Sunwing/Canjet Fleet & Foreign Pilots - Winter 2014-2015

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Travel Service OK-TVS ferried Prague-Reykjavik-Toronto-Montreal yesterday (Nov 8th) This is a wet lease aircraft.

Do you know if OK-TVM is wet-lease as well ?

[Sunwing738]

Travel Service OK-TVS ferried Prague-Reykjavik-Toronto-Montreal yesterday (Nov 8th) This is a wet lease aircraft.

Do you know if OK-TVM is wet-lease as well ?

I want to say yes, but I'm not 100% confirmed. TVM has operated on wet-lease with Sunwing the last 2 winter seasons so I think it is a safe bet to say yes.

[Sunwing738]

Nov 11 - Jetairfly OO-JAA Ferried Brussels-Toronto and re-registered C-FUAA

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JAF222

[Gilles Hudicourt]

OK-TVM is confirmed as one the Travel Service Wet-Leases.

As far as I can tell, Sunwing's fleet is now at 22 aircraft, including two Wet-Leases.

With about 260 Canadian pilots on staff this winter, they should have enough Canadian pilots to crew 21 to 22 Canadian registered aircraft. Any aircraft above that limit will require TFW pilots.

The picture is of OK-TVS in CYVO yesterday (credit on picture)

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Have any of the TFW pilots for Sunwing arrived yet ? Anyone know ?

I know about the Czech pilots for the two wet-lease aircraft that are already here, but has anyone run into any of the others ?
Last year this time, some had already arrived in Canada for training.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

OK-TVS, a B-737-800 wet-leased from Travel Service to Sunwing, arrived in CYYZ on the 8th from Europe. The same day it was ferried to Montreal. On the 12th, it was flown up to CYVO for training purposes it seems. After landing in CYVO it did four local flights before being ferried back to CYUL.

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/ok-tvs/

Why are Czech pilots training in CYVO ?

The other Travel Service aircraft, OK-TVM seems to have also done what seems to be some training flights:

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/ok-tvm/

I was never aware in the past that wet-leased foreign aircraft did any sort of training in Canada.

[Sunwing738]

OK-TVS, a B-737-800 wet-leased from Travel Service to Sunwing, arrived in CYYZ on the 8th from Europe. The same day it was ferried to Montreal. On the 12th, it was flown up to CYVO for training purposes it seems. After landing in CYVO it did four local flights before being ferried back to CYUL.

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/ok-tvs/

Why are Czech pilots training in CYVO ?

The other Travel Service aircraft, OK-TVM seems to have also done what seems to be some training flights:

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/ok-tvm/

I was never aware in the past that wet-leased foreign aircraft did any sort of training in Canada.

If I remember correctly they did this last year as well. I think it has something to do with Canadian F/A's having to do training flights with the the TVS cockpit crew to get some sort of clearance? Not exactly sure of this but both TVM & TVS have started WG flights out of Ottawa and Montreal.

Thomson G-FDZD ferried Manchester-Toronto today (Nov 14) and will be re-registered C-FTZD.
http://www.flightradar24.com/reg/g-fdzd

This brings the fleet total to 23 aircraft, including the 2 wet leases. 11 Sunwing Aircraft, 8 Travel Service Aircraft (2 Wet-Lease), 3 Thomson Aircraft and 1 Jetairfly Aircraft.

[Sunwing738]

Nov 17 - Jetairfly OO-JAU Ferried Brussels-Reykjavik-Toronto and will be re-registered C-FJAU. This brings the fleet to 24 aircraft.

Also Sunwing have added non-stop service to Cartagena, Columbia. Service will run once weekly on Wednesday beginning on Jan 7th 2015.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

This brings the fleet to 25 aircraft.

Why do I only count 24 ? Did I miss one ?

CFDBD
CFEAK
CFFPH
CFGVK
CFJAU
CFLSW
CFRZG
CFTAH
CFTDW
CFTJH
CFTOH
CFTZD
CFUAA
CFYLC
CGDZE
CGKVP
CGNCH
CGOFW
CGOWG
CGRKB
CGTVG
CGVVH
OKTVM
OKTVS

[CMD-A]

Try Kumon Learning Center, they have math classes.

[FICU]

Try Kumon Learning Center, they have math classes.

Why are you Sunwing guys so bloody defensive?

You know what they say about the overly defensive?

[mantogasrsrwy]

I believe it's all the untrue things that Gilles has posted on here that has the Sunwing pilots on the defensive.

[FICU]

Well, what they say about the overly defensive is that they are masking guilt.

Has Gilles posted anything untrue in this thread?

[fruz]

Why would a Sunwing pilot feel guilt?

[1000islander]

"Have any of the TFW pilots for Sunwing arrived yet ? Anyone know ?"

Judging by the foreign accents with Sunving callsigns on YUL Atc, I'd say yes.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

"Have any of the TFW pilots for Sunwing arrived yet ? Anyone know ?"

Judging by the foreign accents with Sunving callsigns on YUL Atc, I'd say yes.

There are two Wet-Leases from Travel Service (Czech company) that are already in Canada. Do not know about others.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

OK-TVF, a Travel Service 737-800 is being ferried right now from Prague through KEF. It will become CGTVF in Sunwing's fleet. This is the 25th aircraft the way I count them (23 Canadian Registered aircraft and 2 Foreign Wet-Leases).

