<p>Supplying pilots to help airlines when they have an event which means a temporary shortage is a specialist discipline. Such placements can last anywhere from a few days to a few years.</p>
<p><img alt="Spectrum" src="/getasset/f6c0c529-ab08-45a8-8921-8ea053ff119d/" /></p>
<p>Dublin, Ireland-based Spectrum Aviation is just such a specialist. Its regular work covers a variety of situations, For example, it can deliver pilots when a change of aircraft type is being undertaken an airline. For that, Spectrum will provide pilots to fly the existing fleet while the carrier’s pilots go for training on the incoming type. It also provides pilots for ferry flights, when an aircraft – for whatever reason – needs to be repositioned.</p>
<p>The main business though is providing pilots on short- and medium-term contracts. And there are certainly advantages to a pilot of this type of work. “Obviously it opens them up to a whole new area of working. It will definitely add to their CV in terms of experience, an ability to work within new environments and also particularly in CRM [crew resource management], which they can then bring back to employers in their home country if they wish,” explains Shane Pollard, Spectrum’s managing director.</p>
<p>“It also gives them an opportunity to work abroad, which many people look for at various stages in their life. Generally they get paid quite handsomely to do it as well, which is always an advantage,” he quips. “Another benefit of contract work is that it allows the pilot to make a decision that will best meet their lifestyle and current career needs.”</p>
<p>Pilots who have more than one Type Rating are extremely valuable to Spectrum, although Pollard points out that generally in contract work the airline is looking to use the expertise the pilot has on the aircraft type they are currently flying. “For example, an airline looking for a 737 pilot would be looking someone who is current on the aircraft and generally has greater than 500 hours on type,” he states. “This is for two reasons. It allows the airline to introduce the expertise quickly into their line flying operational environment, and it also reduces the amount of training that they are required to provide to the pilots going on contract”</p>
<p>Pollard acknowledges that an applicant has to satisfy both Spectrum and the airline for which the company finds them a role. Spectrum therefore is in a position to advise on CVs and additional paperwork, to ensure that sections not thought out correctly can be rectified, before the documentation goes off to the airline.</p>
<p>“It happens a huge amount of the time and is a cause of frustration for us, because when you examine a CV you can see when a pilot is not selling themselves,” Pollard reports. “For any candidate flying anywhere, the CV and covering letter is what sells you. When we do get an applicant, particularly for a specific job, if the pilot looks as though they’ve done some initial research on that airline, found out a bit about it and can communicate that through a covering email or in the CV, then that will go to the top of the pile.</p>
<p>“When a pilot applies to us, we get their usual documentation, including their licence, medical details, logbook and passport plus training qualifications. These would be standard across many, many pilots, because a licence is a licence. What will differentiate a pilot is being able to express a wish to be a part of that contract. If they’ve researched the airline and even Spectrum Aviation, then they would be the ones to get our attention quickly,” the MD adds.</p>
<p>“On the other hand, the last thing we want is a pilot arriving for a contract and then saying, ‘I really do not want to be here.’ That doesn’t do the pilot, the airline or Spectrum any good. That’s why it’s one of the key areas of conversation we have with the pilots before placing. Do they understand where they are going, what’s ahead of them? And will they be able to fit into that environment?”</p>
<p>The ferry flight work is an area close to Pollard’s heart. “I come from a flight operations background myself, having done 10 years in ops doing rostering, planning and so on,” he confirms.</p>
<p>“We look for pilots who are willing to move an aircraft from A to B (it could be long- or short-term). Generally it’s outside the comfort zone of an airline operation, where the pilot will be able to think outside the box and be able to put their full expertise to good use.</p>
<p>“We discuss with the pilot to advise them on what the project is. Normally, we’d look for a pilot for 4-5 days, because most of the ferry would be between continents, either from Asia to Europe or Asia to the US or between Europe and the US. We’re looking for people who are able to work on that basis,” says Pollard.</p>
<p>“We then do all the flight planning that’s needed for the flight – all the overflight permits, the hotel reservations, ground transportation and it’s all done on a credit basis. Our aim is to have the whole logistics down to a fine art, so the pilot can then concentrate on flying the aircraft in the knowledge that everything else is being handled and is in place.</p>
<p>“That’s because factors may change. With an aircraft either coming off lease or coming out of maintenance, delays can unfortunately happen,” he continues. “In these circumstances, we want the pilot to know that it’s all being handled by a professional operation behind the scenes.</p>
<p>“While things can change, 99% of the pilots who do ferry flights enjoy it because it’s something that they don’t normally get an opportunity to do. They can use their expertise in an environment which is non-scheduled and going to airfields and countries where they would not have had any experience before,” Pollard comments.</p>
<p>Although the company’s work is about 95% on contract crews, about 5% is the permanent placement of pilots. “The mainstay is contract crews because that’s what we’re extremely good at, but we do get asked about full-time placements,” Pollard confirms.</p>
<p>Obviously the Coronavirus situation has bitten into Spectrum’s work. “I’ve been in this contract pilot business for 25-26 years. I’ve been through 9/11, SARS and the volcano in Iceland and I’ve never seen an impact so dramatic on the industry in all the years of doing this,” the MD admits.</p>
<p>With its contract pilots, Spectrum potentially has a crucial role to play when many operations restart. Pollard, however, is focused on the current scenario. “You get these situations over which you have absolutely no control and they have a huge exponential effect. But aviation is very resilient, mostly driven by the people who work there, because they all have a passion for it,” he concludes, emphasising his belief in the industry’s future.</p>
