Flight deck positions at FlyDubai Master Thread - Merged
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pilot shortage to come
They've broken this camel's back, too! I'm about to join the growing list of pilots who are actively looking to leave due to lack of trust in management or PBS with these deteriorating rosters for the past 18 months. The roller coaster of day to nights is simply unbearable, and the ridiculous amount of 40min out and back only days is meant only to keep you trapped in dxb - what happened to all the talk of more days off and min 6hr flight days? The rostering is actually now getting dangerous IMO.
I've paid my dues and will soon be completely free of the bond. I know of several captains who are saying exactly the same thing. I think this could be an unexpected hit to FD that will make life very hard for remaining captains if all of these guys start resigning in large numbers. It WILL happen if PBS does not perform miracles from October.
I've paid my dues and will soon be completely free of the bond. I know of several captains who are saying exactly the same thing. I think this could be an unexpected hit to FD that will make life very hard for remaining captains if all of these guys start resigning in large numbers. It WILL happen if PBS does not perform miracles from October.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai, UAE by way of Denver, Colorado, USA
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well most of us had the opportunity to return up to two years ago. I have done everything in my power and even beyond to make it work here. I really think there is a lot of potential for flydubai - still. But there are certainly issues. Those issues continue to get chipped away at by management, but never seem to get chunks taken out or even resolutions. It is always a "carrot".
Because of the housing increases in combination with the rosters and my personal cost of my kids' education, I had turned in my resignation before the big recall to take advantage of my earlier opportunity. The recall means that I will just be returning to Denver for basic indoc training instead of Houston.
There are certainly things I will miss about flydubai. It is still a small feeling airline where you can get to know the crews you are flying with. The people I work with are great! I will also miss how much effort my crew puts in to make the operation work. The rosters and some of our more adventurous destinations, not so much.
It is a shame really, because flydubai had some pretty high quality people that they have not been able to hold onto (I am the exception
- but they are losing me too).
I wish nothing but the best to the comrades I am leaving behind in the desert!
Because of the housing increases in combination with the rosters and my personal cost of my kids' education, I had turned in my resignation before the big recall to take advantage of my earlier opportunity. The recall means that I will just be returning to Denver for basic indoc training instead of Houston.
There are certainly things I will miss about flydubai. It is still a small feeling airline where you can get to know the crews you are flying with. The people I work with are great! I will also miss how much effort my crew puts in to make the operation work. The rosters and some of our more adventurous destinations, not so much.
It is a shame really, because flydubai had some pretty high quality people that they have not been able to hold onto (I am the exception
- but they are losing me too).I wish nothing but the best to the comrades I am leaving behind in the desert!
Last edited by RandyBMC; 8th Sep 2013 at 11:17.
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Just off the Persian gulf
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The spaceman has left the building but lets not get excited until we know who will replace him. Wonder why he didn't announce his departure.... 
Sad to see guys like Randy leaving the company!
Sad to see guys like Randy leaving the company!
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Below the tropopause
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has someone shown this to the management?
There's also an article suggesting the rent prices are being driven up by 30% due to the expo 2020 bid. Have to look for that article again.
There's also an article suggesting the rent prices are being driven up by 30% due to the expo 2020 bid. Have to look for that article again.
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Here, there and everywhere
Age: 65
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry to see you go Randy, you, more than most have put huge unpaid effort into the FZ project.
What does amaze me is just how many of the guys who joined in the first year or so of FZ have now gone.
We all know that there is always an element of people who do not settle into expat life and leave, normally in the first six months or so, but FZ turnover seems exceptionally high.
What does amaze me is just how many of the guys who joined in the first year or so of FZ have now gone.
We all know that there is always an element of people who do not settle into expat life and leave, normally in the first six months or so, but FZ turnover seems exceptionally high.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: A free wi_fi near you
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Says a lot when good people leave and the company is forced to re hire, re train and back fill positions.
Doesn't help when management don't care, you are a number and their favorite catch phrase is do you know how many people are trying to get in to this company???
The only people happy in this company are the office staff they get treated very well, get all the holidays get the bonuses get treated like government employees, the guys and girls who do the hard yards get nothing, the company survey goes a long way to show how true I am.
Good luck, I guess flydubai has one thing going for pilots and engineers, come get your foot in the door get you command quick, get your rating (eng) quick serve your time pay your dues and pull the rip chord.....EJECT!....EJECT!...EJECT...........
