Update:

737 F/O replacements are now coming from the cadet ranks and their salary is that of a Dash 8 F/O. I can hear the war drums from here!

Older man

My very sad and despondent mate advises..

"Am told PGK50O per key, most of the apartment key rings have 3 keys, so that is PGK1500."

😱 $AUD700 for three keys!!!!!

For those contemplating a move to PX I have just been told a very senior manager had a meeting with cadets very recently and told them their jobs were secure as there would be no expats employed by PX within 5 years.

Reliably informed that with this and the ongoing accommodation debacle pilots will commence walking very very soon.

Stay tuned.

Coffee houses, now replace the pub as information exchange locations.

Reliably informed that national management (virtually all of it now) has ramped up greatly its anti-expat attitudes (behind closed doors of course , in meetings and private exchanges).

Management now prefer to believe that all problems are caused by over paid under worked expats and all problems will be fixed once they are all gone.
There is one expat top level manager who has found a niche for himself in corporate world (formerly in Qld. Water or similar place and is now in PX) based on attacking "high" salaries, the one and only trick in his bag.How original, give that man a bonus..
Typical of under achieving accountants, he believes the old "anyone who earns more than me is overpaid" thinking, and all the familiar drivel about how easy pilots job is compared to their pay.
Management of course love this and will use him until they don't want him.

For any capable pilot,there are far better career opportunities elsewhere now , sadly, as the seat you get given if you join now will never change.
Yes that's right , no promotion prospects and no relief from a management now unrestrained by any "mutual obligation"contract rules except to demand you comply with every latest thought bubble idea,regardless of whether it is sane,fair or reasonable .
Ignominious wind down of a once unique airline with a equally unique unblemished safety record, for how long one wonders.

Distorted and negative view of Expats.
 

Name that preek, and let's see what he is made of.

Some of the problems appear to have stemmed from the gradual accumulation of second rate (or lower) expats who have insidiously crept in over the years. Most have proven to be a poor substitute for the real people who they have supposedly replaced, and they have little or no interest in anything other than feathering their own nest. Some have caused employee unrest and dissention to the point where many qualified Nationals have moved on. They had considerable experience having been mentored under the old guard of previous decades, and in reality were those that the Company could ill afford to lose. (Case in point being the LAMEs who are now in WA and elsewhere through unfair treatment).
There certainly does not appear to be the degree of mentoring that took place in yesteryears. Maybe they have little or nothing to offer and are just seat polishers, who are occupying titled positions but they are semi incapable of delivering what is required.
It is a crying shame to see how the Company has slowly deteriorated from the excellent Company that it once was, such self inflicted decline being almost entirely due to the poor standard of blinkered management in most areas, where they can't see the wood for the trees.
A culture and a mentality of "it is always someone else's fault" has never done any good for any business, and it won't work here either.

Blue skies up chaps, and keep the faith. Regards to ya all, Big E.

Don't put up with that ****e! Head to Saudia, where they want you, need you and can afford to pay you well above all others to keep you!

Happy Landings.:ok:

I think somewhere around 70 pilots have left since the "negotiations" started. Those guys and gal are now scatted around Australia, China, japan, Macau , Naru and Vietnam. That I am aware of. They have great jobs with lifestyles to match and there is more and more recruiting going on in Asia right now! I think ANG will find themselves in somewhat of a pickle with no one to blame except themselves in a very short period of time.
GYS

70 pilots gone in less than 12 months??? That's got to be at least a 30% reduction in pilot numbers in a very short period.

If the fleet and schedule hasn't been reduced proportionately, there Safety and Training departments must be practicing magic.

It's got to be a worry for CASA PNG, last thing PNG wants is a major safety problem with their national carrier with events like APEC coming up in 2018.

olderairhead

At the rate the expat PX guys are getting interviews and subsequent offers, i'd say there would be very few of the current expats still there in 5 years, the vast majority will have left LONG before that.

The 2015 Jihad contract started the rout, and the adhoc shared Accommodation has put the final nail in the coffin for any desire to stay by the guys.

Em tasol Pixie.

Up there it is commonly referred to as the "ethnic cleansing program".

