PARCpilots quit Japan Air Lines Express

[me98]

PARC-JALEX pilot

Perhaps if PARC does not have a permanent corporate presence in Tokyo, then the JALEX pilots must settle for PARC's labor-management support from afar. The Japanese airlines may instead think 'out of sight, out of mind'. If there are so many JALEX pilots that are experiencing labor-management or contractual difficulties, and unable to get PARC's support as intermediaries, why are the pilots staying with PARC? I have heard that a new Dublin-based Flight Crew leasing company called Direct Personnel International (Direct) just established a presence in Tokyo (using office space at the Ireland Embassy). Perhaps the JALEX pilots should discretely encourage their airline's Recruiting/Staffing managers to consider new airline/leasing company discussions with Direct, and then jump over to Direct themselves.

[agent]

Had a contract with PARC that went very sour very quickly. To ciut a long story short I didn't get paid and spent many months chasing the very unhelpful staff for my money. Not to mention the insurances that they waved in front of me. Be careful anyone taking a contract from them. Demand to see the certification, and if you can, get paid up front.

[STOKKEN]

Are you serious...... jump from PARC to Direct Personnel..... boy that is out of the frying pan into the pan. I believe that has been posted by DP themselves..... If you think things are bad and they cant get worse you can only find out for yourselves. Not an Agency supporter myself but DP.. they are nowhere near the quality of PARC. Just goes to show what a shabby bunch they all are at the end of the day but there are top enders and PARC are one of them

[me98]

Stokken, its clear that the other 25 commentators, most of whom are pilots that are or have been working directly for Parc, feel that Parc is a "top ender" as you say. I am confident that if the Leasing Companies really valued their customers and Flight Crew staff, they would have a local office or at least some representative here permanently to support that effort. Perhaps the pilots commenting here are experiencing a smaller labor-management misunderstanding that has grown larger by leasing company's inattention to their duty to serve as intermediary? Or the leasing company doesn't really understand the new challenges facing Japanese aviators and airline companies.

[Dog Driver]

Japanese flying

I expect this is a little off topic but, seems a lot of you are doing something I am contemplating.

I am interested in getting into the Japanese (MD-80?) flying. I am US and been flying left seat of the 80 for a few years.

My wife is a Japanese citizen as are my kids and I am pondering packing up and moving over there. I hear the climate is a little cold to ‘round eyes’ that work over there. My wife is non-aviation and can offer no information about the flying situation. Is it feasible to get a work permit and if I do, will anyone hire a ‘round eye’? Forgive my ignorance but I know little / nothing about PARC. Maybe a few year contract to test the waters? Would PARC be not so bad if I live there? What could be expected for bases, equipment, pay etc?
I have an FAA ATP and expect I will need to get the JAA. Is that true? Impossible? Anyone have any idea were I start?

I have been over there many times and enjoy the country. Just never worked there.

Any information would be ever so greatly appreciated.

[Kaptin M]

Dependent upon your TT, and time in the lhs on the MD, you probably would qualify for one of the positions (on the MD) with JAL Express, that PARC are trying to fill.
Base - at the moment, Osaka, but there is a rumour that it may change...to where? Who knows.
Equipment - old...very old....MD80's, with no RNAV (restricted to FL's below FL290 as of next year.)
Pay - around USD8.5k/month (about 40% of a Japanese pilot's salary ie 60% LESS!!), for which you will fly at least 25% MORE, and get 2 days LESS "OFF" per month.
You don't get your Birthday off either ....nor the 3 days "Summer Leave", nor the twice yearly bonus...
There is NO Sick Leave (for gaijin). If you need to take time off, you will forfiet a day's pay for each day you're unavailable.
Ask to see the contract, if you wish, but understand that YOU will be the only one put under any pressure to abide by it. The other side will break, change/alter any parts of it at will!

