FIFO - general discussion

[9171]

Aloha all, I see that the discussion of FIFO things has just a couple of ancient threads. I feel that if we actually make an effort to discuss FiFO, the threads will attract more interest, grow, etc etc. At the moment anyone new to the FIFO thing will simply find a couple of youtube things. But AFF has the talent to provide so much more. Surely I am not the only one, both doing FIFO work, and happy to provide guidance, etc?

 

[9171]

Aloha all, I see that the discussion of FIFO things has just a couple of ancient threads. I feel that if we actually make an effort to discuss FiFO, the threads will attract more interest, grow, etc etc. At the moment anyone new to the FIFO thing will simply find a couple of youtube things. But AFF has the talent to provide so much more. Surely I am not the only one, both doing FIFO work, and happy to provide guidance, etc?

Given that noone seems interested in FIFO, but to all you frequent flyers in the commercial normal world, this whole FIFO thing is an amazingly different experience in flying. I just want you to imagine this:

Boarding: everyone calmly gets up and queues when actually requested by the airline. Noone stands for half an hour waiting to be first.

De-planing: When the seatbelt sign dies, the first row stand up and grab their stuff. Then the second row, etc. Noone at the back moves until it is their turn. Bliss!

The entire cabin has pax that work together, travel together. Bad behaviour is simply not tolerated. It is amazing.

FIFO is newish to me, but after 1000+ commercial flights, I love the different feeling of travelling with pros.

 

[Forg]

Boarding: everyone calmly gets up and queues

…

De-planing: When the seatbelt sign dies, the first row stand up and grab their stuff.

FIFO or LIFO?

/QueueingTheoryPun

 

[9171]

…

FIFO or LIFO?

/QueueingTheoryPun

Sorry Forg, what is "LIFO"??

 

[henrus]

Boarding: everyone calmly gets up and queues when actually requested by the airline. Noone stands for half an hour waiting to be first.

Sounds fine... I think you'd find that often the people that gate lice for group 1 aren't actually group 1 they are instead either the passenger who travels once per year or the one who travels a handful of times and because of that handful thinks they are group 1.

When one travels more frequently they realise that being first onboard doesn't get a medal and I'd like to think most if not all on AFF have that mindset. I've been on FIFO flights with people standing a long time before boarding so it's not always perfect.

 

[9171]

....... I've been on FIFO flights with people standing a long time before boarding so it's not always perfect.

Yeah, maybe with sites with many contractors, etc. But IMHO when you do regular FIFO you learn.....

 

[Happy Trails]

Minimal carry-on baggage too, IME.

 

[nancypants]

Where are you FIFOing?!
My experience is everyone gets on the flight out and is straight onto the piss!!

Rivals the DPS flights in terms of level of agro and intoxication IME

 

[Katie]

Sorry Forg, what is "LIFO"??

It's Last In, First Out. Another meaning of FIFO is First In, First Out.

 

[Forg]

Sorry Forg, what is "LIFO"??

Yes, what Katie said!

First In First Out and Last In First Out were from high school maths in the 80's before Fly In Fly Out existed, I just assumed most people have had queueing-theory inflicted upon them in high school!

 

[DC3]

Given that noone seems interested in FIFO, but to all you frequent flyers in the commercial normal world, this whole FIFO thing is an amazingly different experience in flying. I just want you to imagine this:

Boarding: everyone calmly gets up and queues when actually requested by the airline. Noone stands for half an hour waiting to be first.

De-planing: When the seatbelt sign dies, the first row stand up and grab their stuff. Then the second row, etc. Noone at the back moves until it is their turn. Bliss!

The entire cabin has pax that work together, travel together. Bad behaviour is simply not tolerated. It is amazing.

FIFO is newish to me, but after 1000+ commercial flights, I love the different feeling of travelling with pros.

Interesting post. And something positive to add for your fellow-AFFers.

 

[9171]

Where are you FIFOing?!
My experience is everyone gets on the flight out and is straight onto the piss!!

