JQ pax in QF club
 

That's hilarious. Good on the JQ pax for getting their money's worth.

Given the ever degrading morale of QF peeps in PER (slowly being replaced by JQ), I highly doubt the QF club staff would give a hoot.

GT can't be that important if he doesn't get Chairmans lounge access!

I seem to remember someone saying earlier on this thread (or another one) that he DOES have access to the Chairman's Lounge.

This is not surprising, considering all the 'good work' he does for the red tail rat.

You really think they are going to let a journalist loose in the Chairman's Lounge?

Unfortunately, CS, lowest common denominator journalism is what tends to rate highest with the paying punters. Witness Today Tonight and A Current Affair. Pure trash, but high ratings, high advertising rates and a cash cow for the networks.

The highest circulation newspapers in the world are all trashy tabloids.

Quality journalism, such as Four Corners, Foreign Correspondent and Dateline etc, have much lower audiences. Even the venerable ABC News rates consistently lower than 7 and 9. And they don't have even ads to compete with.

I'm not excusing trash journalism, but that's just how it is. Welcome to the real world of fast food and dumbed down facts. It's perhaps why the old adage states: "A fool and his money are soon parted."

On the subject of FGD vs GT, even a cursory glance at FGD's post history points to him being a pilot with real-world experience. He was born in 1964 - GT is much older - and claims to have started his aviation career in 1989, well after GT started his writing career.

None of that proves FGD is or was a commercial pilot, of course, but it doesn't prove he's GT, either (despite being an obvious "fan"). I'm not going to spend all arvo going through someone's post history, but perhaps if those claiming FGD and GT are one and the same care to do it themselves, they might be in a better position to judge.

Frankly, I don't care.

You are correct that "Banter on an anonymous forum can hardly be compared with paid journalism requoted around the world". Which is why I stated earlier that if people on these boards want to change what happens in the real world, get out there and change it! Don't just gripe about it on the prune.

For example, instead of writing letters to journos, phone them and have a friendly chat. Don't rub their noses in it - we all have our expertise. Make yourself known. Leave your contact details. Offer to help or go on the record whenever said journo needs some background or there's an incident.

Nurture those contacts and make the world a better place, one interview at a time.

Journalist is a very loose term these days. I doubt GT is even a reporter. They are supposed to deal in facts, for journalists to make presentable for an editor, who determines if it is worthy of publishing. It may be that GT is a 'spin doctor' like a few others paid for favorable services in the public and private sector.


A pox on them all, and the awards, and the accreditations, and their bull**** story's. Oh, and a pox on people who pay to read their drivel. And a pox on their dogs.


Journalist. Bah!

VT,
A reasonable post.
I'm afraid, though that nurturing a contact is going to get you little more than a taxi-ride and 'tea and bikkies' in the Green Room.

The 'others', meanwhile, dance all the way to the bank.

People who do the right thing in this world rarely do it for the money, mate.

Virtually There,


"People who do the right thing in this world rarely do it for the money, mate."


I agree.


But may I twist that to:


"People who do it (only) for the money, rarely do it for the right thing, mate."

Sadly Virtually There and gerry111, I fear that both of you are quite correct.:(

One possibly bright note though; Out of all my immediate non aviation affiliated friends/acqaintances etc, I know of no-one who pays any attention to anything GT has to say on the subject. I suspect mainly because aviation itself is only a passing concern to them.:hmm:

I'm so sorry pyscho joe I cannot believe that you have caught me out.

I'm at a loss for words.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that someone would use the search function to then use my own quotes, thoughts and ideas against me :(

I confess that at one stage in my career I was a little jaded at the media and their portrayal of professional flight crew. Heck, I was disappointed at their portrayal of ALL aviation professionals, including the hard working ground crew!

The tipping point for me (not long after I gained my ATPL) was seeing I think it was a Coles (or Bunnings or Woolies?) commercial, whereby there was a scene showing an aircraft marshaller waving his glow sticks around "apparently" in an attempt to marshal an aircraft into its bay. Any aviation professional would of seen that their signals were NOT that which is promulgated in the Jeppesen's.

Anyway that was the catalyst for my idea concerning the creation of "The Alliance of Aviation Professionals and Associates".

Perhaps, pyscho joe, it is pertinent that we may now revisit such an idea as the Alliance of Aviation Professionals and Associates and we could perhaps together be on the board to vet and provide our seal of approval on anything aviation related so that all aviation professionals can sleep well at night knowing that their industry, (nay their lively-hood!) is being reported on in an accurate, technical and factual way!

Wow, I think I can feel an email to Nick Xenophon coming on here!

And lots of thumbs up smiles :ok::ok::ok:

You are ****ting aren't you, I mean, your not fairdinkum? please tell me you were joking. you have made decisions on the basis of an advert on tv,...... you are seriously weird man.:hmm:

Anyway, back to the subject - I think the thing that annoys me most with this 'expert' bizzo is that anyone who's happy for themselves to be tagged as 'Biggles' in an article should, in my world of right and wrong, be an experienced pilot; apparently not the case with old mate, although perhaps it's appropriate as Biggles was fictional...

Yes, back on topic gentlemen.

And on to the important matter, Biggles...

I can see your point regarding the title of "Biggles" and the appropriateness of its usage on a layperson.

The burning question is how appropriate is it to bestow such a title as "Biggles" on one who has NOT completed the necessary licenses and qualifications?

At what point does one earn the right to be called "Biggles". Should it be a minimum CPL standard or higher? Is it possible to bestow the 'honorary' title of "Biggles" on someone who has not the necessary licenses and qualifications, but who has made a significant contribution to aviation?

These gentlemen, are the big questions.

The important questions.

