Pilots leaving Easy
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easyJet has an excellent fleet with new A319's pouring in and virtually new 737-700's with the crappy old -300's leaving the fleet. It has good bases throughout Europe, an excellent route structure and quick promotion to the LHS for those that can be bothered.
From a pilots point of view, easyJet should therefore be a good bet. The image is that of a successful airline and even though the TV show does not always paint it in the best light, it is profitable and successful.
The problem for its pilots is that:
a) the working conditions are unduly harsh, and
b) It is not a pleasant place to work , because lifestyle is what the pilots lack and always will due to unstable rostering and poor management decisions. I'm not blaming the Rostering Dept. because the number of pilots they have to work with is often FAR less than optimum, another reason why people leave, making the situation even worse. The early starts, late finishes, short turn around times and long flying day add to fatigue which goes unchecked and is therefore unsustainable. The pension at 7% is crap, and loss of licence, no PHI and basic pay still lags behind that of other airlines. Add all the above, now do you see my point?
From a pilots point of view, easyJet should therefore be a good bet. The image is that of a successful airline and even though the TV show does not always paint it in the best light, it is profitable and successful.
The problem for its pilots is that:
a) the working conditions are unduly harsh, and
b) It is not a pleasant place to work , because lifestyle is what the pilots lack and always will due to unstable rostering and poor management decisions. I'm not blaming the Rostering Dept. because the number of pilots they have to work with is often FAR less than optimum, another reason why people leave, making the situation even worse. The early starts, late finishes, short turn around times and long flying day add to fatigue which goes unchecked and is therefore unsustainable. The pension at 7% is crap, and loss of licence, no PHI and basic pay still lags behind that of other airlines. Add all the above, now do you see my point?
Is EasyJet supposed to be the British equivalent of Southwest? From some baffling facts I read about Ryanair (in a US flight ops. publication), it could not be that one...
Maybe there is not a valid comparison, but I worked with and know one pilot who left Southwest (he earned the free type rating in a Navy squadron), as he was hired by another airline with a crewbase much closer to his hometown. He was laid off, but has a desk job with the Navy.
To leave Southwest is quite rare, except for those who retire. Right now, post 9/11, it is impossible for me to imagine.
Maybe there is not a valid comparison, but I worked with and know one pilot who left Southwest (he earned the free type rating in a Navy squadron), as he was hired by another airline with a crewbase much closer to his hometown. He was laid off, but has a desk job with the Navy.
To leave Southwest is quite rare, except for those who retire. Right now, post 9/11, it is impossible for me to imagine.
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Well, I *am* working for EZY and guess what, I like it! Look outside your country and compare T&C there, you will find easyjet is still a great deal! Sure, 7% might be very little in your eyes, but a lot of other companys pay "Zero" around the globe and have far worse working conditions! I have seen a few ! EZY´s airplanes are new, rosters are stable, however I admit that the individual base has a lot of impact on lifestyle. On the other hand, aviation is a tough business in these days and I honestly feel a lot better to work for a company with 700mill GBP cash in the bank, making a profit and probably stays in the market for some time, instead for a smaller "aviation-club" with more generous T&C´s, some more leave/days off but never sure, when they might go bust....
It´s absolutely mandatory to consider these facts, if you have to take care for a family, for example. I hate it to move around the globe, searching for the next job, which gives me 10K more per year maybe, but never feel "at home" and stable lifestyle-wise.
Again, look and compare to companys *below* easyjet and find out, it´s still a hell of a good job in these years....
It´s absolutely mandatory to consider these facts, if you have to take care for a family, for example. I hate it to move around the globe, searching for the next job, which gives me 10K more per year maybe, but never feel "at home" and stable lifestyle-wise.
Again, look and compare to companys *below* easyjet and find out, it´s still a hell of a good job in these years....
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I agree with all points except the last post. what is the point of having a family when you are never around? In my view, work less get paid more and see your family more! I have got three flights rostered this month one involves lying on a beach in the Maldives with my family and getting paid for it. I am a little bit annoyed by it as I will miss out on 24 sectors! Not!
