Singapore's A380 pilots win pay arbitration

by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 25 May 2007

SINGAPORE Airlines' A380 pilots today received a big nod from the Industrial Arbitration Court, in their case against SIA's management for a higher salary than their B747-400 counterparts.**

Through their professional union, Airlines Pilots Association - Singapore, they had argued that the bigger capacity Airbus justified their case.

SIA disagreed. The airline argued that the Airbus pilots should be paid less because the A380 is easier to fly than the Boeing plane.

The court ruled in the union's favour; further, it determined that a A380 captain's minimum pay should be set at S$10,700 - S$700 more than that for B747-400 captains.

The court's ruling in favour of ALPA-S notwithstanding, the IAC neither backed the union's position nor the airline's stance. The court also hoped that the case would not damage the cordial working relationship existing between both parties.

A happy President of ALPA-S, Captain P James, expressed satisfaction over the verdict. Although the union had fought for a pay margin of $1000 between the Airbus and Boeing pilots, he was pleased with the S$700 awarded. It amounted to more than two-thirds of what the union asked for.

** Note: See commentary dated 29 April 2007 by DEREK YEO

Copyright © 2007 AIRMENews. All rights reserved.

My earliest recollections beckon

by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 22 May 2007

A Sunderland berthed at anchor off Kallang Airport. The iconic flying boat rocked idly, dipping and rising in choppy swells of the sea around it.

Beyond the Royal Air Force Sunderland, a Boeing 314 with "Pan American Airways" emblazoned on its fuselage side, skimmed the waves on its take-off run. The giant seaplane lifted off, trailing a slipstream of sea-water beneath it. Its four Wright engines revving at full throttle, it's off on another trans-Pacific scheduled service.

A TYPICAL panorama I soaked in, in my early teens during annual school holidays in the early fifties at Tanjong Rhu chalets near Kallang Airport, Singapore. The image - vividly etched in my mind ever since - sparked my life-long love affair with the aeroplane.

On lazy afternoons, I would spent hours sitting on the sea-front gazing curiously at the airfield's activities across the water.

Years later in 1961, in Beatty Secondary School, I joined the Malayan Air Training Corps (MATC). Similar to the United Kingdom's Air Training Corps (for boys) and Girl Venture Corps (for girls), the MATC trained their air cadets in leadership skills, survival techniques, first aid, air navigation, airframe and engine knowledge and other aviation studies. Corps' activities imbued cadets with selfless service to others, an adventurous spirit and character-building. Aptly, the MATC adopted motto "Venture Adventure" echoed its parent body's in the UK.

I was assigned a cadet number - 539; the first digit denoted I was part of 5 Squadron in Beatty Secondary School. Mr Hee Swee Khee, our History Master and a volunteer pilot (with the rank of Squadron Leader) in the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force, led 5 Squadron, MATC. When he wasn't teaching, Mr Hee flew Harvards and Tiger Moths with MAAF pilot trainees.

The MATC - Singapore branch (its Malayan branch was based in Kuala Lumpur) had its headquarters at Kallang Airport in the fifties. In the early sixties, it re-located to former Workers' Brigade* premises at Kolam Ayer.

The Corps' Commandant, Wing Commander Roland Park had an efficient staff which included Squadron Leader Murugan and a young Flying Officer Jalil. I met Jalil again in 1969 at Singapore's Flying Training School, RAF Tengah. He served as the school's Adjutant and Administrative Officer.

Many airmen had their career foundation firmly grounded in the MATC. Sulaiman Sujak was perhaps the most illustrious among them. From air cadetship, he went on to fly Canberras and Vulcans in the Royal Air Force. When the Tentara Udara Di-raja Malaysia (Royal Malayan Air Force, later Royal Malaysian Air Force) formed in 1956, the government appointed Sulaiman the RMAF's first Chief of Air Staff with the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.

Among my ex-cadet contemporaries in the air force were: Kong Kian (RAF & RSAF), Abdul Wahab (RSAF), Lee Hium Heng (RAF) and Bob Tan (RSAF). Sadly, Kong Kian and Bob Tan had passed on. Lieutenant Kong Kian died in a road accident in 1975 while Bob Tan, a Singapore Technologies Aerospace executive, died in 2002 after an illness.

Other fellow cadets such as Bala, Samson, Terry Teo Kar Teck and Tan Han Song travelled to Britain and enlisted in the Royal Air Force there. Samson and Terry joined as Boy Entrants in the RAF Apprenticeship Scheme. They trained at RAF Halton. Bala and Han Song enlisted under the Adult category in 1961 after enduring a two-week roller-coaster passage (storms in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea) to Liverpool onboard a Blue Funnel Line boat. For a thrilled Bala and wide-eyed Han Song, it was a trip of a lifetime. It was, for both, their first venture out of Singapore.

Terry was an ex-Beatty schoolmate too. In 1967, we met again, in RAF Tengah where my unit, 81 Squadron (equipped with Canberra PR7s) was based. Terry had been posted to 45 Squadron at Tengah from RAF Abingdon.

After passing out with distinction at Halton in 1965, the RAF offered Terry a Queen's commission in the Engineering Branch. During Officer Selection, however, he was short-listed because of a family situation.

Anyway, I was glad to see my old schoolmate, SGT Terry Teo, again.

