British Airways Citiexpress
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The Interview Panel......
Interview Panel:
"So, tell us - er, Timothy is it - why are you leaving your present post?"
T: " I feel I have successfully encapsulated and completed my initial mission statement, and it is now an appropriate time to allow a carefully trained successor to commence utilisation of the smooth running economic miracle I have created from a shambles of ill-run regional businesses."
Interview Panel:
"Ah, yes, we see. Could you give a brief description of your accomplishments in your current post?"
T: " Certainly. From a loss making and unhappy combination of three airlines, I have enabled my personally chosen team to meld and merge the synergies of these businesses, I have reduced costs dramatically, yet managed the introduction of union recognition and succeeded in a zero cost equation whereby all the Flt Operations personnel have benefited hugely in both financial and lifestyle terms, yet simultaneously achieved major economies within the new business by outsourcing non-core services to an in-house consultative choice-rich environment by utilising the leverages available to a wholly owned subsidiary of a world class organisation like British Airways.
Interview Panel:
"Er, quite! Could you expand on the economics of your business plan?"
T. " I would be delighted. The key, in keynesian terms, was to outsource the debt and overhead by removing the short and medium term cash outflow prognosis. Accordingly, I took the decision to ground most of the aircraft, and show the next decade's lease costs as a one-off debit to mainline accounts. This enabled me to convince - with some difficulty - an entrepreneurial airline to operate these aircraft with virtually no DOC, thus soaking up part of my pilot overmanning problem and most of my aircraft. Learning from this, my team were instructed to progress the idea, and I have recently suceeded in grounding another fleet of aircraft, deferring the lease cost to a further established regional operator by subsidiing them in the 75th percentile and showing the figures as part of the mainline overhead in amalgamous primary exceptionals. I have prepared the ground for further cost beneficial capped voluntary redundancies to save the expenses of a further pilot surplus.
In the meantime, reducing backup services such as Operational planning and engineering has enabled further huge cost savings whilst showing any operational falloff to be part of the aircraft handover programme."
Interview Panel: "Er......"
T: "This has not been without personal cost - I have made far more good friends - for whom I have to buy numerous drinks - than I ever intended, because the speed and efficiency with which I introduced a union agreement, and benefited the entire pilot workforce with a proper scheduling agreement, enhanced pay, disruption cash payouts, not to mention an industry-leading worked day off system, promotion and postings system the envy of the Industry. This has resulted in state-of the-art industrial relations within my department, and I like to think that my efforts have been personally, as well as professionally appreciated by both my employees and Rod, I mean, the Board."
Interview Panel:
"And just confirm the economic comparison before and after you and your team took over?"
T:
"With pleasure. Manx Airlines and British Regional Airlines both posted all-time record profits, both in gross terms and as a percentage of turnover in the year prior to my appointment. Brymon Airways were going from strength to strength. Since my team started running these airlines, their profitability has plummetted year by year, dragging Brymon Airways with them, to the point where now, nearly three years later, we face record industry and sector losses of over 30 million GBP. When compared with the operations of the Lo Cost sector, it can be easily seen, following 9/11, SARS, Iraqui wars etc, that my bonuses have been well earned, as without the efforts of me and my team it would have been so much worse."
Interview Panel:
"Really. Well, in that case, why do you wish to move on?"
T:
"Well, it has been hard seeing so little of my family during my endeavours over the past few years. Further, I really would like to watch another consummate professional like myself benefit from running the well oiled, lean mean profit machine I have created. I would not like to think anyone thought I was remaining at the helm to take the sole credit for my efforts."
Interview Panel:
" I am happy to say we feel you have upheld the finest traditions of British Airways. Your work with the profitability turn-round alone is worthy of much commendation, whilst your personal sacrifice, and skill in industrial relations maintaining such a happy, efficient, well organised Company clearly demonstrates your ability. Rod asked me before we came in for this interview to add his personal congratulations, and to welcome you to the Board."
