A330 Man, I do not want to make personal attacks but lets look at your 3 quotes in general terms:
Q1. 'he is a former TRE/Flight Standards Captain on the 737, TRI on the 767, FAA air safety award recipient, with over 18000 hours, almost all with a major airline in jets. He is no slouch.'
A1. Wrong, someone with that profile might be a slouch! Experience isn't about how long you have been doing it or how many hours you have, it is about what you have fitted into those hours, how relevant it is, what you have learnt and how you apply it in the future! Someone with the above profile might be good, might have been good and might never have been any good at all.
Having all those awards and hours doesn't amount to anything unless you use them wisely. Clearly, the Nairobi Captain didn't have the experience to recognise a massive mountain between himself and the localiser. Maybe it might have been different if he had been in his environment and inside his comfort zone or sat in the right seat for a while and learnt about his new environment and gained some
relevant experience.
Q2. 'The F/O was a local, former UEA military.'
A2. Ergo, the first officer was probably quite inexperienced! He might be good, he might not. In the UK in the 80's about 8 US Military exchange pilots were killed by the RAF who assumed they were experienced and sent them off on low-level missions in the hills. They were experienced but their experience related to the clear skies of Arizona (bit like 411a) in a nice radar controlled box, not 500' cloudbase / 5km viz in the UK's winter. I think you can read across from the US military to the UAE and make your own conclusions.
What did the Brits do? They gave them a UK orientation course with experienced IPs until they had the clues in their bag. We could do the same with some DECs, the orientation could be carried out in the right hand seat for a while recognising their previous experience but letting them learn about their new environment and gain
relevant experience
Q3. 'What I was trying to say was that you do not reach that experience level by cutting corners, being a "cowboy" or a rogue pilot.'
A3. No you can just keep your head down and wend through the system. Doesn't mean you are good but it does mean you have been around a long time. I know lots of pilots that have got old without picking up much experience or many clues along the way. Is an 18,000 hour pilot better than a 12,000 hour one? Maybe but probably not more likely just older and eventually for most of us on the slippery slope down. We have some former Captains that are permanent EK F/Os cos they didn't meet our standard.
So what to take out of all my blustering? Well when we employ DECs they should have
relevant experience. A rating in one of our aircraft types would be a good starting point. Experience of the airfields to which we operate should be another. If they don't have that they should sit in the right hand seat and gain it. As an ex-pat airline you have the added burden as a Captain of flying with all sorts of guys that have very different experience, knowledge and ability bases. The best way to cope is by having been exposed to that environment before stepping across to the left seat.
1. Previous Command - DEC has had it, most EK F/Os have too.
2. Meets EK's Command Ability Standard - DEC maybe, you can check out F/Os to see.
3. Relevant Operating Environment - DEC maybe, EK F/O has for sure.
4. Used to SOPs - DEC no / EK F/O definitely.
5. Time on type - DECs maybe / EK F/O for sure.
6. Relevant Experience- DEC maybe / EK F/O definitely
There seem to be a hell of a lot of maybe's surrounding DECs, if the meet them all it is not unreasonable to take them. If not, we should look within at guys that of whom we have more knowledge. That way we will make a better and informed decision. Even Transition/Upgrades might make sense. A guy within the company has fewer things to learn than a DEC going to a new Company, Country, Operating Environment, type etc.
It is a big ask to be a DEC, the humility to recognise that you are not a god, just a man starting a new job is a good start. (Unlike so I am told one of our ME DECs) To set the same standards you held with your previous operator whilst learning new SOPs etc is hard. That ask gets even bigger if you are trying to learn about a new jet and new operating environment at the same time. Lets get DECs with
relevant experience or promote the experienced and capable guys from within.
Speaking of bollocks; what's the one compliment never heard in the bedroom? 'Nice scrotum!'
Off to the physio to get my typing finger renewed.
Cerberus