I picked up much knowledge and many skills from two experienced Chief Technicians in Tengah, Richard Parr of 81 Squadron and Gordon Hutchinson of ASF - Engine Bay.

*NOTE: In the eighties, the Workers' Brigade merged with the Singapore Fire Brigade to form the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Copyright © 2007 AIRMENews. All rights reserved.

First painted SIA A380 rolls out

by Derek Yeo - HAMBURG - 14 May 2007

SINGAPORE Airlines' first A380 airbus, resplendent in its trademark gold-blue livery, rolled out from the Airbus paint-shop in Hamburg, Germany 2 May 2007.

One hundred aircraft spray-painters took three weeks and more than 2,200 litres of paint to do the job. The paint-coat covered a total skin area of 3100 sqm. Only 0.12 mm thick, it could weather through temperature differentials between 60 and above 40 degrees Celsius.

Airbus protects the environment by using the latest technologies to paint its A380s. Electrostatic pistols are an example; these reduce toxic mist during painting work. Another is a multi-tier cleaning procedure that disposes paint particles separately by cleaning used air.

SIA is the launch airline for the A380 super-jumbo; it expects delivery of its first aircraft in October 2007. The airline has a firm order of 19 A380s.

Copyright © 2007 AIRMENews. All rights reserved.

Second Globemaster heading Down Under

by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 11 May 2007


THE ROYAL Australian Air Force accepted its second C-17 Globemaster III. In a ceremony at Boeing Company's Long Beach manufacturing plant, Air Commordore Jack Plenty - chief of the RAAF's Airlift Group - received the aircraft in the presence of senior RAAF officers, Boeing's officials and workers.

The Australian Defence Force has been eagerly anticipating the delivery of its second C-17, said Air Cdre Plenty.

He disclosed, "Our C-17 squadron already has conducted several inter-continental, time-critical tasks over the past five months since the arrival of the first aircraft in December 2006. These tasks could never have been achieved if we did not have such a responsive global airlift capability."

Globemaster III number two will join 36 Squadron, the RAAF's heavy lift unit, at its Amberley base in Queensland state. With the latest delivery, the squadron has two Globemaster IIIs; the first having been delivered in 2006. Two more aircraft are contracted for delivery by 2008, bringing 36 Squadron's C-17 strength to four.

Boeing's Vice President/C-17 Program Manager Dave Bowman reiterated his team's firm commitment to its C-17 customers in ensuring on-schedule deliveries of its "world-class airlift capability".

Currently, the global C-17 fleet includes: 164 United States Air Force planes (total on contract: 190); four Royal Air Force planes ( the fifth in early 2008); two RAAF (two more by 2008) and four on contract to the Canadian Forces, the first scheduled production by August 2007. Boeing schedules its last production C-17 by mid-2009.

The Globemaster III's tactical and strategic roles enable its worldwide deployments on military and mercy flights. It is the only military heavy-lift jet in the world capable of using short landing strips in rough terrain.

Source: The Boeing Company

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Malaysian Hawk crashes

by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 5 May 2007

A BRITISH Aerospace Hawk 208 fighter jet, from the Royal Malaysian Air Force based at Kuantan, crashed after take-off yesterday morning at the airbase.

The pilot ejected safely but suffered slight injuries. He was on a routine training sortie before the mishap.

RMAF authorities are investigating the accident.

Copyright © 2007 AIRMENews. All rights reserved.

Emphatic NO again to Singapore Airlines

by Derek Yeo - SINGAPORE - 4 May 2007

"The government has reaffirmed that it has no plans to revisit the issue of rights for Singapore Airlines to operate beyond Australia to the United States for some time."

THUS Australia, through its Transport Minister Mark Vaile, turned down yet again Singapore Airlines' request to fly the lucrative Australia-US West Coast route.

The emphatic no came even as IATA* figures now suggest that demand outstripped supply for seats on Asia-Pacific travel. Singapore Airlines (SIA) insisted that the difference of nearly one per cent of demand over supply justified more competition on the route.

Australia, however, stood its ground.

Mr Vaile said Qantas' firm grip on the popular Sydney - Los Angeles sector would remain so and "off-limits" to carriers apart from the Australian national airline and Virgin Blue for a while. Qantas profits from this route as high as 20% of its total earnings. Virgin Blue, an Australian budget flyer, would help meet the demand for capacity when it starts flights to the US, according to Mr Vaile.

The rebuff is the latest in SIA's repeated attempts to gain access to the trans-Pacific route for about 10 years.

SIA should take this latest let-down in its stride. Taken positively, it speaks volumes about the Singaporean carrier's competitiveness edge among major airlines namely, Qantas, British Airways, Emirates and Cathay Pacific Airways.

One of the most popular player in the global airline industry - in both, business and tourism travel sectors - SIA has consistently achieved accolade after accolade, year after year.

It makes business sense that Qantas would rather share - or take the lion's share of - the profitable route with a minnow budget airline, and not with Singapore's flag carrier.

Or so it seems.

Over the long term, Australia, however, stands to lose more than gain on this issue. Given its drive, innovative edge and leadership in the business, SIA would be a worthy partner and benefactor of Australia in opening up the trans-Pacific route. With SIA on board, Australia would certainly cut a win-win deal.

Before that could happen, however, Singapore needs the Australians to come to their senses.

*IATA: International Air Transport Association

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