Told today more resignations imminent, just waiting on medical results. All other aspects of employment passed.

Am told two more resignations today, makes 72. Others just waiting until a bit closer to their start dates before putting in resignation letters.

Major domestic disruptions the other day due to just 2 guys calling sick. Resignations will be causing more havoc than that.

Best way to protest a crap contract is with your feet, and apparently PX is finding that with such a contract it is not easy to simply replace qualified guys/girls as probably thought.

TANFU comes to mind.

Deposit has been paid to PX for the purchase of 3 of their Q400's on the proviso that they are all serviced.

One needed a new set of props. Quick check of the records showed 36 blades in stock however they could only locate 10. 26 "gone missing". :rolleyes::=

Wonder how they are going to blame the pilots for this one. :E

On top of that there was turmoil when 2 F/O's called in sick on the same day and they could not crew flights for both the Fokker and Q400 fleets. Multiple flights cancelled.

And

4 more resignations about to be handed in which should make the situation even worse than what it is now.

Bloody pilots!

I hear that CASA PNG will be meeting with the pilots to investigate rostering practices that are reportedly not in accordance with the regs which is contributing to pilot fatigue. Could be interesting.

Stay tuned.

Am told that the appropriately named "Wall of Fame" has three more names on it...3 highly experienced Captains.

Also hear that several Captains and F/O's have the resignation letters in the flight bag waiting just a little closer to the start dates with their new companies.

Mountain flying, crappy infrastructure and company experience is exiting at a fast rate stage left...:mad: n hell!!

em nau!!!!

Been told the next court hearing (read appeal) is scheduled for the 27th.

As for the "Wall of fame" the guys are queuing up to have their names added.

Also latest snippet is that Focker crew levels are so low that if anyone calls in sick they just cancel the flight because they have no coverage and it will get worse as more F70's arrive.

APNG and Travel Air now have ads on the AFAP website for Captains. Good opportunities for the younger nationals directly or indirectly.

Just received the following - the Capt has handed in his resignation, he's had enough:

The following report was submitted by Capt XXXX today.
The facts speak for themselves.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
26th August 2015

XXXX – Set Up and Robbed by Police on the Way to the Airport

On the 25th August I drove to the airport at around 4:00 am to meet my wife who was arriving on PX 011 from Manila. As I reached the top of Burns Peak I met a police road block. They checked my driver’s license then let me proceed. As I got to the bottom of the hill near Waigani Drive I noticed a car coming up behind me. The car got on my tail and started following me. I was concerned because it was very early.
I began to drive faster in the hope the car would not follow however it increased speed with me. I then decided to drive as fast as I could to the airport in an attempt to escape the car. Just before I got to the airport the car cut me off. It was only then that I realised it was a police vehicle. Three or four men were in the car, two dressed in police uniforms.
One approached my car and demanded my licence. I gave it to him. He then said I was speeding. I tried to explain that I was only speeding because I was being followed and was not aware it was the police and that I was in fear of my life. He said I was under arrest and would be taken to Boroko police station. When I explained that I was at the airport to pick up my wife he said I could pay a fine or go to the police station. He demanded that I pay a fine of a 1000 kina or go to jail.
I told him I didn’t have 1000 kina but only 600 kina. He then demanded to see my wallet and then took an additional 300 Australian dollars. He then said I could pass through. I believe that I was set up as they did not identify themselves as a police while they were chasing me.

I have been gone a long time.
20 Kina was sufficient in my time.
I cringe to think where this spiral will end. No pun intended.

Yep stock standard practice for years. anywhere between airport, yacht club and city, hand over K20 and on you go, no argument its just the way that it is. There is no way I would have stopped at that time of the day anywhere or for anyone.

Heard a similar story in KL, alleged speeding, option to pay now or go to the cop shop, wallet extracted cop reaches in takes all notes and goes away.

Sorri tru Captain. I stopped driving after dark in 2010 in POM. Just too expensive and I got tired of the ridiculous "dance" one has to often do at the police station while they extract the cash out of you. The Captain did well to avoid all of that as it can get out of shape very quickly once they have you at the station.