Just to clear one thing up, Easy is not like Southwest. at South west people never leave as they get rewarded for working bloody hard. At Easy you do not. Fact!
Just to clear one thing up, Easy is not like Southwest. at South west people never leave as they get rewarded for working bloody hard. At Easy you do not. Fact!
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@Constant Speed DU
As I stated in my posting: "the individual base has a lot of impact on lifestyle"
It´s not everywhere as tough as maybe LGW, LTN or STN. I am based in Germany now and the lifestyle is simply fantastic!
Only my experience, I can see my family more than ever before, I am at home every day, can meet with friends and enjoy my house, something I missed before for many many years ! Well, we don´t have the "maldives for free", that´s true....
All I want to say: It works for quite a few, but not for all. We should work on that, fully agree! That´s our company, don´t hesitate!
As I stated in my posting: "the individual base has a lot of impact on lifestyle"
It´s not everywhere as tough as maybe LGW, LTN or STN. I am based in Germany now and the lifestyle is simply fantastic!
Only my experience, I can see my family more than ever before, I am at home every day, can meet with friends and enjoy my house, something I missed before for many many years ! Well, we don´t have the "maldives for free", that´s true....
All I want to say: It works for quite a few, but not for all. We should work on that, fully agree! That´s our company, don´t hesitate!
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Col Klink, I am amazed at your reply... and for once, like Springbok, agree with you.
Its a pity that one of your old colleagues, FlapOne, is talking Baloney and still has his blinkers on. But what can we expect from a man whose standing for NEO and probably the Base Capts job as well.
You say you've compliled a list of 230 pilots who have left easy ... he state's hes only met 3,.... yet he works out of LGW. Talk about rose tinted spec's.
Now maybe you'll see why you never had the support of the masses at easy, with characters like that on the CC!
As you say easy could be fantastic, but they just pushing ... hard to fly planes without pilots. They may have plenty for TRSS but you need them to try and replace our hard working FO's who are leaving in droves ..... but now the Capts are start to slide, they won't soon be able to fill the LHS which ....is going to fun.
CAT3B .. you say life is good in Germany, we know it is. But the rumour is abound that Milan will be under new T&C's ... lets see if that filters backwards to you, and Paris. Will be interesting. remember that most of you guys also are tax free, BIG DIFFERENCE .... you can go Part Time and still be on the same take home as us working our butts off!
To show how stupid they are;
Pilots on 50% rosters (10 days in 4 weeks) and limited to 490 hours a year ... these guys are flying 80 hrs a month ..... how does that work.
Crew always on high days.
Pilots calling in fatigued, but being told their sick.
The letter from JP, telling LGW pilots to wind their necks in.
Amazing its only LGW that does not like 5254... when I fly at other bases they hate it to ..... are the Base Capts there telling porkies ... I think so.
Roll on the new Boss, or get bigger doors to allow the mass exodus.
All leave is cancelled till morale improves.
Its a pity that one of your old colleagues, FlapOne, is talking Baloney and still has his blinkers on. But what can we expect from a man whose standing for NEO and probably the Base Capts job as well.
You say you've compliled a list of 230 pilots who have left easy ... he state's hes only met 3,.... yet he works out of LGW. Talk about rose tinted spec's.
Now maybe you'll see why you never had the support of the masses at easy, with characters like that on the CC!
As you say easy could be fantastic, but they just pushing ... hard to fly planes without pilots. They may have plenty for TRSS but you need them to try and replace our hard working FO's who are leaving in droves ..... but now the Capts are start to slide, they won't soon be able to fill the LHS which ....is going to fun.
CAT3B .. you say life is good in Germany, we know it is. But the rumour is abound that Milan will be under new T&C's ... lets see if that filters backwards to you, and Paris. Will be interesting. remember that most of you guys also are tax free, BIG DIFFERENCE .... you can go Part Time and still be on the same take home as us working our butts off!
