Is it true SWG is only hiring Canadian pilots this year?

[timel]

Or is it a myth?

[JMACK]

where is the delete button?

[Takeoff OK]

Are you kidding? Or is the level of ignorance in our industry still this high?

Foreign pilots working for Scumwing this winter number somewhere between 180 and 200, including wet leases (about 30% of the foreign pilot total). Nothing has changed. Scumwing is still Scumwing.

[timel]

I was happy to hear they would hire around 170 ish Canadian pilots. Very good for our industry.
Or is it an other trick used by immigration lawyers in order to fool the law?

[Takeoff OK]

Are we talking about current staffing, or plans for next winter here? Because nothing changed for this winter. If, in fact, there are plans to hire 170 more permanent Canadian pilots over the summer, then that would be the only seemingly positive news I have ever heard on this front. I have yet to hear those numbers; I'll believe it when I see it.

[sstaurus]

Some believe these are overly ambitious plans, to demonstrate that they can't possibly train enough Canadian pilots, so they can yet again apply to get more TFWs.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

They have an ad for 28 Full time First Officers and 145 Seasonal Pilots.
The first group will be staffed by 28 Canadian pilots, possibly only hired within those seasonal pilots that already worked for Sunwing this winter, and the 145 Seasonal pilots will mostly (If not all) be filled once again by TFW pilots)

[gonnabeapilot]

They have an ad for 28 Full time First Officers and 145 Seasonal Pilots.
The first group will be staffed by 28 Canadian pilots, possibly only hired within those seasonal pilots that already worked for Sunwing this winter, and the 145 Seasonal pilots will mostly (If not all) be filled once again by TFW pilots)

All of the Canadian seasonal pilots from this winter will be offered permanent positions. The next group to be hired will be 28 Canadian pilots for new permanent positions. Interviews started last week with ground school scheduled for the end of April. Not too sure about the job ad for seasonal pilots for next winter... latest I have heard is that we're planning on hiring 45 Canadian pilots and bringing in 100 Europeans so my guess is that's where that number of 145 comes from. And before everyone starts screaming bloody murder, I will point out that with 100 European TFWs coming over this will be the third year in a row where the total number of European TFWS will have decreased year over year while at the same time Sunwing has added about 15 aircraft worth of flying to the winter schedule.

[timel]

They have an ad for 28 Full time First Officers and 145 Seasonal Pilots.
The first group will be staffed by 28 Canadian pilots, possibly only hired within those seasonal pilots that already worked for Sunwing this winter, and the 145 Seasonal pilots will mostly (If not all) be filled once again by TFW pilots)

All of the Canadian seasonal pilots from this winter will be offered permanent positions. The next group to be hired will be 28 Canadian pilots for new permanent positions. Interviews started last week with ground school scheduled for the end of April. Not too sure about the job ad for seasonal pilots for next winter... latest I have heard is that we're planning on hiring 45 Canadian pilots and bringing in 100 Europeans so my guess is that's where that number of 145 comes from. And before everyone starts screaming bloody murder, I will point out that with 100 European TFWs coming over this will be the third year in a row where the total number of European TFWS will have decreased year over year while at the same time Sunwing has added about 15 aircraft worth of flying to the winter schedule.

So SWG advertised for 145 seasonal positions with full knowledge they would hire only 45 Canadians on 145? http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopi ... 7&t=101729

It is misleading. Again SWG is going around actual labor regulations.

[rudder]

All of the Canadian seasonal pilots from this winter will be offered permanent positions. The next group to be hired will be 28 Canadian pilots for new permanent positions. Interviews started last week with ground school scheduled for the end of April. Not too sure about the job ad for seasonal pilots for next winter... latest I have heard is that we're planning on hiring 45 Canadian pilots and bringing in 100 Europeans so my guess is that's where that number of 145 comes from. And before everyone starts screaming bloody murder, I will point out that with 100 European TFWs coming over this will be the third year in a row where the total number of European TFWS will have decreased year over year while at the same time Sunwing has added about 15 aircraft worth of flying to the winter schedule.

