All Nippon Airways

[mxer]

I have never had to be a commuter. (Been Lucky) When you commute for AJX or AJV, I would expect you would need to pay for a night stay on either end of the assignment. How about during. If each day is an out and back, do you end up paying for your own quite a bit. If so, is the 550 they currently offer going to cover much or does it just help. Do you have much out of pocket expense. By the way, I live in the States.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

I have never had to be a commuter. (Been Lucky) When you commute for AJX or AJV, I would expect you would need to pay for a night stay on either end of the assignment. How about during. If each day is an out and back, do you end up paying for your own quite a bit. If so, is the 550 they currently offer going to cover much or does it just help. Do you have much out of pocket expense. By the way, I live in the States.

You do pay your own hotel during your duty roster in Narita, some guys have rented apartments with room mates, others (like me) stay at the hotels in the area and we get discount prices through ANA. The $550 allowance is for 120 nights a year and the company pay's an additional $55/night beyond that. The hotel that I stay at gives me a discount rate of Y5,700/ night and gives us a locker area for AJV,AJX,NCA for storage, that way the commute becomes a lot easier because you can travel light. I don't really have to travel with any bags but I tried it once and it was a bitch to go through customs in the US.

About the allowances being enough to cover your stay, it depends on what kind of an individual you are. If you are the "slam clank" type ( you know, the guys that you hear the slam of the door being closed and the clank of the lock, and you don't see them until the sign in time) Sure, the per diem and housing allowance will be enough because you can actually eat pretty cheap in Japan. But if you are like me and enjoy the night life of Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, you will spend more than your allowance for sure.

 

[reepicheep]

Is it true each day is an "out and back"...no layovers?

 

[d328pilot]

Is it true each day is an "out and back"...no layovers?

HNL is about a 22 hour layover, SIN is about 30 hour layover, HKG is about 22 hour layover, TPE is going to be a short 8 hour layover. All of the China flights are "out and back"

 

[fogrunner]

AJV/AJX interview

Just got back from Tokyo. Had a good time. Was told I was successful. Just waiting on the medical results.

Day one- Medical 4.5 hours

Day two- Written test, MMPI, Board Interview and SIM.

Seems to be a change in the Board Interview. Have read and been told pretty light on the technical side. Not the case anymore. A good 15 minutes on , turbulence, de-icing procedures, Jepp Charts, ICAO holding procedures, RVSM, Class B, G, D airspace.

 

[5w5flyer]

Hi, just curious. Four different eye tests during the interview? So I assume that pretty much someone who wears contacts cannot qualify for a JCAB medical?

 

[mxer]

Can anybody that is already flying one of these contracts give a comparison in AJX vs AJV. (besides one is passenger and one is cargo) ex; I have heard crew meals are great on AJX. What about on AJV? I understand that AJV gives one extra day off for the commute. Any comparisons that make one better than the other. Btw, I have applied through PARC and live in the States.

 

[d328pilot]

The biggest complaint that I hear from the cargo guys is the deadheading. A lot of their flying is out of Kansai which involved a DH to start or end the trip. They have started offering some guys apartments there if they will be based in KIX.

I think you are treated better on the passenger side during your initial training. Pax guys get apartments while cargo guys are stuck in hotels. I am averaging close to 80 hours a month on the Pax side where as the cargo guys are probably half of that. Pax guys get uniform hats, cargo guys don't. Both do a lot of China flights with no overnights. Pax is mostly daytime, and cargo has more night time flights into China. Cargo guys visit ORD and ANC in the US, Pax guys get HNL. The cabin crew are mostly nice with a high percentage that are easy on the eyes. Containers on the cargo side are short, fat and cold. Pax airplanes have foot massagers and ice cream service. Cargo doesn't. Pax guys don't have to wait on a bus or car to go to and from the airplane after every flight, where as cargo guys do. I am on the Pax side though so my opinion may be biased.

Now that the difference in pay is smaller, there are cargo guys that are coming over to the passenger side. There are not any pax guys that are trying to move to the cargo side that I know of.

 

[d328pilot]

Hi, just curious. Four different eye tests during the interview? So I assume that pretty much someone who wears contacts cannot qualify for a JCAB medical?

It depends on why you wear contacts. I think there is a limit for uncorrected vision but I am not sure what it is. The contract companies might know, so a call to them would probably give you an exact answer. If you are 20/60 corrected to 20/20 you are probably ok. If you are 20/400, that might be a problem.

