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Uncertain times for Darwin based Cobham Crew

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Uncertain times for Darwin based Cobham Crew

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Old 23rd Nov 2018, 01:33
  #61 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Alice Kiwican
Interesting..... However Alliance are already doing the DRW-ASP (and then ADL) for Virgin. Maybe we’ll see 2 Alliance Fokkers chasing each other on the route 1 with a QF callsign and 1 a VA callsign.........
Isn’t it Skywest doing the centre run? Didn’t think Alliance were doing. Could be wrong though!
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Old 23rd Nov 2018, 03:55
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Alliance have been doing the centre run for a few months now. Not sure what happened to VARA (Skywest)
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Old 23rd Nov 2018, 11:46
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The whole Alliance arrangement with VA and QF would be hilarious if it wasn’t so embarrassing. Changing callsigns and flight numbers at the drop of a hat.

All they do is contribute to stagnation of careers in the two majors by flying cheap, old, unreliable aircraft...management on both sides are to blame but the end result is the customer loses in a big way.
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Old 23rd Nov 2018, 22:47
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All they do is contribute to stagnation of careers in the two majors
That's a somewhat pompous statement isn't it?

Not everyone has an interest in the two majors, and vice versa.
The guys/girls at the Aliiances etc are absent from the seniority lists of the majors resulting in a career opportunity for someone else.
It would be rather short sighted to suggest every pilots career would be more progressive with VA and QF the only shop in town, more so if you hold that belief from the luxury of already being employed by VA/QF.

I agree that it is the customer that misses out, but I dont think that's as high of a priority to the airlines as the marketing departments would have you believe
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Old 23rd Nov 2018, 23:17
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Hardly being pompous, I was simply inferring that if this flying was done in house then more people would win.

Alliance is nothing but a contractor, and when the big two don’t need them anymore for this flying then what happens? If those jobs were in the majors all along then surely that provides more security and arguably better terms and conditions and hopefully career progression?
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Old 23rd Nov 2018, 23:22
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The whole Alliance arrangement with VA and QF would be hilarious if it wasn’t so embarrassing. Changing callsigns and flight numbers at the drop of a hat.
Laughing all the way to the bank. One of the smartest run companies around. Masters of cross hire, been doing it for years. In the mining boom it was Perth, these days its Brisbane. There are nearly more Alliance aircraft in Brisbane than Virgin aircraft. They also know how to run a bargain when buying F100's LOL!!

Another interesting point is that their conditions are much lower than QF/VA, yet their crew survey results run by ALAEA Fed Sec are consistently way above the majors. Go figure.

Isn’t it Skywest doing the centre run? Didn’t think Alliance were doing. Could be wrong though!
Busily yet quietly picking up all the RPT the Ejet did. At the end of the day its not crew cost difference but aircraft cost difference. 1 mil vs 25 mil is always going to win. Thats why the
stagnation of careers
is taking place. Get used to it as it will continue on for as long as the F100 is flying. Need to scrap all those job and career protection clauses as they're pointless. Any VA new joiner that wants a quick jet command should join VARA as their flying will only grow, the numbers say so.

Not sure if true but I heard the other day that VAA B737 do less ML-SY runs than they did 10 years ago.

Apologies for adding to the thread drift!

Last edited by Berealgetreal; 23rd Nov 2018 at 23:56.
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Old 24th Nov 2018, 00:13
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I was simply inferring that if this flying was done in house then more people would win
More QF/VA pilots might win, but pilots who had been rejected or for whatever reason missed those boats would in turn loose, with the net benefit to the greater pilot community being zero.

I would go further to say that a good number of those F100 runs could never justify a 737 service in the first place and the size of pie would simply shrink.
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Old 24th Nov 2018, 01:19
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Can anyone explain how the 717 crews would be shifted to other ports? Do they get a say where, and is it seniority based?

Would a high number allow you to bump someone out of your new preferred base?
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Old 24th Nov 2018, 05:06
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Originally Posted by Lapon
More QF/VA pilots might win, but pilots who had been rejected or for whatever reason missed those boats would in turn loose, with the net benefit to the greater pilot community being zero.

I would go further to say that a good number of those F100 runs could never justify a 737 service in the first place and the size of pie would simply shrink.
Au contraire, since the deregulation of the industry in 1978 airline management have repeatedly shrunken the pie. At least with regard to viable career path.
Pursuit of a lower unit labour cost and 'leverage' over workforce was the centre piece of management strategy for decades. The key weapon in this pursuit was subsidiary and out sourced employment.

Whilst the sectors you refer to may never have justified a 737 it is really a question of what the management focus is.
Using your existing pilot body, keeping the operation in-house and utilising the career and seniority trajectory was one approach..

The other path, very well worn is the use of outsourced contractor workforce with hopefully far less union involvement.


Can anyone explain how the 717 crews would be shifted to other ports? Do they get a say where, and is it seniority based?
One may posit that it all depends what the contract says.
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Old 24th Nov 2018, 06:07
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I know a few people who won't be moving, I think Air north and Alliance just got a very high number of suitably qualified applicants..
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Old 24th Nov 2018, 07:28
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Best of luck to all the Cobham DRW 717 crew, hope you find DRW based or good commuting jobs.

Virgin 777 SO and QF Long Haul jobs would be commutable if that helps.
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Old 24th Nov 2018, 11:22
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Good point Nothisguy.
Airnorth are very short crewed & haven't been able to crew their whole network, nor can Alliance as they've been depending on call-in payments.
Those displaced crew have a plethora of choices is this pilot's market, both in Australia and overseas if Cobham are stupid enough to "let them go" (the latest management speak isn't it?) instead of allowing them to transfer to another segment of the company.
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Old 24th Nov 2018, 22:50
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Originally Posted by Chocks Away
Good point Nothisguy.
......... if Cobham are stupid enough to "let them go" (the latest management speak isn't it?) instead of allowing them to transfer to another segment of the company.
But the cadet scheme will fix it all.
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Old 27th Nov 2018, 02:29
  #74 (permalink)  
 
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Sadly you can add the Cairns base to that list now. I feel terrible for those involved.
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Old 27th Nov 2018, 05:10
  #75 (permalink)  
 
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The Cairns base is closing?
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Old 27th Nov 2018, 07:52
  #76 (permalink)  
 
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Why can you add the Cairns base to that list?
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Old 27th Nov 2018, 08:32
  #77 (permalink)  
 
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Why cairns?
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Old 28th Nov 2018, 00:27
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I’m told there is deemed to be a surplus of crew there. I don’t know any more but I’m sure a redeployment is imminent.
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Old 28th Nov 2018, 01:39
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Until the next round of Qantas intakes...
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Old 1st Dec 2018, 10:45
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It appears the Cairns base is downsizing as of March next year in line with the recently announced route restructures. I've heard up to 8 flight crew will be asked to relocate along with similar numbers of cabin crew...
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