T:
"Many thanks. Er, I would just like to point out that in accordance with the new profile Board Interface action plan I intend to introduce before negotiations take place and are properly minuted, that you DO appear to be sitting in MY chair!"
"So, tell us - er, Timothy is it - why are you leaving your present post?"
T: " I feel I have successfully encapsulated and completed my initial mission statement, and it is now an appropriate time to allow a carefully trained successor to commence utilisation of the smooth running economic miracle I have created from a shambles of ill-run regional businesses."
Interview Panel:
"Ah, yes, we see. Could you give a brief description of your accomplishments in your current post?"
T: " Certainly. From a loss making and unhappy combination of three airlines, I have enabled my personally chosen team to meld and merge the synergies of these businesses, I have reduced costs dramatically, yet managed the introduction of union recognition and succeeded in a zero cost equation whereby all the Flt Operations personnel have benefited hugely in both financial and lifestyle terms, yet simultaneously achieved major economies within the new business by outsourcing non-core services to an in-house consultative choice-rich environment by utilising the leverages available to a wholly owned subsidiary of a world class organisation like British Airways.
Interview Panel:
"Er, quite! Could you expand on the economics of your business plan?"
T. " I would be delighted. The key, in keynesian terms, was to outsource the debt and overhead by removing the short and medium term cash outflow prognosis. Accordingly, I took the decision to ground most of the aircraft, and show the next decade's lease costs as a one-off debit to mainline accounts. This enabled me to convince - with some difficulty - an entrepreneurial airline to operate these aircraft with virtually no DOC, thus soaking up part of my pilot overmanning problem and most of my aircraft. Learning from this, my team were instructed to progress the idea, and I have recently suceeded in grounding another fleet of aircraft, deferring the lease cost to a further established regional operator by subsidiing them in the 75th percentile and showing the figures as part of the mainline overhead in amalgamous primary exceptionals. I have prepared the ground for further cost beneficial capped voluntary redundancies to save the expenses of a further pilot surplus.
In the meantime, reducing backup services such as Operational planning and engineering has enabled further huge cost savings whilst showing any operational falloff to be part of the aircraft handover programme."
Interview Panel: "Er......"
T: "This has not been without personal cost - I have made far more good friends - for whom I have to buy numerous drinks - than I ever intended, because the speed and efficiency with which I introduced a union agreement, and benefited the entire pilot workforce with a proper scheduling agreement, enhanced pay, disruption cash payouts, not to mention an industry-leading worked day off system, promotion and postings system the envy of the Industry. This has resulted in state-of the-art industrial relations within my department, and I like to think that my efforts have been personally, as well as professionally appreciated by both my employees and Rod, I mean, the Board."
Interview Panel:
"And just confirm the economic comparison before and after you and your team took over?"
T:
"With pleasure. Manx Airlines and British Regional Airlines both posted all-time record profits, both in gross terms and as a percentage of turnover in the year prior to my appointment. Brymon Airways were going from strength to strength. Since my team started running these airlines, their profitability has plummetted year by year, dragging Brymon Airways with them, to the point where now, nearly three years later, we face record industry and sector losses of over 30 million GBP. When compared with the operations of the Lo Cost sector, it can be easily seen, following 9/11, SARS, Iraqui wars etc, that my bonuses have been well earned, as without the efforts of me and my team it would have been so much worse."
Interview Panel:
"Really. Well, in that case, why do you wish to move on?"
T:
"Well, it has been hard seeing so little of my family during my endeavours over the past few years. Further, I really would like to watch another consummate professional like myself benefit from running the well oiled, lean mean profit machine I have created. I would not like to think anyone thought I was remaining at the helm to take the sole credit for my efforts."
Interview Panel:
" I am happy to say we feel you have upheld the finest traditions of British Airways. Your work with the profitability turn-round alone is worthy of much commendation, whilst your personal sacrifice, and skill in industrial relations maintaining such a happy, efficient, well organised Company clearly demonstrates your ability. Rod asked me before we came in for this interview to add his personal congratulations, and to welcome you to the Board."