Rivals the DPS flights in terms of level of agro and intoxication IME

Hey there nancypants, my FIFO is within Queensland, and perhaps most importantly, is a charter plane. In my pre-FIFO days I do recall the "flouro brigade" in all their misbehaving glory, but that was on commercial flights. Maybe they behave more on in-house things?

 

[nancypants]

Hey there nancypants, my FIFO is within Queensland, and perhaps most importantly, is a charter plane. In my pre-FIFO days I do recall the "flouro brigade" in all their misbehaving glory, but that was on commercial flights. Maybe they behave more on in-house things?

The worst I have ever seen is out of MacArthur river which sits in a weird status

 

[daft009]

Does 48 hrs count?

Went to see a mining customer to commission our trial system so was FIFO for 2 days. Sydney to Perth, then a charter flight back east from Perth to gold mining country

Accommodation and food was so good at the camp.. very impressed. Would definitely do it if i was a fresh grad

 

[eastwest101]

Hey there nancypants, my FIFO is within Queensland, and perhaps most importantly, is a charter plane. In my pre-FIFO days I do recall the "flouro brigade" in all their misbehaving glory, but that was on commercial flights. Maybe they behave more on in-house things?

Totally different on Charter flights put on by the company, in most cases now charter flights won't have any alcohol available on-board for various reasons, and acting like a d@^khead on board will be passed onto company HR so any misbehaviour won't last long. Obviously, some FIFO workers also take normal scheduled public flights, some self-funded and some funded by the company/contractors, some in in high-vis, many others not, due to company policy, again, going hard on the drinks in work uniform will normally end up back at HR and then a resulting one-way "window seat" or even bus off-site forever. The increase in female workforce participation and even senior female managers in the resources industry has also changed attitudes and behaviour over the years, pretty tame compared to what it used to be.

@nancypants - I assume this MacArthur River is some sort of weird hybrid charter/publically available flight linking site to either Darwin or Cairns?

Not everyone in hi-vis is associated with the resources industry, have a look around the warehouse/construction industry/airports/ports/railways/some government agencies/local councils/road & civil contractors etc etc

Another interesting thing is that many FIFO charter flights have gone from free-for-all seating to allocated seating over the years, as aircraft have become larger, and different better seats become obvious, along with the charter operator preferring it. Hot and high performance at some airstrips is still an issue, hence the emphasis on weight saving and minimal baggage/hand luggage as most people have rooms or lockers to keep stuff on-site. Best seats in the house now will be the new E190-E2 when they arrive for Virgin WA or the old F100 or even F70s although there are even better E190 and B737 options with generous legroom and fairly quiet compared to the worst seats in the house being any seat on a Fairchild Metro on a hot QLD summer day, closely followed by some of the Qantaslink and Skywest A320s with the Tiger interior configuration. Lots of other aircraft such as A320s, A319s, E170s, Dash-8s, ATR42s, E120s, Kingairs and Saab 340s still possible as well, and yes even the dreaded Texas Lawndart (Metro 23) as well in some places.

 

[nancypants]

@nancypants - I assume this MacArthur River is some sort of weird hybrid charter/publically available flight linking site to either Darwin or Cairns?

correct- it is (or perhaps used to be) a company charter where a small number of seats (around 5-10) were available for purchase by the public. But for whatever reason the same issue never came up on Groote Eylandt flights with the exact same situation

 

[OZDUCK]

Totally different on Charter flights put on by the company, in most cases now charter flights won't have any alcohol available on-board for various reasons, and acting like a d@^khead on board will be passed onto company HR so any misbehaviour won't last long. Obviously, some FIFO workers also take normal scheduled public flights, some self-funded and some funded by the company/contractors, some in in high-vis, many others not, due to company policy, again, going hard on the drinks in work uniform will normally end up back at HR and then a resulting one-way "window seat" or even bus off-site forever. The increase in female workforce participation and even senior female managers in the resources industry has also changed attitudes and behaviour over the years, pretty tame compared to what it used to be.

