NT Aeromed
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Just an observation
From my career in aviation that has lasted a not much more then ten minutes now, I have noticed that when a thread starts bagging an employer it is usually three or four newly registered names all being used by one current or ex employee that jsut 'needs a hug' (or a hiding), or it is several employees working for one dodgy operator with well justified grievances. It is not that often you see a group of pilots bagging out a company they have never worked for, and really know very little about.
I have only read the last few posts so I may have missed it but I don't see anyone here professing to be a current employee.
If CF are as bad as what everyone here who has pretty much SFA to do with, then it is a credit to the professionalism of the current employees they they are not on hear sledging out the incumbent.
As a casual reader I would say "From what I have been told...." and "From what I hear......", comments are not really that well qualified, but then again, what could one expect from a site that everyone uses imaginary names to maintain supposed anonymity.
Like I say, just an observation,
DD
I have only read the last few posts so I may have missed it but I don't see anyone here professing to be a current employee.
If CF are as bad as what everyone here who has pretty much SFA to do with, then it is a credit to the professionalism of the current employees they they are not on hear sledging out the incumbent.
As a casual reader I would say "From what I have been told...." and "From what I hear......", comments are not really that well qualified, but then again, what could one expect from a site that everyone uses imaginary names to maintain supposed anonymity.
Like I say, just an observation,
DD
....I have only read the last few posts so I may have missed it but I don't see anyone here professing to be a current employee....
Nice sentiment (you do make a very valid point about some new posters registering a persona just to sharpen their axe), however do you think that in this small industry that adding an "I heard" or something similar may well be their way of adding to the subject conversation without screaming "HEY EVERYONE.... I WORK THERE"..... in this day and age of very heavily enforced confidentiality agreements?
PPrune has been a difficult place at best to sort the wheat from the chaff for many years now.
Regards,
OpsN.
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I can quickly count at least four current employees (of CF/NTAMS/TH) that I know personally
My point being, if they are current employees of anyone other than CF, why are they bitching about conditions at another company?
DD
Last edited by Dances With Dingoes; 10th Oct 2010 at 03:51.
Please let it go back to Pearl!! If not so we can all have a good laugh at the duds in the NT Gov, at least so we don't have random CF a/c popping up all over the place! Seriously where do they operate from? The only place I haven't seen them parked is on a helipad, or the military apron. Otherwise they're like herpes, springing up everywhere! The best was when they decided to tail into a spot in the northern GA and blast the bejezus out of an all ready unlucky a/c! I have nothing to do with either company, but far out CF are surely not viable long term!
Cheers,
Greaser
Cheers,
Greaser
Silly Old Git
Pearl wanted out of what was essentially a loss maker. Easier to pull the pin and pay a penalty and then rebid for the next long term contract....[from a horses mouth..]
The contract was probably not very lucrative in the last few years, with increased flying and increased maintenance - but I think it was the NT Government who decided to "re-engineer" the contract - including provision of medical staff by the contractor. I think it was actually Pearl who showed them the "writing on the wall" so to speak, with respect to the fleet. But Pearl are only an aviation company - of course the NT Health Department would know more about aviation than them...
I think the NT Government's lack of contract management, is (was) only matched by Pearl's (N.B. I'm talking formerly, and on this specific contract), and that gave Pearl a very lucky "exit opportunity", that they were obviously going to take. I've said earlier on this thread (or maybe another, I can't recall) that I'm not entirely sure that Dorniers didn't have an influence on the NTAMS contract towards the end, either...
The NT Government?!! Well, they apparently couldn't afford aircraft required to do the job properly, but could hose THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of dollars on rotary services, when it was not required. Go figure...
If it is awarded back to Pearl (or the "team" they are part of) - I would consider that decision to be in truth a really embarrassing result for the NT Government, except that they will likely justify it in that very way - a totally new contract, dis-similar to the previous one. Nobody will notice the truth, eh?!
CR.
So do Pearl still have all the former NTAMS Pilots on the payroll waiting to hear the results of the tender?
If so, it must be costing them a packet! Coupled with the fact that the company seems adverse to spending money (judging by fleet appearance when I was in Darwin), I wonder how they justify this cost. Their Metro fleet in Darwin seems mothballed from what I have been hearing and the EBA does not reflect the current operation and is 10 years old!
I do however hope they get it back. The NTAMS contract (with a proud history) should be operated by a locally owned and operated company, not a half arsed blow in from over east. If Pearl do have the new contract awarded, I have my fingers crossed that they will become a destination again rather than a stepping stone.