T:
"Many thanks. Er, I would just like to point out that in accordance with the new profile Board Interface action plan I intend to introduce before negotiations take place and are properly minuted, that you DO appear to be sitting in MY chair!"
Last edited by Uncle Silas; 17th Feb 2004 at 16:36.
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Uncle Silas. Truly the most amusing and perceptive piece of satire I have read in ages. All so very true..................!!
Yes I have heard that Timmy was seen at Waterside with very polished shoes. Two gone with indecent haste, surely a third to follow. Here's hoping.
Cx will never go anywhere when there is such widescale distrust and frankly overt hatred of its key mangers. There is a desperate need for some fresh and respected blood. To replace Tim with his chosen son would perpetuate a disaster as it would be perceived as business as usual.
Marlowe. I am sure that the reason this is live on pprune is to open up the debate to the widest possible audience. In particular BA colleagues. We all know that Management are avid readers of this forum. The strength and breadth of hostile opinion must surely give some indication that the CX ballot is indeed a popular uprising against discredited and incompetent managers. It should help lay to rest the mangement lie that this is all a storm in a teacup whipped up by the lunatic chairman of CXCC who has his Council members nodding like compliant poodles.
I understand that unofficial poll results show landslide support for the CC.
If true, where does that leave Timmy having hung his campaign on discrediting Balpa and the Chairman of CXCC in particular?
Beleagured, ineffective and vanquished perhaps?
Might we expect a resignation?
Yes I have heard that Timmy was seen at Waterside with very polished shoes. Two gone with indecent haste, surely a third to follow. Here's hoping.
Cx will never go anywhere when there is such widescale distrust and frankly overt hatred of its key mangers. There is a desperate need for some fresh and respected blood. To replace Tim with his chosen son would perpetuate a disaster as it would be perceived as business as usual.
Marlowe. I am sure that the reason this is live on pprune is to open up the debate to the widest possible audience. In particular BA colleagues. We all know that Management are avid readers of this forum. The strength and breadth of hostile opinion must surely give some indication that the CX ballot is indeed a popular uprising against discredited and incompetent managers. It should help lay to rest the mangement lie that this is all a storm in a teacup whipped up by the lunatic chairman of CXCC who has his Council members nodding like compliant poodles.
I understand that unofficial poll results show landslide support for the CC.
If true, where does that leave Timmy having hung his campaign on discrediting Balpa and the Chairman of CXCC in particular?
Beleagured, ineffective and vanquished perhaps?
Might we expect a resignation?
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Tiny Tim.
I take your point about opening the debate to a wider audience about T&C and the general state of BACX. BUT!, it has only been opened up after this ballot has been voted on by BALPA members only. There are alot of other groups in the company that any strike action that arises will be affected as well, but those groups have not been consulted.
I take your point about opening the debate to a wider audience about T&C and the general state of BACX. BUT!, it has only been opened up after this ballot has been voted on by BALPA members only. There are alot of other groups in the company that any strike action that arises will be affected as well, but those groups have not been consulted.
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There are three reasons for a Company having problems:
1. Bad Management
2. Bad Management
3. Bad Management
Tim and his cronies ought to know that it doesn't matter if they are liked or not, but it is pretty important that they are respected.
Trouble is there is nothing to respect - there is certainly nothing to like about any of them, anal retentives the lot, but that matters as little to us as it presumably does to them. The respect thing is different. Their judgement has been proved false, their business sense has been proved false, their word has been proved false - in some notable cases, even their flying ability - or lack thereof has been proved false.
Over, and over, and over , and over again.
Somebody mentioned resigning - Ha! Just like politicians, the RESPONSIBILITY is always someone else's. Resign?? Don't make me laugh.
1. Bad Management
2. Bad Management
3. Bad Management
Tim and his cronies ought to know that it doesn't matter if they are liked or not, but it is pretty important that they are respected.
