Chris HIGGINS
It is good to make your contribution, because the distance helps see the big picture.
It seems that Dick Smith and Mr Caplehorn and Mr Dumsa are able to reveal their full identities; why nobody else? Is it really in the spirit of the Australian safety culture to be frightened to speak up on a national safety concern with fear of reprisaltry action?
Yes I think this is the spirit of the Australian safety culture By my count, and I was writing this anyway, there is nobody left in Australia aviation who has not been attacked. In order, I read of attacks on:
AA managers
AA ATC (who aim aircraft at each other)
BASI
CASA
CSIRO and their Fulton
DOTRS economists
DJ flight crew (who fly at each other)
Qantas and their Head Pilot
I read all the Broome study and I was trynig to ascertain the airlines statements and then I read
It was best summarised by the words of one Chief Pilot who, upon being asked by members of the study team to review Appendix A before publication, said:
It is extremely disappointing to note the remarks of some of the interviewees, who have stated that they are gagged and others who have stated that their respective views can not be related due to other agendas requiring government support
That is a worry for a safety culture, and I think its not good for any country. It goes to the heart of safety management and it is painful to say but Australia cannot be getting a good score on this which is not good.
I too keep my head down but I have to say that even though il est en bas de la route, Adrian Dumsa is not me (but now watch for the accusation that I am he because I have spoken).