Strike in Canary Islands
 

Emergency helicopter services since Dec'04
Excesive working times is one of the reasons.



http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/...2-picture2.jpg





:ok:

A strike only works if you don't fly.
We do care, but this "strike" doesn't seem to have any real content to it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but all call-outs have been flown ? Even when the pilots claim their own life are at stake ( fatigue kills )
:confused:

When I flew for Helicsa in the Canaries on S-58T's...we were not exactly overworked....low month was 25 minutes...high month was still less than 20 hours.

it is not no easy...
 

I agree that not to fly is the best way to put pressure on it.

The problem is all helicopters in strike are HEMS and SAR, I mean, primary assistance services.

When you go on strike, spanish authorities grant "minimum services" during strike period.

Workers have to comply with it.

In this case, "minimum services" for a HEMS H24 are...H24

No possibility to stop helicopters.
If you do that, you could end up in jail.


Few months ago, a HEMS AS365N2 crashed in Canary Islands killing 7 people due to a wire strike.

Agreement between Canary government and Helicsa say two pilot operation all the time (H24).

At the time of the accident there was no copilot on board.

Helicsa only use copilot in this service during night operations (sometimes without Type Rating Course).

We can't stop.
Regional government do nothing about it.(bribery is a current practice)

Sasless:

S-58's had left Spain long time ago.
Since then things has changed a lot.
The problem is not flight time in excess.
The problem is our duty time.

At the present, for example, a typical SAR roster is 20 days on/10 days off, but during duty time they are H24 on duty.

20 days in a row.
In the morning in base with 10 minutes of time of response.
The rest of the day (and night) with beeper 45 minutes of time of response (In Spain "time of response means "airborne")