Flight International article on stress at LCC's.
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Flight International article on stress at LCC's.
While I hate to point out lies that easyJet have told David Learmount at Flight International, this weeks article on stress at easyJet is riddles with lies and inaccuracies. (FI 6-12 June, 06)
Andy Harrison is quoted as saying:"We haven't had significant issues in terms of getting the quality of people we need."
Andy, with all due respect, you are wrong!!!!
I guess that would explain the hundreds of flights that have been cancelled or subchartered over the last few weeks, due crew shortages. Why Globespan, Titan and others have been doing our flights for us, and will continue through June and July.
Why intake courses of cadet pilots and TRSS pilots have been cancelled or deferred due no applicants;
Why hundreds of qualified Airbus pilots who were listed on the data base are now fully employed elsewhere;
Why the hours requirements have dropped from 1500 to 500 total hours and they still cannot find anyone;
Why 345 pilots have resigned since 2002, including 12 TRE's of which one retired medically and the other reached 65.
Peter Griffiths has said the roster alternative to CAP 371 has produced significant improvement in alertness, and a decrese in mmistakes, etc, etc. Most easyJet pilots would dispute this!!!!
Bearing in mind most pilots are at their limits for flying hours and duty time, have had massive delays and roster changes over the last few weeks, and that the airline is 100 pilots short at least, and bearing in mind the amount of pilots who have left or are leaving while the airline continues to expand, this really does not ring true. Having admitted that they deliberately undercrewed to save money, but now cancelling flights in the busiest and most profitable part of the year the management are probably guilty of one of aviations worst ever own goals.
Andy Harrison is quoted as saying:"We haven't had significant issues in terms of getting the quality of people we need."
Andy, with all due respect, you are wrong!!!!
I guess that would explain the hundreds of flights that have been cancelled or subchartered over the last few weeks, due crew shortages. Why Globespan, Titan and others have been doing our flights for us, and will continue through June and July.
Why intake courses of cadet pilots and TRSS pilots have been cancelled or deferred due no applicants;
Why hundreds of qualified Airbus pilots who were listed on the data base are now fully employed elsewhere;
Why the hours requirements have dropped from 1500 to 500 total hours and they still cannot find anyone;
Why 345 pilots have resigned since 2002, including 12 TRE's of which one retired medically and the other reached 65.
Peter Griffiths has said the roster alternative to CAP 371 has produced significant improvement in alertness, and a decrese in mmistakes, etc, etc. Most easyJet pilots would dispute this!!!!
Bearing in mind most pilots are at their limits for flying hours and duty time, have had massive delays and roster changes over the last few weeks, and that the airline is 100 pilots short at least, and bearing in mind the amount of pilots who have left or are leaving while the airline continues to expand, this really does not ring true. Having admitted that they deliberately undercrewed to save money, but now cancelling flights in the busiest and most profitable part of the year the management are probably guilty of one of aviations worst ever own goals.
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The dilema of running a low cost operation and the way pilots are treated was summed up by the fact that most lo - cost operators treat annual hourly flight crew limitations as a target instead of a limit.
However, low cost airlines are an avenue to better things and until that ceases to be the case, if it ever will cease to be, then that will always be so.
However, low cost airlines are an avenue to better things and until that ceases to be the case, if it ever will cease to be, then that will always be so.
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Col. K talks of lies. In repsonse to niknakand his correct assessment of the role of Lo Co's in a pilot's career, there is another mistruth; easyjet promotes itself as a 'career' airline. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is upheld by its actions. As with anything the second hand salesmen tells you: do not believe the words believe the actions and the workingn of the product.
"The INTRODUCER"
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This ain't new. Studies have been done for years. What has improved? Nowt. Here's another study. What's your faith in it? Nowt!
Pilots are being treated like monkeys & robots. If you want to know if a roster pattern is tiring you do not ask a computer; you ask the people, human beings. Everyday the advertisers are telling us we are all different. Thus they design tailored made solutions to please us.To hell with computer studies; ask the sharp end! we are all above average educated career minded people. We do not want to commit commercial suicide, but also do not want to die to young either. B%^$oks to computer models and studies. Bring back the human ape.
