DEC - Disaster Entry Captain??

[Cerberus]

So Bird you have surrendered to my point that the insurance actuary statistic angle is 'a pile of pants', I knew I could get you to take that bite. What logic actually says is that a well trained pilot with relevant experience is less of a danger than either a poorly trained one or one with inappropriate experience.

Two typical profiles we see are:

10,000 hours, 6,000jet, 4,000 command short-haul, 0 on type = Qualified DEC
9,000 hours, 5,000jet, 2,000 command short-haul, 2000 on type = Unqualified for Command EK F/O

So 'a non-specific, selective, generic, limited statistic' might be that having 10,000hrs makes a pilot 1,000 "better" than one with 9,000hr. Or that, to otherwise very similarly qualified guys, an extra 2,000 hrs of command is worth more than 2,000 hours on type in the actual operational environment. A well trained pilot with a good decision making model and practice in making those decisons should fare well in any environment. A badly trained pilot with 50,000hrs is still a liability!

So how does all this mumbo jumbo help? It is easier to identify how capable and safe a pilot is by monitoring their performance over a longer period of time in the environment in which they will operate. No point in asking us coz we are all legends in our own lunchtimes. Traditionally this has been done by watching how they develop in the right hand seat. Giving a command to any pilot is a risk. That risk increases if you know less about them.

I am not against DECs to meet a requirement to continue the growth of Emirates. I am against taking inappropriately qualified DECs or taking DECs ahead of 'suitably qualified' F/Os. For the life of me I cannot understand why we are taking none type rated shorthaul guys as DECs when we have guys that were in just about the same position 3 years ago but have since tried to develop their career further by flying for EK. EK would do better by getting rid of arbitary rules and by assessing their staff on merit. Then again, that would require able operational managers with the ability to make sound decisions and self confidence. To do that you have to have relevant experience and with some individuals near the top of the flt ops tree, I fear that may not be the case.

Cerberus