Aviation Advisors
I am not sure what sort of rants this may start - I am donning helmet with visor down even now...
I know Shell have Aviation Advisors - do the other oil companies? If so - are they helping to promote and or maintain standards? We often hear that it is the insurance companies that demand pilots to have a minimum number of hours etc. Do these advisors help to quantify this? How closely do they work with pilot management, and the insurance companies. I read a page or two ago about how hours were at one time exceeded and the implication was that certain practices that are illegal or at least non-standard are "encouraged" for "efficiency". Would these advisors be interested in such things perhaps through an anonymous feedback means? I am sure the insurance companies would be VERY interested to hear that a pilot had exceeded his hours prior to making a fatal error. Of course, it all comes down to the pilot following the regulations but it is not difficult to imagine corporate and effciency pressures making this difficult for him.
I am not completely naive but throw this into the ring to learn and maybe start a side dabate to what is a thoroughly interesting thread.