Permanent SW list in 2013 was 210 plus 38 seasonal. Fleet was 32 including wet leases. What will the permanent SW list look like by late 2015? I am guessing 300-310......does that seem accurate? Add another 45 seasonal pilots for winter 2015-2016. My understanding is projected SW winter fleet of 43-45 aircraft.

2013-2014 TFW 118
2014-2015 TFW 110
2015-2015 TFW ? (Looking like 100)

Eventually the TFW option will cease. But likely not for the coming winter season.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

2013-2014 TFW 118 plus 4 wet-leases
2014-2015 TFW 110 plus 5 wet-leases
2015-2015 TFW ? (Looking like 100) plus 6 wet-leases

Eventually the TFW option will cease. But likely not for the coming winter season.

After Air Transat goes under ?

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Eventually the TFW option will cease. But likely not for the coming winter season.

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/foreign_ ... ndex.shtml

Hiring Foreign Workers for Higher-skilled Occupations
Foreign workers can help employers meet their labour needs when Canadians and permanent residents are not available.

Are there no Canadian pilot available for the coming winter season? What is the justification for hiring ANY TFW pilots next year ?

[newcanjeter]

Hello? Hello? Is this thing working? I guess it's time to finally say goodbye to my Motorola Razr.
But seriously. What's a guy gotta do for one stinking phone call? How about an email saying "no thanks"? Or even "thx ttfn" or "no" if they don't have the time. Maybe I'm in an insane assylum and this is all just some crazy medically induced bizarro Dream. And if that's the case I'm probably having pudding and using my fingers to eat it with....awesome!!

[toelessjoe]

I applied. Over 8000 hrs, two crew, multi engine turbine pic, etc etc. and nada peep. Am I automatically disqualified due to lack of jet time? If so wouldn't it be nice to be at least told as much by someone (i.e. A pfo letter)? Oh, and I'm apparently qualified to give a reference for someone with far less experience and qualifications than myself, yet not qualified for even a letter telling me to hit the bricks? (For the record I'm very happy for the candidate in question who subsequently got the job. My issue is with the hiring process.)

I call bullsh!t on the whole thing. Maybe Gilles can tell me what I'm doing wrong because now I'm clueless as well as toeless. Rant over.


- Toeless.

[ea306]

Yes it is true.... Lots of hiring.
Wishing you success.

[timel]

.

[timel]

Reciprocity does not really exist, Europe is over saturated. Why would they let Canadian licensed pilots fly an helicopter, a Beech or a Boeing in Europe?

But.. No problem


Meanwhile in Canada...

image.jpg (36.31 KiB) Viewed 5058 times

[monkey]

The airlines swg work with in Europe both have highly seasonal business that happen to be opposite to the Canadian busy season. Hopefully once we can get better recognition for our licenses swg will be able to send more over.

[ea306]

The airlines swg work with in Europe both have highly seasonal business that happen to be opposite to the Canadian busy season. Hopefully once we can get better recognition for our licenses swg will be able to send more over.

Which in turn will mean more Canadian Pilots hired.... Meanwhile the company is growing to meet its North American markets for the off peak summer season. Thus the doubling of its core fleet over three years from 11 aircraft last summer to 22 aircraft by 2017. This too will help the continued hiring trend for more Canadian jobs.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

If all this is true, I just cant wait for Air Transat to start hiring dozens of foreign pilots every year so we too can cash in on this innovative and brillant method of hiring more Canadian pilots....

[Flying Low]

I have no problem with true reciprocity (approximately equal numbers in each direction). This would keep pilots on both sides of the pond employed year round.

Pilots here haven't seemed to figure out that jobs at any cost isn't very bright in the long run. What we need are more good quality jobs. Year round, decent benefit/paying jobs.

Unfortunately we have people jumping at the opportunity to fly left seat in a jet or a Q400 for the same money they were making at Jazz in the right seat and people willing to work in the right seat of the same plane for shockingly low money. For those of you spouting off about how the Jazz pilot group sold out...what choice did they truly have? While it may take time to move the amount of flying Jazz does, it would have happened over time and we would likely end up with the northern version of Comair.

