rudder

Actually, in 2010 most of this was not available to AC. AC felt it was overpaying. CHR did not have the motivation to become the principal owner of the Express aircraft fleet (due to expiring CPA in 2020). Jazz labour agreements were all going to open again in 2014 and likely every 3 years thereafter. And CHR had made it clear that revenue diversification was imperative (Thomas Cook contract). Fast forward to 2019. AC is paying market rates as of 01 January 2019 rather than 2021. CHR now has a fully financed aircraft leasing subsidiary (Chorus Aviation Capital). The AC CPA is running to 2035. Jazz labour is tied up in CBA’s that renew on the same terms as mainline labour until 2026. Meanwhile Georgian and Skyregional labour are unionizing thereby creating the same type of uncertainty that AC was trying to avoid with Jazz in 2010. From what I have seen, AC got a great deal including a seat on the CHR BOD to keep a close eye on things. And the AC commercial plan for mainline/Rouge remains growth oriented. Having any weak links in the Express network could harm that plan. Go with the operator that has decades of experience buying them, flying them, and fixing them. Keeping a second tier carrier running with the qualified labour shortages is no easy task as we approach the 2020’s.

AC now has the perfect arrangement with CHR/Jazz: - Long term regional feed cost certainty. - Willingness of CHR to put some of the Express fleet renewal debt on its own balance sheet. - Labour stability until at least 2026 (and perhaps beyond). - majority of Express operation at a full service CPA vendor (dispatch, crew scheduling, MTC, etc) - transparency of CHR future plans due partial ownership and BOD representation AC will no longer have to expend oversight resources on an underperforming Express vendor. This is the latest but perhaps not the last development on the AC Express front. Bay Street certainly seemed to like the announcement.

There is more detailed information on the Chorus Aviation website including a slide show presentation that was used with the webcast. AC seems to desire an Express fleet majority populated by larger gauge 2 class regional jets. Including the E175’s, there will be 60 2-class/76 seat jets in the Express fleet by 2020. Single class Q400 turboprop fleet being shrunk. Single class 50 seat jet fleet being shrunk. Older 37/50 seat turboprop fleet being shrunk. Certainly appears to be the end of the Georgian/AC Express partnership unless the plan is for GGN to become strictly a small turboprop operator. If Georgian is indeed out, that leaves Chorus/Jazz with an Express fleet of 105 and Skyregional with an Express fleet of just 25. It certainly makes one wonder whether further Express flying consolidation is on the horizon.

With the preponderance of Level D simulators, most first landings on type are operational. As a result, many carriers have candidate see first one or two landings as PM and restrict weather/RSC conditions under which initial landings under supervision are permitted. Therefore, hard to schedule and accomplish on WB long haul flying with augmented crew. Regardless, despite briefings and coaching it can still be a challenge to get a candidate through first (and other) actual aircraft landings.

Imagine making your primary 787 departure hub Calgary, AB. Smaller city. Small catchment area. Weak economy. Great choice.

I think it is a simple math exercise: inertia (p=mv) vs brake capacity. Take a look at the MGLW/landing speed on the 800/900 with brakes on just 4 wheels vs (for example) a 757 with brakes on 8 wheels. I suppose one could argue that an A321 is in the same boat although I believe that both the wheels and brakes have larger dimensions and the landing speed may be nominally lower. Brake energy issues have been a real issue with the extended fuselage/increased weight versions of the 737.

All of these failures on the next generation of engines are going to make maintaining ETOPS certifications problematic. This spans several different airframes.

They were already on the track so could have continued. However, would likely have been grounded absent repair on arrival (non-deferrable for ETOPS?) Made sense to return to a MTC base where repairs or an aircraft replacement could be made. WXX/MTC/ATC - all realities in the world of commercial air travel. I guess it is up to each carrier to decide what acceptable compensation is for delayed travel.

