Air N.Z. agrees to meet pilots’ demands

Press, 6 December 1985, Page 30

Air N.Z. agrees to meet pilots’ demands

PA Wellington Air New Zealand has agreed to meet demands by pilots to make urgent changes to training programmes and facilities after most training captains threatened to quit. The industrial director of the Airline Pilots’ Association, Captain Tony Dodwell, said that after a top-level meeting between airline executive and the pilots, the pilots had agreed to withdraw their resignations, and the association was confident that the required changes would be made. Captain Dodwell said the pilots were concerned that training standards had eroded to an unacceptable level, and that training Sment was becoming ete. Training simulators were

outdated, and frequently in need of repair, he said. Doubt was also cast on the experience of pilots, some with less than six months main-line experience, being made training captains. “Air New Zealand could no longer say their pilots

were some of the most highly trained in the world. They meet Civil Aviation requirement, but no more, said Captain Dodwell. “There was a time when a pilot would not train until he had had six years experience. Now some Friendship pilots with only three months experience are teaching.” Captain Dodwell said the situation stemmed from voluntary redundancies several years ago when many pilots left the airline, plac-

ing additional pressures on remaining staff. Training pilots were also concerned they were not getting enough actual flying time on the main-line, allowing practical experience to slip, he said. “I know pilots who have spent only two or three days flying as captain of an aircraft in the last seven months. The rest of the time they are stuck in outdated simulators.

“The present conditions do not mean pilots are dangerous. It does mean potential danger. A pilot is the last string to the bow. The higher the training, the safer the airline.” Captain Dodwell .said that staff costs had been drastically cut, and the airline was running very efficiently under the chief executive, Mr Norman Geary, but it had overlooked an essential element — the staff. The resignations had sparked valid controversy, and illustrated the need for greater communication between the airline’s executive and its pilots, he said. “Quite simply the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.” Captain Dodwell said that Mr Geary had not known about the pilots’ resignations until one week after they had been received. Air New Zealand sources,

who did not wish to be named, said the Airline Pilots’ Association claims were outlandish. The training captains were annoyed at their conditions of pay, saying their training allowance was not high enough, and below par with the rate paid by other airlines. The public relations manager of Air New Zealand, Mr Bob Wallace, said that some of the pilots’ claims were correct and had been under discussion for some weeks. Many of the issues had already been resolved, and others would be, he said. However, he said, claims by Captain Dodwell that all training pilots had given notice of their intentions to resign was “not correct” and exaggerated. “Computerised simulator facilities were being enhanced, and faults that had been found were being repaired. A new 767 simulator will be opened soon,” said Mr Wallace. Captain Dodwell said all training pilots on the 737 and 747 aircrafts had given notice of their intention to resign. The pilots’ actions had not resulted from dissatisfaction with the training allowance paid to pilots, though increases were being sought,

he said,