You will find it difficult - if not impossible - to gain direct employment initially, not to mention the enormous cost to yourself, paying for a JCAB ATPL.
JCAB will not recognise ANY other country's licences above PPL on a private application.
Sponsored by an airline, it is easier, but you will still need to put in about 5 months (down from 7) of study and sim rides, before being issued with a Japanese licence.

But be warned, this is the company (JAL Express) around which this thread evolves, so read the other contributions thoroughly.

I have been over there many times and enjoy the country.

You will find LIVING here, full-time, is a totally different experience

My wife is a Japanese citizen as are my kids

That will probably act in your favour, that way, they can apply pressure to you both from the work side, and via your (Japanese) wife.
Japanese act differently within their own country (esp. towards foreigners), and many of those who have lived outside Japan for lengthy periods have to go through a re-adjustment period on return.
Check with your wife whether or not SHE is going to be happy to return to live in Japan.

DON'T be blinded by a salary that initially looks okay - the cost of living is very, very high in Japan. During Winter, my monthly gas bill (to heat the shoebox apartment in which we live) usually runs to about USD400, and electricity about USD170-250.
Combined with the prevaricatory, confrontationist style management, the salary is typical Asian aviation "sweat shop" stuff.
Yes, Japan IS an Asian country

[Dog Driver]

Thanks but more please

Thanks for the information.

Right now my family spends 3 to 6 months in Japan each year so her side should be ok.

Down side is the training. Sounds impossible to live (income) while training privately. Do the parc pilots require the same training ? Is it covered in the contract?? I remember getting a call maybe 7 years ago that offered dc-10 stuf (J-bird). Seems the traning was 9 months at the time. They offered full salery from day one.

Do you know if the schedule is ron or back to base each night ?? I have a place to stay but it is a few hours from Osaka. Ok to commute one or two times a week but not every night.

TT is around 10,000 with a lot of time in OLD 80's. About 2000 as PIC. Is that a good number for them ??

Is the flying as anal as I imagine or can you actually talk to the crews you work with ?? I always seemed to get along with everyone I met there but that was not in a big city.

Sorry to be such a bother but this is a big step for the family ... ok, me. I give my wife credit for moving to another country as it scares to poop out of me.

Are most of the guys single, family ?? Just how big of a shock was it to go over there ??

Thanks

[Kaptin M]

Anyone taking a contract will be given the required training & exams in Japan, by the contracting airline - it's covered in the contract.
You won't be on full salary during the initial 5 months.

JEX schedules are a mix of daily returns, and 2/3/4 day trips.
Scheduling is extremely INefficient, and no consideration is given to length of time at home between duties.
The Japanese pilots are allocated a minimum 2 "OFF" days after 4 days away - gaijin have been regularly scheduled 4 days away (0645 sign-on, on Day 1, 2045 sign-off on Day 4), with 1 "OFF" day back to back with the same.

I have a place to stay but it is a few hours from Osaka.

Under the current contract that wouldn't be suitable, unfortunately. The contract requires you to live within 45 minutes of the airport, using public transport.

The flying itself is very interesting, with plenty of wx related "extras" thrown in year round....windshear, x/wind, icy/snow-covered runways, typhoons, sea fogs, etc, to help keep you awake.

We had a preponderance of single guys, but it is mainly they who have resigned.

The "shock" has been the flagrant flaunting of the contract, by the Japanese. Prior to working here, I had (and still have) several Japanese friends whom I'd met o/s, and I had visited here both for pleasure, and work probably at least 100 times.
But living here full-time is a completely NEW experience, to being a visitor.
I had also lived and worked in other parts of Asia, with Asian airlines (Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia), for about 10 years before I came to Japan - as had several other chaps. With not ONE of those employers was there EVER the regular, outright, intentional breaches of contract, nor the racial discrimination, we all experienced here.
Remember, Japan was a closed society, until Admiral Perry forced them to open in the 1850's. That "closed society" psyche (us & them) still exists.
I had admired the Japanese culture and morality of a couple of hundred years earlier.
Being the great copiers (vs inventors) they are, they seem to have discarded many of their traditional, honorable traits, for lesser ones.
The "Jap crap" term for cheap Japanese imports that I remember being used in the 1960's, is probably not true of most Japanese consumer products sold today (although I think we in the West fail to realise that Japan is a very "throw-away" society), however the depth of quality in the upper level managerial staff could well be classified that way.

