Just look at how the world media has pulled Malaysia to pieces over something that is not their fault. Imagine what they would do to Ireland.

Blusdup
AQP or Advanced qualification program with my company is a four day event.The first two days are ground school and days three and four are in the sim.day three is MV or manouvers validation basically stalls steep turns v1 cuts single engine app etc.It is training and is basically what the old PC was.day four is the checking portion of the whole event it is scenario based training.you are given a flight for example from Memphis to la guardia with a set number of events that will happen ie re route last minute sid or runway change then something happens in flight before a crossing restriction etc.much more relaxed.It is very strictly scripted so they cannot mess with you.on the whole it is a much more enjoyable experience

This thread is going absolutely off topic, and to be honest I find the free use of the phrase "cash strapped Irish Government" insulting. This is totally off topic!!!! This is an aviation based site, lets keep it that way Polax 52!!

Speed alive rotate.... I don't think it is off topic at all. In my opinion, and this site is mostly about opinions, the fact that the Irish government is cash strapped effects the way Ryanair is regulated.

In the US, due to safety issues, we have gone to 1500 hours as a minimum experience to occupy either seat. This change had to be made as Airlines abused the privelage of being able to select a number of less experienced guys. It is clear that the European low cost Airlines and especially Ryanair are also abusing the system. Now that they may be short of Pilots it appears they may be willing to allow large numbers of absolutely inexperienced guys, I'm my view, to a point where safety is not assured.

The regulator and the Irish government will not stop them due to economic reasons.

As stated by Hanger 6, the IAA is completely separate from the Government and is totally self funded. And to be honest the IAA is one of the more professional Aviation Authorities in Europe. Plenty of information on their website if you require it!!!!


I think you should look more at the ridiculously poor pay you American regional guys are on for your flaws in safety. A huge amount of your regional guys must undertake a second job hence are exhausted whilst in the cockpit. I believe tiredness in this instance has more to do with lack of safety rather than less hours.

Could not agree with you more about the American regionals. I presume you would like to see Ryanair with the same poorly paid Pilot situation and add that to an extremely low experience factor.

If you are saying that the irish economic situation has no effect on the way Ryanair is regulated then I think you are kidding yourself. No true regulator would allow 1300 zero hour Pilots over a 3 year period in to an Airline the size of Ryanair, simply because it is lunacy.

Let's say there were 2 guys; one with 1000 hours air taxi and the other straight out of flight school. I would give them both an assessment and I think I honestly wouldn't know which guy would have more experience.

I think ability counts much more than hours. I have seen some guys who has "thousands of hours" and yet can't fly a SE ILS within limits.

Rather than judge on the amount of hours they have, just put them in the sim and see what happens.

OK, Pilotho.... When you fly into a headwind what speed do you fly at in order to maintain best fuel consumption as compared to still air? Why?

JS....The mafia represents 7% of the Italian economy do you believe that it has no influence over the Italian government?

Polax, I honestly can't remember the answer to that from the groundschool days but rest assure I'm not being arrogant in saying I would fly the ECON speed with the relevant cost index. If I did have a dual FMC failure then I would fly whatever speed the aircraft was doing before the FMC packed up then declare unable RNAV and head out of RVSM.

However, if I were to recruit guys then I would be assessing whether the guys have good airmanship and CRM when dealing with a situation on board. Ultimately the guy who has 1000 PIC hours may be more suited to flying single pilot rather than a multi pilot environment. At the end of the day, as I said, put them in the sim and see what happens.

If you work out the why to that question then you will understand why in all probability the 1000 hour guy is better than the 250 hour guy.

Incidentally, pilotho, are you a cadet who went to CTC?

Guys/Girls,

Just a polite 'heads up' here...

When it comes to voicing your (perfectly legitimate) opinions on here regarding Ryanair, and their relationship with the IAA, please always start your sentence with "in my own humble opinion" or words to that effect... I know several good people who have been threatened with legal action by Ryanair for libel/slander, and forced to make a significant charitable donation as (completely unjustified) recompense, so as to avoid said court case.

It's a litigious world out there... You have been warned!


:ok:

I'll look it up. No, I didn't go to CTC

:p:p:p


That was funny!

The problem of course is that both ability AND experience are required. No one is advocating hiring people with experience but no ability.

The guy that has "thousands of hours" and cannot fly an ILS must have been even worse when he had 200 hours.

The guy that is "brilliant" with 200 hours will be even better when he can back it all up with some experience.

Regardless of ability flying teaches most of us some important lessons early on. It is best that those lessons are not learnt with 200 souls on board and that is the FAA interpretation.

Anyone saying otherwise is trying to sell you something, either their own inexperience or their training/hiring (cost cutting) system.

