Eastern Airways

[Computer says NO!]

Well said sparepart, I can second that. Global was either one of the whinging few or was turned down by them at some point. I know quite a few who have returned from the "Not so rosy" jet job life.

Eastern have opened the door for many into this industry.

[3legs]

Anyone know if Eastern are wanting IOM based crew...Just passed my IR 2 weeks ago!! Still waiting for the MCC!!!....

Thanks

3legs

[ATIS31]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but its a Eastern thread.
I heard a rumor that the Jetstream31/32 are leaving the fleet does anyone know if this is true and if it is when this will happen ?

[cavortingcheetah]

When the head man at Eastern started up, one of his prime concerns was to be able to visit each base ona regular basis and operate his airline morale ethos with a very hands on and caring approach. I would imagine that this would be a little hard for RL to achieve these days, given the company's expansion. However, I have no doubt that the man's principles remain the same and that Eastern is still a pretty friendly company for which to work, It does of course have one great advantage over some other airlines in that its fleet is all small turb prop. There 'should' be little of the in house jealousy one so often finds with other carriers as to who is going to move on to the jet tractor, for instance.
Eastern must loose their J31/32s and I would have thought that this would hapen sooner rather than later given the fact that in suburban aviaton the J31/32 seems to be the flavour of the month and thus presumably fairly easily off loaded.
There is a very strong rumour going some rounds that Eastern may more or less pull out of NWI. They are taking a winged battering from Flybe. If they end up only running MAN from there, look for a J31/32 at NWI but I would expect that to be about it.
Rumour control over and out.

[Kiltie]

The J32 operation at Eastern Airways is now confined to one base, Wick, operating ABZ, SYY and occasionally NCL. The fleet has been reduced somewhat through airframe sell-offs but there are no apparent plans this year to remove them completely. Three still exist in the fleet.

[BSc]

I just had to add something to this discussion! I am currently flight crew with EA, and I talk to collegues daily who would back up what I say.

Eastern is a friendly company and only has a good standard thanks to the professional attitude of most of its crews who work extremely hard for no bonus, pension or even decent pay. We have no rostering agreement, no BALPA representation and no say!! It is a great company with which to get experience but then so is flybe, scotair, euromanx etc etc

Originally Posted by sparepart

Before you have a pop at eastern again Global, you ought to know that all their pilot managers fly regularly

Reality - they only fly because we are desperate for captains. Then when you do have the misfortune, they whinge because they are so tired after 2 whole days of work. Try 6 lates, 2 days off then 5 earlies, repeat, repeat, repeat!

They place great emphasis on recruiting nice people

Reality - They place great emphasis on recruiting nice people who are prepared to be messed around, accept changes and not complain ie please don't be an individual, we only want clones! (I recommended a pilot friend to the recruitment manager who did not ask me one question about their experience, hours etc - I think that says everything!)

Originally Posted by Kiltie

The stint as Cabin Crew is used very infrequently for pilots with no recognisable referees or track record.

Reality - This is very much standard, especially a stint in Ops! Oh and the salary is approx £11k with which you pay your mortgage and support your large family!

Originally Posted by sparepart

Actually boys, I think all of the above is tosh. When I worked for Eastern it was very friendly...

Reality - Well you don't now and whatever century you did it is not the current reality. We not only have young guys leaving to go to the jets, but also our most experienced have had enough (I include well respected trainers who are fed up beating their heads against brick walls)

I feel sorry for the new guys out there who do just want that first job, we were all there once. But please, please know what you are getting into before you make the jump! It might just be better to invest a bit more and get that 737 rating. The low costs are recuriting and they have more to offer in the long term. Be prepared to work hard, but at least you pay off those debts!

Do I sound cynical? Well I wasn't when I started out!

[Kiltie]

Originally Posted by BSc

Originally Posted by Kiltie

The stint as Cabin Crew is used very infrequently for pilots with no recognisable referees or track record.

Reality - This is very much standard, especially a stint in Ops! Oh and the salary is approx £11k with which you pay your mortgage and support your large family!

BSc you are either misinformed or have joined the band of negative whingers; the majority of new recruits over the last twelve months have gone straight to ground school because they have provided a recognisable reference or have a proven track record or recommendation. It is only the minority who have agreed to go down the Ops / cabin crew route. Emphasis placed on "agreed". Nobody is forcing those few to accept this deal.

This is your first airline job isn't it BSc?! If Eastern's not for you, off you go then. Come back and tell us how much better other employers are out there .

[BSc]

[QUOTE=Kiltie]

It is a shame that our busy mangagers have so much time on their hands!

