Rex pilot shortage under control ?
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Enough to make an FO of six to nine months seriously think about saving the required amount to pay his bond out at the 1 year (50% of) mark and then move on! Mainly because he is seriously sick of not being able to get ahead. Also sick of the company playing silly buggers with the PC and the new EBA. ($42k base + some allowances)
Radar.
Radar.
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Mate, you guys must really love flying. I don't mean to sound like a prick but after all that effort, money and time learning to fly, you're better off driving a truck. I got a couple of mates laying ashphalt for RWY and road contracts making 80K + allowances.
I take my hat off to you for sticking around.
Is it worth staying to make Captain?
I take my hat off to you for sticking around.
Is it worth staying to make Captain?
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Short answer is NO! Especially not when the bloke down the road is paying $60k+allowances to fly similar sized turboprop aircraft (as an FO) and with a similar time to command. The flying is good but Its just as good next door.
Radar.
Radar.
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Ok simple question here, what's the attraction to REX?
Can't be money, can't be 'cause it's a happy place, can't be 'cause you want to make a difference so what's left? Stepping stone to the majors prolly, although you go there pre bitter & twisted man/girl by the sounds of things.
I know of several guys who flew for Kendall's many years ago & loved it. Sounds like Rex is but just a shell of its former past.
CW
Can't be money, can't be 'cause it's a happy place, can't be 'cause you want to make a difference so what's left? Stepping stone to the majors prolly, although you go there pre bitter & twisted man/girl by the sounds of things.
I know of several guys who flew for Kendall's many years ago & loved it. Sounds like Rex is but just a shell of its former past.
CW
high time twin piston and multi crew turboprop drivers in their thirties and early forties that would jump at an opportunity like Rex -
Kendall and Hazo's were great places to work. Were they better than REX? Personally I don't think so!
What has changed is the world has moved on. There are now opportunities out there in numbers that simply didn't exist just a few years ago. The size of the operation has grown and as such has lost much of it's "family" atmosphere. That's the price of success. A mate of mine who went to DJ years ago said after 12 months, he would come back if he could earn the same money and if they would have him! Again the price of success. And REX has been quite sucessful.
Where REX falls down big time however is their lack of success in motivating people to look at the company as a viable alternative to other higher paying operators. Does REX care about that? Definitely not, and has stated publicly as much.
So given the almost complete lack of effort by REX management in this regard, people throw their hands up and actively look elsewhere. The frustration of seeing nothing encourageing from the top, and the need to uproot what you may be comfortable with just to provide a future for your family, will inevitably lead to the sort of reactions we have seen on these forums. The big problem for REX, is that for these people, there are plenty of places to look!
What has changed is the world has moved on. There are now opportunities out there in numbers that simply didn't exist just a few years ago. The size of the operation has grown and as such has lost much of it's "family" atmosphere. That's the price of success. A mate of mine who went to DJ years ago said after 12 months, he would come back if he could earn the same money and if they would have him! Again the price of success. And REX has been quite sucessful.
Where REX falls down big time however is their lack of success in motivating people to look at the company as a viable alternative to other higher paying operators. Does REX care about that? Definitely not, and has stated publicly as much.
So given the almost complete lack of effort by REX management in this regard, people throw their hands up and actively look elsewhere. The frustration of seeing nothing encourageing from the top, and the need to uproot what you may be comfortable with just to provide a future for your family, will inevitably lead to the sort of reactions we have seen on these forums. The big problem for REX, is that for these people, there are plenty of places to look!
Last edited by KRUSTY 34; 4th Sep 2008 at 02:55.
neville. I can assure you they are most certainly not all in Perth. I personally know over half a dozen drivers on the east coast alone with over 4KTT/2K multi/heaps of multi turbine time etc who could never afford to go and work for the conditions Rex pay now for F/O's.
Rex offer that sort of rubbish $$ to those people when they can easily go and fly Rex's old A model Saabs for Pelair as a DEC for over twice that?
Rex offer that sort of rubbish $$ to those people when they can easily go and fly Rex's old A model Saabs for Pelair as a DEC for over twice that?
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Hear Hear Krusty... Your words are spot on. From where I sit it seems that management can't look past their own hip pockets to see how stressful it is for the troops doing the work (or care). Try living in Sydney on and FO's wage. Try that for on stress. To know that the company is making real profits yet they are still trying to get away with not paying anymore doesn't do much for morale or retention. To continually hold off the negotiations on the EBA is purely stupid. I'm happy to fly a turboprop but why do it when it creates such stress outside of work!?
