‘Reckless’ Canadian pilots commit major quarantine breach in Darwin

[Progress Wanchai]

Originally Posted by josephfeatherweight

I wouldn't say that, but then we do have one of the lowest COVID infection rates of any country in the world.
Dogma, is your location correct? MAN = Manchester, UK?? Did the UK have 26,860 new COVID cases on the 15 Nov in the UK?
Australia (that loves rules) had 14.

What were these two canucks doing here again?
Oh, that’s right, fighting bushfires in the worlds biggest carbon polluting nation per capita. A nation that has largely turned its back on international norms regarding emissions.

I keep getting confused. What’s the greatest overreaction in modern times? Climate change or COVID?
Australia. The nanny state when it suits, the Wild West when it doesn’t. Either way, don’t expect too many to respect its “rules”.

[C441]

Do you understand that that would mean living almost each day of your life in isolation? You'd fly a tour for a week overseas - and when you're overseas you are in hotel lockdown (or if not you're likely in a country where you don't want to leave the hotel room anyway, nor should you under the terms of the AirCrew exemption) and then you come back to 2 weeks hotel isolated quarantine, which is longer your time off. Then you go to work again. Repeat.

Sounds like having July to October in Melbourne……but your sentiment is correct. Qantas have a bunch of S/Os who are beginning to wonder if being back at work virtually full time is worth the isolation.

[KRviator]

Originally Posted by compressor stall

Do you have any understanding of what that means to Aussie pilots flying internationally?

Edit: Maybe I should explain...

Do you understand that that would mean living almost each day of your life in isolation? You'd fly a tour for a week overseas - and when you're overseas you are in hotel lockdown (or if not you're likely in a country where you don't want to leave the hotel room anyway, nor should you under the terms of the AirCrew exemption) and then you come back to 2 weeks hotel isolated quarantine, which is longer your time off. Then you go to work again. Repeat.

Now do you see the problem? A life never seeing the sun (except maybe between the airport and the taxi). Or anyone else for that matter besides the co-pilot and the ground staff. Health implications - DVT, sanity?

So what makes aircrew so special in that regard? There are, literally, dozens of my colleagues in that exact same boat. And that's just the rail guys, not even counting the plant or production operators. They live on the East coast, NZ or elsewhere but work in the Pilbara, and up until Mark McGoose opened the border sans quarantine to "low risk" states, they had to quarantine for 2 weeks every time they went to work, or, spend their off-duty time on-site in a donga, or in a hotel in Perth, held captive by the state and spend months away from their families. And these are the people McGowan is crowing about that are "Keeping our state economy going!" Yessiree! that's great for their physical and mental health, and that of their family. Nothing to see here, moving on....

If Pilots of all people, cannot abide by a reasonable quarantine direction to sit and stay in your hotel for 2 weeks, then yes, they should be forced to undergo mandatory quarantine at a location of the Governments choosing. They've been given a great deal of leeway in order to keep transportation lines open, and some - by no means all, or even the majority - are showing they can't be trusted to do the right thing. If Governments' won't trust the great unwashed to do the right thing, why should Pilots get special treatment when they've proven they won't either?

[Capt Fathom]

Originally Posted by KRviator

If Governments' won't trust the great unwashed to do the right thing, why should Pilots get special treatment when they've proven they won't either?

Two pilots from Canada didn't do the right thing! I'd hardly call that a large number of pilots.

[J.O.]

Originally Posted by morno

Ahhh yes, because it would be extremely quick and easy to train up Australian pilots to learn to water bomb a fire from a Dash 8 (assuming that it’s that particular aircraft in question)

It’s not. That aircraft is in QLD.

[KRviator]

Originally Posted by Capt Fathom

Two pilots from Canada didn't do the right thing! I'd hardly call that a large number of pilots.

I didn't say it was a large number, but it isn't just two Canadian pilots. It is the FedEx pilot who was (rightfully) jailed in Singapore, it is the ME crew who left quarantine in NZ to go to the pub, and I'm sure there's many more besides...But it has happened, more than once and in more than one location. If pilots (not all, and as I said, not even the majority) are happy to willingly to break the quarantine rules, then they should be treated like everyone else and not extended the courtesy (and trust) of self-isolating - particularly in Australia at present!

[Pearly White]

Originally Posted by CessNah

I take it people down under are still acting all hysterical about this virus then...

Isn't England back in lockdown again with their second wave?
And hasn't Boris just been advised to isolate - again?