RYR's stable roster sleeping in your own bed etc. etc? Oh Yeah! Speaking to friends, many of whom do not live at their nominated base, therefore do not sleep in their own bed; another false quote. 2nd. If you fly 5 earlies you get out of bed at 04.00 for a 0530 report. if you fly lates you go to bed at 00.30. Families tend to live to a different schedule which conflicts with that. You demand priority; try telling the kids/neighbours to shut up at 21.00 as you have to sleep. Try not waking up at 0700 as the family stirs for a normal day. Try not p!@#ing off your family as you get up at 04.00. Sleeping in your own bed with such a roster is not the best, a hotel is. In a 2 week period of 5/3/5/3 you would have 3-4 evenings for a normal family dinner. A not so wonderful contributor to family cohesion. Forget doing night classes or playing for a sports team; even having any kind of regular hobby. No flexibility. It is work and sleep, but little play. The old UK masocistic social attitude of 'live to work'! And here come the diet gurus who tell you to try the Meditarrenian diet and prolong your years. It ain't the food, it is the way of life. And plese don't anyone, least of all smelly camel, tell me I should not have become a pilot if I didn't like the lifestyle. Read the article. It has changed out of all recognition. Meanwhile there is a drive to improve the overall enviroment and working condifitons of other professions, but that of aircrew is being steadfastly and deliberately forced in the opposite direction.
This debate has been done many times on Prune. I do not want to open it up all again. But some of the twaddle quoted in that article has to be refuted.
So to hell with boffins and computers. Ask the family.
Pilots are being treated like monkeys & robots. If you want to know if a roster pattern is tiring you do not ask a computer; you ask the people, human beings. Everyday the advertisers are telling us we are all different. Thus they design tailored made solutions to please us.To hell with computer studies; ask the sharp end! we are all above average educated career minded people. We do not want to commit commercial suicide, but also do not want to die to young either. B%^$oks to computer models and studies. Bring back the human ape.
RYR's stable roster sleeping in your own bed etc. etc? Oh Yeah! Speaking to friends, many of whom do not live at their nominated base, therefore do not sleep in their own bed; another false quote. 2nd. If you fly 5 earlies you get out of bed at 04.00 for a 0530 report. if you fly lates you go to bed at 00.30. Families tend to live to a different schedule which conflicts with that. You demand priority; try telling the kids/neighbours to shut up at 21.00 as you have to sleep. Try not waking up at 0700 as the family stirs for a normal day. Try not p!@#ing off your family as you get up at 04.00. Sleeping in your own bed with such a roster is not the best, a hotel is. In a 2 week period of 5/3/5/3 you would have 3-4 evenings for a normal family dinner. A not so wonderful contributor to family cohesion. Forget doing night classes or playing for a sports team; even having any kind of regular hobby. No flexibility. It is work and sleep, but little play. The old UK masocistic social attitude of 'live to work'! And here come the diet gurus who tell you to try the Meditarrenian diet and prolong your years. It ain't the food, it is the way of life. And plese don't anyone, least of all smelly camel, tell me I should not have become a pilot if I didn't like the lifestyle. Read the article. It has changed out of all recognition. Meanwhile there is a drive to improve the overall enviroment and working condifitons of other professions, but that of aircrew is being steadfastly and deliberately forced in the opposite direction.
This debate has been done many times on Prune. I do not want to open it up all again. But some of the twaddle quoted in that article has to be refuted.
So to hell with boffins and computers. Ask the family.
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The blame for all this mess starts and ends with those in our profession who have prostituted themselves to go and work for one of the LCCs. The downhill trend in our Terms and Conditions is solely thanks to them. Sorry guys, I saw it coming - you obviously didn't.
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Colonel Klink,
I am sure that David Learmount and Flight International would loved to have published details of the easyJet pilot shortage and related issues. They are probably fully aware of them. However, in theis litigious age, anything they publish must be supported by data.
Was the easyJet Balpa CC contacted as part of the research for the article?
Regards,Yarpy
I am sure that David Learmount and Flight International would loved to have published details of the easyJet pilot shortage and related issues. They are probably fully aware of them. However, in theis litigious age, anything they publish must be supported by data.
Was the easyJet Balpa CC contacted as part of the research for the article?
