Bronx
I just can't see how they can honorably let a pilot fly half time who they believe Right or Wrong ain't safe to fly half time.
BA don't believe
JS is not safe. Nor do I imagine any of her training/SIM checks support this conclusion, or BA would have produced them. BA set an arbitrary min 2000hr figure as a precondition for 50% PTWK, after it looked like they were going to lose the case.
I quite rightly support any safety issue if it is was valid. If say BA received a request from a pilot for 50% who had a history of problems, then I would support their decision to reject such a request. Likewise if it was shown that a pilots performance had subsequently deteriorated to an unacceptable level once granted PTWK. Likewise if BA had statistical evidence to back up their arbitrary 2000hr limit.
PTWK pilots still have to pass the same 6-monthly checks that full-time pilots do. I would be surprised if there proved to be any correlation between one's performance and Time-in an airline, or FT vs PTWK. I have flown with both good and bad pilots, and this seems spread across the pilot spectrum, whether they have 35yrs experience or are on their first year. Is a 200-hr RAF pilot any less-proficient than an ex-RAF pilot who has been in an airline for the last 10yrs ? It's "complacency" that kills more airline pilots than "lack of experience", and complacency can happen at any time of one's Career.
Capt Filloscan, currency is not dependent on experience, or whether one is FT or PTWK.
Lets face it, not long ago a FT pilot flew 450hrs per year, not the current 900hrs. A 50% pilot would fly the same annual hrs a FT pilot would just 5yrs ago. If PTWK for a pilot is unsafe, then I suppose we should also prevent;
- Pilots taking holidays longer than just a couple days.
- Mgmt pilots who spend time in the office.(union Reps likewise)
- Make LH pilots return to SH every few months so they can increase their number of landings.
With the exponential rise in annual flying hours of the last few years, and the gov'ts increased push on "right to lifestyle", it is encumbent on the airlines to decide if Safety is an issue. If safety is proven to be an issue, then it is up to the airlines to instigate procedures to eliminate those risks, not just ignore the human rights of it's pilots. There is one other alternative, VOTE BNP next election and ask them to reverse human right policies back to the dark ages.
