Aer Lingus / Sigma desperation
 

Aer Lingus used to offer FOs a 6-12 month contract paying around €4,500 with minimum requirements at 800 on type, 1500 total.

A few weeks back, the offer increased to 2 years and €7,500 per month. Arguably one of the better pay deals for FOs in Europe right now.

They've just reduced the flight time minimums to 500 on type, 800 total.

What is going on over there?

My outfit sent some pilots there for a limited time. They came back horrified as they had to use paper charts, books and runway weight charts as they don't have an EFB yet. My outfit is paperless since 10 years so many of them had never worked without...

Contract pilots are not very welcome and the permanent guys make this very clear. Think twice unless your desperate.

Unfortunately it would seem that a minority of these "contractors" have tarnished it for the rest. Hard landings, experience levels that are not commensurate with stated hours, poor flying, cavalier attitudes to SOPs, various incidents, inability to speak intelligible English and various acts of unprofessionalism that we haven't seen in the airline before have put many of the captains on edge and made for a long day. This has probably spilled over to give rise to the comments above. From what I hear there have been a number of good ones that unfortunately weren't offered a permanent position due to the nature of the HR beast that rules so many of the worlds airlines these days. Flight operations would have offered them permanent positions in a heartbeat as they are a known quantity but aren't allowed to.

Contrary to popular belief it's actually in the unions interest to have a certain level of FO contractors as it reduces the risk of anyone on the seniority list being chopped when the next downturn comes.

Not sure about the reasoning here but you can't have the cake and eat it.

If the full time pilots don't want contractors then they should instruct their union to do something about it. If not, get on with your jobs and accept that sometimes you fly with contract colleagues, sometimes you don't.

safelife, EI pilots have been using an EFB for over 2 years now...

With the honourable exception of the last two posts, there has been some serious rubbish posted in response to the OP.

There may be a handful of grumpy Captains who whinge about flying with contract co-pilots, but the same individuals complain about everything else as well. This is the case in every company. But the vast majority are as professional as any pilots you will encounter anywhere in the world.

As for contract co-pilots breaking a strike. With what Captains?

And regardless, IALPA doesn't do strikes, at least not its own strikes.

You can to a degree. When the inevitable next downturn occurs in the industry there will be a surplus of pilots. Historically some will avail of special leave but others may well be surplus to requirement. The unions position has historically been that jobs and pension are more important than T&Cs. In the past this has meant that in order to preserve jobs then you must hand over pay and conditions. In having contractors you can cut them adrift and the company has less of a position to argue for your hard earned.

The issue is really the numbers of contractors and the impact that this will have on the lowest pilot on the seniority list. Its a fine balance.

They will have some trouble getting 800 hours on type. Those with hours on type are getting hoovered up quickly. Curious if some companies will lower the requirements soon if their is a shortage with some of the movement that is going on.

I speak as contractor based in Dublin.

There is a lot of truth in this post by those on both sides of the argument. On the whole you never do feel part of the EI family, you seem to find yourself as an outsider. The airline is run by those whom joined at 18 under cadet schemes. There is a lot of bickering inside Aer Lingus about siniority especially those approaching the magic left seat and those in the left outside Dublin (Heathrow/Gatwick/Belfast) waiting to get in.

They keep you loyal with the promise of extensions and the chance of being made permanent. You may well get an extension if your contract runs out at a time when FOs are needed. As far as being made permanent: You have as much chance of that if you were applying as an outsider for the Direct Entry scheme as contractors must also apply this way and conduct the screening as if they have never set foot on a green plane.

All in all, if I can give you my sincerest advise, if you want a quick stop in Europe to fly the A320 by all means this may be for you. However do not bank your career on this, you will have no seniority for the entire length of your service and those cadets joining every year whom do not even have a PPL are automatically above you. If you do make it as a permanent FO which I would say is a %20 chance, you will start at the bottom needing at least 12 years for the left seat and maybe 18-20 for left seat A330.

This is what I have seen first hand, take it or leave it. It is an extremely good experience, if like myself you use it as a stepping stone for other carriers.