[Kiltie]

JENKINS there is no attempt being made here to disguise my identity as you suggest. That's because I stand by everything I post on these forums.

BSc if you feel as strongly as you imply that your managers are not working hard enough for you I would voice your concerns to the MD.

[cavortingcheetah]

Seems to me that Jenkins his his ear close to the ground. (1731 )

It seems inconceivable that the attrition rate amongst the younger Eastern pilots of both ranks moving to bigger things is not high.
Management pilots would presumably have to travel and night stop to fill in command flying roster slots? This might not sit so well on those who had thought that Humberside would be a pleasant and steady alternative to the appalling situation of six lates, two tawdry days off followed by five earlies in endless grinding procession. Hardly, if the case, a situation that would make them happy, especially if positioning time before a duty period were ignored as being duty time!
The comments most frequently enountered from Eastern pilots who have been with the company for some time are: 'It is not the way it used to be,' coupled with the remark that certain elements of management are locked in to doing things in only one rigid and strict way.
I fear that the 'look back in wistful longing' is something which comes to all airline pilots with every company at some point or another. However, even were such the case, it would perhaps be a pity to ignore potential input from experienced pilots who have flown for other carriers in the past and whose only interest, presumably, is to keep their heads down and enjoy the sort of hands on flying that goes hand in glove with an operator such as Eastern.
If you have a situation where, hypothically speaking of course, the experience of senior pilots is ignored and feedback discouraged combined with a high turnover of less qualified aviators who look to move onwards then crew discontent must be very high indeed throughout the ranks.
Whilst recruitees are enjoying the present aviation boom, grumbling will be manifest. Once the boom dies down, as it will, the company will be back in the situation where all pilots are locked in with nowhere to go. If this is the sort of cycle Eastern wants, it only has to tough it out for a year or so to find itself back in the pilot pound seats. Grumbling will, of course, still be manifest!
At the moment there seems to be little shortage of First Officer materiel. I somehow doubt too that there is a dirth of Captains out there. But there may well exist a paucity of recruitable Commanders who do not pose a perceived threat to management because of their greater familiarity and experience with airline operations?

[Globalwarning]

I think Kiltie is on the wrong track- People seem to accept that the managers work hard but rather not smartly enough. The operational platform at Eastern is allegedly very porous and engaged in constant fire fighting. Perhaps this is because MD Lake does not seek to empower the right people??

Kiltie- Are you saying you are Jenkins? If so I gather from a mate in Aberdeen that you are at the epicenter of the problem?

[JB007]

Regional/Turbo-prop Airlines!

These same views and problems are identical in every Regional/TP Airline in the UK. This is bottom of the food-chain stuff....enjoy it while you can, it's amazing flying....

[Kiltie]

Globalwarning I was referring to JENKINS who made a post on this forum today but has since removed it.

[cavortingcheetah]

Perhaps it would help the training turnover in carriers such as Eastern if they no longer employed Wannabees as flight crew at all.
Possibly these turgid companies should only employ Captains, Retirees with a lot of experience, of whom some were then designated Commanders.
It might lead to a rather more stable flight deck work force?

[Fair_Weather_Flyer]

.....a rather more expensive one too!

[Blackcoffeenosugar]

Hmmmm

Just spoke to a friend of mine that used to work for EA, and he left when RL told him at a company party that: "the work force at EA is so stable because he only employs people who can't get jobs else were" ??

[cavortingcheetah]

That's excellent news that might well be taken as a sort of back handed compliment on the part of some who might still aspire to the dizzy heights of eastern promise!

[WX Man]

Just spoke to a friend of mine that used to work for EA, and he left when RL told him at a company party that: "the work force at EA is so stable because he only employs people who can't get jobs else were" ??

In that case, why aren't I working for them?!!!!!

[tocken]

there seems to be a lot of negativity regarding Eastern. I am flight crew with EA and enjoy every minute of it.I most certainly agree that the salary and the overall package could be better but the flying is good, the people are great, management are approachable and helpful and the working week is as "normal" as can be expected in aviation terms.The disgruntled whingers at Eastern are 90% individuals who have always been in aviation and to be frank don't know what real work is!!

EA know that they will lose pilots to bigger carriers becaues they know that the training they give is of a high standard and also they are aware that they will always be a stepping stone because of the package they offer which is a shame.

My advice to anybody targeting EA is to keep trying, flying wise you wont be disappionted. It's better than digging holes

[Toastal]

Whingers

No offence m8, but there are a lot of "Whingers" out there, some of whom have invested a lot of money in their pilot training, about 6 yrs cabin crew salary to be exact!!!

T