Not many, if the goss I've heard is true!!! :}

The last two guys that I have heard had interviews have been fairly experienced. One took an F/O spot on the braz (He held multi check and training at last job), and the other is waiting to hear about a 441 spot (~4000hrs).
Although it would seem the experience pool is drying up, there are still guys out there with alot of experince beatin it out in the bush. Have also heard that the companies that these guys are leaving are having a hard time replacng them!!:cool:

Something tells me he won't be waiting very long.:}

Ahhhh but isn't there now one less C441 requiring a pilot?

No ATPLS, so I guess he will be there for a while until he gets em.

StaffCV for Skippers says:

LICENCES REQUIRED
Australian CPL and ATPL subjects or
Australian ATPL

but then, further down, it says:

DESIRABLE
ATPLs (Highly desirable)

A little contradictory, but I'd read that as ATPLs are not a concrete requirement.

Was that a Skywest F50 I saw over at Skippers yesterday? Couldn't have been surely? Probably crewed by Skippers escapees...:\

...and crosshiring an F50 or Dash from another company is a better business decision?

...but not better than recruiting and retaining adequate numbers of crew to operate the contracted flights.

Glad to hear that crew numbers are healthy and that it is the engineers letting the side down.:ok:

Was not for maintenaince.... word round the traps is that XR have picked up one of the charters that Skippers were doing... not sure if it's to do with acft numbers or crew availability though... seems like a temporary thing but who knows

Richard Bachman,

Sorry to pick on you, but I'm sure that all of Skipper's clients would not like to hear that it is regarded as a training airline:= .

Secondly, when you say that current Pilot's rise up to the challenge of low numbers. I think you mean that their rosters are constantly changed, numerous times at the last minute, hence they have no private life, get frustrated and burnt out, then they leave to the likes of Maroomba and Network which are just sideward steps.

You are right to say that some Pilot's will move onto bigger companies to progress their careers but I believe Skippers could hold onto more Pilot's if they just improved their T & C's.

Just my opinion.

Wombat

That might be a good job for Gnadenburg, he may learn how to fly without someone holding his hand:ok:

Wombat,

Might be a step side ways as far as aircraft type, but from what I hear it's quite a substantial pay rise flying the Dash at Maroomba.

Steve Young has always paid well and that is why these long serving Dash drivers at Skippers moved across.

Good on Steve for seeing the value in paying that bit extra to keep good guys. Maroomba will never have the crewing problems that Skippers are experiencing now.

Hawk 777

Thats absolutely 100% correct. As I said before, if they (Skipper's) could increase their T & C's they may retain a few drivers. From what I hear, Maroomba has an excellent reputation for looking after Pilot's. My reference to sideways step was aircraft only.

Wombat

It seems Maroomba pay their crews more to fly a Dash 100 than Skippers pays their crews to fly a Dash 300. I am sure it isn't all about money as you say roster stability etc must play a part? I hear three guys off to VB, well done.

Maroomba apparently pay 441 drivers more than Skippers pay their Bras captains!!

It'd be funny if it wasn't true...

skippers (jokers)
 

I hear that the roster is changing every 12 hrs, or once every 2 hrs at times. Everyone is notified of their roster the night before.

So doesn't that mean that everyone is on "Reserve" all the time???? Not sure, but doesn't seem real good to me.........

How is one too have a life with that sort of a roster?????????

I think Skippers bring it all upon them self. Pay better you get better, i.e people will stay.................:ugh:

Forgive the off thread drift...but do skippers still own the 2 old clapped out ex- Flt West Dash 100's?

Where did Richard Cranium er Bachman go?
 

Noticed that all his posts have dissapeared after he threw his two cents in.

Why would this be done - maybe Richard sang his 'swan' song and like his Stephen King referenced nickname decided the heat was too hot in the kitchen and vanished....

Have heard some crew have had to go back to other aircraft due to pilot shortages - I am sure they are happy about this

Like Icarus I can't see how Richard can blame maintenance issues solely for the need to bring F50's over to Skippers - chances are the F50's are probably crewed by ex Skippers people anyway! :eek:

Bluebottle - yes they are

I applied to this mob about six months ago.
They said I had to go casual to start, and fly copilot on the metro.
I have considerable time command on turbine, and have since got a Capt job with a regional.
If they are going to give me the run around, then F@#k em!

Interesting indeed. Why swan in and post a few replies only to remove them a week later?

Looks like more pain on the way for them this week. Pilots leaving just after being checked to line is not a good look.:\

Any truth to the rumour that four more pilots have resigned this week and a contract or two has been lost to (shock) Skywest?

Icarus, it ain't just a rumour... 'darling'! :} :E

aviationmug,

What Regional are taking direct entry Captains?

i know a couple of ppl that just got accepted to head to melbourne for their metro TR, sounds like its quite easy to get into at the moment, now i know why ;)

Whats so bad about skip's

Friend of mine who works at the Kooly minesite emailed me the other day and said they turfed skippers for Skywest after their prang at Kooly a few weeks ago.

Flying into Windarling then bus back to Kooly (100km).

Boys/Girls at our minesite starting to grumble as well, in particular about the availability of aircraft, and the state of them.

When i tell them these aircraft (conquest) are approaching 30 years old, they shiiiivvveerrrrr, which almost turns to frosbite when they hear about incidents like Kooly.

And the availability, anybody at Skippers enlighten me as to what the deal is?

You see, we finish Thursday afternoon but dont fly out until well into the next morning.

I didnt think Skippers were that busy, as we were told there were absolutely no other slots available. Even rang after we found out about Kooly, nope, nada, no other slots.

They might as well just drive to Perth.

Skippers were going to pull out of Kooly before the conquest incident as they lost the contract to XR (what Icarus alluded to) who could provide bigger aeroplanes than what could Skippers.

Skipper's problem seems to be lack of aeroplanes and more so the pilots to fly them. I've been told from someone who knows, skippers have no problems with keeping their engineering department staffed. Getting around 3x more than the average pilot there +overtime/etc is probably why. :D :ugh:

That's what I've heard anyway. :} :ok:

Well heres a rumour then !
 

Heard today from,........ well maybe I wont say, but anway back to the topic.

A US company is preparing to fly a A319 to Perth for mining contract work. The aircraft was painted white with a Blue tail and yellow feathery looking things.

So let the guessing begin?

richo

LOL richo nice info :ok: pity its all wrong!!!!!!!!!!

Richo

Is that the one thats parked up next to the polished silver B737 with a green tail and a purple 'N' on the tail :} :} :}

Hey Richo, has anyone over there got any jet time to drive this mystery jet?:cool:

Are you serious? You don't need jet time to be a jet driver. But I'm sure insurance will denote otherwise.

D

Could it possibly be the A319 that's turned up in Hobart as part of the Antarctic expedition fleet?

I like the way you think.:ok:
Possibly this one http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=29219

Come on Richo, you can do much better than that.:)

Richo come on....;)

Looks like it isn't just the pilots heading out the door in large numbers. Heard that various admin staff and engineers are moving on.

Supply and demand indeed.

Hi Ic'ie

Desired effect, - achived

No further need to carry it on.

Speeds Hi

richo

I have seen quite a few other operators with aircraft parked on their apron in the last two weeks. Maintenance issues again or lack of crew?

Their maintenance manager is off to Skywest I hear.

Its interesting watching many low capacity RPT/Charter operator rapidly dropping their minimums.

For example, Bras/Metro23 and Dash 8 Captains on the East Coast being advertised with mins of 2-2500 and 500 multi, 100 night, ATPL.

Where are the mins on the West Coast for similar jobs ?.