To show how stupid they are;
Pilots on 50% rosters (10 days in 4 weeks) and limited to 490 hours a year ... these guys are flying 80 hrs a month ..... how does that work.
Crew always on high days.
Pilots calling in fatigued, but being told their sick.
The letter from JP, telling LGW pilots to wind their necks in.
Amazing its only LGW that does not like 5254... when I fly at other bases they hate it to ..... are the Base Capts there telling porkies ... I think so.
Roll on the new Boss, or get bigger doors to allow the mass exodus.
All leave is cancelled till morale improves.
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Flying Orange
CK quite correctly quotes 230 in the LAST 3 YEARS!! FROM ALL BASES!!
Read what I said again. For heaven's sake, I never said only 3 in the last 3 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With people not reading what's written or listening to what's said it's a wonder any of us can actually keep going!
CK quite correctly quotes 230 in the LAST 3 YEARS!! FROM ALL BASES!!
Read what I said again. For heaven's sake, I never said only 3 in the last 3 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With people not reading what's written or listening to what's said it's a wonder any of us can actually keep going!
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now guys this is a check list for better pay
take it easy
join balpa
very easy
enough said
p.s. i am not even with easy and i dont know why i am saying this but remember life is NOT always easy with easy jet,job is important so is pay,the only way the management can make money is by paying less they can do nothing about fuel,airport tax, so what they can do,yes you got it paying every one some cr*p wages put your foot down and join balpa
take it easy
join balpa
very easy
enough said
p.s. i am not even with easy and i dont know why i am saying this but remember life is NOT always easy with easy jet,job is important so is pay,the only way the management can make money is by paying less they can do nothing about fuel,airport tax, so what they can do,yes you got it paying every one some cr*p wages put your foot down and join balpa
defunct midlands operators
Brakes to Park me old chum...
The " now defunct midlands operator" to which you refer went defunct due to international management incompetence of Olympic proportions, despite the best efforts of ops and flightcrew, many of whom worked extremely hard, not least filling in for colleagues who were "off sick" at interviews, just like you lot at EZY obviously do.
Airlines don't award you a decent lifestyle or pay package out of the goodness of their hearts, they do it through negotiation with the people concerned, and uniquely in industry, for the time being, the best brains in an airline are on the flightdeck, not in Head Office.
No amount of hard work at the coalface will protect a company from the incompetence of its own management!
Do pay attention there's a good man.
The " now defunct midlands operator" to which you refer went defunct due to international management incompetence of Olympic proportions, despite the best efforts of ops and flightcrew, many of whom worked extremely hard, not least filling in for colleagues who were "off sick" at interviews, just like you lot at EZY obviously do.
Airlines don't award you a decent lifestyle or pay package out of the goodness of their hearts, they do it through negotiation with the people concerned, and uniquely in industry, for the time being, the best brains in an airline are on the flightdeck, not in Head Office.
No amount of hard work at the coalface will protect a company from the incompetence of its own management!
Do pay attention there's a good man.
Last edited by hec7or; 29th Oct 2005 at 20:05.
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A couple of points: firstly, since management don't give me the figures any more, the list of 230 is a minimum as I am sure there are more. In my visit to Southwest Airlines last May, it was stated by a senior SWA pilot that they have about 4000 pilots, and only one or two leave every year. That means easyJet has an attrition rate 200 times higher. Yet, SWA makes the most money of any US carrier, has never been unprofitable and last year bought 47 Boeing 737-700's from the factory. Their terms and conditions are the envy of the industry and the retention rate and consequently profits are the highest! All this while their pilots are the most productive. Go figure?
Secondly, all overseas basings, and I am sure this will include Malpensa are secondments on a UK contract. Any other "B scale" contracts being considered have serious repercussions and will not be acceptable to easyJet pilots, no matter how much money the airline thinks it can save. Since many future basings will be in Europe as the UK is saturated, it goes to follow that new commands will be on less money than they are now if a second tier salary is introduced. Wanna bet you will go back to the UK pay scales when eventually transferred back to your home base?
