Capt Burkill to re-join BA
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Those whingers banging on about seniority come across as being extremely selfish individuals...
Quite possibly.
However, BA could blunt this objection by simply carrying an extra Captain on the seniority list...so as to not disadvantage those senior First Officers who are in line for the next Command course.
A win-win scenario, for all.....and is exactly what I would do if I were in
charge at BA flt ops.
Because....line pilots can actually learn from the experience of those few Commanders who are gifted with the ability to 'think outside the box'...a very rare commodity, in my opinion.
Now, it may appear that I constantly bash British Airways, as...after all they are sometimes such an easy target.
However, as I have mentioned before, I have flown with several BA First Officers at other airlines (secconded) and I can say with certainty that these folks are (possibly) second only to QANTAS (First Officers...which I also have operated with, secconded) in their thinking ability as, after all, when it all goes pear shaped, the last item one might desire, in a very critical point in time, is a pilot who might say...'oh gosh, I wonder what the QRH has to say?'
NB.
As a twenty six thousand hour airline pilot (and, TRE/IRE), it is my opinion that the ultimate ability for a pilot is to adapt an abnormal situation to, at that point, to his (her) best advantage, for a successful outcome.
The referenced Captain did so, and he should be congratulated...not forgotten, and discarded.
Ever.
Those whingers banging on about seniority come across as being extremely selfish individuals...
Quite possibly.
However, BA could blunt this objection by simply carrying an extra Captain on the seniority list...so as to not disadvantage those senior First Officers who are in line for the next Command course.
A win-win scenario, for all.....and is exactly what I would do if I were in
charge at BA flt ops.
Because....line pilots can actually learn from the experience of those few Commanders who are gifted with the ability to 'think outside the box'...a very rare commodity, in my opinion.
Now, it may appear that I constantly bash British Airways, as...after all they are sometimes such an easy target.
However, as I have mentioned before, I have flown with several BA First Officers at other airlines (secconded) and I can say with certainty that these folks are (possibly) second only to QANTAS (First Officers...which I also have operated with, secconded) in their thinking ability as, after all, when it all goes pear shaped, the last item one might desire, in a very critical point in time, is a pilot who might say...'oh gosh, I wonder what the QRH has to say?'
NB.
As a twenty six thousand hour airline pilot (and, TRE/IRE), it is my opinion that the ultimate ability for a pilot is to adapt an abnormal situation to, at that point, to his (her) best advantage, for a successful outcome.
The referenced Captain did so, and he should be congratulated...not forgotten, and discarded.
Ever.
Last edited by 411A; 29th Sep 2010 at 18:30.
Peter
I listened to your interview on Radio 4 several months ago.
I must admit, that it made me feel quite emotional, the disgusting way that you were treated by some individual post match critics.
It would appear that you have a lot of support from the rest of the down to earth line pilots. I hope that your detractors eventually eat a little humble pie.
I wish you the very best of luck in the future. Please do another interview on Radio 4, this time in a positive light, so that we can all applaud you again.
SM
I listened to your interview on Radio 4 several months ago.
I must admit, that it made me feel quite emotional, the disgusting way that you were treated by some individual post match critics.
It would appear that you have a lot of support from the rest of the down to earth line pilots. I hope that your detractors eventually eat a little humble pie.
I wish you the very best of luck in the future. Please do another interview on Radio 4, this time in a positive light, so that we can all applaud you again.
SM
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411A:
In my 27 years at TWA I saw perhaps 15 or 20 termination cases. Once the initial grievance was heard and denied they were all removed from the seniority list.
Perhaps 80% of them (certainly a serious majority) eventually had their job restored after arbitration. When restored they went back to the seniority they held at termination. That has been the standard industry/government practice in the U.S. under the Railway Labor Act.
However, BA could blunt this objection by simply carrying an extra Captain on the seniority list...so as to not disadvantage those senior First Officers who are in line for the next Command course.
Perhaps 80% of them (certainly a serious majority) eventually had their job restored after arbitration. When restored they went back to the seniority they held at termination. That has been the standard industry/government practice in the U.S. under the Railway Labor Act.
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I think that BALPA, Captain Burkill and the individual who made the decision to reinstate, have just put "British" back into BA!
As a humble member of the SLF fraternity it will be an honour to be a passenger on your flight Captain.
Thank you BA.
As a humble member of the SLF fraternity it will be an honour to be a passenger on your flight Captain.
Thank you BA.