Watch the shoot open as you glide to your next destination.
Doesn't help when management don't care, you are a number and their favorite catch phrase is do you know how many people are trying to get in to this company???
The only people happy in this company are the office staff they get treated very well, get all the holidays get the bonuses get treated like government employees, the guys and girls who do the hard yards get nothing, the company survey goes a long way to show how true I am.
Good luck, I guess flydubai has one thing going for pilots and engineers, come get your foot in the door get you command quick, get your rating (eng) quick serve your time pay your dues and pull the rip chord.....EJECT!....EJECT!...EJECT...........
Watch the shoot open as you glide to your next destination.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Hang on, let me check the FMS...
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you want to have all the weekends and public holidays off then become an office employee, get paid half the salary, and enjoy the monotony of 9-5 sitting at a desk.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai, UAE by way of Denver, Colorado, USA
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok, but then by that logic there should be no comparisons ever made going the other way as well.
Soooo, no "no more than two days off in a row for flight crew because the office workers can't do that" mentality.
I still don't quite understand how we can ever be compared because number 1 we are in a SAFETY related position of responsibility.
Also, we certainly have quite a few other things we have to deal with that would warrant having 3-4 days off in a row between our blocks of flying. For instance, flying through the night, flip-flopping schedules, dynamic work environments, and of course the responsibility of our passengers' lives.
As it stands, we do not get more than two days off, and this month as well as last I have had 3 or more single days off. I am flying 90ish hours in October with 9 days off total, and 3 of them are single days off.
I am hopeful for all of the flydubai flight crew that the future will hold good schedules based on personal preferences through PBS, but so far I haven't seen that.
FlyingTinCans, have more pride in what you do and demand what you should rightfully have from the hard work you have done to attain your position of responsibility. We SHOULD be compensated more than double as well as be taken care of. If we make mistakes, lives are at stake.
Randy
Soooo, no "no more than two days off in a row for flight crew because the office workers can't do that" mentality.
I still don't quite understand how we can ever be compared because number 1 we are in a SAFETY related position of responsibility.
Also, we certainly have quite a few other things we have to deal with that would warrant having 3-4 days off in a row between our blocks of flying. For instance, flying through the night, flip-flopping schedules, dynamic work environments, and of course the responsibility of our passengers' lives.
As it stands, we do not get more than two days off, and this month as well as last I have had 3 or more single days off. I am flying 90ish hours in October with 9 days off total, and 3 of them are single days off.
I am hopeful for all of the flydubai flight crew that the future will hold good schedules based on personal preferences through PBS, but so far I haven't seen that.
FlyingTinCans, have more pride in what you do and demand what you should rightfully have from the hard work you have done to attain your position of responsibility. We SHOULD be compensated more than double as well as be taken care of. If we make mistakes, lives are at stake.
Randy
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Monrovia / Liberia
Age: 63
Posts: 757
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FlyingTinCans - might I be so bold as to suggest that you're either young; new to fz; special needs; or some combination of all 3 ?!
Imho, and in a spirit of fairness
, maybe office staff should also be rostered to work 'shifts'? That way - immediately prior to their day(s) off - they too can enjoy finishing just prior to midnight, then starting again at 6am a day or so later, and / or give them the occasional smattering of single days off too?! And let's never forget the pleasure of coming to work at around midnight and then finishing 12 hours later... and of course "it's all legal"!!
That said, if they want to earn what I do, I wonder if they'd be prepared to invest tens of thousands of $£$£$£'s of their own money in getting a 'license'? And also be prepared to have an annual medical? And also have their competence to operate stringently checked every six months? And be prepared to be 'bonded' into a virtual servitude? And spend years & years in their apprenticeship prior to being given a chance at a hard-won promotion? Possess the right technical & CRM skills? And be able to cope with the responsibility? etc, etc.
But I do think we might of hit on something here, and indeed I must suggest to KG or GAG... i.e. the office staff are going to come under the merciless remit of 'Rostering' (oh what a great rumour !!!). Yep, I'll bet office productivity would increase by the ten fold, and it's for sure that the Been&Gone coffee outlet would then be open all hours!
... but, until then, keep drinking the KoolAid mate and please do stop undervaluing your profession!
