Unofficial SOP’s

[CaptainSandL]

I was prompted to write this after reading the thread(s) about B737 Bus Lights over on tech-log and the different ways in which we seem to operate the same aircraft.

I think we probably all acknowledge that the definitive way to do anything is that which is published by Boeing in the Vol 1, 2, QRH or FCTM (or your manufacturers equivalent). However on top of that you have to overlay your individual companies manuals and SOP’s, these are also legally binding because they have been approved by their countries regulatory authorities. Before you know where you are, you find yourself having to look in 5 books to see if you are doing something the “correct” way.

Unfortunately there is a third level of “unofficial SOP’s” which filter down to the line from people who flew the same type for a different company, people who flew a different type for the same company, trainers/managers with their own theories or just line pilots who may have heard or read something, perhaps even on these pages.

Many of these USOP’s are founded on personal experience, technical knowledge, hearsay, superstition (OK perhaps not!) or just plain airmanship. I myself have a few of these USOP’s which I have developed for probably all of the above reasons.

In general I think that to have a couple of these is probably harmless. But where it becomes a problem is when you the Captain try and impose them on your poor F/O as gospel or when they start to interfere with the normal flow of operations. I know I have been guilty of this in the past and it really takes some self discipline to look at your own operation and stick precisely to the printed word, wherever it may be written!

Perhaps an example would help. The author of the generators on-line thread referred to above (whom I know to be a very experienced operator of the type) asks “Is it SOP to check the AC meters before putting the generators on-line?” I am sure that technically the answer is no, but it is surely good airmanship and most people do it. The problem arises when a Captain, or even worse a trainer, picks up an F/O for not doing it and the conclusion is drawn that the poor chap is in some way lacking in diligence.

So where am I going with this rant? What is my solution? I don’t know. I suppose I am asking: Is it possible, or even desirable, that we should all operate the same type of aircraft in exactly the same way regardless of which airline we work for?, that way no cross fertilisation of USOP’s would be possible and it would surely be safer because we would all be operating “the correct way”. After all, we can’t all be operating the “correct” way at the moment, even if we think we are.

I once spoke to a 737 pilot who said he had flown them for five different airlines and they all flew them differently and of course each airline thought they flew it the standard Boeing way. How can this be possible in an industry where every step is written down in such fine detail? A clue might be that my own airline bought the books straight from Boeing six years ago and have been tweaking the SOP’s with memos ever since. Now, a further question is Where does that leave us legally if, god forbid, we have an accident? Will the lawyers say “Your airlines SOP’s might be the best we have ever seen, but they are not the correct ones – pay up.”.

I’d better stop now before my soap-box gives way. Thoughts please…

S&L