CHC MCA Transition
 

Lads and Lasses

It has gone very quiet about the Transition, and I know somewhere in here there is a thread but couldn't find it.
So, what is/are the latest facts/rumours as to how the transition is going?
The last rumour that I heard is that C(K)arl Taylor who used to work for the MCA on the Aviation side is now in the employment of CHC.
Hmmm

Hiller

Stornoway is due to transfer July 1st. S92 on contract 1st. October???
Sumburgh should follow on straight after with the same three month time scale. That is assuming that there is anyone left from the transition team after Stornoway??
Lee on Solent next, again three months timescale. Then after they get their AW139's??????????...
Portland then follows with their sole 139!!
According to CHC at least.

3D CAM
Are you saying that none of the Bristow personnel from Stornoway are joining CHC? With all the question marks you seem to think that CHC will not be able to man this contract.
H

The human resent department will make sure of that. Bristow is playing this one very nicely.

How is Bristow playing this very nicely:confused:

If CHC is having difficulty manning this contract - which from what I hear it isn't, it will just increase any remuneration to attract pilots. After all it is always Bristow and Bond who follow the lead given by CHC pilots - it is rare for Bristow and unknown for Bond pilots to put there necks on the line to get better T+ Cs:E

I believe that the guys manning the transition team have not been guaranteed positions on the flights when the transition S61 to S92/AW139 is complete so CHC can't be that short of pilots.

332M

Absolutely right, which is why it's CHC who are taking over the contract and not not anyone else... The other two are constantly paying catch up.

A senior manager in Bristow said recently he "couldn't understand why employees weren't staying with Bristow when we're almost paying the same as CHC." Go figure. :ugh:

Bristow have offered employees a retainer worth about £2800 if they stay with them whereas CHC have offered an allowance, which to some, is worth £50,000 over the 5 year contract! The others will be no worse off than with Bristow.


I think you'll find they have been guaranteed positions somewhere within CHC Europe!:hmm:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...Story/Business

As I understand it, the order went out this week, for all departments and all divisions, to slash all costs and expenses in order to improve the bottom line! The reason may be easier to understand now!

Maybe the impact of these labour costs may not be able to remain hidden within the overall value of the contracts if the analysts know where to look?

Where is all the money going? Is it on new equipment and parts, or is it on people? Either way, it should certainly improve the availability and utilization of the aircraft - both of which should be demonstrated by the high level of parts availability and support which is presumably where all the money is going?

Thats because they are wasting money left right and centre due to short term planning.:(

332m

Bristow must be doing something right, be that pay/promises/pensions etc. since only 2 pilots moved over.....rumour ofcourse:}

Nightwatchman posted:

"A senior manager in Bristow said recently he "couldn't understand why employees weren't staying with Bristow when we're almost paying the same as CHC." Go figure.

I think you will find that Bristow pay scales are now ahead of CHC Scotia! And will remain so when the next increase is added in September.

The Equal Time roster starts on 1st June: yes, I know its two years later than CHC, but many said it would never, ever happen at Bristow!

I don't know who the 'senior manager' is/was, but there have been major changes in the management team at Bristow during the last three weeks. The new team have already shown a better grip on reality than the previous incumbents!

bondu

Bondu

Bristow's pay scales may be slightly higher than Scotias but the pilots there have done nothing to gain that - they relied on the boys in Scotia to fight the fight and then just piggy backed on their agreement. Bristow had to react as they knew if they didn't they would lose pilots to Scotia. It is the same with the even time roster.

Pilots - especially experienced captains are in a commanding position at the moment as all the companies are short so take the "courage" pill and stick out for better conditions.

The oil companies are awash with money - they just don't like passing it down to their contractors:{

332M

H
I am not saying anything, this is a rumour network afterall! But do not be surprised at what may happen.
Nightwatchman.
Where did you get the Bristow £2800 from?
The CHC figure is correct. But only for the northern bases, I wonder why?

The transition team were supposed to be in Stornoway by now for local area famil. This I believe was for three months starting in April. However it would now appear that June 1st. is when to expect them. One month famil. is now all that is required! Hmmm!?
Where are the S92's?
How is the AW139 that is being heavily modified for this contract coming along? Longer nose, dual hoist, auto-hover etc. etc.
No info at all about this.

