Shonky Operator

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TimothyOa
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Shonky Operator

Postby TimothyOa » Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:19 pm

What to do, what to do?

Put up with it and compromise one's professional integrity and continue to risk your life?

Resign, regardless if under a binding contract with a bonded period or casual, and end up on the dole?

Blow the whistle on the ba$tard to ATSB-Aviation and CASA and become unemployable, because news travels -however?

If something bad happens, whether coerced to fly by the AOC holder or self-coerced, due to personal circumstances, who will CASA blame?

Lot of shonky operators out there, but CASA does not seem to give a $hit.
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CYHeli
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Re: Shonky Operator

Postby CYHeli » Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:58 am

I'd quit and put an ATSB report. Although they are confidential, you are right it won't take long for the info to come back.
Unfortunate, but it is but one way to deal with it.

At least you will sleep at night.
What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
ozloadie
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Re: Shonky Operator

Postby ozloadie » Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:29 pm

This situation is more common than not.
The majority of professional aircrew will go to the length of using their own money, time and assets to remedy the situation.

The corporate side of aviation is always the ugly side.

It's like a slap in the face when it occurs. It's a defiance of all things airmanship.

The turning point is when the risk has to be weighed against survival; survival of yourself, then the job and finally the one that bites out of the dark, liability.

Compile a diary (written/pics etc) first which indicates an intent to take it further if the circumstances recorded within are not remedied.

Ensure that your aviation admin is complete, maintenance releases, auths etc otherwise if you miss something it may be construed later that you were complicit with the "malmanagement".

If and when you do report it eg confidential or otherwise, ensure you follow up and receive a response from the agency.
Anticipate a long term, if any result.
Explore your options for short notice change of circumstances ie employer's displeasure.

If aircrew are telling you something is not right, go and have a look; seeing is believing in the aviation world.

When you approach the operator with the problem, offer a solution as well. You may not fix the problem immediately, but you've demonstrated an effort and path for a remedy.

This situation is like the wx, there will always be some! It will never go away!
And we can't afford to quit!
TimothyOa
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Re: Shonky Operator

Postby TimothyOa » Wed May 06, 2015 3:07 pm

This Archerfield-based Shonky Operator went into liquidation, 11 March 2015.

Red Flags:
* Would not pay for Airport Parking Permit

* Had to continually cite what "the Award" says

* Pay shorted or late or paid in increments

* Overnight in a crappy, noisy, airport hotel . . . couldn't get a decent meal there so had to brown bag it

* Ordered a pre-employment Blood and Urine Alcohol/Drug Testing - to be paid by the Shonky Operator -but received a debt collection notice from the lab, as it had not been paid . . . Employer paid, eventually

* Did not perform proper/required maintenance on the aircraft, as long as I flew them . . . Never replaced the Static Wicks, Radar, Autopilot, never repaired the Fuel Leak, was told the CEO/Chief Pilot replaced the brakes himself on an aircraft with Category C Approach Speed

* Terminated a full-time contracted employee, only to hire a Casual pilot with a fraction of the experience

* Withheld money from my pay for my superannuation fund, but never paid it

How many AOC Holders are out there operate like this?

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