Thai Pilots Association insists there are enough pilots for existing aircrafts

[webfact]

Thai Pilots Association insists there are enough pilots for existing aircrafts



BANGKOK: -- There are enough pilots to match the number of flying routes operated by Thai airlines but, in the future, there may be a shortage if airlines acquire more aircrafts, said Mr Sanong Mingcharoen, president of Thai Pilots Association, on Thursday.

He explained that normally there are ten pilots for each aircraft. In practice, the pilots are divided into three groups: the first group is pilots on duty; the second group is pilots on standby and the third is at rest.

Mr Sanong explained that pilots want to fly more frequently because that means they will earn more but they cannot do just that because they have to abide by internationally-recognised rule that restrict the flying time of each pilot at no more than 34 hours a week or 110 hours for four working weeks each month or 1,000 hours within a year.

However, he said that pilots could refuse to fly all the time if they feel that they are unfit to fly.

He pointed out that some airlines which have less than ten pilots for each aircraft might face difficulty if one pilot suddenly reports sick and cannot fly. The best way to deal with this problem, he said, is to have adequate pilots to match the number of planes.

As for the problem of “brain drain”, Mr Sanong said that the problem has eased somewhat as the pilots’ pay has increased to 60 percent of the pay of pilots in the Middle East from 50 percent in the past.

Pilots tend to shift from one domestic airline to another instead of working abroad because they prefer to stay at home close to their families although the pay is relatively smaller.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/151508


-- Thai PBS 2016-02-19

[jaywalker]

Somehow, once again, the math does not add up here at TVF.

1,000 hrs per year = 19.178 hours per week, but he says the max is 34 hours per week, which is 1,768 hours per year .

See my signature line...

Edited February 19, 2016 by jaywalker

[mekongsailor]

"" Pilots tend to shift from one domestic airline to another instead of working abroad because they prefer to stay at home close to their families although the pay is relatively smaller.""

RELATIVELY ?????? An article in The Nation from August 2014 says this:

""He ( Montree Jumrieng, THAI's acting executive vice president) said Japan Airlines was understood to be paying pilots as much as Bt1 million per month while carriers in the Middle East like Emirates were paying up to Bt700,000 per month. THAI pilots earn up to Bt240,000 a month, excluding flight-hour allowance.""

Yeah, I know: everything is "relative" in Thailand....

[Zob65]

Somehow, once again, the math does not add up here at TVF.

1,000 hrs per year = 19.178 hours per week, but he says the max is 34 hours per week, which is 1,768 hours per year .

See my signature line...

In regard to limitations it which ever comes first. So if you hit 1000hrs before 12 months you stop flying. You are limited to 34 hrs a week. I would doubt if most crew would get close to this.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Zob65

[natway09]

So now we have the TPA telling porky pigs as well.

Thailand is very short of suitably qualified THAI pilots now & have been for 15 years, ever since some lunatic decided that only Thais would pilot Thai aircraft.

[robblok]

Somehow, once again, the math does not add up here at TVF.

1,000 hrs per year = 19.178 hours per week, but he says the max is 34 hours per week, which is 1,768 hours per year .

See my signature line...

Indeed you don't understand.. 1,768 is the max amount they can fly.. but they get sick, go on holidays just like normal people. Then the can't get to the max amount because they can't fly extra in other weeks. Also the amount of 1000 might be rounded down a bit for convenience. But its explainable. I do understand.

[bangon04]

So now we have the TPA telling porky pigs as well.

Thailand is very short of suitably qualified THAI pilots now & have been for 15 years, ever since some lunatic decided that only Thais would pilot Thai aircraft.

May not be the international definition of "suitably qualified" but they do have a supply of pilots from the RTAF where there must be a shortage of serviceable aircraft ,

They certainly appear to have an oversupply of Air Commodores and Air Vice Marshals to keep them going......but they probably never flew anything...

Edited February 19, 2016 by bangon04

[harrry]

Somehow, once again, the math does not add up here at TVF.

1,000 hrs per year = 19.178 hours per week, but he says the max is 34 hours per week, which is 1,768 hours per year .

See my signature line...