332
You are quite correct in your statement that Bristow 'piggy-backed' Scotia for the pay deal in 2001, the 'famous' benchmarking deal. However, the last pay round was in 2005, and the two deals were completely separate and different. CHC tied themselves into a five year deal, while Bristow stuck to a three year deal. The Bristow deal brought salary up to above CHC scales and retained the top four scales: CHC lost the top four scales if I remember correctly. The Bristow deal also included tying 'professional allowances' (training pay, dual rating, winch quals etc) to year 10 Captain's scale, thus allowing the allowances to increase annually. CHC may have something similar, but this was a first for Bristow. Overall, the Bristow 2005 deal covered more than ten different issues, all with success.
As the Bristow deal was for only three years, they will back at the table two years before CHC Scotia. Depending on the outcome of those negotiations, will CHC Scotia be 'piggy-backing' on the Bristow deal when they start their negotiations? They would be foolish not to do so!
As for "losing pilots to Scotia": why would a year 10 captain at Bristow leave to join Scotia to become a year 4 SFO? Or at best, a year 5 captain? If Scotia were offering a direct crossover, year 10 for year 10, then there could be some movement. Even if Scotia captains earned £1000 a year more, a year 10 Bristow captain would have to work many years to make up the difference if he could only join as a year 5. Not to mention seniority and the possiblilty of redundancy in the future? So why bother?
Both companies have some very good aspects to their terms and conditions: both have some bad ones. And of course there is always Bond Offshore!
Lets face it, the grass isn't always greener on the other side!

bondu

(My apologies for the thread creep!!)

No, they are very good at hanging onto what they have - just because they are making loads, doesn't mean to say they should pass it on. What the helicopter companies should be doing is negotiating harder and putting their prices up. It is the competitive tendering and the desperation to have work even at the tightest margins which is what you really should be complaining about. That is why Bond is back in the North Sea, that is why CHC is having high level financial woes and that is why Bristow's are tight with wages.

Believe it or not, oil companies are having a hard time at the moment - their operating costs have doubled in the last couple of years, the cost of drilling rigs has gone through the roof and construction capacity is tight (read maxed out). Developing fields has never been more expensive. With everyone being cost concious, it is no wonder that oil companies are being tight, despite the high price of oil. Bear in mind that a vast majority of the oil reserves globally are government owned and with oil being found in increasingly volatile poitical arenas, the oil majors are not going to hang their hats on $30/bbl let alone $65/bbl.

Sorry for thread creep.

And CHC would be playing it differently if the roles were reversed?

When comparing T & Cs of all the major operators, am I not right in saying that CHC UK is the only one still running any kind of defined benefit pension scheme. My recollection is that those guys at Bristow had theirs closed down and are now on a money purchase type scheme........saving the company heaps of money which is being trickled back by means of a slightly higher salary. I know which side of the fence I would prefer to be sitting!!!!!

pitchlink
You are correct about the pensions situation. However, Bristow still have a number pilots with a final salary scheme, abeit now closed. This scheme still costs the company a lot of money to keep it up to MFR standards. But you are right, they save money by the rest of the pilots only having a DC scheme and that hurts!!
To counter that, the Bristow loss of licence scheme is far better than CHC Scotia's and the detachment allowance negotiated in 2005 is something CHC Scotia don't have at all.
As I said earlier, all three companies have some good bits and some bad bits! It all comes down to what you want and what you are comfortable with.
bondu

We do seem to have lost the thread....The aircraft was supposed to arrive in Aberdeen by 15th April to meet the schedule so is now a month behind.Also I hear that MCA wants it at St Mawgan next month for a SAR conference so deployment could be even later.
What happens if Bristow pull the rug meantime ??

What happens if Bristow pull the rug meantime?

I don’t think this would go down too well with the MCA.

Hilife
Perhaps it also does not go down too well that Carl Taylor left the MCA to join CHC so soon after the award of the interim SAR contract.
Hiller

What do you mean? I assume Bristow's are contracted until a certain date, at which stage (and only then) will Bristow be able to "pull the rug", which isn't pulling the rug at all, it is saying that's our rug and since you are not paying for it any more, we'll take it home thankyou very much. It is up to CHC to ensure they have a replacement rug ready to take over on the forementioned date.

Apparently there is now serious concern within CHC on the ability to meet the contractual requirements as they are reliant upon retaining the Bristow crews to staff the operations. The concern continues as they realise that assimilating strangers (and former competitors) into the system is hardly grounds to build a cohesive operational team! If the crews don't move, maybe a bunch of "Europeans" will meet the requirments - but the clock is ticking!

The second issue is the availability of operationally equipped aircraft. Looks like there may be S61's in operation for a while yet!

And the Aberdeen scuttlebutt has it that all the redundant MCA equipment is being redeployed and would not be available to extend beyond the original contract expiration without a significant contractual commitment from someone. :confused:

Might make for some very interesting viewing! :uhoh:

I have heard that rumour too,hence my comment earlier about what happens if Bristow don't agree to extend their contract (i.e. "pull the rug" Droopy Stops ).
CHC says it has other S61Ns it can bring in with SAR equipment...really ????

Well CHC could always drag some of the S-61N's from Ireland.
As you are well aware they hold the SAR contract there.
And am sure they have a few 61N'S stored away somewhere that they could re-roll for SAR ops
Cheers,
Shetlander:cool:

Who owns the CHC S61's in Ireland on the SAR contracts?

