Nordic777.
At my company, before we fly an actual CAT II/IIII approach we are required by company SOP’s to brief the approach as per a special CAT II. /III briefing guide. The Briefing guide is 4 pages long and describes required equipment, lighting systems, SMGCS procedures (if applicable) RVR requirements, aircraft system requirements etc etc.. It normally takes 10 minutes to run through the entire briefing guide. We are also certified every year during our annual checkride to fly a CAT II/III approach to a go around and another to a landing in order to renew our certification. We are also tested on low vis procedures. I assure you, we are not cowboys, or indifferent.
You wrote,
“If this is the attitude of some American pilots, that means the level of training, education and knowledge needs to be improved, changed and seriously studied.”
Slightly dramatic.
What should be seriously studied is why the Tower controller cleared SouthWest to take off, and why Southwest didn’t wait for FedEx to land. Again, if this exact incident occurred in the U.K., with LVP announced and in effect…would you be asking for wholesale changes to procedures that have a proven track record? By the Way, I don’t know what airline you flew for in the US, but no airline I know of, plus my Air Force experience, downplayed the importance of knowledge and procedural compliance while flying a CAT II/III approach.
On a less serious note, I will be visiting Duxford and the famous Eagle Pub in a few weeks! Looking forward to it!