It won't be a problem soon because all the service stations around Moresby are running out of petrol. So nobody will be driving anywhere anyway.
Problem solved !!

4 am drop off? Back in my day I'd just give them a pmv fare on their way out the door. The NCA boys called it deferalisation

Captain XXXX can count himself lucky he did not have a bloodier story to tell. Being in civvies they would have no idea that he was a PX Capt, which might have made them think twice about pursuing him, who knows.Its way back in the mists of last century now since I had any involvement there, but I remember there was a little bit of respect accorded the pilots. And F27s were exciting..

Maybe they have all adopted the chest beating anti paleface attitude. I did not say "anti-expat" because I am told that they do not consider Fijians, Tongans,Indians and the like being in the country and filling up good job vacancies-to be "expats." They are apparently o.k. Maybe they weren't guilty of "colonial practices" .
That was a management line told to me late last year when the PX contracts were being "negotiated"- I believe it was actually written by one of the national department heads involved.
"Expats" to them seem to mean nowadays -white Australian tasol.Kiwis would probably get a white hat as well.


I think the whole point about the Capt XXXX post is that no matter how many physical assets they have acquired --high rise buildings, new roads, flyovers, airport terminals,supermarket and whatever else they have built of late--if the criminals are disembarking from a police vehicle to ply their trade --they are still mentally and govern-mentally a type of 2.5 world banana republic.

Harsh? I think not. If your police force and defence force personnel are basically out of control, which has been proven by countless sordid incidents faithfully recorded by their own media over the years (thank you, internet) , then sori tomas ,that is a fact.

Politics aside, it is pretty clear now there is much better job value elsewhere if you are a pilot, or for that matter any other qualified person looking for a career.Better money, better living standards and workplace environment, and actual job prospects beyond a year or two.
PX even as a "stepping stone" now looks to be not worth the constant hassles and risks any more.A pity ,because my memories are all good--a place of tremendous natural beauty and lovely people.

Ive recently been told that the back-packer living that the Company is forcing on the pilots with the forced sharing of apartments with random partners is to continue for another year! If that doesn't break the camels back then the camel is missing most of its brain.Even a new Cadet has his own accommodation, so why should sharing be ok for senior Captains and F/Os?.

All the rumors(and that's what this website is about ,right?) I hear suggest that they don't care about their airline winding down too much.There is some quick buck fantasy (for a few big men I guess) involving privatisation coming "soon". How it will work is anyone's guess, but we can be sure it will be interesting,in the Chinese sense.

Good Luck Capt XXXX you have a good dinner time story to take with you now from the land of the unexpected--or as a late friend of mine used to say, "'the land of the expectorant"

They didn't think twice when I got rolled in the PX hangar car park a few years ago, that was the beginning of the end for me.

Loved that job - but that place :/

Mr.TBL Warrior, a synopsis is a brief summary or general survey of something usually consisting of between 500 and 800 words.
You my friend could write a novel (100-120,000 words) on night driving (and your misadventures) to such places as a Badili, Baruni, Bomana, Boroko, Ela Beach, Ensisi Valley, Erima, Gabi, Gerehu, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Nine Mile, Gordon’s, Waigani and Saraga. Of course your area of expertise would be a chapter solely on the challenges and attractions of Hanuabada.
Now back to the topic………………….:ok:

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:

Back on track, amended court date (edited):

The PX and R.L. appeal against the judge’s original decision to join the parties together will be heard in Supreme Court Waigani on September 7th.

This is called a directions hearing.

For this hearing PX has prepared what is termed their "appeal book" which is as it's name suggests is a book containing all the documents which PX will be relying on to support their appeal.

At the Directions Hearing on 7th the judge will confirm the appeal book and decide on a date for the hearing.

This may be in October, but more likely in November, as the court books are chokkers according to the solicitor.

aaaaiiiiyyyyeee

olderairblower court will shut in December - January

It's a job for next year

Em I isi:

1. Rausim olgeta aid I kam long Australia.

2. Givim olgeta manmeri wanplea banara.

3. Givim olgeta manmeri planti spakbrus.

4. Sindaun isi na lukim pait.

No need for number one, two three and four are happening anyway.

Could this is be true?