In other words, after having seen the REAL face behind the geisha's make-up, I have been surprised...and disappointed.

[Havens can wait]

Dear Kaptin M,

Thank you for your helpful feedbacks to all who wish to join this madhouse, JEX. I must say that you were right on the button, almost every time except when it comes to the salary.

The three most qualified MD80 captains who have been flying in Japan with Harlequin for 8 years, are now being offered a $8000 salary plus a shoebox apartment, not only that , but those three captains, who were the only guys who survived the Japanese culture shock and the kabouki, out of 16 gaijin captains that initially joined Harlequin.

Now those three wonderful Captains were told that they will be getting 80% of their salary during training period of 6 to 8 weeks!! Hit me please.

And when they asked what training period, the answer was , well you are joining another company, so you need retraining , on an aircraft they have been flying for 8 years in this country!! Hit me again will you!

And to add insult to injury 90% of their co-pilots who gave them heart attacks every time they let them fly, now have been upgraded to captains, and guess what, those newly upgraded captains with 50 hrs PIC on the MD80, YES FIFTY HOURS, will receive their full salary during the training period, plus a 40% more salary than their former gaijin captains

Now, if you want to come here and work for JEX, you're welcome, just make sure you bring with you a good supply of an excellent quality Vaseline, and prepare to bend, not backward.

Long live Kaptain M.

[Dog Driver]

Thanks Kaptain M

Really, thanks a lot.

Sounds like it is not for me right now. Perhaps a long hauler that spends a few days there is better for me.

I saw the 767 jobs posted here a few weeks ago that claimed 'commutable'. Do you know anything of that ??

Also, what is the mean experience level over there (hours).
Will anyone even look at me with 10K TT & 3K of 80 time ?

I really appreciate your experience. Can't thank you enough.

DD

[PARC-JALEX pilot]

PARC makes this contract loose and loose again for them.
Becuse the PARC allwaays does not help the pilots for there problems and is allways standing with the JEX now many pilots allready resign.
PARC is loosing the comissions for them self also the JEX is angry becuse the many PARC pilots did leave.
Bad handeling by the PARC.

[A-3TWENTY]

There are plenty

of jobs nowadays.......enjoy and pick your chance!!!!!


Leave the PARC staff flying for the japs...

[PARC-JALEX pilot]

Another 2 now has qitted from this compeny of lyer.
Treetmint of non Japan worker is maybe like Chinese damanstrate, like a dog for them.
Japan pilot is not alow to fly for to many hours and must be taking 10 day holidays in evry month, but forain dog must fly much more for leser days holiday and for much leser money.
But still forain dog dont make big safity mistake like a Japan super pilot.

[Kaptin M]

The Stress Level created by the grossly inequitous treatment between the foreign PARC Captains and the Japanese pilots, is taking its toll.
Of the original 24 contracted pilots, there will be only 10 remaining as at the end of May.

There were 3 Harlequin pilots who had been living and working in Japan (Fukuoka), flying the MD, for close to 9 years, and who were lined up to come to JAL Express on the same aircraft.
They were smart enough to sus out the aggressive, deceitful style of management at an early stage, and withdrew their offers of employment.
Good move guys!

[PARC-JALEX pilot]

Now another is qited sudernly.

Conditon for forainer is **** in JALEX.
This is third world countrys people with bad manner.

[PARC-JALEX pilot]

Here this one is such fun compeny to be work for even the Skycasts cabin crews resining.