[Sunwing738]

OK-TVF, a Travel Service 737-800 is being ferried right now from Prague through KEF. It will become CGTVF in Sunwing's fleet. This is the 25th aircraft the way I count them (23 Canadian Registered aircraft and 2 Foreign Wet-Leases).

Yes, now it is 25, I thought WG had 12 full-time aircraft but it is only 11.

[rudder]

Yes, now it is 25, I thought WG had 12 full-time aircraft but it is only 11.

Watch for more factory deliveries from Boeing in 2015. Full-time SW fleet will be increasing. Further CAPT upgrades in the planning stage.

Winter 2014/2015 seems cast in stone at 37 aircraft/5 wet lease/120 TFWP. What will be interesting to see is the commercial plan for winter 2015/2016 and the associated mix of these components. Rumours are that SWG will be increasing capacity and fleet requirements.

Hopefully the TFWP portion will finally show a declining trend, but I would not hold my breath.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Winter 2014/2015 seems cast in stone at 37 aircraft/5 wet lease/120 TFWP.

As far as I can tell on the CTA website, Sunwing applied for 4 wet leases for this winter, all from Travel Service. Three were approved by the CTA and approval of the fourth is pending, for some insurance papers if my memory is correct.

These 120 Temporary Foreign Worker pilots would not be able to fly in Canada if Transport Canada applied the CARs and required a Canadian pilots' licence for flying Canadian commercial aircraft in Canada instead of constantly allowing Foreign licenced pilots to apply for or renew Foreign Licence Validation Certificates, often for several consecutive years.

The Europeans do not allow foreign licensed pilots to fly European Registered commercial aircraft in Europe, nor do the the Americans (FAA) allow commercial flying in the US on US aircraft with a foreign licence. Here is the relevant Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR):

§121.383 Airman: Limitations on use of services.
(a) No certificate holder may use any person as an airman nor may any person serve as an airman unless that person—

(1) Holds an appropriate current airman certificate issued by the FAA;

The only time one can fly a US registered aircraft with a foreign licence is if the US registered aircraft is leased to a Non-US Citizen (foreign company or airline)

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SI ... 7&rgn=div8

This CAR was supposed to mean the same thing as the FAA version :

Pilot Qualifications
705.106 (1) Subject to subsection (3), no air operator shall permit a person to act and no person shall act as the pilot-in-command, second-in-command or cruise relief pilot of an aircraft unless the person
(a) holds the licence, ratings and endorsements required by Part IV;

But this Regulation of the CARs was purposely misinterpreted and its meaning and purpose distorted by certain people at TC to serve commercial interests. Those people at TC justify their interpretation by claiming that a Foreign Licence Validation Certificate is a

licence, ratings and endorsements required by Part IV

What is happening in Canada is as though the FAA suddenly began to issue Special purpose pilot authorizations under FAR 61.77 (see above link) to Foreign Licensed pilots and then claiming that these Special purpose pilot authorization were

appropriate current airman certificate issued by the FAA

and thus fulfilled the requirement of of FAR 121.383, allowing these foreign licensed to fly Commercially in the US. Such a distorted and dishonest interpretation of Regulations by the Regulator himself would never fly South of the Border and if they tried it, ALPA would pounce on it with all its might and ressources. But this is Canada, and North of the Border it is not really ALPA but just the ALPA Canada Board........an entity without teeth that is all too willing to let the Regulator violate the CARs sometimes, in the name of obscure higher interests......

So now, according the Regulator, anyone with a valid Airline Licence from any country in the world can legally fly Canadian aircraft commercially. Anyone from an ICAO member country that is. I think that ICAO restriction only excludes licensed pilots from the Vatican.......

[Dh8Classic]

Yea but look at all the Canadian pilots from across the country that have been hired here. So many opportunities and the upgrades have been pretty quick.

I never would have been given that opportunity at the other charter company.

And more on the way next year

[rudder]

Yea but look at all the Canadian pilots from across the country that have been hired here.

How many companies based in Canada get to say "Hey I hired a Canadian so I get to hire 1 foreign worker too"?

None.

Hopefully all that is being heard about additional permanent pilots and upgrades is the beginning of the end of the TFWP model at SW. That will be a good outcome for SW pilots and a good outcome for prospective Canadian pilots that want to join the SW team.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Hopefully all that is being heard about additional permanent pilots and upgrades is the beginning of the end of the TFWP model at SW. That will be a good outcome for SW pilots and a good outcome for prospective Canadian pilots that want to join the SW team.

[Sunwing738]

Nov 24 Thomson G-FEZF ferried Doncaster-Toronto today an re-registered C-FEZF.

Nov 25 Thompson G-TAWJ ferried Manchester-Toronto and re-registered C-GVOJ. This aircraft is new to sunwing and has never been in the fleet before.

Also OK-TVF is a wet-lease aircraft and will remain in the same registration.

[florch]

Have any of the TFW pilots for Sunwing arrived yet ? Anyone know ?

I know about the Czech pilots for the two wet-lease aircraft that are already here, but has anyone run into any of the others ?
Last year this time, some had already arrived in Canada for training.

I was told by a TVS pilot that they will be flying for Transat this winter. Do you know if this is true Gilles? If so can you please tell us how many pilots will be arriving and when with which airplanes and whether they are wet-leased or not?

Thank you.