With respect to some comments on the 5/2/5/4, remember that this system is supposed to be far less fatiguing than comparable systems used in the past. If you massively undercrew ANY roster, the results will be: disruption, fatigue, instability and higher sickness levels. Sound familiar? Those who remember the random rostering of the past will be glad that at least the current 5/2/5/4 is still less fatiguing than what could have been and I shudder to think what this summer would have been like had the Pilots Council not dragged easyJet management into the 21st Century.
Secondly, all overseas basings, and I am sure this will include Malpensa are secondments on a UK contract. Any other "B scale" contracts being considered have serious repercussions and will not be acceptable to easyJet pilots, no matter how much money the airline thinks it can save. Since many future basings will be in Europe as the UK is saturated, it goes to follow that new commands will be on less money than they are now if a second tier salary is introduced. Wanna bet you will go back to the UK pay scales when eventually transferred back to your home base?
With respect to some comments on the 5/2/5/4, remember that this system is supposed to be far less fatiguing than comparable systems used in the past. If you massively undercrew ANY roster, the results will be: disruption, fatigue, instability and higher sickness levels. Sound familiar? Those who remember the random rostering of the past will be glad that at least the current 5/2/5/4 is still less fatiguing than what could have been and I shudder to think what this summer would have been like had the Pilots Council not dragged easyJet management into the 21st Century.
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hec7or.
Curious callsign? But, however I totally agree with you.
There is an airline: was, called Air Holland.
It has recently been included into the TUI group. It has gone bust 5 times in 20 years. The crews, poor misguided souls they were, tried in vain each time to save it. Failed, obviously. The management were pure rubbish, and each rebirth inherited the same management personnel with different investors. The quick buck investors made a few bucks with variopus scams, and the crew personnel achieved nothing, but being out of work once again. There has never been an airline sent to the wall by the crews. Listen and read my lips. It is the managers who cause airlines to collapse, not the crews. Screwing the crews into the ground has never saved an airline from going bust. The % is too small. It is always total incompetance of managment, usually fuelled by greed. Look at history. It is that simple!
Curious callsign? But, however I totally agree with you.
There is an airline: was, called Air Holland.
It has recently been included into the TUI group. It has gone bust 5 times in 20 years. The crews, poor misguided souls they were, tried in vain each time to save it. Failed, obviously. The management were pure rubbish, and each rebirth inherited the same management personnel with different investors. The quick buck investors made a few bucks with variopus scams, and the crew personnel achieved nothing, but being out of work once again. There has never been an airline sent to the wall by the crews. Listen and read my lips. It is the managers who cause airlines to collapse, not the crews. Screwing the crews into the ground has never saved an airline from going bust. The % is too small. It is always total incompetance of managment, usually fuelled by greed. Look at history. It is that simple!
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Flying Orange -
"CAT3B .. you say life is good in Germany, we know it is. But the rumour is abound that Milan will be under new T&C's ... lets see if that filters backwards to you, and Paris. Will be interesting. remember that most of you guys also are tax free, BIG DIFFERENCE .... you can go Part Time and still be on the same take home as us working our butts off!"
Are you serious??!!! Do you think the guys on our “main land” bases created the tax laws that apply to them??!! Are you jealous? You are more than welcome to move to a new country, a new town and a new life if you want to enjoy the same benefits….right?? I’m sure language will not be a problem as you speak Italian, French or German, right?? Because you don’t seriously think that all pilots in Berlin/Dortmund are German, the pilots in Paris are French and that the guys in Milan will be Italian…?? A lot of people, me included, have left family and friends back home just because we could not get a job or base in the country we come from... Now, I don’t have a wife / kids so for me it’s not bad at all, but imagine for those who have?? It sounds like you are talking about two different companies, competing against each other on T & C’s….Well, WE’RE NOT!!!! This is exactly why we have the crap T & C’s that we have!! Because people only think as long as their nose goes!! We, who are already in the company, should do everything in our power (JOIN BALPA!!) to stop the company from changing to worse (Is that even possible???!!) T & C’s on new bases/for new joiners!!! This includes YOU Flying Orange!! What could you possible get out of the company cutting T & C’s on bases outside UK??? Do you think the company would stop at the bases outside UK if they would succeed??? Well, I’ll be the first to inform you – They would NOT!!! You, and I, would be up next!!!