Regards,Yarpy
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What a complete joke!
So much for the 'objectivity' of Flight International! Lemme guess...they were sooooooooo busy 'being objective' that they completely forgot to ask what most pilots think of it?
I'm glad I cancelled my subscription many many years ago! Let them stick to publishing useless 'directories' and (EZY?!
) recruitment adds!
Apparently everything is well, so go back to sleep everybody!
So much for the 'objectivity' of Flight International! Lemme guess...they were sooooooooo busy 'being objective' that they completely forgot to ask what most pilots think of it?
I'm glad I cancelled my subscription many many years ago! Let them stick to publishing useless 'directories' and (EZY?!
) recruitment adds!Apparently everything is well, so go back to sleep everybody!
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Overweening pricks.
Interesting article, Algy. This is the best thing in it, though.
My congratulations to your Jasper the illustrator, Algy, and a big BZ to the art department from me. Excellent!
Meanwhile, nothing succeeds like success, eh Rat? This from tomorrow's Lex column in the FT.
The overweening self-confidence of Ryanair's chief executive provokes a desire to prick it.
This is difficult to do, though, when Michael O'Leary continues to present such solid evidence of good performance. The Irish low-cost carrier increased passengers and revenue more than expected in the year to 31 March. Net income rose 12 per cent and unit costs rose only 5 per cent despite a 74 per cent increase in fuel costs over the year. The money Ryanair earns from providing extras like car hire or hotel bookings continues to grow as a proportion of total revenues, and contributed strongly to a 2 per cent increase in revenue per passenger. Given this, Mr O'Leary's boast that Ryanair will this year overtake Lufthansa as the world's largest international scheduled carrier is not as hubristic as it sounds. There are still valid questions to ask about Ryanair's future performance. It is adding capacity at breakneck pace. And although Mr O'Leary says cutting costs is like peeling an onion – once one layer is uncovered, another layer reveals itself – unit costs other than fuel cannot stay on a downward path indefinitely.
Despite all the good news, Ryanair shares are currently stuck where they were three years ago and, on forward price to earnings, trade on a 20 per cent discount to low-cost rivals like Easyjet and Southwest. So the most pressing question for shareholders is what Ryanair will decide to do with its cash pile, now approaching €2bn. Mr O'Leary says, with some justification, that he believes airlines rarely make money from acquisitions, so it is unlikely to be squandered. Shareholders hoping for a juicy special dividend have good reason to expect that Ryanair's success will soon flow over to them.
My congratulations to your Jasper the illustrator, Algy, and a big BZ to the art department from me. Excellent!
Meanwhile, nothing succeeds like success, eh Rat? This from tomorrow's Lex column in the FT.
The overweening self-confidence of Ryanair's chief executive provokes a desire to prick it.
This is difficult to do, though, when Michael O'Leary continues to present such solid evidence of good performance. The Irish low-cost carrier increased passengers and revenue more than expected in the year to 31 March. Net income rose 12 per cent and unit costs rose only 5 per cent despite a 74 per cent increase in fuel costs over the year. The money Ryanair earns from providing extras like car hire or hotel bookings continues to grow as a proportion of total revenues, and contributed strongly to a 2 per cent increase in revenue per passenger. Given this, Mr O'Leary's boast that Ryanair will this year overtake Lufthansa as the world's largest international scheduled carrier is not as hubristic as it sounds. There are still valid questions to ask about Ryanair's future performance. It is adding capacity at breakneck pace. And although Mr O'Leary says cutting costs is like peeling an onion – once one layer is uncovered, another layer reveals itself – unit costs other than fuel cannot stay on a downward path indefinitely.
Despite all the good news, Ryanair shares are currently stuck where they were three years ago and, on forward price to earnings, trade on a 20 per cent discount to low-cost rivals like Easyjet and Southwest. So the most pressing question for shareholders is what Ryanair will decide to do with its cash pile, now approaching €2bn. Mr O'Leary says, with some justification, that he believes airlines rarely make money from acquisitions, so it is unlikely to be squandered. Shareholders hoping for a juicy special dividend have good reason to expect that Ryanair's success will soon flow over to them.
Last edited by Leo Hairy-Camel; 6th Jun 2006 at 13:24.
