Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

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Dh8Classic
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Dh8Classic »

newcanjeter wrote:I was applying for all winter only 737NG jobs posted here. At last count I was at 11 times between TA and SW. My last 737NG ride was October 2013. I have now given up.
Just curious newcanjeter, are you bilingual?
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Charley
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Charley »

I have a current PPC on the 738 with over 10,000 hours tt and 4000 pic, most of which is on the Boeing. I applied for the Seasonal Captain position that was posted on the Transat website in July, all I got was an automatic email reply acknowledging receipt of my resume. I am Canadian, but not bilingual. Oh, and soon to be unemployed.
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Dh8Classic
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Dh8Classic »

Interesting. A pilot who obviously is in the know about AT's hiring policies and has inside knowledge of many details asks,
Gilles Hudicourt wrote:I heard a rumour stating that when Air Transat put out an ad for Seasonal B737 Pilots, including Captains, that no B737 rated Captains applied. Can this be true ?
Here are some of the responses.
buzzjob wrote:A friend of mine applied for a seasonal Capt position and has not heard a thing. He is very experienced and current on the NG...
buzzjob wrote: Not bilingual...shouldn't matter, I know a few TS pilots who are not
Then we hear,
Charley wrote:I have a current PPC on the 738 with over 10,000 hours tt and 4000 pic, most of which is on the Boeing. I applied for the Seasonal Captain position that was posted on the Transat website in July, all I got was an automatic email reply acknowledging receipt of my resume. I am Canadian, but not bilingual. Oh, and soon to be unemployed.
I have brought up the subject of well over 50% of Canadian pilots possibly being excluded from this airline due to not being bilingual(and instead having much less qualified pilots hired) which is why I was so happy to see Sunwing's growth which is now open to everybody.

I was called a lot of names including bigoted for bringing up the subject so I said I would keep an open mind. I still do, but assuming the quoted posters above are telling the truth, an explanation would be much appreciated as to why Gilles was told that no qualified pilots applied..
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767orbust
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by 767orbust »

Same here. 10,000 plus hrs, 3,000 on NG, anglophone. No reply from AT in July other than receipt of resume.
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Jean-Luc Monette
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Jean-Luc Monette »

You're tilting at windmills, DH8...

In fact, my last two SCs, who were hired less than 5 years ago, didn't speak a word of french when hired (one still barely does), and the captain who took over from me this morning, a 15 years veteran at least, still doesn't speak french...

I could go on, but I'm not sure you'll ever get the point because from reading your posts, you seem hellbent on discrediting Air Transat's hiring practices.
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rudder
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by rudder »

After 2-3 years of hearing about how SW should be hiring exclusively Canadian pilots, including seasonal DEC, AT now looks more like SW.

No seasonal DEC except the foreign pilots flying the multiple wet lease aircraft.

Bravo.
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sanjet
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by sanjet »

rudder wrote:After 2-3 years of hearing about how SW should be hiring exclusively Canadian pilots, including seasonal DEC, AT now looks more like SW.

No seasonal DEC except the foreign pilots flying the multiple wet lease aircraft.

Bravo.
I don't think Air Transat wet leases with foreign pilots. Unless things have changed.
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Jean-Luc Monette
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Jean-Luc Monette »

rudder wrote:After 2-3 years of hearing about how SW should be hiring exclusively Canadian pilots, including seasonal DEC, AT now looks more like SW.

No seasonal DEC except the foreign pilots flying the multiple wet lease aircraft.

Bravo.
So far, Air Transat hasn't used ANY foreign pilots flying C-reg a/c on FLVCs as opposed to what Sunwing did for many years...

If it happens, Air Transat will be wet leasing no more than 20% of their permanent fleet, as is permitted by law.
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Gilles Hudicourt
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Gilles Hudicourt »

So far, Air Transat has never made use of Foreign Pilots, nor has it ever made use of Foreign Wet-Leases unless it was for a short term emergency (AOG etc).

Skyservice, Sunwing, Canjet and Westjet all have.