Having said that I DO agree with the rest in your post...
/CP
"CAT3B .. you say life is good in Germany, we know it is. But the rumour is abound that Milan will be under new T&C's ... lets see if that filters backwards to you, and Paris. Will be interesting. remember that most of you guys also are tax free, BIG DIFFERENCE .... you can go Part Time and still be on the same take home as us working our butts off!"
Are you serious??!!! Do you think the guys on our “main land” bases created the tax laws that apply to them??!! Are you jealous? You are more than welcome to move to a new country, a new town and a new life if you want to enjoy the same benefits….right?? I’m sure language will not be a problem as you speak Italian, French or German, right?? Because you don’t seriously think that all pilots in Berlin/Dortmund are German, the pilots in Paris are French and that the guys in Milan will be Italian…?? A lot of people, me included, have left family and friends back home just because we could not get a job or base in the country we come from... Now, I don’t have a wife / kids so for me it’s not bad at all, but imagine for those who have?? It sounds like you are talking about two different companies, competing against each other on T & C’s….Well, WE’RE NOT!!!! This is exactly why we have the crap T & C’s that we have!! Because people only think as long as their nose goes!! We, who are already in the company, should do everything in our power (JOIN BALPA!!) to stop the company from changing to worse (Is that even possible???!!) T & C’s on new bases/for new joiners!!! This includes YOU Flying Orange!! What could you possible get out of the company cutting T & C’s on bases outside UK??? Do you think the company would stop at the bases outside UK if they would succeed??? Well, I’ll be the first to inform you – They would NOT!!! You, and I, would be up next!!!
Having said that I DO agree with the rest in your post...
/CP
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Easyjet profitable...?
http://www.easyjet.com/common/img/In...5Statement.pdf
• Revenues up by 26% to £553m with the pre-tax margin before goodwill maintained.
• Seasonal pre-tax loss before goodwill of £22m (2004: £19m). Reported pre-tax loss of £31m
(2004: £27m).
• Passenger numbers up 25% to 13.5 m. Slight improvement in load factor to 83.8%.
• Total revenue per passenger up 1.1%. Per ASK down 5% reflecting longer stage length.
• Total cost per ASK down 5%.
• Strong cash generation with gross cash increasing by £127m to £637m.
• Balanced growth in network to 187 routes and 57 airports utilising 103 aircraft.
http://www.easyjet.com/common/img/In...5Statement.pdf
• Revenues up by 26% to £553m with the pre-tax margin before goodwill maintained.
• Seasonal pre-tax loss before goodwill of £22m (2004: £19m). Reported pre-tax loss of £31m
(2004: £27m).
• Passenger numbers up 25% to 13.5 m. Slight improvement in load factor to 83.8%.
• Total revenue per passenger up 1.1%. Per ASK down 5% reflecting longer stage length.
• Total cost per ASK down 5%.
• Strong cash generation with gross cash increasing by £127m to £637m.
• Balanced growth in network to 187 routes and 57 airports utilising 103 aircraft.
Colonel Klink: You forgot to mention one key point about Southwest Airlines, and it is not just a coincidence.
Southwest Airlines has been heavily unionized for many years. Many US Pprune members would rather not advertise this fact, or hope that others don't discover this basic point. In-house or not, it is a glaring fact. Get your cheap Walgreen's sunglasses out of your flightbag.
Their founder, Herb Kelleher, created a company which values its staff very highly, based upon everything I've read about it.
Let's make a "compare and contrast [school report]". Managements can't simply pulverize unions, as happened at Continental in '83 by abusing US Banktruptcy code and declaring Chapter 11, in order to destroy their contracts, and expect success. IF a company's leaders respects its employees, it will find a way to settle a contract with its various unions-not quibble for two or three years.