Did they ever fill the Chief Pilot position that was advertised recently on AFAP? Or is the former Chief Pilot still running the show?
If so, it must be costing them a packet! Coupled with the fact that the company seems adverse to spending money (judging by fleet appearance when I was in Darwin), I wonder how they justify this cost. Their Metro fleet in Darwin seems mothballed from what I have been hearing and the EBA does not reflect the current operation and is 10 years old!
I do however hope they get it back. The NTAMS contract (with a proud history) should be operated by a locally owned and operated company, not a half arsed blow in from over east. If Pearl do have the new contract awarded, I have my fingers crossed that they will become a destination again rather than a stepping stone.
Did they ever fill the Chief Pilot position that was advertised recently on AFAP? Or is the former Chief Pilot still running the show?
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Here is how Pearl "lost" the contract (they didn't really lose it at all):
In 2007, the NT government commissioned a report on the state of aerial medical service delivery in the top end. This task was given to John Cornish, who was considered by the NT government to be an "expert" aviation advisor.
In December 2008, he delivered his report. The report contained a number of recommendations, one of which was that the airmed fleet be replaced by younger aircraft, due to the increasing maintenance impact on the service delivery.
Then Minister for Health, Chris Burns, announced to a press conference that "all the recommendations of the Cornish report will be implemented". The government had thus committed itself to a new fleet of aircraft.
On the ABC news that night, it could be seen that the biggest issue of the government announcement was that the Pearl contract was going to be terminated - with a substantial penalty to be paid to Pearl by the NT taxpayer.
This was the angle taken by the ABC journalist - that the contract was being terminated early and the NT government would be making a big penalty payment to Pearl.
The laws relating to government procurement, because of the costs involved, did not allow Pearl to update its own fleet. The only option was to terminate the contract and call for entirely new bids.
ABC news report here:
Henderson plays down Pearl Aviation shortfall - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The Cornish Report itself can be found here:
http://www.health.nt.gov.au/library/...%20Summary.pdf
In 2007, the NT government commissioned a report on the state of aerial medical service delivery in the top end. This task was given to John Cornish, who was considered by the NT government to be an "expert" aviation advisor.
In December 2008, he delivered his report. The report contained a number of recommendations, one of which was that the airmed fleet be replaced by younger aircraft, due to the increasing maintenance impact on the service delivery.
Then Minister for Health, Chris Burns, announced to a press conference that "all the recommendations of the Cornish report will be implemented". The government had thus committed itself to a new fleet of aircraft.
On the ABC news that night, it could be seen that the biggest issue of the government announcement was that the Pearl contract was going to be terminated - with a substantial penalty to be paid to Pearl by the NT taxpayer.
This was the angle taken by the ABC journalist - that the contract was being terminated early and the NT government would be making a big penalty payment to Pearl.
The laws relating to government procurement, because of the costs involved, did not allow Pearl to update its own fleet. The only option was to terminate the contract and call for entirely new bids.
ABC news report here:
Henderson plays down Pearl Aviation shortfall - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The Cornish Report itself can be found here:
http://www.health.nt.gov.au/library/...%20Summary.pdf
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Another factor??
Could the organisation that gets the contract employ medical satff who WILL fly in single negined (cheaper operating, NEW)aircraft?? (there are some)
I recently listened to a speech by a politician. He concluded by saying "trust me, I'm a politician"
I recently listened to a speech by a politician. He concluded by saying "trust me, I'm a politician"
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Dornia for sale?
Would selling the Dornias help Pearl get their sh!t together and once again become the quality operator they used to be? Put in a serious bid on the NTAMS contract? Or would it be just another nail in the coffin.
Time will tell. Without the Dornias there they would be holding on to business with just a hand full of old metros and some fond memories.
Time will tell. Without the Dornias there they would be holding on to business with just a hand full of old metros and some fond memories.
Sprucegoose
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I always thought Pearls core business was servicing the pearl farms, the rest is just a hobby...
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latest croc news comments
this popped up on the helicopter network.
Aero medical time-out | News | NT News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | ntnews.com.au
Aero medical time-out | News | NT News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | ntnews.com.au
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There's a new lease on the Pelair hangar - taken out by government for the interim contractor - for the next 10 years which sees the other occupants now looking elsewhere to do their thing.
Now down to 2 prospective tenders and supposedly an announcement in March - oh, and the goal posts were changed again ..
Now down to 2 prospective tenders and supposedly an announcement in March - oh, and the goal posts were changed again ..