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Originally Posted by Leo Hairy-Camel
Interesting article, Algie. This is the best thing in it, though.
[/URL]
Despite all the good news, Ryanair shares are currently stuck where they were three years ago and, on forward price to earnings, trade on a 20 per cent discount to low-cost rivals like Easyjet and Southwest.
Despite all the good news, Ryanair shares are currently stuck where they were three years ago and, on forward price to earnings, trade on a 20 per cent discount to low-cost rivals like Easyjet and Southwest.
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Don't forget that a significant portion of their cash on hand is from unearnt revenue. In other words pax paying in advance for flights that have yet to take place. Any special dividend will need to take into account the usual operating costs etc of running these flights, planned capex plus the other commitments that Ryanair has to satisfy so I don't think it will be that high a windfall if it does happen. Having said that there will no doubt be some considerable pressure put on by the institutional investors looking to cash in.
Paxing All Over The World
dontdoit
I'm not sure if you really meant to say:
The blame for all this mess starts and ends with those in our profession who have prostituted ...
I'm not sure if you really meant to say:
- The blame for all this mess starts and ends with those who saw a business opportunity to provide less for less.
- The blame for all this mess starts and ends with those who want to pay the least possible money for the most possible flight distance.
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Union support
I left easyJet because of the unfriendly, overbearing and unprofessional management, unrelenting hard work etc. The only way to beat them is to leave. However we are lucky with our excellent union support 
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Let´s see: the CAA allowing EZY to conduct a study on fatigue is like asking the fox to guard the chicken.
Very strange procudure then to allow EZY and FR to dictate a rosy picture in Flight International, without even asking BALPA or any other pilot representative for a counter opinion in order to have a ballanced article.
It´s time for the CAA to wake up and take charge! That´s what they´re getting paid (our hard earned) tax money for!
p.s. where is David Learmont hiding these days? Doesn´t he sometimes post on PPRuNe? Come out come out where ever you are...!
Very strange procudure then to allow EZY and FR to dictate a rosy picture in Flight International, without even asking BALPA or any other pilot representative for a counter opinion in order to have a ballanced article.
It´s time for the CAA to wake up and take charge! That´s what they´re getting paid (our hard earned) tax money for!
p.s. where is David Learmont hiding these days? Doesn´t he sometimes post on PPRuNe? Come out come out where ever you are...!
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This is the same CAA who devolved safety management to the airlines' own internal ISO 2000 or whatever it is self-audit process. Likely to be completely independant of management pressure, NOT!
The CAA dont care at all if pilots burnout - its your responsibility if you are fatigued, and your career if you succumb to intolerable management pressure to operate despite being fatigued and screw-up because of it. Heads you lose, tails you lose! Welcome to the New Aviation.
LCC pilot useage is totally unsustainable over a 30 year career, (and that LCC-style pilot usage is now common in scheduled carriers too - Big Airways have 900 hours-a-year A320 pilots now), and it is not until we have the appalling spectre of a hull loss clearly attributable to the kind of pressure pilots operate under now that the regulator, (ever a reactive body), will even think of doing anything about it. CAA = the friend of the Big Business Battalions. Little Pilots dont even feature on the radar. CAA view = "Take it or Leave it".
Flight's article was a brazen suck-up to the business view:- "everything's fine, thanks" and only hinted at the true state of affairs at carriers like RYR. The only concession was to suggest that airlines may have to think about offering flexible contracts to allow for the fact that a LCC pilot who has, SHOCK, a young family, (how dare he or she), may be unable to keep up the manic pace and so will have to take a pay cut and possible career ending compromise by seeking to fly less through the early child rearing years - when the need for money is the most acute - in order to cope.
I suspect that the CAA know that the system is creaking and that CAP 371 was NEVER intended as a rostering TARGET, but they are addicted to the airline cashflow that pays for the shiny Belgrano and all the Good Things that go on there-in. Corporate vision = "Dont Bite The Hand That Feeds You"!
The public enquiry that follows from a hull-loss that is attributable directly to institutionalised, roster-induced, pilot fatigue would, one hopes, direct that a TRULY ACCOUNTABLE CAA would be completely independant from the companies it regulated and be financed from general taxation. What exists at present is a cosy, mutually-parasitic arrangement utterly conducive to the kind of dangerous compromise we see now.
