First, I am not BLAMING the price of oil on anyone, just when speculators see problems (war, hurricanes, flow problems) the price goes up. Since Isreal and its neighbors are at it again, the price has gone up, another big hurricane hits the US oil rigs and supply, the price will go up. Most of the the legacies are turning it around, a lot due to pensions being desolved, labor taking big hits and lower capacity.
Nowto Mensa. Well, you finally got to it. Let's see, in my career I have flown with a very few Ozzies. One was a drunk and a complete mess, another a whinner about everything, and the other a great guy. And as pilots, their personalities matched their flying abilities. So what do deduce from this about pilots from Oz.....the three I have flown with over the last 20 years: one was a drunk, one was a whinner and one was a great guy. But I do have to say their RT was very good. US pilots, IMHO, have been brought up on the Chuck Yeager school and only in the last few years has there been a big push on correct R/t.
If a pilot consistantly tries to abort in the sim above V1, what's he doing out on the line?
So Mensa, I think some of your wranglings might have some validity, my point is that you setting yourself up for some harsh criticisism when slap a country's pilot group and not just the individual.
Now for the big question. The company line is that the aircraft could not be coming online as fast as they are without the DECs and the best possible scenario is to have aircraft arrive as fast as possible for growth. Without the DECs (and only 100 or so will be hired), aircraft deliveaies would be delayed. The upgrade is being sold at exactly three years now, no sooner. Only one training event for a DEC where an upgrade takes two. That's the company line, not mine.
Now go have that Stella, but just one.
IXNAT