1.1. Cumulative duty hours

An operator shall ensure that the total duty periods to which a crew member is assigned do not exceed:

(a) 190 duty hours in any 28 consecutive days, spread as evenly as practicable throughout this period; and

( 60 duty hours in any seven consecutive days.

1.2. Limit on total block times

An operator shall ensure that the total block times of the flights on which an individual crew member is assigned as an

operating crew member does not exceed

(a) 900 block hours in a calendar year;

( 100 block hours in any 28 consecutive days.

from http://flightimelimits.com/en/ftl-requirements/

Which is pretty close to the International requirements.

[Ricardo]

"in the future, there may be a shortage if airlines acquire more aircrafts"

Which they are indeed doing, so either Thailand needs to rapidly increase the supply of properly-trained qualified international-standard flight-crew, or it's time to permit Thai airlines to employ foreigners again.

Would any TV-posters, currently working in the industry, care to comment on the claim that only five flight-crews (or two pilots) per-aircraft is sufficient, based on my own out-of-date experience I'd have though six (or even six-and-a-half) was nearer the mark ?

[rhythmworx]

In a nation that has poor standards regarding critical aviation safety checks, maintenance, repair and inspection, I am not one bit surprised there is a shortage of pilots.

[poohy]

""He ( Montree Jumrieng, THAI's acting executive vice president) said Japan Airlines was understood to be paying pilots as much as Bt1 million per month while carriers in the Middle East like Emirates were paying up to Bt700,000 per month. THAI pilots earn up to Bt240,000 a month, excluding flight-hour allowance.""

But sadly and i am speaking personally we are all probably happier flying with other non Thai pilots as well

[harrry]

Juust wanted to say that those childish smileys in my previous post were not put there by me. Apparently it is the way the software interprets plain english with brackets.

Edited February 19, 2016 by harrry

[F4UCorsair]

Somehow, once again, the math does not add up here at TVF.

1,000 hrs per year = 19.178 hours per week, but he says the max is 34 hours per week, which is 1,768 hours per year .

See my signature line...

Indeed you don't understand.. 1,768 is the max amount they can fly.. but they get sick, go on holidays just like normal people. Then the can't get to the max amount because they can't fly extra in other weeks. Also the amount of 1000 might be rounded down a bit for convenience. But its explainable. I do understand.

No, both incorrect robblock and jaywalker. 1000 hours is the annual maximum Flight Time in most countries, legislated, nothing to do with sick leave, holidays, etc.

Take out 4 weeks vacation (some countries 6 weeks) and that leaves 48 weeks for 1000 hours, or about 21 hours 'Flight Time' a week, but that is actual AIR time. If flying is short haul, that could conceivalby be doubled (another limitation called 'Duty Time', sign on 45 minutes before first flight, 5 X 1 hour sectors, 45 minute turnarounds, and sign off 15 minutes after last landing = a 9 hour day before delays) and 45 hours is normal in many countries. Very few western countries have 45 hour working weeks for most workers, so pilots can be rostered to work longer hours than many.

You'll see above that if a crew does 5 sectors a day for 5 days the duty time will be 45 hours but flight time only 25 hours.

The 34 hours MAXIMUM flight time for a week must be accommodated within the duty time limit and applies more to long haul jocks who may only fly one 9-10 hour sector a day, but duty time only a little more. They would run out of flight time before duty time.

34 hours flight time would not be achievable for short haul pilots.

Ultra long haul, 10-16 hours flight time requires more crew.

I hope that explains and simplifies it.

Edited February 20, 2016 by F4UCorsair

[ableguy]

Somehow, once again, the math does not add up here at TVF.

1,000 hrs per year = 19.178 hours per week, but he says the max is 34 hours per week, which is 1,768 hours per year .

See my signature line...

In regard to limitations it which ever comes first. So if you hit 1000hrs before 12 months you stop flying. You are limited to 34 hrs a week. I would doubt if most crew would get close to this.

Absolute rubbish real easy to do 34 per week. Obviously you have never flown an aircraft.

[IsaanUSA]

Somehow, once again, the math does not add up here at TVF.

1,000 hrs per year = 19.178 hours per week, but he says the max is 34 hours per week, which is 1,768 hours per year .

See my signature line...

So now we're blaming Thai Visa? Who will we blame next? The article was pretty clear in the work restrictions for pilots.