AeroRescue lads from Cairns helping PX management by accepting B Scale contracts joining the F100/70 fleet.

If it's true I'm hoping they don't know about the pay & conditions court case..

Their new workmates will probably look at them with pity seeing that they have had the need to except a job that comes with such a crappy contract, such crappy conditions, ...well crappy everything really.

And when the new accommodation block is open next to ANG Haus at the Airport, they will not only have the "pleasure" of working for PX, they will be able to enjoy their "off" time under the watchful eyes of PX Management that work in the building right next door. :ugh::ugh::ugh:

AeroRescue lost the SAR contract to Cobham next year, so those lads are going to lose their jobs regardless. Can't blame them for trying to keep food on the table, still pays better than Centrelink....

Duck,

A very long bow to draw parallels to '89, at least IMHO.

From contact with some of the guys still there I get the feeling that they don't give a flying F*@K who comes and works at PX, as many have more important things to consider, ....such as how to get another job and leave the place.

CJ, it does pay better than Centrelink, but at PGK 116,000 (DH8 FO), or PGK 271,000 (DH8 Captain) with PNG tax and superannuation, one could do a lot better elsewhere, and do it in a better atmosphere.

Of course the Fokker salary is a bit better, but being at the mercy of the PGK/AUD exchange rate would be a concern.

Pity the type rating bond is in AUD though.

Whilst the money might be Sh!t compared to what it used to be, try getting over $120K as a DHC8 captain in Oz, simply isn't possible. On the positive, the Kina has gone up, it about 0.50 to the AUD today and there are tax advantages to self contributed super in PNG - far better super deal in PNG than in Oz albeit its self contributed.

I'm not defending ANG, I'm merely pointing out some facts.

PX BalusNOMore
 

Hey Duck,
Spot on mate, the boys at AeroRescue are just trying to look after the family with food and a roof. If, some of these desktop drivers could understood the pressures of being a pilot with a family and being in GA 😫
Having been at ANG myself for three years some time back, I must say, it was the best flying I have ever experienced- bar none. Today, in a stable job in OZ, it's as boring as BAT-****!!
I would go back in a heart beat if the conditions were well right, and you were well respected,as they should be, because it requires a certain breed of pilot who can keep the operation on the rails. You have to pay well for that core experience , probably gained over many years of exposure in PNG. It's a job at a certain time of your life if your looking for adventure. I must say also,it's not necessarily an expat thing, some of the most admired and respected pilots I ever flew with were seasoned PNG nationals.
All the best for those that choose that gig. I hope in the end the board reverses there decision to reduce the companies core experience and they hold on to the dedicated individuals that have maintained a zero hull loss record since inception.

Nil Ident.

The only problem is that PX management have said over and over again that there will be no expat pilots within 5 years and they started saying this in November last year. That is almost 1 year ago so only 4 left and given the massive recruitment of cadets they may even fast track the 2020 cull finalisation date.

They have determined the future so may I suggest stop living in the past.

Duck

The Contract Pay Level on offer for a DH8 Captain is PGK271,130. The transition exchange rate of .40 equals $AUD108,452.

However, with the higher PNG tax, and no super, the equivalant AUD salary (at .40) is around $AUD 91K - somewhat short of your $120K....

You are making a joke, right...right??

How can they lock anyone into an exchange rate if you elect to get paid in country into a PNG bank account, they can't prohibit an expat electing to get paid in country. Once the money is in the bank account you ain't locked to anything. It's a gamble I know, however the way the AUD is falling at the moment you are going to be better off, even with the bank fees to do TTs, that can now be done remotely online.

Re the super, it makes money if you play your cards correctly.

You guys need financial advise if you can't work this out, re the super.

Who wrote that?

From the contract: PNG based Employees will have their salary paid into a PNG bank account in PGK.

And reference the "Super", if you stay in excess of 5 years and you are a bit on the older side it can work in your favour a little but if you are on the younger side you will still pay tax rates in excess of 30% and have to wait 12 months after leaving the country- not PX - before you have access to it. Leave any earlier and you pay full tax. Is this the sort of financial advice you are referring to Duck Pilot?

Hopefully this clarifies things a bit.