Hang on a minute!!!
The M.C.A. contract is for 4xS92's up north and 3xAW139's down south, (remember them.. AW139's. They seem to have been forgotten in this discussion.) not S61's! Anywhere!!! To start with Stornoway on October 31st. The S61's are only supposed to be operated for three months while the crews/engineers who TUPE across are trained on their respective new types.
I am sure that Bristow would be more than happy to let CHC have their(BHL) S61's. At a price!!
But having said that, would Bristow be within their rights to call foul if CHC cannot fulfil the new contract? ie. go for a rebid.

Hmmmm....
 

...I suggest that only the MCA could cry foul and unless the sponsons really fall off they probably won't do that.

Whilst interest is sure growing as to how this whole thing is going to play out, I think we best wait and see how CHC actually do before slating them too much - there is a lot at stake for them here and i'm sure that no stone will be left unturned to try and make this work, at (almost) whatever cost.

That said, the finger must be tracking slowly towards the "smug mode" button at Bristows...and if memory serves correctly Bristow do indeed also own some hardware in disguise in Ireland...

rumour
 

rotor-rooter
[The concern continues as they realise that assimilating strangers (and former competitors) into the system is hardly grounds to build a cohesive operational team! If the crews don't move, maybe a bunch of Europeans will meet the requirments - but the clock is ticking!]

heli1 [I have heard that rumour too,]

So what rumours did you hear then exactly...:confused:

Mr Challeger........rumours that Bristow have work for the S61s elewhere...in the GOM specifically or a customer in the US ready to buy the aircraft.

Like all contracts this one will have its teething problems. I am sure CHC will have in place penalty clauses with both Sikorsky and Augusta/Westland if they don't deliver a/c on time and MCA has operated helicopters long enough to know what can go wrong which is outside the control of the supplier.

As for crews they can always be found - it may cost CHC more than they want to pay but they will find them. Pilots are a mercenary bunch and increased pay will always drag some pilots into the CHC net:E

Bristows I am sure will also help out as it would not be in their interest to upset MCA by behaving in a petulant manner by taking their "ball" away to play somewhere else.

332M

Half Empty/Half Full (Fool)
 

"As for crews they can always be found - it may cost CHC more than they want to pay but they will find them. Pilots are a mercenary bunch and increased pay will always drag some pilots into the CHC net:E"

Am I right in thinking you need crewmen, engineers etc to run a SAR operation, just a minor observation............:ok:

flungdungWrong about the number of airframes, currently 7 (5 AWSAR and 2 LIMSAR).
Also wrong, LIMSAR does not equal day only, just some restrictions on night operations and IFR work, dependant on any number of factors.

You are not alone in that thought!
my quoteI gather that we were to go to 5 AWSAR and 1 LIMSAR giving AWSAR back up for all bases , but what is going to happen to the other LIMSAR, not owned by CHC BTW, is anyone's guess!!!!:confused:

Jingle Bells

"Am I right in thinking you need crewmen, engineers etc to run a SAR operation, just a minor observation"

you are absolutely right however this is Pprune where the second p is for pilot:ok:

332M

Typical reply from a Petulant pilot. As always the thread is reduced to pilots and money. No-one else is fit to walk on this earth or have an opinion.:cool:

Full manning
 

Wiretensioner,

to run a SAR operation you need:

Management
Pilots
Winch ops
Winchmen
Engineers
Labourers
Radio operaters
Secretaries
Cleaners
Caterers
Postmen
and uncle Tom Cobley and all.

To complain that someone on a P Pilots RUNE is being petulant by having pilots as his main frame of reference is IMHO a little perverse.

You forgot someone....









Casualties......

:}

Which planet are you living on? :uhoh:

Maybe Management should be included in the above? :E

Wiretensioner and Flungdung

I am sorry that I have disturbed the chips on your shoulders but this is a Pilot's rumour network and of course pilot's views will form the main emphasis of any thread. I think that the term Petulant Pilot shows your true colours and I wouldn't want you in my crew as I think you will probably have serious CRM issues.

I have the utmost respect for the guys who go down on the wire and literally put their lives in my hands and most of these fine people have formed the core of an excellent crew. There are, always, however those who do not fit in and perhaps we have 2 cases here.

I have no problem with non-pilot's commenting on any web site but it is a bit rich criticising pilots for talking about pilot jobs on a pilot's rumour network.

332M

One of the transition teams is being trained at Waterford on the S61 as we speak, I saw them there yesterday (strangely all but one ex-military:) ).
Thanks for hosting us chaps - Guinness really does taste better in Ireland:)

Sailor Vee,

I don't know where you work but on the MCA units you can't move for postmen and caterers - they're everywhere!!! :rolleyes:

And the good news is that you get your supper delivered! ;)

NW