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Peter,
I am very glad to hear that.
In the mean time, I feel a bit sad you will have to close your website and blog. I hope they will stay visible at least, they are part of your life and may well have something to do with this happy ending ...
Bon vol !
CF
I am very glad to hear that.
In the mean time, I feel a bit sad you will have to close your website and blog. I hope they will stay visible at least, they are part of your life and may well have something to do with this happy ending ...
Bon vol !
CF
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In my 27 years at TWA I saw perhaps 15 or 20 termination cases.
Therefore...your scenario does not compute.
Sorry.
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As another member of the humble SLF, I am thrilled for you and your family, and well done BA. Hope I will be fortunate enough to be on one of your flights.
Thank you for your indulgence in allowing this post - great book, read it twice, using it in my workplace.
Thank you for your indulgence in allowing this post - great book, read it twice, using it in my workplace.
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"after all, when it all goes pear shaped, the last item one might desire, in a very critical point in time, is a pilot who might say...'oh gosh, I wonder what the QRH has to say?"
411A,
You'll be pleased to hear that at BA we train Aviate, Navigate, Communicate as the initial response to any threat...only when it's safe to do so do we train reference to ECAM/EICAS/QRH.
So, at that critical point in time, I would hope none of our pilots are thinking of the QRH. That has it's time though.
Pete reacted in the way he had been trained, glad he's back aboard.
411A,
You'll be pleased to hear that at BA we train Aviate, Navigate, Communicate as the initial response to any threat...only when it's safe to do so do we train reference to ECAM/EICAS/QRH.
So, at that critical point in time, I would hope none of our pilots are thinking of the QRH. That has it's time though.
Pete reacted in the way he had been trained, glad he's back aboard.
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I've always hated the "hero" bit, and the "heroic struggling with the controls" nonsense in the tabloids.
So did he, it seems, and it must affected him greatly.
He is a professional, and did a professional's job outstandingly.
To me, that doesn't make him a "hero", but somebody far more worthy of respect.
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:..."
"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!"
(Kipling)
That could have been written for him.
CJ
So did he, it seems, and it must affected him greatly.
He is a professional, and did a professional's job outstandingly.
To me, that doesn't make him a "hero", but somebody far more worthy of respect.
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:..."
"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!"
(Kipling)
That could have been written for him.
CJ
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'ware the taxman on re-engagement in a job
It would be up to BA whether or not they wanted to leave him with the redundancy payment, but one has to be very careful in such cases about whether the taxman thinks the redundancy was genuine - if the taxman thinks it was not, he is going to want his cut of any payments (Employer NI, employee NI, income tax, etc). Employers are free to give employees whatever remuneration they wish, as long as the taxman gets what he thinks is his share. My personal feeling is that airline Captains with proven experience and success under pressure do not grow on trees and BA may well want to regain his services despite the additional cost. I wish Captain Burkill the best in his job and trust he is receiving good advice on the tax point from professionals.
Last edited by nicolai; 29th Sep 2010 at 20:19. Reason: Embarrassing failure to spell his name correctly!
Only the other day I was reading about the 777 incident on Wikipedia (I know, I know) and it saddened me to learn of the outcome for the Captain involved.
What a refreshingly happy ending for a change. It has certainly restored my faith in human nature a little.
Good on Captain Burkhill and long may he fly for BA!
What a refreshingly happy ending for a change. It has certainly restored my faith in human nature a little.
Good on Captain Burkhill and long may he fly for BA!
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Jeez Pete, even the French (plural too ! there were a couple there) are supporting you (with some very well chosen prose, Merci to ChristiaanJ ) Bravo also to BA for seeing sense, nothing to do with looking "pilot-friendly" for the impending recruitment campaign of course. . . cynical ? moi? Ah! only a tad.
Finally got off me ass & ordered your book too To quote an ex instructor mate of mine's Dad, who was a Tristar skipper with your esteemed employer a while back (Peter Black) . . . . . PFM ! ! ! !
Sums it up nicely methinks.
Happy Landings! welcome back to the sky, with all us other wobegones, where you belong & no doubt want to be.
Finally got off me ass & ordered your book too
To quote an ex instructor mate of mine's Dad, who was a Tristar skipper with your esteemed employer a while back (Peter Black) . . . . . PFM ! ! ! !Sums it up nicely methinks.
Happy Landings! welcome back to the sky, with all us other wobegones, where you belong & no doubt want to be.