TERM Jan 1, 2019 – December 31, 2022 SCOPE Industry-standard 76-seat jet/78-seat turboprop restrictions, (e.g. any jet above 76 seats or any turboprop above 78 seats shall be operated by WestJet pilots at the mainline) Swoop may operate an initial fleet of up to 30 narrowbody aircraft. Widebody aircraft shall not be operated at Swoop WestJet shall guarantee 90% of the number of WestJet Pilot Positions that exist on Jan 1, 2019 No Pilot to be laid off as a direct result of the Company’s business relationships with other airlines (e.g. CPAs, codeshares, marketing agreements, interline agreements, block space agreements, joint ventures, etc) Company shall not codeshare within Canada on aircraft above 76 seats Wet lease not to exceed 90 calendars days in any 12-month rolling period unless by Agreement of the Association GENERAL ALPA data folder to be included on EFB SENIORITY Pilots in the bargaining unit shall hold the same seniority they held on the WestJet Pilots Department List (WPDL) on the date this Agreement becomes effective All Encore pilots who have flowed to WestJet will retain their current seniority “One-list” LOU to preserve status quo re: Encore flow/seniority recognition is in progress PROBATION Elimination of six-month Captain probation FILLING OF ASSIGNMENTS Voluntary Temporary Duty Assignment language giving pilots the opportunity to fill temporary base assignments for up to four consecutive bid periods in places other than the permanent bases SCHEDULING Maximum of 16 days worked per month for block holders RIG (Ratio in Guarantee). Each pairing/duty period will attract the greater of: 4.0 hours Minimum Duty Period Credit (MDPC) – Each duty period attracts a minimum of 4.0 hours of credit/pay 1:4 trip RIG – 1 hour of credit/pay for every 4 hours of TAFB (e.g. 80 hours TAFB = 20 hours credit) 1:2 duty RIG – 1 hour of credit/pay for every 2 hours on duty (e.g. 12-hour duty period is credited a minimum of 6 hours) Fatigue reduction / mitigation language: At base: a period of 12 consecutive hours may be reduced to 11 hours with the agreement of the pilot should the company provide suitable accommodations at or near the airport Away from base: for duty periods of up to 12 hours, a minimum period of 10.5 consecutive hours of rest shall be planned. For duty periods exceeding 12 hours, the minimum period of rest shall equal or exceed the length of the preceding duty period Flight Duty Period (FDP) tables in agreement, which will be implemented within 6 months of the award, CARS (more restrictive) will be implemented within 2 years Max of 10% five-day pairings on narrow body aircraft of total system pairings Socialized schedule bidding remains Release of schedules by the 21st of each month by 1900 Mountain Time Wind down of the Time Bank program in 2019 Partial Trade restrictions RESERVE Reserve positions will only be required of new hires, or those pilots knowingly bidding onto a position they currently cannot hold, with exception for pilots in the Reduced Block Program who will be eligible to hold one 5-day block of reserve per month. Max days worked for mixed line holders of 16 days and 18 days for pure reserve holders The Minimum Monthly Guarantee for a reserve line holder is 77.5 credit hours Eight of a reserve pilot’s days off per month are GDOs, awarded by seniority All reserve starts as “Long Call” reserve A pilot’s duty time is to include 33% of the time that the pilot on reserve in a Reserve Availability Period (RAP) Ability to pass (based on seniority) Order of callout: pilot volunteering on a day off is called prior to activating a reserve pilot DEADHEADING Window or aisle seat language captured Premium economy (when available) language captured COMMUTING/ACM No limitations on commuting language. The only responsibility of a pilot who chooses to commute is to report as scheduled, fit for duty, and fully rested ACM policy as it exists on the date of the award continues going forward with right to grieve if arbitrarily cancelled TRAVEL PRIVILEGES/JUMPSEAT At no time will pilots receive lesser travel privileges than any other employee group pursuant to the company’s Travel Privileges Policy and/or Retirement Policy Active pilots in uniform will be afforded first standby jumpseat access where there is no seat available in the passenger cabin HOTELS AND TRANSPORTATION Unless mutually agreed upon by the association and the company, the location of a hotel shall be a maximum of 20 minutes driving time from the arrival airport of the planned overnight When a layover is scheduled for 18 hours or more, the hotel shall be located in the downtown core of the principle city served by the airport, which is within a normal 30-minute drive (one-way), or in an alternate location agreed upon by the Hotel Selection Committee (HSC) UNIFORMS New-hire pilots receive initial allotment of uniform pieces All pilots receive $250 annually to a maximum $1000 bank for uniform pieces Should the company change the style, colour, or pieces of the uniform, the company shall bear the cost of providing replacement pieces to the pilots Simplified dry cleaning allowance: $50/month for full block pilots, $30/month for reduced block pilots TRAINING Defined process in contract for unsuccessful training events, unsuccessful checks, failure to advance and for captain upgrade FLIGHT SAFETY Held out of service after an incident or accident — full pay protection Accident investigation protocol and ALPA participation Strict language regarding aircraft electronic recording and reporting devices New joint FDM committee composed of Association and company members MANAGEMENT PILOTS Limitations on revenue flying by management pilots LAYOFF AND RECALL 30-day layoff notice for a pilot affected by a layoff Any pilot who is involuntarily laid off will be entitled to two weeks’ pay for each full year of completed, active service up to a maximum of 20 weeks’ pay A pilot shall retain their right to be recalled for a period of 120 consecutive months from the effective date of their layoff Protection for a junior pilot who is on a contract while on layoff PAY AND COMPENSATION From current pay tables: Jan 1, 2019: 2% Jan 1, 2020: 2% Jan 1, 2021: 2% Jan 1, 2022: 2.5% Length of Service pay (LOS pay) becomes effective Jan 1, 2020 LOS examples: 1) a current year 3 Captain who has been at WestJet for 11 years will be on the 11-year Captain pay scale 2) an FO who has been at WestJet for 8 years and upgrades to Captain will enter the Captain pay scale at year 8 Blocking overtime trigger now 85 hours Premium pay for voluntary extensions Deadhead credited at 50% of the scheduled or actual block time, whichever is greater, which will count toward a pilot’s monthly scheduling credit Minimum credit per taxi only leg will be 20 minutes. Actual taxi time in excess of 20 minutes will be considered block growth Home-based training pay: 1 hour pay for every 3 hours of scheduled home-based (online) training Training Pay: 4.5 credit hours VARIABLE COMPENSATION ESPP, Stock Option Plan, OPA and Profit Share continue as they exist on the date of award without amendment and are to be included with their current terms and conditions in the Variable Compensation section of the collective agreement Pension: Language that serves as a pathway to a Target Benefit pension plan. A one-time option of either staying with the current 20/20 ESP program or changing the contribution levels/matching amounts in the ESP plan with reallocation of half of the current employer match as an employer contribution to a Target Benefit pension plan (eg. 10% ESP with 100% employer match; 10% employer pension contribution) BENEFITS Status quo to be codified in collective agreement; except for LTD LTD: pilot-only plan to be arranged with pilots paying 100% of the premiums. Parties to meet promptly following the issue of this award to determine coverage levels and seek bids. Process to be completed within 6 months. In the meantime, status quo EXPENSES Meal Cost Replacement: Travel within Canada/Mainland US: $3.40 CAD, International Travel (incl. Hawaii): $5.50 CAD Currency conversion eliminated MCR rates increase by 2% each year MOVING Voluntary Toronto relocation eliminated The maximum of all associated relocation costs shall not exceed a total of $45,000 for relocation costs and $12,500 for land transfer tax ($57,500 total) VACATION Current process (points bidding system) and values codified in CA Three VAC/STAT blocks in a month no longer guarantees the whole month off Vacation/Stat Credit remains at 4.5 credit hours SICK LEAVE 54 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year Sick leave credits carry over to following year to a max bank of 120 hours After seven continuous calendar days of sickness for the same illness or injury, a pilot will apply for STD REDUCED BLOCK PROGRAM (FORMERLY PART-TIME PROGRAM) Current participants grand-parented Narrow body only, no less than 76 positions, additional positions added at company’s discretion Scheduling window: 50 to 65 credit hours MMG: 50 hours Maximum of 10 days per month but may be scheduled a maximum of 14 days per month up to five times per year Company shall provide notice prior to bid close for month being flexed up Individual RBP pilots will not be scheduled for a flex window for both July and August in the same calendar year A specific position or a base will not be scheduled for more than 3 increased flex windows in a row Up to one block of 5 OCD days may be assigned Upon reserve implementation: up to one on block of 5 RSV days may be assigned SWOOP LOU Company proposal awarded (details to follow but for now assume current Swoop conditions apply with some variations)

