Skywest/VA Employing Foreign Capts for ATR OPs

[capt kickback]

A little bird tells me that there are a number of foriegn Pilots at the moment undergoing ground school for there Aust ATPLs in Brisbane while awaiting there Visas to start employment soon with Skywest on the ATR as Capts (with more arriving soon)? I realise we are short of qualified ATR Capts in Aust but I would imagine not short of experienced turbo prop Capts!! I cant believe the AFAP and the Govt are allowing this to happen!! Does any one have any further info on this?

[Mach E Avelli]

If true, they may well find employing foreign DECs won't save them any money. In fact in some cases it will end in tears when they find that the extra time waiting for the candidates to pass the IREX plus time taken to standardise to our rather unique way (for 'unique' read 'complicated just because this is Australia.....') wasn't worth the effort. Ultimately it is CASA in cahoots with the Check & Training Department that drives this stuff, not the beancounters - even though they like to think they are in control.
A competent Metro Captain should easily master an ATR 72 after a standard simulator course then 50 hours of ICUS. If he/she can't, then that pilot is either below average, lacking real-world experience, or the C & T people have made it too complex for what it really is (flying from A to B without frightening the horses) and may need to re-think.
I see another start-up also encouraging foreigners to apply under the 457 visa programme to fly their small jets because they would appear to think it will save money on type endorsements (I may be wrong in this assumption - it could be some misguided insurance requirement). Ditto, any competent pilot with some medium-sized corporate jet time would have no trouble on that type.

[palo36]

Yes actually 15 capts and 11 FOs , big screening process in Toulouse and Dublin , more candidates than expected , seems they had an earlier delivery with no time to train some Aussies .
Just what i know cause i was there but did not make it this time.

Hope this helps

[SOPS]

I heard that there has been pilots from overseas employed on the F 50 as well

[avanti blade]

It may also indicate that there is a serious shortage of reasonably experienced, competent pilots out there. Why would any operator employ expat pilots if they didn't have to? The pay is the same, but additional costs involved in licencing,visas etc would mount up, plus the T&C department need to deal with cultural differences that can a challange at times.

[KRUSTY 34]

Yeah! Airline recruitment departments are sooo competent.

[Anthill]

Just to straighten things out, VA has nothing to do with the recruitment onto the ATR-it's all done by XR.

[bigbrother]

If it looks like ****, smells like ****, chances are it is.......

Of course there are enough pilots in Oz able to meet the requirement. Every pilot employed in Oz should contact thier local member DEMANDING action. don't cry when it's all to late

[Kenny]

Personally I don't think they'll be around for too long. Once they realise that we have the most asinine and stupid rules and regs, as well as an inherent need to reinvent the wheel, they'll be out of here.

Also, the pay they're on won't go as far as I'm sure most of them think it will.

[Jose Cuervo]

I think as palo36 said the issue is there is not enough time to train the number of crew required given the number of airframes that need to be crewed in the coming months.

[scumbag]

From Flight Global


Location: Queensland, Australia
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: Unspecified
Date posted: 10 April 2012
Recruiter: Brindabella Airlines
DIRECT ENTRY JETSTREAM 41 AND METRO CAPTAINS
Queensland, Australia

Here are a few reasons on why you should make the move and join our dynamic team:
• 300 warm and sunny days a year are the norm... it's really no wonder why Queenslanders are so happy
• Superb beaches
• Friendly people
• Relaxed and casual atmosphere
• So many things to see and do in Queensland, you really are spoilt for choice.
• Location, location, location!

To be considered for this amazing opportunity, you must meet the following minimum requirements:
• 3,000 hours total flight time
• 250 hours command time on type*
• At least 5 instrument renewals
• Current Australian ATPL or ICAO equivalent licence
• Current Australian Command Instrument Rating or ICAO equivalent
• Current Medical Certificate

Visa assistance (e457) will be given to suitable applicants

Please send applications in electronic format to [email protected].

[Barry Mundy]

Live Locally 15,000hrs, 7000 Turbine Command, Check and training experience and despite checking my resume was recieved by Skywest have had no reply.

[chimbu warrior]

have had no reply

Similar story here, although I did get an acknowledgement of my application a couple of months ago. No ATR time, but lots of relevant similar experience.

[squarebear]

To give a bit of fairness to Skywest in this thread,..... I was offered an interview for a BNE Base, but after several days of consideration declined the interview.

Had a mixture of jet and turbo prop time (no ATR though) not sure why I got the invite and not others, but shows that Locals were looked at.

Good luck, in a lot of respects it does seems like an OK job.

[BPA]

Same here, 10000 hours, with 6000 command turboprop plus check and training and nothing. Every time they advertised I've sent them updated details and nothing.

[Ollie Onion]

How many hours on the ATR do you guys have??

It is always going to be cheaper for an airline to hire someone already rated, don't blame the Airline, blame the Government who allows them Visas to bring in workers in from overseas.

[KRUSTY 34]

I dunno Ollie. Skywest recently took a bunch of our guys. Most, but not all were training Captains (that's hurting us), and none with any ATR experience. At least one of those former SAAB drivers is now undergoing training captain er...training, for the ATR!?

Sometimes there doesn't appear to be any rhime or reason to it. Different recruiting people at different locations maybe, I dunno?

[chimbu warrior]

If it is a question of being better qualified, or having more appropriate experience, then perhaps we should bring in a few politicians from overseas.

We'll send them the Greens.........

[BPA]

Zero ATR hours, but every time they advertised last year, including the initial ads they were only after pilots with command time on Saab's, Dash8's etc.

The requirement to have ATR time only appeared this year.

[BO0M]

At least 12 of the pilots taken last year had high ATR time in both seats (they were looking for ATR drivers first and foremost).

I believe that regardless of the amount of pilots required the selection panel are still holding onto the reigns to get the best people for the job.