After Sunwing indicated to the CTA in 2013 that their interpretation the Air Transportation Regulations (ATR) put no limit on the number of Foreign Wet-Leases that they could apply for and that the CTA agreed with their interpretation, all major airlines and pilot unions protested and objected to that interpretation, leading the Transport Minister of the time to write a new Foreign Wet Lease Policy to put a limit on the number of foreign Wet-Leases a company could use. It is this policy that imposed a limit of 20% of the Canadian fleet on the OC, at the time of application. ALPA and Transat both opposed that even that policy, finding it still too permissive.

Sunwing has been using Forein Wet-Lease every year since 2012, in addition to hiring TFW pilots to fly Canadian Registered Sunwing aircraft using FLVCs.

Now that Transat is considering using for itself a policy that it has opposed from day one, people are shocked ? I think it is just rolling with the punches.

Westjet wet-leased foreign 757s to do its Hawaii runs for several years. Who opposed it ?
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rudder
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by rudder »

Gilles,

That is an accurate history lesson, but this thread is about winter 2015/2016.

How is Transat Holidays meeting its lift requirements for the upcoming winter travel season? And who will be flying those aircraft?
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Gilles Hudicourt
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Gilles Hudicourt »

How ? With a pilot roster that had topped 500 full time pilots, that is how.

I understand that we plan to operate about 34 aircraft this winter. That comes out to over 7 crews per aircraft.


Sunwing plans to operate about 37 aircraft, and it has about 280 full time pilots, to which it will add about 80 seasonal pilots, for a total of 360 pilots. That is 9.7 crews per aircraft. The shortfall will be made up with Wet-Lease pilots.

I think that the talk of Wet-Leases is a stop gap backup plan, in case we are short, not of pilots as a whole, but of pilots trained on the right aircraft in time for the season.
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Last edited by Gilles Hudicourt on Mon Aug 31, 2015 5:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Dh8Classic
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by Dh8Classic »

Jean-Luc Monette wrote:You're tilting at windmills, DH8...

In fact, my last two SCs, who were hired less than 5 years ago, didn't speak a word of french when hired (one still barely does), and the captain who took over from me this morning, a 15 years veteran at least, still doesn't speak french...

I could go on, but I'm not sure you'll ever get the point because from reading your posts, you seem hellbent on discrediting Air Transat's hiring practices.
Jean-Luc,

I will give you the benefit of the doubt and take your word on what you say.

But could you or Gilles please specifically and directly answer the question.

Why is Gilles being told(almost certainly by an insider) that there were no qualified applicants for 737NG positions when we have three unilingual anglos on this thread stating they are qualified and applied. Are all three lying?

I really don't think that this is an unfair question, does anyone else?

No ranting comments from anyone please(including myself), just a calm clear answer to a legitimate question. Please provide a direct answer and not change the subject.
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BBQ Chips
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by BBQ Chips »

Gilles Hudicourt wrote:So far, Air Transat has never made use of Foreign Pilots, nor has it ever made use of Foreign Wet-Leases unless it was for a short term emergency (AOG etc).
In general I am a supporter of Gilles, but is this statement accurate? Has Air Transat never made use (or money) off a foreign pilot? I am not well versed in this area but hasn't Canjet flown with TFW on Transats behalf for years now? To say that Transat is new to this game is a bit of a stretch. I appreciate and agree with Gilles fight, but let's keep facts straight.
Sincerely, Please correct me if I am wrong...
BBQ
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rudder
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by rudder »

Once again, I believe the point of this thread is the 2015/2016 staffing plan for AT.

So, anybody with facts you are welcome to fill in the blanks.
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OPEC6-Heavy
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Re: Any Type rated 737 Canadian pilots still out there ?

Post by OPEC6-Heavy »

BBQ Chips,
You are correct in your question. Yes, Air Transat has used Thomas Cook airlines from the UK to carry Canadian Air Transat passengers. They acquired "Canadian Affair" a UK based company in 2006 along with the Thomas Cook retail Travel Agency chain in Canada. This created the link-up with Thomas Cook the airline.

Gilles,
So far, Air Transat has never made use of Foreign Pilots, nor has it ever made use of Foreign Wet-Leases unless it was for a short term emergency (AOG etc).
Skyservice, Sunwing, Canjet and Westjet all have.
Don't forget Air Canada, Wet-Lease B767 Euro-Atlantic last summer. And of course the biggest Foreign pilot fiasco the "Star Alliance"
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