 

[Lolikoka]

Contract Renewal

I really haven't heard much about foreign contract flying. Are contracts typically renewed so you can make a career of it? Or are you looking for a new job after 5 years.

 

[d328pilot]

Air Japan is only around 7 years old, so there are only a few guys here that have renewed. Unless there is no need for the company anymore or you go out of your way to make everyone hate you, your contract will be renewed.

 

[Mr.B]

Air Japan is only around 7 years old, so there are only a few guys here that have renewed. Unless there is no need for the company anymore or you go out of your way to make everyone hate you, your contract will be renewed.

How do the locals feel about the gaijin pilots?

 

[d328pilot]

I don't think that any of them are happy that we are here. Would you be if the situation was reversed?

That being said, the Japanese pilots that we fly with are all pretty good. I have not had anyone openly hostile to me since I have been here. You get the occasional dirty look from ANA pilots or the ones that just ignore that you exist, but on the other hand, you get the occasional one that comes up to you and is exceptionally friendly. I don't find the environment significantly different from the US in this regard. I have gotten the same variations in attitude from pilots of different companies in the US.

From what I have been told, when all of this outsourcing started, the company went to the union and said that they have two choices. They can either stop growing because there are not enough pilots, or continue to grow by outsourcing. The union agreed and that is why we are here.

 

[Mr.B]

I don't think that any of them are happy that we are here. Would you be if the situation was reversed?

Of course not.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Job fair October 18th in Newark

Job title :PilotDepartment :Air Japan, ANA & JP Express, Air Nippon, Air Nippon NetworkLocation :Narita, Tokyo, Osaka in JapanJob Status :Contract with Crew Resources Worldwide L.L.C., subsidiary of ANA.Job Description Basic PurposePerforms flight duties as qualified Captain or First Officer in the airlines of ANA group as below ;
Air Japan 767 First Officer based in Narita. Passenger international flight.
ANA & JP Express 767 Captain or First Officer based in Narita. Cargo international flight.
Air Nippon 737 Captain based in Tokyo. Passenger domestic flight.
Air Nippon Network Dash8-Q400 Captain based in Osaka. Passenger domestic flight.1.Employment with Crew Resources Worldwide L.L.C. and seconded to the above airlines after passing flight simulator, interview and medical screenings.2.Training for Japanese pilot certificates will be prepared by those airlines.Specific QualificationExperienceRequired experience and certificates depend on the airlines. Please refer to Crew Resources Worldwide website, http://www.crewresourcesworldwide.com/How to Apply for a JobApply through Crew Resources Worldwide website or recruiter 808-833-4190.
Please do not apply to Los Angeles and San Francisco office of ANA.

 

[ackattacker]

I'd briefly looked into this a few years ago and heard that LASIK eye surgery was disqualifying but that this might change. Anyone know if that's still true? Also heard that Body Mass Index could be disqualifying either high or low.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Lasik is not an approved procedure by the JCAB thus disqualifies you to hold a Japanese ATPL and I have not heard (and don't think) that this will change any time soon. The high BMI number seems to be 29-30 and I have not heard a low BMI number as a disqualification. A low BMI would disqualify 80% of the Japanese pilots

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

I just talked to CREW regarding the military time situation. JCAB (Japan's FAA) does NOT recognize military time AT ALL.

All of the time requirements, are civilian time ONLY.

cliff
YIP

 

[metrodriver808]

lasik

can the doctors tell if someone has had lasik done?

 

[Webslinger]

The biggest complaint that I hear from the cargo guys is the deadheading. A lot of their flying is out of Kansai which involved a DH to start or end the trip. They have started offering some guys apartments there if they will be based in KIX.

I think you are treated better on the passenger side during your initial training. Pax guys get apartments while cargo guys are stuck in hotels. I am averaging close to 80 hours a month on the Pax side where as the cargo guys are probably half of that. Pax guys get uniform hats, cargo guys don't. Both do a lot of China flights with no overnights. Pax is mostly daytime, and cargo has more night time flights into China. Cargo guys visit ORD and ANC in the US, Pax guys get HNL. The cabin crew are mostly nice with a high percentage that are easy on the eyes. Containers on the cargo side are short, fat and cold. Pax airplanes have foot massagers and ice cream service. Cargo doesn't. Pax guys don't have to wait on a bus or car to go to and from the airplane after every flight, where as cargo guys do. I am on the Pax side though so my opinion may be biased.

Now that the difference in pay is smaller, there are cargo guys that are coming over to the passenger side. There are not any pax guys that are trying to move to the cargo side that I know of.

What identifier is KIX...Kansai?