Trouble is there is nothing to respect - there is certainly nothing to like about any of them, anal retentives the lot, but that matters as little to us as it presumably does to them. The respect thing is different. Their judgement has been proved false, their business sense has been proved false, their word has been proved false - in some notable cases, even their flying ability - or lack thereof has been proved false.
Over, and over, and over , and over again.
Somebody mentioned resigning - Ha! Just like politicians, the RESPONSIBILITY is always someone else's. Resign?? Don't make me laugh.
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Judging by the overwhelming majority of recent posts, it's clear.
There are no issues driving this veiled threat of damaging industrial action, more important than one of personalities!
If only that nasty GMFO, would return to whence he came, ALL CX pilots would enter the sunfilled uplands of;
1) Pay rises
2) Domination of the regional market (No base closures!)
3) Instant, and unhindered access to mainline BA
(Remind me, WERE those the 'supposed' issues - I've forgotten!)
Rarely can the threat of industrial action, have been so personal, so vitriolic, so unbalanced!
Good luck guys, I hope I'm wrong, but, one way or another, there just might be something of a disappointment round the corner!
There are no issues driving this veiled threat of damaging industrial action, more important than one of personalities!
If only that nasty GMFO, would return to whence he came, ALL CX pilots would enter the sunfilled uplands of;
1) Pay rises
2) Domination of the regional market (No base closures!)
3) Instant, and unhindered access to mainline BA
(Remind me, WERE those the 'supposed' issues - I've forgotten!)
Rarely can the threat of industrial action, have been so personal, so vitriolic, so unbalanced!
Good luck guys, I hope I'm wrong, but, one way or another, there just might be something of a disappointment round the corner!
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Quote of the day from Captain I was flying with today.
"The management in this company have done an incredible job. They have really pissed everyone off: the ramp staff, the ground staff, the cabin crew, the flight crew and now even the air traffic controllers seem to be fed up with us."
"The management in this company have done an incredible job. They have really pissed everyone off: the ramp staff, the ground staff, the cabin crew, the flight crew and now even the air traffic controllers seem to be fed up with us."
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Tandem Rotor
TR, you make a valid point I think, but consider - TDLF and the team, by their lack of common sense, never mind management ability - have got us where we are today.
(That is the benevolent view - the alternative is a genuine asset stripping strategy, which may be the case for all I know)
So, they ignore agreements, bully their staff and at the same time mismanage the Company into a more parlous state than MyTravel.
As part of this, their people skills are such that they manage to offend most their staff - well, I mean, how can you have any feeling for individuals who continuously mislead you, lie to you and as a spinoff significantly and needlessly lower the quality of your life. On top of that, the feeling of insecurity brought about by nearly three years of this tends to personalise things a bit.
So, to conclude, while it's quite fun that the BACX senior management are pretty obnoxious and nauseating individuals, the gripe is with their actions thus far, and the fear of what they will do next if left unchallenged. They are simply neither trusted or trustworthy, THAT IS THE TRUTH OF IT.
(That is the benevolent view - the alternative is a genuine asset stripping strategy, which may be the case for all I know)
So, they ignore agreements, bully their staff and at the same time mismanage the Company into a more parlous state than MyTravel.
As part of this, their people skills are such that they manage to offend most their staff - well, I mean, how can you have any feeling for individuals who continuously mislead you, lie to you and as a spinoff significantly and needlessly lower the quality of your life. On top of that, the feeling of insecurity brought about by nearly three years of this tends to personalise things a bit.
So, to conclude, while it's quite fun that the BACX senior management are pretty obnoxious and nauseating individuals, the gripe is with their actions thus far, and the fear of what they will do next if left unchallenged. They are simply neither trusted or trustworthy, THAT IS THE TRUTH OF IT.
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Well, I'm glad I left last May. Frankly, I saw base closures etc coming and anybody who didn't by the beginning of 2003 had their heads firmly in the sand~sorry guys, but that's the way it was, writing on the wall and all that.