But I digress...

I am a Sunwing pilot deploying to Europe this summer and I welcome the opportunity. This helps keep someone employed year round (see above rant about good quality jobs) on both sides of the pond.

[whipline]

You already did it Gilles. In fact you guys paved the way for swg.

Where did your thread go on AT going out of business Gilles?

[Gilles Hudicourt]

I have no problem with true reciprocity (approximately equal numbers in each direction). This would keep pilots on both sides of the pond employed year round.

Pilots here haven't seemed to figure out that jobs at any cost isn't very bright in the long run. What we need are more good quality jobs. Year round, decent benefit/paying jobs.

Unfortunately we have people jumping at the opportunity to fly left seat in a jet or a Q400 for the same money they were making at Jazz in the right seat and people willing to work in the right seat of the same plane for shockingly low money. For those of you spouting off about how the Jazz pilot group sold out...what choice did they truly have? While it may take time to move the amount of flying Jazz does, it would have happened over time and we would likely end up with the northern version of Comair.

But I digress...

I am a Sunwing pilot deploying to Europe this summer and I welcome the opportunity. This helps keep someone employed year round (see above rant about good quality jobs) on both sides of the pond.

I will be the first to applaud the day Sunwing does true reciprocity. But Sunwing does not. Every year, it brings into Canada much more Foreign pilots that it sends to Europe.

Last summer Sunwing sent four aircraft on Wet Lease to Europe. This winter Sunwing Wet Leased 5 aircraft from Travel Service. That is already about 15 more foreign pilots coming into Canada than going to Europe. But as though this was not bad enough, Sunwing also imported another 120 TFW pilots to Canada in addition to the pilots flying the Czech Wet Leases, an imbalance of about 135.

So talking about reciprocity here is about the same as talking about virginity or abstention in a brothel....

[Geronimo]

Ok Gilles let's have a more " practical &realistic approach"..

Last winter SWG recruited around 45.. Seasonal pilots and let's say 120 TFW.
The training of 45 seasonal pilots ( most of them not typed rated) represents a huge amount of work and investment ( time, $$,..)in a short period of time, and lots of roster issue..
Now if you want to get rid of the TFW(already typed rated )it means that SWG will now have to hire & train 160.. Seasonal pilots( including captain& F/o ).
1-Unless you manage to find 160 typed rated Canadian pilots(I doubt.),and even..,How do you want a company to train 160 pilots within 2.. 3 months.. it's simply impossible!
2-lets not forget that all the seasonal F/o this winter have been given a long term contract.
With your scenario, it will not be the case for sure :you won't be able to give a long term contract to 160 seasonal pilots.(huge loss ($$)for the company as well)
Just food for thought.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Practical ? Realistic ? I like those words.

In the course of 2013, Air Transat decided not to renew the Canjet contract and bring the 737 flying in-house. We had no 737s, at that point and no 737 pilots, save perhaps 3 or 4 that we had laid off, had gone to Canjet and that we recalled in December 2013. We decided we would operate twelve (12) B737 by November 2014.
We began to hire and train extra pilots in December 2013, received our first 737 in February 2014, and by November 2014 we were operating 12 Boeing 737, which we still have to this day.

We did this without a single foreign pilot, and without seasonal pilots. At great cost in time, effort and money......

Because the training had to be spread out over the year, I was pulled off the Airbus 330 in January and February to do my initial Boeing 737 training, did my 737 ride on March 1, and by March 4th I was back to flying my A330 which I flew until late Oct. In Nov I did two sim sessions, a ride, 25 hours of line indoctrination, a Route Check, and began flying the 737 as Captain.
Many of my colleagues on the 330 and 310s did something similar.

That is how it is done. That is how Sunwing can do it too. But they are too cheap.

The 15000 hour Ex Skyservice 757 captain and his buddies that you guys refuse to hire could have helped out if you guys do not have enough pilots that can go captain,but they are out there, willing and available.

You have ex Canjet Captains flying in the right seat at Sunwing right now, while you give out the Captain seats to a bunch of Europeans you don't really technically need and that you could get of in a heartbeat.........