"200 souls on board"

I haven't heard that expression for a long time now. I even feel quite nostalgic.

The world went over to POB (Persons on Board) from SOB (Souls on Board) donkey's years ago. I believe it had a lot to do with the fact that a certain influential religious grouping in the world objected to the use of the word "souls" since they didn't have any (or something like that).

No doubt someone will illuminate us in due course.

Thought it was down to the heated unsolved debate on seeing eye dogs, and indeed all dogs, either having souls or not.
After all the deadlock on the issue they switched to Persons on Board.

No necessarily. He might have been putting in more effort in those days but is becoming complacent as his hours tick over or his company SOPs discourage hand flying to the extent that his handling skills have simply decayed over time. :*

Then again, it's not like you could practise flying with rudder input during normal line flight.

It is not only about being able to fly a raw data ils flawlessly but also to be realiable and competent if something more serious happens. No real shortcuts getting there but instead involves a long term process on the job including transfer of knowledge flowing from experience to the ones not having any experience. In cases where you have one third of all pilots under 1000 hours it cannot be a good thing irregardless of how great the guys fly in the simulator.

1300 pilots or 2000 pilots it matters not. Ryanair are operating within current EASA regulations. They are legal they are compliant so nothing for the regulator to act on ! ..move along nothing to see here.

There are many overlapping regulations you can claim, e.g. one of the EU OPS requirements for issuing an AOC is:

An AOC will be varied, suspended or revoked if the Authority is no longer satisfied that the operator can maintain safe operations.

Not that they would, just sayin'.. it may bear relevence to the experience level.

[Edited by admin]

This thread seems to have slightly "jinked" in course.....

We have to be fair and say that for all the RYR faults, the company does train it's pilots very, very well, and although people are saying there are a number of incidents, I genuinely don't believe that this is in excess of the industry norm. - it maybe gets highlighted in the press more than another airline would be presented by comparison, simply because of the way RYR normally court publicity in any shape or form within the same media. The problem with RYR isn't with the skill-set of it's pilot workforce, the problem lies with how RYR treats it's pilot (and cabin for that matter) workforce....it teats them with very little, to nil, respect and is always seeking to find new ways to "conquer and divide", in order to maintain terms and conditions at a level it deems suitable to allow continued profits at a pre-determined level.

Getting back on thread, I've heard the rumours that this summer will be a very interesting one for RYR, and on face value, it does seem that many more pilots this year are leaving for pastures of a differing shade of green, and I do know that there are FlyDubai aircraft coming this summer, whether that is wet lease or not, couldn't say....

This thread is absolutely ridiculous. I understand the moderators are busy with the MH370 thread, but I cannot understand how polax52 is allowed to continue to post nonsense about the IAA and its relationship with Ryanair.

There is evidence to absolutely rebut the statements about the IAA made by polax52.

ICAO Audited the IAA and found them the 3rd best regulator in Europe (behind France and the UK) and ahead of the USA in the overall scoring. A handy powerpoint is here.

As for the "Irish economic situation" effecting regulation, this is pure cac. The Irish economy is strongly recovering firstly. Secondly:
https://www.iaa.ie/media/Revenue2012721.jpg

polax52 is the worst type of poster. Lazy and unable to the a modicum of research to back up their (incorrect) point. Then relies on ad hominem and composition fallacies when pilotho raises a point to which they do not have a sound rebuttal. :=

Ireland needs its EU membership revoked along with its freedom to operate in the deregulated skies? Jog on mate. :rolleyes:

As a long-time lurker, this thread is the one the finally made me join up. I wasn't too sure about 100% of the cases that were brought against PPRuNe posters by Ryanair, but from looking at polax52's posts, I now understand the need to put manners on some. Maybe polax52 should be more careful, especially when it seems that Ryanair aren't finished taking people to task for their comments online.

Polax52 can I ask what experience of flying in Europe do you have?? And what is your experience in general??? Not only are your Ryanair comments bordering on slander but also your constant Irish/ Irish Government slander I am finding extremely inappropriate and insulting!!

Funny enough, there is scope for it. I decided to do a bit of research and it is quite clear (see the Fiscal Code of Germany) that non-resident individuals will be taxed on German-source income; for example salary and dividends from a limited company.

Then I thought about it a bit more. Aren't these "shell companies" you mention incorporated in the UK, thus making your entire point about Ireland moot?:ugh:

Maybe Calypso you should also take a look at the chart and facts posted by FreudianSlippers as you found my comments on the IAA so funny.
Its clear here the guys who have gone to the trouble of finding the relevant information and facts and then the guys who are talking out their ****!!!

Let me just add that the fact I have to fear Libel action by Ryanair, as an American citizen, for expressing an opinion, an accurate opinion at that, I find shocking.