Take care out there. You are on your own.
The CAA dont care at all if pilots burnout - its your responsibility if you are fatigued, and your career if you succumb to intolerable management pressure to operate despite being fatigued and screw-up because of it. Heads you lose, tails you lose! Welcome to the New Aviation.
LCC pilot useage is totally unsustainable over a 30 year career, (and that LCC-style pilot usage is now common in scheduled carriers too - Big Airways have 900 hours-a-year A320 pilots now), and it is not until we have the appalling spectre of a hull loss clearly attributable to the kind of pressure pilots operate under now that the regulator, (ever a reactive body), will even think of doing anything about it. CAA = the friend of the Big Business Battalions. Little Pilots dont even feature on the radar. CAA view = "Take it or Leave it".
Flight's article was a brazen suck-up to the business view:- "everything's fine, thanks" and only hinted at the true state of affairs at carriers like RYR. The only concession was to suggest that airlines may have to think about offering flexible contracts to allow for the fact that a LCC pilot who has, SHOCK, a young family, (how dare he or she), may be unable to keep up the manic pace and so will have to take a pay cut and possible career ending compromise by seeking to fly less through the early child rearing years - when the need for money is the most acute - in order to cope.
I suspect that the CAA know that the system is creaking and that CAP 371 was NEVER intended as a rostering TARGET, but they are addicted to the airline cashflow that pays for the shiny Belgrano and all the Good Things that go on there-in. Corporate vision = "Dont Bite The Hand That Feeds You"!
The public enquiry that follows from a hull-loss that is attributable directly to institutionalised, roster-induced, pilot fatigue would, one hopes, direct that a TRULY ACCOUNTABLE CAA would be completely independant from the companies it regulated and be financed from general taxation. What exists at present is a cosy, mutually-parasitic arrangement utterly conducive to the kind of dangerous compromise we see now.
Take care out there. You are on your own.
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The sad fact is that a hull loss due to fatigue will be attributed to 'human factors', or just plain old pilot error with the true reason for the disaster quietly covered up. Never underestimate the ability for airlines to pull strings, lie and cheat their way out of taking responsibility. We could build a list which would have no definite beginning and sadly no end but would include Erebus, Joburg and Bahrain. Two hull losses and one very close shave with very few lessons publicly learned. Oh yes the causes were identified but the systemic failures that 'set the scene' were glossed over.
So while we shout from the rooftops about how the airlines will rue the day they pushed us to the limits, the reality is that they probably won't be held accountable.
So while we shout from the rooftops about how the airlines will rue the day they pushed us to the limits, the reality is that they probably won't be held accountable.
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The next gift from easyJet is a long awaited guideline on how to manage one's life so as not to be fatigued!! Can't wait, maybe I'll buy extra copies on Amazon to give to friends for birthdays or other pilots who do not work for such a caring organisation as we do.
Or maybe we should do some maths:
Every duty 10.45 to 11.45;
An hour each way to get to work, park the car, chat to the boyz walking the other way and check Company Email for bollickings;
6 to 8 hours sleep;
An hour checking Email, reading this forum and paying bills, getting rid of the odd virus;
Well that only leaves 1.25 hours to manage my fatigue, or play with my daughter, talk to the wife/girlfriend, cut the grass, maybe eat a little and go for a short jog or watch the golf on telly so I am sure it will be short article!!!!!
Or maybe the new FTL's include a 30 hour day so they can extend FTL's by the commensurate amount!!!!!!
Or maybe we should do some maths:
Every duty 10.45 to 11.45;
An hour each way to get to work, park the car, chat to the boyz walking the other way and check Company Email for bollickings;
6 to 8 hours sleep;
An hour checking Email, reading this forum and paying bills, getting rid of the odd virus;
Well that only leaves 1.25 hours to manage my fatigue, or play with my daughter, talk to the wife/girlfriend, cut the grass, maybe eat a little and go for a short jog or watch the golf on telly so I am sure it will be short article!!!!!
Or maybe the new FTL's include a 30 hour day so they can extend FTL's by the commensurate amount!!!!!!