Transat is evolving to a single platform (Airbus) CCQ pilot qualification arrangement (321/330). Not so far fetched that AC would examine this at Rouge as replacing the 767’s becomes a necessity. As for the A350 - just one North American customer (DAL) so far. I suspect Airbus is still ticked about losing the AC NB fleet renewal tender. Having said that, AC remains a significant Airbus fleet operator. Perhaps a package of reasonably priced A321NEO/A350 might attract AC attention. A330NEO might also be a possibility. For now, AC seems comfortable picking up A321/330 in the resale market.

Assuming things happened as described (or hypothetically) would recovery from a bounced landing not be to execute a go-around (of course presuming T/R was not selected)? The previously posted video of landings at NRT(?) in heavy winds includes a bounced 787 landing/no go around. Not pretty. I am not sure that being in such a low energy state and above the runway will not lead to aircraft attitudes or descent rates that may result in excessive g loading on touchdown by parts of the aircraft not designed for such loading (think aft fuselage or nosewheel if recovery included aggressive forward pitch input).

Certainly makes it look like Michael Rousseau is now next in line if for any reason the AC CEO position were to become availBle.

A max oleo compression landing (leading to a possible tail strike) would likely only result from a no-flare/late flare touchdown or a low energy/high pitch attitude touchdown. The common element would be a high rate of vertical speed on touchdown. Wind shear could trigger such an event if an increasing thrust recovery is not initiated in a timely fashion. Reliance on auto thrust could delay such action. Will be interesting to see if DFDR data is released.

Simple question - if you invest $80-120,000 in education and vocational training, how much would you expect to earn in the first 5 years in your trade/profession? Certainly not what the majority of commercial carriers in Canada are offering. Airlines are facing an uphill battle convincing the millennial generation that living out of a suitcase and flying round the clock is a glamorous endeavour. Adding insulting entry level pay is simply exacerbating the deficiency in subscription to commercial piloting as a worthwhile career choice.

It always amazes me that any carrier sees value in the CYHM market. CYHM is NOT an alternate departure point for CYYZ. The airport is in the middle of no where and with QEW/403 traffic can be a nightmare if the true destination is in the GTAA. Local economy and population catchment area also unlikely to support year round scheduled air service. CYHM is a cargo airport. Think of it as the Mirabel of southern Ontario.