COPA Rumour
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A juicio de los pilotos las plazas laborales son ocupadas por extranjeros, situación que les preocupa, ya que cada vez las oportunidades se reducen y hay más aviadores panameños sin empleo......
Pilotos panameos se reunen con Director General de la AAC. - Autoridad Aeronautica Civil
================================
Pilotos de Panamá, sin opción para volar
140 pilotos nacionales están desempleados, dice Sipac. Aeronáutica indica que esto se debe a la calidad de los
prensa.com Panamá - Economía y Negocios
And so on.....
So you feel now how it "smells" here for ANY Exp. Pilot....ANY
Pilotos panameos se reunen con Director General de la AAC. - Autoridad Aeronautica Civil
================================
Pilotos de Panamá, sin opción para volar
140 pilotos nacionales están desempleados, dice Sipac. Aeronáutica indica que esto se debe a la calidad de los
prensa.com Panamá - Economía y Negocios
And so on.....
So you feel now how it "smells" here for ANY Exp. Pilot....ANY
So let the company decide who are they going to hire. As simple as that.Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: "como todo buen piloto... mujeriego y borracho"
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I am not certain about that it is as simple as that AeroDíaz, but I would agree with you in saying that probably a number of those pilots are unemployable. A valid source of ire for Panamanian pilots is the Spanish-pilot fiasco, where COPA was essentially selling jobs to low-time European pilots who were willing to spend significant cash to get a jet job.
In any event, I feel that it is not Aeronautica Civil in any country who should determine who can work as a pilot. Instead, this is (and should be) the responsibility of the Labor and Immigration autorities of the concerned country.
In any event, I feel that it is not Aeronautica Civil in any country who should determine who can work as a pilot. Instead, this is (and should be) the responsibility of the Labor and Immigration autorities of the concerned country.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2009
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PJ,
"Unemployable pilots", you hit the nail on the head.
I agree with you in saying that the Pilots Union should be addressing their demands to the Immigration autorities. But don´t you think that the airline has the right to choose who are they going to hire?.
IMHO this is not a matter of nationality but a matter of the need for "employable pilots" who have some experience and are willing to work hard to maintain a good balance of responsabilities in the cockpit.
I´d like to know your thoughts about this. Having a low timer flying with you a heavy (if we can call a 737 NG a heavy). Technology is making most things idiot-proof, but I think you still need to have some "callo" to fly a steel dragon. I´m still working on mine BTW.
DÍAZ
"Unemployable pilots", you hit the nail on the head.
I agree with you in saying that the Pilots Union should be addressing their demands to the Immigration autorities. But don´t you think that the airline has the right to choose who are they going to hire?.
IMHO this is not a matter of nationality but a matter of the need for "employable pilots" who have some experience and are willing to work hard to maintain a good balance of responsabilities in the cockpit.
I´d like to know your thoughts about this. Having a low timer flying with you a heavy (if we can call a 737 NG a heavy). Technology is making most things idiot-proof, but I think you still need to have some "callo" to fly a steel dragon. I´m still working on mine BTW.
DÍAZ
Join Date: Nov 1999
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In principle, AeroDíaz, I agree with airlines being able to choose the pilots who they want. In the part of the Middle East known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, almost all of the airlines have fueled their growth thanks to expatriate labor-- it simply would not have been possible if they had to depend only on local resources. I am a benefactor of this policy.
I do understand the political concerns surrounding this issue. About 1/3rd of the world's merchant ship fleet in crewed by Filipino seamen. Their popularity is due to a number of reasons including, unfortunately, low salary expectations. A large percentage of the rest of the crew come from other countries with "competitive" salaries.
Economically speaking, these type of salaries often reflect the supply vs. demand curve. In response, most countries worldwide have set up barriers in their immigration laws to restrict labor migration from countries where salary expectations are low. Ironically, some of the most restrictive laws are in the countries which have very little to offer-- and this more often than not hurts their chances for economic growth. One example of a country that does this and which you might have heard of, Aerodiaz, is Nicaragua.