<hr />
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<p><img alt="Spectrum" src="/getasset/f6c0c529-ab08-45a8-8921-8ea053ff119d/" /></p>
<p>Dublin, Ireland-based Spectrum Aviation is just such a specialist. Its regular work covers a variety of situations, For example, it can deliver pilots when a change of aircraft type is being undertaken an airline. For that, Spectrum will provide pilots to fly the existing fleet while the carrier’s pilots go for training on the incoming type. It also provides pilots for ferry flights, when an aircraft – for whatever reason – needs to be repositioned.</p>
<p>The main business though is providing pilots on short- and medium-term contracts. And there are certainly advantages to a pilot of this type of work. “Obviously it opens them up to a whole new area of working. It will definitely add to their CV in terms of experience, an ability to work within new environments and also particularly in CRM [crew resource management], which they can then bring back to employers in their home country if they wish,” explains Shane Pollard, Spectrum’s managing director.</p>
<p>“It also gives them an opportunity to work abroad, which many people look for at various stages in their life. Generally they get paid quite handsomely to do it as well, which is always an advantage,” he quips. “Another benefit of contract work is that it allows the pilot to make a decision that will best meet their lifestyle and current career needs.”</p>
<p>Pilots who have more than one Type Rating are extremely valuable to Spectrum, although Pollard points out that generally in contract work the airline is looking to use the expertise the pilot has on the aircraft type they are currently flying. “For example, an airline looking for a 737 pilot would be looking someone who is current on the aircraft and generally has greater than 500 hours on type,” he states. “This is for two reasons. It allows the airline to introduce the expertise quickly into their line flying operational environment, and it also reduces the amount of training that they are required to provide to the pilots going on contract”</p>
<p>Pollard acknowledges that an applicant has to satisfy both Spectrum and the airline for which the company finds them a role. Spectrum therefore is in a position to advise on CVs and additional paperwork, to ensure that sections not thought out correctly can be rectified, before the documentation goes off to the airline.</p>
<p>“It happens a huge amount of the time and is a cause of frustration for us, because when you examine a CV you can see when a pilot is not selling themselves,” Pollard reports. “For any candidate flying anywhere, the CV and covering letter is what sells you. When we do get an applicant, particularly for a specific job, if the pilot looks as though they’ve done some initial research on that airline, found out a bit about it and can communicate that through a covering email or in the CV, then that will go to the top of the pile.</p>
<p>“When a pilot applies to us, we get their usual documentation, including their licence, medical details, logbook and passport plus training qualifications. These would be standard across many, many pilots, because a licence is a licence. What will differentiate a pilot is being able to express a wish to be a part of that contract. If they’ve researched the airline and even Spectrum Aviation, then they would be the ones to get our attention quickly,” the MD adds.</p>
<p>“On the other hand, the last thing we want is a pilot arriving for a contract and then saying, ‘I really do not want to be here.’ That doesn’t do the pilot, the airline or Spectrum any good. That’s why it’s one of the key areas of conversation we have with the pilots before placing. Do they understand where they are going, what’s ahead of them? And will they be able to fit into that environment?”</p>
<p>The ferry flight work is an area close to Pollard’s heart. “I come from a flight operations background myself, having done 10 years in ops doing rostering, planning and so on,” he confirms.</p>
<p>“We look for pilots who are willing to move an aircraft from A to B (it could be long- or short-term). Generally it’s outside the comfort zone of an airline operation, where the pilot will be able to think outside the box and be able to put their full expertise to good use.</p>
<p>“We discuss with the pilot to advise them on what the project is. Normally, we’d look for a pilot for 4-5 days, because most of the ferry would be between continents, either from Asia to Europe or Asia to the US or between Europe and the US. We’re looking for people who are able to work on that basis,” says Pollard.</p>
<p>“We then do all the flight planning that’s needed for the flight – all the overflight permits, the hotel reservations, ground transportation and it’s all done on a credit basis. Our aim is to have the whole logistics down to a fine art, so the pilot can then concentrate on flying the aircraft in the knowledge that everything else is being handled and is in place.</p>
<p>“That’s because factors may change. With an aircraft either coming off lease or coming out of maintenance, delays can unfortunately happen,” he continues. “In these circumstances, we want the pilot to know that it’s all being handled by a professional operation behind the scenes.</p>
<p>“While things can change, 99% of the pilots who do ferry flights enjoy it because it’s something that they don’t normally get an opportunity to do. They can use their expertise in an environment which is non-scheduled and going to airfields and countries where they would not have had any experience before,” Pollard comments.</p>
<p>Although the company’s work is about 95% on contract crews, about 5% is the permanent placement of pilots. “The mainstay is contract crews because that’s what we’re extremely good at, but we do get asked about full-time placements,” Pollard confirms.</p>
<p>Obviously the Coronavirus situation has bitten into Spectrum’s work. “I’ve been in this contract pilot business for 25-26 years. I’ve been through 9/11, SARS and the volcano in Iceland and I’ve never seen an impact so dramatic on the industry in all the years of doing this,” the MD admits.</p>
<p>With its contract pilots, Spectrum potentially has a crucial role to play when many operations restart. Pollard, however, is focused on the current scenario. “You get these situations over which you have absolutely no control and they have a huge exponential effect. But aviation is very resilient, mostly driven by the people who work there, because they all have a passion for it,” he concludes, emphasising his belief in the industry’s future.</p>
<hr />
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