Imho, and in a spirit of fairness
, maybe office staff should also be rostered to work 'shifts'? That way - immediately prior to their day(s) off - they too can enjoy finishing just prior to midnight, then starting again at 6am a day or so later, and / or give them the occasional smattering of single days off too?! And let's never forget the pleasure of coming to work at around midnight and then finishing 12 hours later... and of course "it's all legal"!!That said, if they want to earn what I do, I wonder if they'd be prepared to invest tens of thousands of $£$£$£'s of their own money in getting a 'license'? And also be prepared to have an annual medical? And also have their competence to operate stringently checked every six months? And be prepared to be 'bonded' into a virtual servitude? And spend years & years in their apprenticeship prior to being given a chance at a hard-won promotion? Possess the right technical & CRM skills? And be able to cope with the responsibility? etc, etc.
But I do think we might of hit on something here, and indeed I must suggest to KG or GAG... i.e. the office staff are going to come under the merciless remit of 'Rostering' (oh what a great rumour !!!). Yep, I'll bet office productivity would increase by the ten fold, and it's for sure that the Been&Gone coffee outlet would then be open all hours!
... but, until then, keep drinking the KoolAid mate and please do stop undervaluing your profession!
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Hang on, let me check the FMS...
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To clarify, I'm not young (I wish I was), I'm not new to FZ and I don't have special needs (my wife may disagree).
What I am however is tired of pilots comparing their lifestyles to office workers. Now some of you are suggesting my above stance is me advocating the rosters at FZ, which I am not, compared to other AIRLINE PILOTS they are poor, but using the argument "the office workers should work shifts because we have too" or "the office workers should work public holidays because we have too" you sound like jealous teenagers.
You are comparing apples to oranges, and in the process devaluing a justified argument against the rostering department.
Compare your roster to other RELEVANT PROFESSIONS, not unqualified paper shufflers. And you say I'm undervaluing our profession
What I am however is tired of pilots comparing their lifestyles to office workers. Now some of you are suggesting my above stance is me advocating the rosters at FZ, which I am not, compared to other AIRLINE PILOTS they are poor, but using the argument "the office workers should work shifts because we have too" or "the office workers should work public holidays because we have too" you sound like jealous teenagers.
You are comparing apples to oranges, and in the process devaluing a justified argument against the rostering department.
Compare your roster to other RELEVANT PROFESSIONS, not unqualified paper shufflers. And you say I'm undervaluing our profession
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Dubai
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FlyingTinCans
As pointed out previously, you don't get the point!
Admittedly, it is rather subtle, but you're missing it (the point).
Admittedly, it is rather subtle, but you're missing it (the point).
Last edited by what-to-do; 25th Sep 2013 at 19:24.
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: on earth
Posts: 301
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FlyingTinCans
When I look at your username , it doesn't sound like you have a lot of consideration for our work.
I am personaly not flying Tin Cans but very sophisticated pieces of machinery that need me to keep studying and reviewing all the time to be current with all the systems , changes in procedures etc...
But I must be more stupid than you I guess...
When I look at your username , it doesn't sound like you have a lot of consideration for our work.
I am personaly not flying Tin Cans but very sophisticated pieces of machinery that need me to keep studying and reviewing all the time to be current with all the systems , changes in procedures etc...
But I must be more stupid than you I guess...
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Dubai
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
flyingTinCans
OK, for your benefit.
Office staff (scheduling Dept.) have openly stated that they have to work 5 days off to get two days off, therefore, why should pilots be treated any differently?
Therefore, it's no surprise that the current rosters rarely have more than two days off in a row. More dangerously, the rosters have lately been made up of single days off after a run of night shifts, followed by..... night shifts.
Now, when you say that there can be no comparison between office staff rosters and those of flight crew, we agree! However, if the scheduling dept. use the above comparison, then it stands to reason that we, quite rightly, argue that point.
Office staff (scheduling Dept.) have openly stated that they have to work 5 days off to get two days off, therefore, why should pilots be treated any differently?
Therefore, it's no surprise that the current rosters rarely have more than two days off in a row. More dangerously, the rosters have lately been made up of single days off after a run of night shifts, followed by..... night shifts.
Now, when you say that there can be no comparison between office staff rosters and those of flight crew, we agree! However, if the scheduling dept. use the above comparison, then it stands to reason that we, quite rightly, argue that point.