But the actual goal is, very often, to UPSTREAM/'STEAL' the airline's operating cash, or simply boost overnight the price per share of common or preferred stock, in order for the insiders to make a quick kill-these common motivations and manipulations can NOT be OVEREMPHASIZED, and it happened at the late TWA; since when did Wall Street care about what happens with the staff/employees? Continental's morale reached rock-bottom at one time-why were they not a huge success? If you despise your staff, you indirectly despise your revenue passengers.
For example, trying to "nickel and dime" the entire operation, in olden days, telling employees to keep their mouths shut about improvements to the operation never created a winning, long-term success, did it? A few such airlines achieved very good debt/equity ratios, but morale and team spirit (if it existed) was not healthy. Not when any employee was encouraged to "write-up" colleages, turn in a totally covert, negative report, in case of any disagreement. Let's not name that airline. Their CEO's abuse was the primary cause of the dissolution of the Mutual Aid Pact.
But in the US, many investors care nothing about the long-term. Apparently, neither do many Boards of Directors.
Southwest Airlines has been heavily unionized for many years. Many US Pprune members would rather not advertise this fact, or hope that others don't discover this basic point. In-house or not, it is a glaring fact. Get your cheap Walgreen's sunglasses out of your flightbag.
Their founder, Herb Kelleher, created a company which values its staff very highly, based upon everything I've read about it.
Let's make a "compare and contrast [school report]". Managements can't simply pulverize unions, as happened at Continental in '83 by abusing US Banktruptcy code and declaring Chapter 11, in order to destroy their contracts, and expect success. IF a company's leaders respects its employees, it will find a way to settle a contract with its various unions-not quibble for two or three years.
But the actual goal is, very often, to UPSTREAM/'STEAL' the airline's operating cash, or simply boost overnight the price per share of common or preferred stock, in order for the insiders to make a quick kill-these common motivations and manipulations can NOT be OVEREMPHASIZED, and it happened at the late TWA; since when did Wall Street care about what happens with the staff/employees? Continental's morale reached rock-bottom at one time-why were they not a huge success? If you despise your staff, you indirectly despise your revenue passengers.
For example, trying to "nickel and dime" the entire operation, in olden days, telling employees to keep their mouths shut about improvements to the operation never created a winning, long-term success, did it? A few such airlines achieved very good debt/equity ratios, but morale and team spirit (if it existed) was not healthy. Not when any employee was encouraged to "write-up" colleages, turn in a totally covert, negative report, in case of any disagreement. Let's not name that airline. Their CEO's abuse was the primary cause of the dissolution of the Mutual Aid Pact.
But in the US, many investors care nothing about the long-term. Apparently, neither do many Boards of Directors.
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For the EZY management (Pauli T and Jimbo P and the new kid Andy H) I strongly recommend reading "Nuts" about Herb Kelleher/Southwest and "From worst to first" about Gordon Bethune/Continental.
After reading those books, there is no way in hell that they will ever dare comparing EZY to Southwest Airlines again!
(also a good read for BALPA reps as you can quote from this book during the pay negotiations 
)
Now that we´re on the subject of comparing apples with apples, don’t you guys think it’s strange that a US company is actually our role model? Usually, here in Europe, we pat ourselves on our back for our "superior" labour laws. Strange that here in Europe the low cost airlines are the absolute slave drivers in the industry, while the US LoCos set the standard. With the usual anti-American sentiment, you would expect that to be the other way around. I guess that our American colleagues are light-years ahead of us!
After reading those books, there is no way in hell that they will ever dare comparing EZY to Southwest Airlines again!
(also a good read for BALPA reps as you can quote from this book during the pay negotiations )Now that we´re on the subject of comparing apples with apples, don’t you guys think it’s strange that a US company is actually our role model? Usually, here in Europe, we pat ourselves on our back for our "superior" labour laws. Strange that here in Europe the low cost airlines are the absolute slave drivers in the industry, while the US LoCos set the standard. With the usual anti-American sentiment, you would expect that to be the other way around. I guess that our American colleagues are light-years ahead of us!
