Dilemma

A company positioning its crew by light aircraft, etc is a very different thing from staff travel. Staff travel is the requirement of the employee whereas positioning is the requirement of the company. There’s no way I could say to TCX to hire a Piper Aztec plus 2 pilots (we have an agreement since the Airtours crash that we will not be flown by a single pilot any more) to fly me from my local airport (Heathrow!) to NCL or GLA there and back every time I go to work. Even if they did it would mean that my flight duty period would have to commence at Heathrow which would mean I was unavailable to do any reasonable length duty once at my place of employment. Now on the other hand if I wanted to sort out my own standby travel that would be my own business and my report would commence up north. However, if I was ever late I’d be subject to disciplinary action for failing to meet the report times as stated in my contract of employment. For short/medium haul there really is no viable solution than to live within reasonable distance. Long haul is a whole different kettle of fish!

Also, those aircraft Mark has listed are the BA Flying Club at Booker, High Wycombe. They are used for people to train for their PPLs. They are not used for positioning crews. That would be a commercial operation. We use Ravenair at Manchester. In fact I caused the use of ravenair a couple of weeks ago when I contacted our maintenance control in the cruise to report a failed instrument. They sent a spare from Manchester to our destination (GLA) on a Ravenair Aztec so that the engineers could get the aircraft fixed so that it could continue to Arrecife. Unfortunately we had picked the aircraft up from Monarch Engineering at LUT so it was pretty unimpressive that we actually had a total of 3 significant faults materialise on a 45 minute flight!

So there’s quite a lot of them then. Cheers Mark 😉

Ren:

http://www.jethros.i12.com/FLEETS/Listings/BRITISH_AIRWAYS_FLYINGCLUB.html

😉

Originally posted by skycruiser
That was to position the crew for duty rather than staff travel.

That’s what I meant Skycrusier, crew positioning, wrong choice of words. To expand this further… do many airlines still have staff flying clubs, using general aviation aircraft ? I recall seeing a Piper aircraft in full BA livery years ago.

That was to position the crew for duty rather than staff travel.

Originally posted by wysiwyg
The problem with commuting using staff travel is that it is on a standby basis with another company. this makes you very low priority to get onboard what can be very busy flights. Not being there is not an option.

Don’t some airlines use their own or chartered planes for staff travel? I’m thinking of the unfortunate aircraft that crashed at GLA carrying Airtours staff to ABZ. Not a good example I know but it was the first time I’d heard of this method of moving staff between airports other than on the actual airliners.

Ian, at least when you are on the airbus you will be coming over to Honkers. I still have a cold beer here waiting for you.

Well done mate, looking forward to seeing you again.:cool:

The problem with commuting using staff travel is that it is on a standby basis with another company. this makes you very low priority to get onboard what can be very busy flights. Not being there is not an option.

Originally posted by Ren Frew
And you’d have to hang around with Sandy, Matthew and me as your only friends. Better off sticking with the move to VA (LMAO) 😀

And yes that is the same model your youngest redesigned during the week (lol):D 😉

Speaking seriously though of a move to NCL or GLA…if you can fly to any of these points from London in an hour or less, why would you or anyone really need to be based and live elsewhere ? Surely flying a 757 is the best form of commuting to work you can have ?

Originally posted by Jeanske_SN
Ren Frew, is there really a goilden VS A346 flying around? Is it expensive?:D.

It’s not really golden, more a kind of silvery/bronze metallic finish that changes it’s appearance depending on which way the light catches it and how you observe it. Wasn’t very expensive as it’s a 1/500th scale model. I collect 1/400th scale and I’m currently pursuing one and a VA 744 on e-bay.

Actually come to think of it, if I don’t get them… er…. Ian, you know you mentioned those generous staff perks at Virgin… ????:D 😉 :rolleyes: :p

Originally posted by wysiwyg
8) Staying at TCX will mean having to move to NCL or GLA to take a 757 command.

Ren – is that the same model that my younger boy snapped the noseleg off? 😮

And you’d have to hang around with Sandy, Matthew and me as your only friends. Better off sticking with the move to VA (LMAO) 😀

And yes that is the same model your youngest redesigned during the week (lol):D 😉

Ian, all the very best with the Airbus course – hope it all works out – keep us informed!!!!

I’m really happy for you Ian.
You will at last work for one of the top airlines in the world.

Maybe a jumpseat for me some day? 😎

me dream is to fly on a va plane so id say he wud be :d lol how much extra for a jumpseat landing

Such an interesting thread with great replies from Wys. I really hope I fly with VS one day! Good luck to you Wys 🙂

yeah but is wysiwyg a safe investment for £150 a year

wys.

Say £150 a year to get on the list eh 😉

Originally posted by wysiwyg
…by paying me HUGE amounts of money! 😀

Wouldn’t be worth it then, the money I’d giuve you I could pay for the flights up front anyway.

:p to you then

lol!

are you serious

Originally posted by Bmused55
Friends and Family concessions eh,,…[eye lid batter] how ould one get on your list of friends….. LMAO! [/eye lid batter]

…by paying me HUGE amounts of money! 😀