Compy, the really big question is why haven't you asked the mods to remove your very first post. The one about paxing in uniform.
Keep digging that hole.
GT does not bother nor interest me anymore.
I tune out if he pops up on TV and I skip by any Aus Aviation article that has his ByLine.
No sweat really.

Arm out the window has hit the nail on the head - complete fiction must be the common denominator with the name "biggles".

Here we have an aviation "expert", flabbergasted that jetstar passengers are raiding the Qantas fridge.

Isn't this the same guy who was touting the wonderful success and business acumen of Dixon and Joyce to start Jetstar? Wasn't the expense of Qantas sevice standards and particularly Qantas labour making Qantas profitability impossible? Wasn't jetstar to be Dixon and Joyce's master stroke, GT?

And now, here he is, having a cry because the exact sort of passenger Jetstar attracts is stealing his Brie cheese and liquorice lollies from the Qantas lounge.

Give me a fn break. :ugh:

GT didn't ask for himself to be called Biggles..his journo mates gave him that, but what other name should they have given him...the Phantom, Popeye, Fred Flintstone, Buzz Lightyear, Action Man? But heh, course GT can fly, after all there's a photo of him in the B777 simulator (park brake on!!) looking around at the Cabin Attendant wanting to know if she (or him!) have brought in the brie and liquorice allsorts!! Time out....can the moderator, or preferably all of us, now just put a big full stop to this post...pleeeease and as Monty Python would say - "it's getting silly"!!!! :D

I beg to differ, P51.
Who do you think probably contributed that snippet in the West Australian?

One other thing that some people may not be aware of..
If a person is being paid to be interviewed in front of the cameras as an "Aviation Expert" (for example), such description cannot be given without the interviewee's expressed consent.

Anything else you'd like to know?

P51,


Whilst I think I see where you are coming from, please hope it stays open.


This thread is some of the best light entertainment I have read in some time. Something generally lacking in the world of pprune which generally seems to take itself a little too seriously in my opinion.


I think Comylot is on to it as well.


Also I do think GT is a bit full of it and if for some reason he found himself on a JQ ticket am darn sure he would be making the most of the Q club if he has access.

You'd think with the squillions he must be earning he (and his wife), would fix their chompers.

You can tell a lot about a person by oral hygiene. Might have been all those years as a peon working the ramp for mma.

He must use the same dentist as the Irishman.

P51D

As you are asking....I profer...SQUIGGLES:cool:

slippery Pete.

Jetstar is simply a copy of what BA did in 98 when it started GO. The "master stroke" was simply copying somebody else's succes. The difference is GO was a success. So much so Easyjet bought it.

Pilotchute

GO was a success in the same way that Jetstar has been a success. The only difference is that once Ayling left BA they started getting rid of the various cancers he had created. GO was cannibalising BA's short-haul business and bleeding their balance sheet. I think anyone in BA at the time will tell you that getting rid of GO was, along with getting out of AirLib and Deutsche BA, their saviour.

Sure Babara Cassani and the 3i folk made a cool wedge on the way through but it was the best thing BA did to steady the ship.

Well Stanwell. Nope, nothing from you thanks, but don't think there's anything in your posts that puts you into the oracle category..but I was just being flippant and trying to add a bit of humour to a post that's just got too serious..including stuff from you!!!

Well, it's just that I and indeed a number of others, have a problem with people who deliberately misrepresent themselves for monetary gain and self-advancement.
It demonstrates a lack of journalistic ethics and integrity.


Otherwise, I agree - he is a joke.

The pros/cons of Jetstar aren't really for this thread. Although any idiot can see that Jetstar has essentially cannibalised and made unprofitable its parent company.

My main point was GT, who promoted the CEOs Dixon and Joyce as geniuses with the starting and growing of Jetstar, was finally on the receiving end of the race to the bottom.

His lounge lacking liquorice must have been a real wake up call. Perhaps he will change his position now re: Qantas management.

The fact that the genius Joyce made a 2.8 billion dollar loss last FY must not have been obvious enough.

Some chronically deluded, bitter and twisted people on this thread.


Ok, Stanwell, just when and how has GT done this?

Look, FGD..
I you're unable to sort the wheat from the chaff of all the posts on this thread to date, then I'm not going to take you by the hand and show you.

That's quite an accusation you've made there, Stanwell, and as I suspected, you can't substantiate it.

Yep, BA sold Go to easy jet, which has totally destroyed BA short haul.

Better to own the genie and grow it at your pace, than sell it off, or gift the market to a competitor who won't grow it at your pace.

If Jetstar were not there, Virgin would be a lot bigger and still a LCC or tiger would be Jetstar. There would still be the same amount of frames in the market, Qantas would just own less of them. There would be more pressure on Qantas lowering its cost base to meet virgin as a low cost carrier. At least Jetstar gives you that buffer.

Similarly FGD you have not as yet substantiated your claim as to why the GT authored "book" titled Qantas Flightpaths moved you to such an extent that it gave you "an enormous respect for the man." In that book there are some extraordinary claims about the way Jetstar Asia was going to have an enormous upside for Qantas! Clearly his ability to forecast the future was not what generated that respect?

082

What a load of old cobblers. BA didn't sell it to Easy, it sold to 3i who sold it to Easy some time later. As to the rest of your hypothesis, it is simply wrong. If you price the back end of the a/c the right way you don't need a separate entity to gradually reverse engineer your business and ultimately eat you.

Which is why easy jet is now killing ba on narrow bodies.

Jetstar is the right thing for qantas. Only the qantas employees can't see it.

More silence from FGD. He must be either Googling or phoning Alan so he can get an answer to Looklefts question!

FGD/GT/whatever alphabet letter you use - you are a complete knob.