[compressor stall]

Originally Posted by KRviator

So what makes aircrew so special in that regard? There are, literally, dozens of my colleagues in that exact same boat. And that's just the rail guys, not even counting the plant or production operators. They live on the East coast, NZ or elsewhere but work in the Pilbara, and up until Mark McGoose opened the border sans quarantine to "low risk" states, they had to quarantine for 2 weeks every time they went to work, or, spend their off-duty time on-site in a donga, or in a hotel in Perth, held captive by the state

pilots are not special per se. The difference is that your FIFO guys at least leave quarantine after 14 days and can live and work normally in that state. No they can’t go home without having to come back and repeat but if they don’t at least they can live in WA as a free person. No it’s not great but a very different beast to being continuously in hotel quarantine as you move from country to country and never being able to leave which is basically what was being proposed

My argument wasn’t about foreign crews anyway. More about Aussie crews flying internationally and returning.

[BDAttitude]

Varnish of civilization is thin.
I'd rather go home. [Enter blood hound gang quote here]

[ScepticalOptomist]

We are a nanny state, and we overreact to pretty much everything these days, CV19 included.

Locking down / mandatory hotel quarantine for handfuls of cases is so beyond ludicrous, it’s frankly not even funny anymore.

Meant to be one country - instead we act like all the states are independent nations - pathetic really.

[olster]

I agree sceptic. The comments on here all apparently endorse draconian punishment for a couple of pilots who probably popped out for a couple of well deserved beers. The ridiculous over reaction to this bug continues apace. My friend still flies for the ME largest airline and when night stopping away is compelled to stay in a hotel room, virtually as a prisoner. The mental health issues and implications are enormous. Previously when returning to Dubai he had to isolate in a hotel room for 2 weeks. The deprivation of basic civil liberties has far more sinister overtones than the disease itself. Ironically the fire fighting Canadians would be hailed as heroic if they had not succumbed to that most basic human right, socialising with another human. Crazy stuff.

[J.O.]

Assuming that their employer informed them of the contractual obligation for two weeks of isolation on arrival, then if they didn't intend to comply with those requirements, they should not have accepted the assignment. By flouting the rules, they've not only put a stain on themselves and their company, they've stained every other foreign aircrew member who's turned up to help Australia manage the wildfire situation. Every one of them has been asked to do the same isolation on arrival, regardless of the state in which they're working. The only "crazy stuff" here is the selfishness of these two people.

[Bratfgee]

Originally Posted by morno

Ahhh yes, because it would be extremely quick and easy to train up Australian pilots to learn to water bomb a fire from a Dash 8 (assuming that it’s that particular aircraft in question)

The pilots were not the crews of the Dash 8 in Queensland nor the RJ85 in NSW.

[Klimax]

Hopefully the won't have to go back to Australia. They can be free from that - prob what the were aiming at - a way to escape prison.

[Dogma]

Originally Posted by ScepticalOptomist

We are a nanny state, and we overreact to pretty much everything these days, CV19 included.

Locking down / mandatory hotel quarantine for handfuls of cases is so beyond ludicrous, it’s frankly not even funny anymore.

Meant to be one country - instead we act like all the states are independent nations - pathetic really.

Yup ... these effing Politicians are all at it. Want a sanitised version of Big Tech gulags. Just wait until you refuse to have a knocked up Covid vaccination.. Gulag near Rockhampton for you

[halfmoon]

But politicians and famous people are exempt from quarantine. Yes, home isolation for the select few.

[White Knight]

Originally Posted by Pearly White

Quote:
Originally Posted by CessNah View Post
I take it people down under are still acting all hysterical about this virus then...
Isn't England back in lockdown again with their second wave?
And hasn't Boris just been advised to isolate - again?

Yep, and it's still hysteria!!! The death rate is now so low that Covid has barely been making number ten in the 'reason for dying' list in England. But heh, lets scare people away from hospitals because of Covid and let them die of undiagnosed cancers and heart disease and so on...

[Eclan]

Originally Posted by blubak

Nobody forces anyone to live here,you are free to go & live in whatever country that has rules that suit you or a country with no rules if you can find 1.

Actually they do force you. You're not free to leave and "go & live in whatever country" at all. Us and North Korea. ScoMo won't let anyone leave the country without a very good reason, and if you apply and are knocked back your name goes on a watchlist with the ABF. Just like Wun Wing Lo or whatever his name is, the Supreme Leader. I can't believe aussies put up with this crap.

I couldn't give a rat's if those guys left their hotel. Big deal. The probably went to the "ballet" thinking they could have fun amongst the "laidback" aussies, not knowing that the breed is extinct and replaced by chicken-little, rule-loving wowsers. Honestly, the hysteria over this and C19 in general is stomach-turning.

Straya.

[Misty4964]

Misty4964

Most likely the crew of this Helicopter...... SIKORSKY S61 C-FIZA passed through the NT on Monday 23.11.20.
Sighted it on the ground fairly close as a remote ARO.