'De management' made plenty of man-management mistakes, and from the posts continued to make them, however......exactly how much independant room for manoeuvre do you think they were allowed by BA? OK, OK, it's not all BA's fault, but the situation was not quite as simple as 'those nasty BA parachutists furthering their own subsequent careers'.
There were many inherited problems from BRAL/Manx & Brymon, and possibly the merger should never have happened. BA never have and never will understand regional operations. What's more, they most probably don't actually want them either.
But of course, that's all history, guys. You are where you are and unless the parent company wants you to succeed then you never will.
Good luck with whatever you vote to do, but don't confuse dislike of certain personalities with a viable plan of action. Frankly, if there was going to be a way in BA 'proper' then I think demographic pressure would have made it happen by now. I occupied a very lowly management position before I left and believe it or not TDLF et al actually did want the company to succeed and would have been happy if 'the shopfloor' was happy. If there is a vote for industrial action, one thing to consider is that you might actually be playing into the hands of people who might be more than happy to close BACX down. The company in any case is destined to be a full(ish) service regional airline competing against the low-cost guys. You'll have your own personal opinions as to whether or not that business model can succeed.
'De management' made plenty of man-management mistakes, and from the posts continued to make them, however......exactly how much independant room for manoeuvre do you think they were allowed by BA? OK, OK, it's not all BA's fault, but the situation was not quite as simple as 'those nasty BA parachutists furthering their own subsequent careers'.
There were many inherited problems from BRAL/Manx & Brymon, and possibly the merger should never have happened. BA never have and never will understand regional operations. What's more, they most probably don't actually want them either.
But of course, that's all history, guys. You are where you are and unless the parent company wants you to succeed then you never will.
Good luck with whatever you vote to do, but don't confuse dislike of certain personalities with a viable plan of action. Frankly, if there was going to be a way in BA 'proper' then I think demographic pressure would have made it happen by now. I occupied a very lowly management position before I left and believe it or not TDLF et al actually did want the company to succeed and would have been happy if 'the shopfloor' was happy. If there is a vote for industrial action, one thing to consider is that you might actually be playing into the hands of people who might be more than happy to close BACX down. The company in any case is destined to be a full(ish) service regional airline competing against the low-cost guys. You'll have your own personal opinions as to whether or not that business model can succeed.
Paxing All Over The World
fud
I don't doubt that is true and it indicates the severity of the problem. They might want staff to be happy but do not appear to have the ability to make them happy. Reading all of this (and other threads) it seems that the mgmt also do not know how to admit that the staff are not happy.
However, since they are judged soley on how many pax fly in the year and how much money is made from them, that is no surprise. These days, every manager is judged on this. When things go wrong [strike/fewer customers], SOPSs tell us that the person will be thanked for doing a good job and moved out of the way for someone else. Fixing the problem they created, or repaing the downside is not what modern mgmt is about, in any line of business not just airlines.
believe it or not TDLF et al actually did want the company to succeed and would have been happy if 'the shopfloor' was happy.
However, since they are judged soley on how many pax fly in the year and how much money is made from them, that is no surprise. These days, every manager is judged on this. When things go wrong [strike/fewer customers], SOPSs tell us that the person will be thanked for doing a good job and moved out of the way for someone else. Fixing the problem they created, or repaing the downside is not what modern mgmt is about, in any line of business not just airlines.
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Looking forward to some common sense being displayed by all sides, but most specifically where it has been lacking, ie with our management.
(Hmmm, "our" and "management" may well be an oxymoron.)
However, I shall not be holding my breath - I can already hear the arguments about non-BALPA members, about the lack of 100% solidarity, or 90% or whatever takes their fancy.
Can't wait to fly with my Fleet Manager and be amused by all the crap rhetoric again.
(Hmmm, "our" and "management" may well be an oxymoron.)
However, I shall not be holding my breath - I can already hear the arguments about non-BALPA members, about the lack of 100% solidarity, or 90% or whatever takes their fancy.
Can't wait to fly with my Fleet Manager and be amused by all the crap rhetoric again.