@nancypants - I assume this MacArthur River is some sort of weird hybrid charter/publically available flight linking site to either Darwin or Cairns?

Not everyone in hi-vis is associated with the resources industry, have a look around the warehouse/construction industry/airports/ports/railways/some government agencies/local councils/road & civil contractors etc etc

Another interesting thing is that many FIFO charter flights have gone from free-for-all seating to allocated seating over the years, as aircraft have become larger, and different better seats become obvious, along with the charter operator preferring it. Hot and high performance at some airstrips is still an issue, hence the emphasis on weight saving and minimal baggage/hand luggage as most people have rooms or lockers to keep stuff on-site. Best seats in the house now will be the new E190-E2 when they arrive for Virgin WA or the old F100 or even F70s although there are even better E190 and B737 options with generous legroom and fairly quiet compared to the worst seats in the house being any seat on a Fairchild Metro on a hot QLD summer day, closely followed by some of the Qantaslink and Skywest A320s with the Tiger interior configuration. Lots of other aircraft such as A320s, A319s, E170s, Dash-8s, ATR42s, E120s, Kingairs and Saab 340s still possible as well, and yes even the dreaded Texas Lawndart (Metro 23) as well in some places.

My only flight on a Fairchild was from Melbourne to Albury-Wodonga on a hot summers day. It was very 'interesting' - in the supposed Chinese curse sort of way. I imagine that in QLD it would be even more interesting. The Saab I flew in on the return trip seemed like travelling in an A380 by comparison.

 

[9171]

Totally different on Charter flights put on by the company, in most cases now charter flights won't have any alcohol available on-board for various reasons

Just as a "data point" or reality thing for some:
1.- I work at a modern mine. "Safety" is higher than religion at modern sites.
2.- Every single morning we undergo alcohol tests. Every single day, including the day we leave site.
3.- Alcohol is available on site, but in a strictly restricted fashion in tiny windows that reflect shift times. And it is not sold on the flight out.
4.- I FIFO with Brisbane as home base, and as almost all others with me, getting "home" to Brissy is just the air leg - we then have to drive to wherever. Hence no grog.
5.- Lastly, perhaps unimportantly, on my work flights we do not have to wear hi-vis, etc. Yet have seen other flights where every single pax was in full uniform. Things vary.

 

[cosi]

Son-in-law is a FIFO in WA doing 8 on and 6 off.

1. National Jet Systems is the charter flight company.
2. Aircraft used is a E190.
3. Departure on Wednesday leaves at 6:20am for the 90 minute to Sunrise Dam.
4. Pre- assigned seats are allocated.
5. A snack and hot refreshments are served.
6. Upon arrival, he selects his lunch from the fridge at the airport & heads off to work.
7. The plane spends the day on the ground.
8. Crew have access to the camp facilities.
9. Camp food is very good.
10. 4 beers are allowed per day or 2 wines monitored through an app.
11. Breathalysed each morning.
12. Return flight leaves around 5:30pm
13. A snack and hot refreshments are again served - no grog.
14. All pax's travel in up and back in Hi-Viz.

 

[9171]

Son-in-law is a FIFO in WA doing 8 on and 6 off.

1. National Jet Systems is the charter flight company.
2. Aircraft used is a E190.
3. Departure on Wednesday leaves at 6:20am for the 90 minute to Sunrise Dam.
4. Pre- assigned seats are allocated.
5. A snack and hot refreshments are served.
6. Upon arrival, he selects his lunch from the fridge at the airport & heads off to work.
7. The plane spends the day on the ground.
8. Crew have access to the camp facilities.
9. Camp food is very good.
10. 4 beers are allowed per day or 2 wines monitored through an app.
11. Breathalysed each morning.
12. Return flight leaves around 5:30pm
13. A snack and hot refreshments are again served - no grog.
14. All pax's travel in up and back in Hi-Viz.

We have the same 4 beer rule - and it is mid-strength only.