SENIORITY

Seniority is one of the “S” words that tend to dominate a pilot’s life throughout his whole career. The second “S” is for salary and the third “S” is a short three letter word which the reader will soon work out. On joining a new company with all the appropriate qualifications and exams completed, most employers will enter the name onto the company list for pilots. In the large companies it may not be entered until all the Senior pilot exams, called the Air Transport Pilots Licence, have been successfully completed. In various companies throughout the world small variations may occur but the basic principle for most employers is to establish a single list that everyone understands.

The basic fact is that the vast majority of pilots have passed through a reasonably extensive series of examinations and tests at reasonably high levels, and decisions about who is the next person to be allowed to apply for, say, a conversion onto a higher paid aircraft type or a command course should be fair and straightforward. An agreed list is the useful tool for both the applicant and the employer.

On occasion, some companies find themselves in financial difficulties and hard decisions for survival have to be taken. Once again, an agreed list helps as the higher up the list you are the more secure your own position is likely to be when the worst happens. In quite a few of the larger companies your seniority position may well even dictate the flying roster you can fly each month. This will determine not only your month’s schedules to be flown but also the days off you will be able to enjoy. Tricky things like birthdays, anniversaries, marriages or funerals and leave patterns can be determined individually as well. Of course the more senior you become the choices are much easier to guarantee. The three “S’s” are very important and help the individual control work and play far more easily than just being rostered at the company’s whim. It certainly worked for me at the later end of my career.

There is however one serious problem. If you are unlucky with your employer and the company folds, your built up seniority is NOT transferable. If and when you are lucky enough to restart flying again, it will almost certainly be from the bottom of the new list. There have been many collapses through the last three decades. Whilst working for the the Pilots Association I witnessed 16 airlines disappearing from the skies. These were well known airlines, well established and with paint jobs thousands of passengers would still recognise today. Many long-standing senior pilots and captains failed to return to the job they loved. Of course a few did find gainful employment again, but the vast majority of captains had to accept the reduction to junior pilot status.

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