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Sorry to see young Tim get this bad press - when we used to fly together about 15 yrs ago he was a great guy - with a fantastic collection of the best jokes I ever heard. Blokes dont change that much so what's happened?
I hope that you chaps get what you want & a ballot is a good place to start. This can focus the attention of management.
Please don't get personal though, remember, it's managements job to keep costs to an absolute minimum - if you have to be shafted on the way so be it. It's Balpa's job to get all of you pulling together to stop them - and then get stuck in with a good claim to improve your lot. If management lose their bonuses / jobs because of this then so be it, they shouldn't take it personally either. So good luck to you all.
I haven't read all the contributions to this thread but is it so that mainline guys can fly your a/c but you are not on their seniority list? If so it seems a bit odd - why did your cc allow this one through?
I hope that you chaps get what you want & a ballot is a good place to start. This can focus the attention of management.
Please don't get personal though, remember, it's managements job to keep costs to an absolute minimum - if you have to be shafted on the way so be it. It's Balpa's job to get all of you pulling together to stop them - and then get stuck in with a good claim to improve your lot. If management lose their bonuses / jobs because of this then so be it, they shouldn't take it personally either. So good luck to you all.
I haven't read all the contributions to this thread but is it so that mainline guys can fly your a/c but you are not on their seniority list? If so it seems a bit odd - why did your cc allow this one through?
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CC were given an impossible choice, to let some of our guys onto the BA seniority list, or none at all. All water under the bridge, but they picked none if they could not get all. Easy to be critical with hindsight. Personally, I think it would have been a foot in the door, and that by now we could have negotiated everyone on.
HOWEVER - how could the CC ever have justified it at the time to the the 75% who were not deemed suitable? Anyway, all done and dusted now.
Most interested by your comments on our Glorious Leader. Tell me, was he in management at that time? On occasion, promotion to the 'brass hattery' does invoke a change of views and perspective you know, on occasion including, greed, venery, selfishness and loss of familiarity with the real world of line flying compared to reading the Bean Counters' statistics.
Not forgetting having to toe the correct political line handed down from one's bosses.
HOWEVER - how could the CC ever have justified it at the time to the the 75% who were not deemed suitable? Anyway, all done and dusted now.
Most interested by your comments on our Glorious Leader. Tell me, was he in management at that time? On occasion, promotion to the 'brass hattery' does invoke a change of views and perspective you know, on occasion including, greed, venery, selfishness and loss of familiarity with the real world of line flying compared to reading the Bean Counters' statistics.
Not forgetting having to toe the correct political line handed down from one's bosses.
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Right idea, wrong time!!!
Well i have read the links to BACX strike ballot and firstly i do agree with the principle, something needs to be done to make people listen. I fully agree with that.
Now in a different time i would not be writing this email
but it is not and so i continue.
I guess that one could say that the employees at bacx are between a rock and a hard plate, but one thing is for sure, and that is, if the yes vote is actioned or pushed to the 11th hour limits, we will all be serving burgers and chips with heavy loans and debts to deal with. This company is far too fragile to be taking this course of action even if it is required. I believe that
we could self distruct if we continue down this road with
unpleasant consequences.
I am sure i will be shot down with plenty of reasons why we should strike but i can only think of one reason why we should not
and that is to loose it all. If you have ever been made redundant you will know that when you wake up the next day you will recall that it wasn't that bad and wish you were back at work.
What i am saying is don't strike now but take a reality check instead, call me yellow belly but i have worked too hard and have seen a few companies go to the wall to want a repeat.
If BACX does fold it will be a disaster for us and the industry including those guys that are still requesting a touch and go at that small field. It's not that bad!!!
P.S. i am not management
Now in a different time i would not be writing this email
but it is not and so i continue.
I guess that one could say that the employees at bacx are between a rock and a hard plate, but one thing is for sure, and that is, if the yes vote is actioned or pushed to the 11th hour limits, we will all be serving burgers and chips with heavy loans and debts to deal with. This company is far too fragile to be taking this course of action even if it is required. I believe that
we could self distruct if we continue down this road with
unpleasant consequences.
