aprons at Tamworth...

Maybe there is a competition between Cairns and Tamworth to see who can park more Dash 8s. Saw 3 Dash 8s parked at Cairns as well, different operator.

[Slippery_Pete]

Despite assertions at the time from "management" that Jetstar wasn't going to take any Qantas routes and flying, that's exactly what they did - and continue to do.

The plan all along was to slowly transfer work onto Cheapstar to get costs down, because of those pesky (but world's best) flight crew and engineers were so expensive.

I wonder if this is the start of the same thing for their prop operations.

In five years time, will all the Aussie QLink Dash 8's will be flying around in Cheapstar paint schemes, fixing themselves, with pilots on half the money - and lining up to buy their own endorsement (read as "buy their way into a job")?

If they were prepared to destroy QF mainline with Jetstar, there's no reason they won't look to do the same with the Dash8 operations.

If I were a Dash8 QLink driver, I'd be starting to feel pretty nervous.

[HappyBandit]

Despite assertions at the time from "management" that Jetstar wasn't going to take any Qantas routes and flying, that's exactly what they did - and continue to do.

The plan all along was to slowly transfer work onto Cheapstar to get costs down, because of those pesky (but world's best) flight crew and engineers were so expensive.

I wonder if this is the start of the same thing for their prop operations.

In five years time, will all the Aussie QLink Dash 8's will be flying around in Cheapstar paint schemes, fixing themselves, with pilots on half the money - and lining up to buy their own endorsement (read as "buy their way into a job")?

If they were prepared to destroy QF mainline with Jetstar, there's no reason they won't look to do the same with the Dash8 operations.

If I were a Dash8 QLink driver, I'd be starting to feel pretty nervous.

I'm not nervous!!?? I really do not believe this is the start of something here...yes whilst mainly Jstar management, the low cost model would not work here (my opinion only). The way I see it, the main reason they are doing this in NZ is firstly unable to competitively sell the Q300s with reasonably high airframe hrs and so the better alternative in having them sit around is to utilise them. Yes it will initially cost in setting up in NZ however the costs will likely be absorbed by competing on monopoly routes with Air NZ (Remember who is a major shareholder for Virgin). Jetstar is the best option because they are already established in the market in NZ and doesn't make sense in setting up Qantas brand there.

The reason it wouldn't work here is Qantas already established a strong regional market in Oz and despite the criticisms still considered a premium airline by its customers. So why change that brand marketing/modelling to Jetstar, never mind the additional costs in rebranding all to Jetstar.

[Slippery_Pete]

So why change that brand marketing/modelling to Jetstar

Exact same reason as they did it to mainline. If they were prepared to cannibalise mainlines branding and reputation as a premium product, what makes you think they wouldn't do it to the prop operations?

First of all it will 6-12 months of heavy loss making in NZ.

Then they'll move a few across to Australia "but they won't compete with existing routes, just leisure destinations".

Then they'll say how QLink are losing too much money.

Then JetstarLink will come along as the saviour and, lo and behold, start operating on QLink routes.

Eventually, Jetstar will be doing the majority of the prop flying and cadets will be lining up to pay money for a job, and people will be buying dash8 endorsements to jump the queue.

Well that's how I imagine it might go. Time will tell.

[Threewheeler]

What exactly attracts people to the airline game??? I think its that the future is so promising, i mean lower wages, longer hours, major responsibility etc. Knowing that your job is on the line just because you had a bad day, we must be good to handle this stuff! Just like James Bond:rolleyes:

TW

[DeltaT]

NZ Based opportunities application form gives preferred airport choices of Brisbane or Coolangatta. :confused:

[Boney]

Long Range Tanks mate!

[Username here]

What exactly attracts people to the airline game??? I think its that the future is so promising, i mean lower wages, longer hours, major responsibility etc. Knowing that your job is on the line just because you had a bad day, we must be good to handle this stuff! Just like James Bond:rolleyes:

TW

Gold bars and shiny jets.

[pistinaround]

Has anybody got any pictures of these Dash 8s at Tamworth I would love to see a picture as would a few others on here no doubt.

[Threewheeler]

Boney
You can get those at most toy stores for a fraction of the price!

TW

[Horatio Leafblower]

https://www.facebook.com/605998479460250/photos/a.661976207195810.1073741838.605998479460250/1277717982288293/?type=1

From Tamworth Regional Airport's facebook page