Excrab - I don't like your tone old chap. I put forward a non-confrontational post and you reply sarcastiacally and aggressively. Are you like that with your training hat on?
The feeling without exception of those I flew with was that going over the alps at FL250 in a dash in winter was far from ideal. It concerns me that you have to actually say that the route was considered carefully. Of course it was legal and approved, but there was clearly a communication problem, because crews felt uncomfortable. That is not their fault; they are going on the briefing and info provided by the airline to the crews. Do bear in mind the crews were often doing the same cross channel sectors, then occasionally thrown into a longer flight in foreign airspace over the Alps. I don't recall doing any driftdowns in the sim by way of aiding my ability and competence. I recall Notac 14/03 with fond memories. We had it's contents deciphered on a post-it note and stuck it on the glare shield - along with the noise abatement departure out of bergamo which was as equally complex.
I agree, that to say that flying that route was unsafe would be misleading - but I didn't say it. I said the brief was inadequate which left crew with an uneasy feeling. (no pun intended). You typify the training ethos at flybe - listen to yourself!.. Should have read the notac, shouldn't have signed the line check form, should have told the skipper, shouldn't have accepted the duty on roster issue....blah blah... It doesn't seem to worry you that there was a problem - just a tirade of reasons why we should have no reason to be concerned.
With reference to your command selection procedure - Perhaps you could explain why at least one skipper I can remember was sent on a Pre-command course after I had flown with him in the LHS for at least 4 months? He happened to be a top operator, but still...
I am pleased to hear that the training has improved. In September 2003 it was still poor to very poor. - I didn't attack your training department - I commented on my experience of it. If I wanted to attack it, I would have said it was shi*te, but it wasn't. In 2001 as you say, there were a few good guys doing the best they could to get the lads through and there were some other pedantic bully boy trainers who took no consideration as to the new guys background, age or ability and gave them a really rough time - and what did it achieve?
My understanding was JT retired, but if you got rid of him - so be it. I quite liked the bloke myself, just not his way of doing things which was a, little dated. Something about competent but lacking initiative was his crm course in a nutshell
The other thing I forgot to mention on my original post was that in the sim you couldn't bug minima. I guess that has changed now you have speed tapes but that always gave me a chuckle. "Sorry old chap - you bust your minima"
"bugg*er me so I did... the post-it note must have fallen off again. Can I have another go?"
"Absolutely it's only an OPC".