I am sure i will be shot down with plenty of reasons why we should strike but i can only think of one reason why we should not
and that is to loose it all. If you have ever been made redundant you will know that when you wake up the next day you will recall that it wasn't that bad and wish you were back at work.
What i am saying is don't strike now but take a reality check instead, call me yellow belly but i have worked too hard and have seen a few companies go to the wall to want a repeat.
If BACX does fold it will be a disaster for us and the industry including those guys that are still requesting a touch and go at that small field. It's not that bad!!!
P.S. i am not management
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Yes interesting comment indeed about our man. I can quite believe that as a bloke he is a good chap to have a beer with.
So that raises the question as to what it is about the system which promotes a decent enough bloke into an office that turns him into the man we have had described here.
There are a number of possible explanations:
The corruption of power.
He is just not up to the job but his superiors are equally incompetent and will not remove him.
The idiotic assumption by our industry that managers have to be taken from the pilot ranks. Why should a good pilot make a good manager?
The BA system appears riddled with the Old Boy network (read Barabara Cassani's book?). This throws up unsuitable guys who are considered "the right stuff" because their face fits.
These guys seem to have received no formal training whatsoever and have honed their skills by emulating their superiors who had the same vices. In CX we now have another disaster in waiting as the GMFO in waiting is another such example. A decent enough bloke but a pilot first and foremost, no formal management training or qualification and skills honed at the knee of a tyrant who makes the present office holders look like pussy cats.
Considering the budget for which these guys are responsible it is mind boggling that we have such ineptitude/inexperience at the controls...........
So that raises the question as to what it is about the system which promotes a decent enough bloke into an office that turns him into the man we have had described here.
There are a number of possible explanations:
The corruption of power.
He is just not up to the job but his superiors are equally incompetent and will not remove him.
The idiotic assumption by our industry that managers have to be taken from the pilot ranks. Why should a good pilot make a good manager?
The BA system appears riddled with the Old Boy network (read Barabara Cassani's book?). This throws up unsuitable guys who are considered "the right stuff" because their face fits.
These guys seem to have received no formal training whatsoever and have honed their skills by emulating their superiors who had the same vices. In CX we now have another disaster in waiting as the GMFO in waiting is another such example. A decent enough bloke but a pilot first and foremost, no formal management training or qualification and skills honed at the knee of a tyrant who makes the present office holders look like pussy cats.
Considering the budget for which these guys are responsible it is mind boggling that we have such ineptitude/inexperience at the controls...........
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TinyTim: seems to be the case throughout the industry. Compare and contrast with the world of air traffic control, where managers are drawn from the ranks of controllers, and are either those 'whose face fits' or those who simply cannot 'cut the mustard,' and Bullshot, although I do not know the person in question, they DO appear to undergo a character transformation the minute they are given a little power.
Usually very small minds and often very limited experience of the world outside their own little corner of the dunghill!
I am very interested to hear the outcome of the ballot, but I cannot help wondering if the support that is expected from the BA pilot community, would have been forthcoming from the CX pilot community for their own Ops staff if they had decided to ballot? They are in the process of being shafted with the move to Birmingham.
Usually very small minds and often very limited experience of the world outside their own little corner of the dunghill!
I am very interested to hear the outcome of the ballot, but I cannot help wondering if the support that is expected from the BA pilot community, would have been forthcoming from the CX pilot community for their own Ops staff if they had decided to ballot? They are in the process of being shafted with the move to Birmingham.
70% of BALPA membership returned the ballot form. (Apparently in these sort of ballots it's unusual to get that many forms back).
69% of those voted YES
31% voted NO
Balpa has 77% membership within the company. Would be interesting to know what percentage of the non-balpa members feel the same way.
69% of those voted YES
31% voted NO
Balpa has 77% membership within the company. Would be interesting to know what percentage of the non-balpa members feel the same way.