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Yes, those books are excellent reads, also "The Southwest Airlines Way" which further chronicles the exploits of Mr Kelleher.
Interestingly, from the Bethune book when he came back to Continental he describes an atmosphere of management mistrust, fear and loathing. He also discribes how CO had made " a pizza so thin that hobody wanted to eat it!" No food on board, not punctual, no frequent flier programme and the staff didn't care. Now, I know CO is a full service operator, but the attititude to it's staff before he got there is remarkably similar to the subject of this topic.
It is no secret that in the UK, the airlines that have the best conditions for their pilots are heavily BALPA airlines, but this thread is not about BALPA as such. The big three I am talking about, VAA, Thomson and BA, all have a significantly better pilot retention rate than we do because the pilots operate in a much better climate where the rosters are more stable, they have better renumeration and the airline therefore does not have to retrain 5 times for each pilot position!!.
Interestingly, from the Bethune book when he came back to Continental he describes an atmosphere of management mistrust, fear and loathing. He also discribes how CO had made " a pizza so thin that hobody wanted to eat it!" No food on board, not punctual, no frequent flier programme and the staff didn't care. Now, I know CO is a full service operator, but the attititude to it's staff before he got there is remarkably similar to the subject of this topic.
It is no secret that in the UK, the airlines that have the best conditions for their pilots are heavily BALPA airlines, but this thread is not about BALPA as such. The big three I am talking about, VAA, Thomson and BA, all have a significantly better pilot retention rate than we do because the pilots operate in a much better climate where the rosters are more stable, they have better renumeration and the airline therefore does not have to retrain 5 times for each pilot position!!.
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The biggest problem in EZY is constantly being worked to the limit! As flight crews we are constantly planned up to the limit with very long days, minimum rest and 900 hours per year. For management, CAP 371 is a target and not a limit. Their excuse: hey, it´s legal so we do it!
So why don´t we as flight crews give them a taste of their own medicine and operate our flights a bit closer to the maximum/legal limit?
#) Underload by 2 tons ---> upload some extra fuel with as target MTOW! Hey, it´s legal!
#) Derated take off thrust ---> why not set the maximum? Hey, it´s legal! The engines are certified for 100%, so why not use it?
#) Fatigue affects judgment ---> be stable at 2000´ and burn a bit more fuel! Safety first and it´s legal!
Obviously human beings are not as important as a bit of engine wear of the cost of a few quids worth of fuel!
So why don´t we as flight crews give them a taste of their own medicine and operate our flights a bit closer to the maximum/legal limit?
#) Underload by 2 tons ---> upload some extra fuel with as target MTOW! Hey, it´s legal!
#) Derated take off thrust ---> why not set the maximum? Hey, it´s legal! The engines are certified for 100%, so why not use it?
#) Fatigue affects judgment ---> be stable at 2000´ and burn a bit more fuel! Safety first and it´s legal!
Obviously human beings are not as important as a bit of engine wear of the cost of a few quids worth of fuel!
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: UK
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In my opinion this company was once very close taking advantage of their huge potential to become a "SWA-like" company........> when they took over GO FLY.....
....they ruined it when Cassani didn't get to take over the management position of Webster. She was the only true "people manager" that I have met in this company in the last 5 years.
There was a second change when Webster resigned.....
Don't get me wrong, I am always doing my best to think "orange" and I like working for EZY but when the management doesn't reply, managers get replaced as fast as a 20 min turnaround and the crew are worked like maniacs without being able to have the peace in mind that this is a place for the future it's not strange that so much potential is wasted.
....they ruined it when Cassani didn't get to take over the management position of Webster. She was the only true "people manager" that I have met in this company in the last 5 years.
There was a second change when Webster resigned.....
Don't get me wrong, I am always doing my best to think "orange" and I like working for EZY but when the management doesn't reply, managers get replaced as fast as a 20 min turnaround and the crew are worked like maniacs without being able to have the peace in mind that this is a place for the future it's not strange that so much potential is wasted.