I'm waiting for PARC too. The more of us that do, the more chance we have of VN giving them screening dates. The contract at PARC is far superior and they really look after you.

Hope they will get screening slots before 2011!!

Upgrade or fleet change at Vietnam
 

Both are available. They need captains quite badly, so are taking the most experienced F/Os and upgrading them. Another option is to transition to the 330. They make you pay for your training. I guess this is becoming pretty common now.
Expect to wait a year or so before you get nominated for upgrade or the 330. They are pretty conservative, so want you to really understand how they do business first.
On a side issue, I put dual packages in with PARC and Rishworth. DPI wasn't here yet. PARC takes a little longer reviewing your application. Don't be a idiot like I was and accept Rishworth while waiting for PARC. Rishworth is the worst! Completely unethical. You won't get a reduced schedule like 5/3 or 4/4. They'll fight you the whole way, because it means less $$ for them!

We're now forced to take Rishworth to court for an illegal retroactive pay cut implemented in February for work performed last August through January. Nice bunch of snakes, eh?
PARC and DPI seem like great companies. This is MUCH more important than pay or benefits in the long run! You don't want to have to fight the company representing you! I'll never apply for another Rishworth contract.

I believe right now VAC might not be screening anyone with PARC, as PARC is playing hardball with them. Trust me, this is a good thing, and PARC will fight to support you the same way once on contract .

Most of the new pilots are coming here with DPI. DPI seems to treat their pilots well, but got their foot in the door at VAC by underbidding the contract, resulting in lower pay and benefits for new pilots.

If you can wait a few months, I would wait for Parc. If pilots hold off, and don't go with DPI, VAC will be forced to give in to Parc.

Avoid Rishworth at all costs. They will lie to you from the recruitment process, to the day you leave the contract. Absolute scum. They have been scum for 25 years, I failed to do my due diligence on them and signed with them 18 months ago. I just corrected that mistake.

Good luck to all

Anybody have anyinfo on latest screenings from this month.

Are there any A320 First Officers who have recently started with VAC through DPI? I have a couple of questions and would appreciate if I could PM them to someone in the know.

Many thanks.

PARC have slots this month. If you want to be looked after you should apply through them. They pay more, earlier 9 (2 weeks in some cases), and have much better insurance cover. And if you get in a bit of trouble here, they will support you. RAL hangs it pilots out to dry and i'm waiting to see DPIs response when their first pilot has an incident and gets grounded.

It's a no brainer.

Well for people that actually work here, they are aware that Rishworth has gone out of there way for several pilots in trouble here, maybe you weren't paying attention.

And as far as health insurance plans go, the insurance with Risworth is superior to the BUPA plan that now does not cover the first $200.00 / annum.

Maybe you are so desperate to trash RAL that you now have to make it up as you go, sad.:=

NVpilot,

The ONLY way you could possibly support that scum is because you are being paid to do so. I was with them and breach after breach after breach of contract, them trying to withhold my final salary till legal representation was obtained... So, you think what RAL has done to the VAC pilots is OK?

Are you kidding? I came from a contract with RAL where the insurance package they had in place left a pilot kicked out of hospital, kicked out of the crew hotel because he was deemed unfit for duty, had to pay his own full fare ticket to get to the other side of the world (said airline refused him a seat since he was not on duty), all with a 5 inch scar still weeping from his chest from the operation the day before.

Support from RAL? "We are not a health insurance company."

RAL are SCUM. If you support a company that openly and brazenly breaches your contract by tradition and means of doing business (via an ILLEGAL pay cut at VAC as I understand from this forum) then I am sorry for you.

Pilot support and unity at is best. :ok:

I have no doubt that you are speaking the truth about the incidents that you quote, I do have a problem with people that are distorting the truth.

What I am referring to is what is happening now, I have not heard any crews here complain at all about the current health insurance at RAL or the previous company (Ace), maybe you can enlighten me.

And as far as helping pilots that are having problems, RAL has done plenty, I am not the one on this thread distorting the truth, I am simply stating the facts.

What year did this incident with the pilot getting kicked out happen?

I can't complain or comment on the health insurance at RAL/Vietnam Airlines because I only used it one time, for something very minor.

Other than that? Rishworth is absolute scum. They do NOT support their pilots (my roommate almost lost 1 1/2 months pay because of a Rishworth clerical error) at all unless they have a monetary interest in doing so. If you want a different work rotation (5/3 or 4/4) they will lie, cheat, stall, before ever making the request, because their contract fee goes down if you work less. Took me 4 months of their BS JUST TO MAKE THE REQUEST. I got it 9 months later. Parc guys that asked the same month got it the next month! Rishworth pulled the same crap with everyone. Most gave up trying for a different rotation which is exactly what Rishworth was hoping for.

