Hi Wiz,
My 4th.
Captain Jack, perhaps the ex AN people were mearly being conversational is relating the SOPs of a company that was dear to their hearts? It may not have been the critisism of their existing employer as you have supposed. My experience has found that most SOPs are pretty similar wherever you go; practicality being the mother of invention.
The real difference, I have found, is in cultural differences, where the ex-AN have a different approach to situation, such as WX avoidance. What one perceives as 'safe' depends on you aviation pedigree, I have no doubts! The term for FOs, "dogs" that you speak of came from AN WA and was not in use in the rest of the AN network. Apparently the term came from the MMA days, wher the captains were simpley legends and the FOs just dogs hit.
A while ago, I was talking to someone in the industry who didnt know I was ex -AN and said something along the lines of ".. those AN guys are all a bunch of smart @$$s". I recon some ex AN guys have actualy pulled poeple into line with some common sense when some stupid cokpit suggestions have been made and that is the reason for the sour grapes.
The only time that I have said anything along the lines of "That's what we used to do at Ansett " in a way that disparaged the proceedures was in the context of...
" The green returns on the radar contain turbulence and we should go around them" (That's what we did at Ansett).
"Sure, put on an extra 8 tons of fuel, but we are going to burn 2 to carry it so it is really only 6. Why dont you add 10?" (That's what we did at Ansett).
"Because of the windshear, how about we use TOGA and a lower flap setting. Taking off with a headwind would help too" (TWWDAAn)..
Get the picture??