Wow,
Sorry, I’m usually just a lurker but this thread could not go unanswered. I find that when in conflict with others it helps to put oneself in their shoes to at least try to understand their point of view. To that end, over the years my view of schedulers and ops controllers has come down to this. Underpaid, overworked individuals with a mandate from management to get the flights off, keep the operation going and fill in the holes when the inevitable happens and it all goes pear shaped. All this with an imposed level of resources that is often (probably in both our opinions) not adequate. My experience has been that the majority of schedulers that I have worked with have been decent people with a difficult job and that they are not out to get us. They just want to crew the flight. That doesn’t mean that there has not been the occasional individual who resorts to petty, unprofessional behavior in the performance of their job just as I know that there are pilots who do the same.
Now, a bit about what it is that we do. Piloting is a profession that, from the day we take our first lesson, imbues us with an allegiance first to safety, and all other things second. Jobs and airlines may come and go, but we have an obligation to see that our aircraft is operated in as safe a manner as possible and sometimes that obligation requires us to say no to our employer. Mine is one of the few jobs that I can think of that not just allows me to do that but requires it. (For my employers own good, whether he knows it or not) I think that this is a big part of what causes so much resentment of pilots by others in the airline. And I’ll admit, we are not always the most diplomatic of groups while exercising these responsibilities.
Ghostrider, let’s talk about the big picture. That you have a better picture of how the operation is going to come together over the next few hours/days/weeks I have no doubt. There is another part of that picture which is my responsibility. My world consists of my flight (and the conditions under which it is operated), my duty day, my trip schedule, my aircraft, my crew and my passengers. Unfortunately, if an accident happens, it’s going to happen in my world and that is precisely why the scope of my interests is limited in relation to yours. I would argue that the importance is no less. Aircraft accidents have been known to put airlines out of business. It may be cliché, but you really can’t do a cost/risk/benefit analysis of safety. If you study the chain of events that often leads to accidents, it is usually not just one thing that causes it. Part of my job is to try to identify those “links” in the chain before they become critical. Am I sometimes over-cautious? Most certainly, but at least try to put yourself in the position of being at the end of a 12 hour duty day, at 0300 with 300 passengers and less fuel than you would like, shooting an approach in bad weather. I’m not complaining, it’s part of my job-“what I’m paid for” but it is also a big part of what colours how I operate and interact with the company. Some of this conflict and tension between us is a natural part of "the system". We need to understand that and accept it.
Snicker if you will jb007 and quarterback but consider this, 10% of any identifiable group is made up of jerks/miscreants/whiners...etc. That’s 10% of pilots, 10% of schedulers, 10% of ops controllers, 10% of managers (oops, sorry okay 25%+ of managers). My experience in 17 years of flying has proven the 10% rule. Ask yourselves if your opinions are being formed by the 10%’ers or the other 90%. If you really think that the percentage is more, maybe it’s time to put yourself in the other blokes’ shoes or maybe take a look in the mirror and ask if you are perhaps the other side of the same coin. A bit longwinded maybe, but just 2 more thoughts: "legal doesn’t mean safe" and in the words of that misunderstood American, Rodney King, “Why can’t we all just get along.”
Okay, ready, fire, aim.....
[This message has been edited by Too Low Gear (edited 16 December 1999).]