If you work for Rishworth, it is now a 3 way cat fight. Vietnam Airlines has their interests, you have yours, and RIshworth has theirs. I was treated quite well by Vietnam Airlines and they told they would take me back in a heartbeat after the 1 year contractual waiting period. I was only treated bad, lied to, cheated, stolen from, by the scum at Rishworth.

Parc held out, and now Vietnam Airlines is hiring with them again. Why, I don't know, maybe it is because myself and one other resigned and told VAC that we were only resigning because of Rishworth. Several Rishworth pilots have screenings set up with other airlines and will be leaving shortly, because of Rishworth, and will be telling Vietnam Airlines the same thing. Parc guys don't leave because of Parc. Just the opposite.

Their are two kinds of Rishworth pilots at Vietnam Airlines- former Rishworth pilots, and those that wish they didn't work for Rishworth. I have heard it is the same at Korean Air.
If you don't work for them now, DON'T DO IT.

What I know is DPI's responds will be the same as usual: Shane Pollard, managing director at Direct Personnel International, said, "We're making no comment"....

The captain of the Cypriot airliner that crashed Sunday was a former East German airline pilot who worked for a Dublin, Ireland-based agency that supplies pilots to airlines, a German newspaper reported.

The Bild daily said that Hans-Juergen Merten, 58, had flown with Helios Airlines for six months before the crash but was an employee of Direct Personnel International, an agency that connects pilots and airlines.

Is there any overseas Vietnamese pilot flying for Vietnam Airlines? I am one and currently flying B737NG in the US, would like obtain some info. Just curious, if they hire guys with B737 time.

Thanks.

Edited because: There are 2 "Việt Kiều" pilots working at Vietnam Airlines. (also "Người Việt Hải Ngoại" meaning Vietnamese people living outside Vietnam)

Sorry, your B737 time is no good for Vietnam Airlines. You must have a minimum of 500 hours on type (B777, A330, A320, F70, ATR-72) and be current within the last 6 months to be hired on a contract.

I know 2 Viet Q that currently work for Vietnam Airlines. One is a Fokker FO from Canada, the other is an American flying the A320 FO slot. The A320 guy said he was surprised they hired him. he was Viet Q, and his family was from the south.

Pay
 

Hello all and safe flying
any info on pay for a320/330 captains will be apriciated
Regards to all ..

Want more info on Parc and Rishworth? I just received my last payment from Rishworth. They shorted me over 7000 USD. F&%$#@ing scumbags. They are hoping that I won't spend my time and money to come to NZ to fight them. They are wrong.

Never, ever work for these Scumbags.

I have a question. For VAC 777 long haul ops.. how do the crew log their hrs? lets say for a four man crew with total hrs of 12:00, do you log 12:00 or juz 6:00. and how about three man ops?

When I was at VAC, there were no 3 man crews. Always 2 Captain and 2 FO on long haul.

You can log the flight anyway you want but Vietnam Airlines doesn't count your time in the bunk for monthly duty hours.

That means you fly a lot during your 6 weeks on. Still better than the 320.

I understand a lot (maybe most?) Asian carriers don't count all your "augmented crew" time. They also don't count deadhead time, or at least a percentage of it. You can also be given your "days off" or required "36 hours in 7 days" required rest while on a layover.

This came as quite a surprise to me. I worked in the US and deadhead time for most airlines counted 100% for pay and duty, and augmented crew flights paid 100% as well.

Even a big carrier like Korean Air does this. If I remember, deadhead time gets paid 50%, and I can't remember the penalty for augmented crew.

Probeusmc
 

Was trying to pm you. Are you still at VNA? Can you elaborate on why
living in HCM is challengeing? (from an old post of yours...)

Just curious. Looking around at options. PM me if preferable.

@PROBEUSMC: Are you still there in Vietnam?? can you explain more about working with them, an about insurance issue between DPI and PARC ( I've read them both) they're all the same.

Could you pm me??

Tks

PARC use BUPA for medical insurance. DPI don't. Both give accident insurance. RAl does not.

PARC pay on the 25th, RAL at the end of the month sometimes the beginning of the next month. DPI pay on the 10th. so PARC are paid 2 weeks earlier and are paid more. with the new 2 % pay rise after 3 years and 2% more after 4 years it's a lot more.

And if you get in hot water with VAC, don't expect to be paid by RAL. The few PARC pilots who have dropped themselves in it had their salaries maintained by PARC out of their own pocket. The RAL guys were not.

The list goes on and on.

PARC. Do yourself a favour.