The addition of 1300 zero hour Pilots over 3 year is a serious safety hazard, in my view. Whatever the propaganda might say. As previously stated I have flown with cadets I do know that a minority are safe and indeed very good. The majority vary from poor to unsafe, at 250 to 1500 hours. Above 1500 hours the vast majority are totally safe.

US laws don't rule the world. You have gone online to publish your "opinions" to the world at large without the realisation that simply saying it is opinion is not a defence to a case in defamation in Ireland or the UK. It needs to have a factual backing.

The fact that Ryanair was granted orders by US courts disclosing the identities of PPRuNe posters not all to long ago tells me you're taking unnecessary risks to malign a company that has little to do with you all the way in Asia.

Let me tell you, that even in the US, there are exceptions to free speech - and one of those is libel. Where you, due to your agenda, post false information in light of clear evidence to the contrary, you can be sued successfully. There is no freedom to malign another individual or company with falsities.

Courts are not so stupid to see through the "opinion" defence when it's invalid. You may have opinions about crew experience, but you cannot say that a company is acting unlawfully when they are not and that there are improper ties between the airline and the regulator when there are not.

Either you have an agenda or you're trolling, but either way it's annoying.

Freudianslippers... I am expressing opinion on the basis of experience.

How did I malign Ryanair with my recent posts?

It is my view that 1300 zero hour Pilots into a company the size of Ryanair is unsafe.

Did I say that Ryanair acted unlawfully?

I thought I said that they operate between the lines of European Law, within that gray area, but outside the spirit of the law.

I am not trolling and I don't have any agenda other than to see safe operation of aircraft.

If it's annoying then log off and don't come back.

In my opinion RyR has the economic strength to manipulate the Irish regulator, and PROBABLY uses it.

Polax

Re Britannia in Girona.

You are talking absolute crap. FACT.

That is all.

JS... your allegation that I made an allegation about financial inducements is totally false. Anyway, wait and see. Ryanair lawyers are looking very closely at my posts and if they find anything which they can make a case on then you will know it.

As you know, because you have read my previous posts, my concerns regard safety and the improvement of this career.

Yeoman.... In what sense is what I said ....(expletive)?

I will delete that post though, I was wrong to reopen old wounds...

I have disagreed with much of Polax's comments, but when it comes to the IAA, I too lack confidence in them. They're very efficient with paperwork, when they chose to be (5 months to convert a licence isn't efficient, though), but regulation of the industry needs to be more than rubber stamping paper.

However, if they are such stringent regulators of safety, one has to wonder why so many other EU airlines have swapped from their domestic register to the IAA - Norwegian and several Italian companies spring to mind, and I think I saw some Baltic operators with Irish registrations too. The airlines won't have done that to face increased oversight and regulation...

And while the IAA may be self-funding, it is part regulated by the DOT, which is an Irish government authority. Whether is be by reducing the IAA burden on the DOT or paying funds directly tot he Irish government, the Irish government is benefiting financially from other nations' airlines transferring registries, and it all smacks of a flag of convenience. Shipping companies did not switch to Panamanian flags for safety benefits.

Polax

It flies in the face of the official accident report for starters. It also flies in the face of my personal knowledge of the gentleman concerned.

It's not an old wound, it is an accident that lessons can be learnt from providing we draw the correct conclusions rather than seeking to introduce factors to make a point. IMVHO, your post did the latter.

Seeing as the incident has been raised, I think it helps make a different point that i would agree with you on and that is that some national authorities could also benefit from the learning experience offered by an accident rather than rushing to defend their own undefendable position.

Back to the thread in question, virtually all our recruits in the last two years have come from RYR and all have been top blokes both professionally and as people. They all also seem to think all their Christmases have come early!

We have also taken a few from CTC and most have been top blokes and blokesses too. I had the pleasure of being involved in a lot of the training for both groups and one from CTC in particular blew my mind. I flew a long and difficult day with them and I had to close my mouth with my hand at the end of it, an exceptional performance for any young FO, never mind a 200 hour one just three weeks after Final Line Check.

Yeoman... I agree that I should not have used that accident to make my point. I apologize to all concerned.

Thanks.

Now added another line as apparently I can't just say thanks, it's too short a message? So in true Training Dept style, I'll now use lots of words to say one.;)

As for the 250 hour guy as I have said previously, I have significant recent experience with cadets in Asia. Some are very good, most need more time. Time which should not be obtained with paying passengers on board.

The guys coming out of Ryanair have that experience. Most of those going in are a gamble. I have beaten this to death. Anyway 1300 zero jet hour cadets is unsafe. I say this not because of any statistics which I have to hand but because of experience.

When people talk about good guys, I know what you mean, but it does not necessarily mean safe Pilot when a situation arises which requires experience.