Radar.
Radar.
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I think that you may have hit the nail on the head there, KRUSTY. There IS no encouragement from the top... quite the opposite in fact. There is no respect FROM the top down... again, quite the opposite.
When the people in Lord St throw their hands in the air and say "oh well. Pilots will ALWAYS move to a jet job, and there is nothing we can do to stop it", is like a pilot with an engine failure throwing HIS/HER hands in the air and saying "oh well. I guess that I am going to crash now. there is nothing I can do about it".
The defeatisit attitude of the YES-MEN close to LKH is so sickening that it infects all areas of the business, in a flow down manner. What is even MORE sickening, is the AFAP's roll over and die attitude. WHY has there been no action from them? WHY are they not forging ahead with a new EBA? why aren't they being pro-active in all this mess? have they got the same attitude as REX management?
When the people in Lord St throw their hands in the air and say "oh well. Pilots will ALWAYS move to a jet job, and there is nothing we can do to stop it", is like a pilot with an engine failure throwing HIS/HER hands in the air and saying "oh well. I guess that I am going to crash now. there is nothing I can do about it".
The defeatisit attitude of the YES-MEN close to LKH is so sickening that it infects all areas of the business, in a flow down manner. What is even MORE sickening, is the AFAP's roll over and die attitude. WHY has there been no action from them? WHY are they not forging ahead with a new EBA? why aren't they being pro-active in all this mess? have they got the same attitude as REX management?
Last edited by apache; 4th Sep 2008 at 01:19.
Gidday apache:
Quote:
"The defeatisit attitude of the YES-MEN close to LKH is so sickening that it infects all areas of the business, in a flow down manner."
Ironic isn't it!
Quote:
"The defeatisit attitude of the YES-MEN close to LKH is so sickening that it infects all areas of the business, in a flow down manner."
Ironic isn't it!
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Well I feel for you guys caught up in that level of anger within REX.
Aviation is a very unstable industry anyway, it's effected by the worlds econmy at the drop of a hat.
Remember in aviation the sh*it sticks big time people have looooooong memories when it comes to aviation so still best keep the head down & do the task 'till you move on.
I think by now management have heard it all before so keep yr personal affairs in order, you never know what could be around the next corner with the boffins at the top!
CW
Aviation is a very unstable industry anyway, it's effected by the worlds econmy at the drop of a hat.
Remember in aviation the sh*it sticks big time people have looooooong memories when it comes to aviation so still best keep the head down & do the task 'till you move on.
I think by now management have heard it all before so keep yr personal affairs in order, you never know what could be around the next corner with the boffins at the top!CW
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But you gotta survive while you're "stepping", the wages for a F/O in a capital city are a disgrace ! 
Rex will continue to miss out on applications from experienced drivers while they keep offering such crap pay & conditions.
Rex will continue to miss out on applications from experienced drivers while they keep offering such crap pay & conditions.
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Heard that there hasn't been a resignation for a while as the big boys have slowed down their recruiting. Also heard that they have dropped the exam? This true? People are getting calls to say that they're in that afternoon of their interview! 
What about those reference checks?
What about those reference checks?
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Krusty
How can you motivate and keep pilots when the pay is what 80 grand as a Cap when you can go to Jetstar or Virgin and earn 100 grand as an FO to 200 grand as a Cap. Nothing can be done to stem the flow of Rex pilots to the Major Airlines. So why the hell would Rex pay more.
C-Change I would rather take the low money and have a career than driving some busted ass truck full of crap with no future. You may have heard short term loss for long term gain. Same goes for the mines you can go earn 100G in some hole but what is the long term future. Aint gonna be Crappsville in the middle of nowhere.
How can you motivate and keep pilots when the pay is what 80 grand as a Cap when you can go to Jetstar or Virgin and earn 100 grand as an FO to 200 grand as a Cap. Nothing can be done to stem the flow of Rex pilots to the Major Airlines. So why the hell would Rex pay more.
C-Change I would rather take the low money and have a career than driving some busted ass truck full of crap with no future. You may have heard short term loss for long term gain. Same goes for the mines you can go earn 100G in some hole but what is the long term future. Aint gonna be Crappsville in the middle of nowhere.