By the way dreamland is paid extra by RAL to represent them. He's a busy boy. The PARC guy has nothing to do because we have not a lot to complain about.

Can't agree more with ia1166. He is 100% accurate...and I speak by experiance!

Ah, so many experts, too bad they don't get the facts correct. RAL has full worldwide health coverage, except for in the USA, this includes coverage for accident and injury.

Unlike the BUPA coverage, RAL pilots are not required to pay $200 dollar excess / yearly deductible, in addition, RAL's policy covers dental and optical.

Accident and Injury (that helps supplement loss of pay), and also loss of license is available at an additional cost.

RAL salary is the same as PARC salary.

More propaganda, this is not true, this will depend on the status from the airline.

I don't need to skew the facts to make RAL look good, not sure why others feel it is necessary. :yuk:

I have worked for RAL and I was SCREWED by them. They have ZERO integrity. I know of others still being screwed. Still begging for their money, still having calls and emails unanswered.

Just use the search engine and gauge the positive comments about RAL vs the negative. Personally, I wouldn't care if they did have the same insurance as Parc, DPI, other.... even more money because at the end of the day when you NEED the support of your agency to get something as basic as your MINIMAL T's & C's of your contract honored, RAL are found wanting time and time and time again. They will sell you out and have a long history of doing so.

Didn't they just impose an ILLEGAL pay cut to their pilots, or so I read on this forum? (ie breach of contract? Aren't they being taken to court as a result?)

At the end of the day, RAL could "offer" whatever they want, but you GET is lies and deceit. Absolute SCUM. And I think you'll find the majority of comments from those with experience of RAL the same.

Good luck with your decision. Don't blame anyone but yourself if you do sign with those low life ba$tards and suffer as a result.

(Am I bitter? Hell yeah after the way they treated me. I don't work in SE Asia so can't help with the VAC stuff, sorry.)

Can somebody explain what and when is CAAV validation and when is the first month's salary actually will be paid to the crew?

1. There are two parts to the process, you must submit your certificates and supporting data to your appropriate fleet office, then you must take a written Air Law exam, when this is completed you will receive your Vietnamese certificate.

2. When you receive your pay depends on your contract agency, your pay is predicated on the day you begin ground school, for PARC you will receive your pay (daily per diem until you are on line) about the 27th of the month, RAL on the last business day of the month, DPI not sure.

Your full salary normally begins on the fifteenth day from the beginning of ground school. Your 6/2 roster starts on the day that you are checked to the line.

Cheers, D.L.

If Dreamland is who I think he is (from my Nam days with
Pacific yonks ago) then hes a bloodey genuine and very
honest bloke. He would give you the shirt of his back if you
found yourself in deep ****. And he was damn good to drink
with over at the Omni.

In the offer it says you'll be paid daily usd65 for fourteen days. What happen if you don't get your validation after fourteen days? You mentioned that the salary will only be in after you're checked on line. That can take forever isnt it?

My apologies, you go to full salary on the fifteenth day, counting days on toward your six weeks on, two weeks off begins on the day you are line checked.

Thanks alot dreamland. That's a real help. :ok:

and Euro pacific ? they are reliable?

I am a somewhat new contract pilot. I am on my (hopefully) second contract. What have I learned, as it pertains to this thread? Don't fly for Rishworth, ever or anywhere.

Most contract agencies (except) Parc have the same reputation, and that is that once you are "on contract" you get zero support. Rishworth goes one step beyond. They actively seek ways to rip you off. Avoid at all cost.

Parc is the only decent agency.

If someone knows of another, I am willing to listen

ok any pilot at Vac with euro pacific can give me any feed back??

thanks

Just posting to check if any A320 F/O has been to the screening recently (May until now) and can provide feedback on the experience, I'm heading there soon.

Thanks! :ok:

I worked for VNA for 17 months and was under Rishworth. I think the pay cut was jacked up and not fair but you are working for a foreign company what do you expect. Almost every airline pilot in the States took pay cuts, nothing new to this Industry. I thought other than the pay cut Rishworth did a fine job. I was able to change my schedule from 6X2,5X3 and month on month off. I thought the medical was better than I had in my home country. I would use Rishworth again if I wanted to do contract work again.

super Mate go ahead.... they are better than Parc eheheh.....doesnt make any sense.

Hi all looking for some info on the VNA Rishworth ATR FO contract.

Seem to remember reading 6 months ago that pay was $6k plus housing allowance. Latest contract however is about $5.3K with no housing.
Whats the deal has it reduced recently?

Anybody got an interview or a contract for B777 FO recently? How's the hiring situation for this fleet? Is it worth a try now?