Often the countries that do this envision private enterprise budgeting for the training of local personnel to suitably qualify them. For better or for worse, companies and their investors tend to be a thrifty lot and the competitive environment is a ruthless one-- where every dollar needs to be carefully spent. Additionally, the training of a "0" time cadet to being Captain qualified on a jet (not just in terms of minimum time for licenses and ratings, but also acceptable to insurance in terms of amount and quality of hours flown) takes at least 4-5 years-- proof that pilots are highly skilled labor. Changes in the airline industry tend to happen much faster than that and when no suitable employees are available, an airline cannot start-up or grow. Imagine the challenges a small-sized upstart carrier would face in a country like Nicaragua if it wanted to commence operations with a half-dozen Boeing 737NG's and were restricted to allowing foreign personnel only for a 6 month period?
The difference between what COPA has done and what Qatar Airways does is that COPA hired pilots with few qualifications-- the most impressive qualification was their willingness to shell out a large sum of money. For any business owner, the only thing better than finding free (or volunteer) labor is labor that will pay you. On the other hand, Qatar Airways has been successfully fishing qualified cockpit crew from other airlines-- and they still face a tough selection process in spite of thousands of hours in Airbuses or Boeings.
I have had my own "memorable" experiences with one of the Panamanian pilot unions. Unfortunately, there are people there who create their own problems. While I agree with the philosophy that we are trying to create careers, not jobs, many unions worldwide have shown themselves to be out of touch with airline economic realities.
Perhaps in time this will change. After all, haven't a number of Panamanian pilots gone to work the cockpits in India, the Middle East, and China?
I do understand the political concerns surrounding this issue. About 1/3rd of the world's merchant ship fleet in crewed by Filipino seamen. Their popularity is due to a number of reasons including, unfortunately, low salary expectations. A large percentage of the rest of the crew come from other countries with "competitive" salaries.
Economically speaking, these type of salaries often reflect the supply vs. demand curve. In response, most countries worldwide have set up barriers in their immigration laws to restrict labor migration from countries where salary expectations are low. Ironically, some of the most restrictive laws are in the countries which have very little to offer-- and this more often than not hurts their chances for economic growth. One example of a country that does this and which you might have heard of, Aerodiaz, is Nicaragua.
Often the countries that do this envision private enterprise budgeting for the training of local personnel to suitably qualify them. For better or for worse, companies and their investors tend to be a thrifty lot and the competitive environment is a ruthless one-- where every dollar needs to be carefully spent. Additionally, the training of a "0" time cadet to being Captain qualified on a jet (not just in terms of minimum time for licenses and ratings, but also acceptable to insurance in terms of amount and quality of hours flown) takes at least 4-5 years-- proof that pilots are highly skilled labor. Changes in the airline industry tend to happen much faster than that and when no suitable employees are available, an airline cannot start-up or grow. Imagine the challenges a small-sized upstart carrier would face in a country like Nicaragua if it wanted to commence operations with a half-dozen Boeing 737NG's and were restricted to allowing foreign personnel only for a 6 month period?
The difference between what COPA has done and what Qatar Airways does is that COPA hired pilots with few qualifications-- the most impressive qualification was their willingness to shell out a large sum of money. For any business owner, the only thing better than finding free (or volunteer) labor is labor that will pay you. On the other hand, Qatar Airways has been successfully fishing qualified cockpit crew from other airlines-- and they still face a tough selection process in spite of thousands of hours in Airbuses or Boeings.
I have had my own "memorable" experiences with one of the Panamanian pilot unions. Unfortunately, there are people there who create their own problems. While I agree with the philosophy that we are trying to create careers, not jobs, many unions worldwide have shown themselves to be out of touch with airline economic realities.
Perhaps in time this will change. After all, haven't a number of Panamanian pilots gone to work the cockpits in India, the Middle East, and China?
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A very good friend of mine who´s flying Caravans in Nicaragua just received a call from COPA 
...That´s all the info I´ve got. I haven´t been able to reach him to get more details. 
Has anybody else received this magic call recently?
Good luck PRIX!
DÍAZ
...That´s all the info I´ve got. I haven´t been able to reach him to get more details. Has anybody else received this magic call recently?
Good luck PRIX!
DÍAZ
