Guy's I'm gonna venture into what is becoming a heated argument and put my two pennethworth in also.
I have to admit I am a pilot although I am currently undergoing my training as part of a sponsorship with one of the airlines.
As part of this sponsorship the company asked me to do 2 weeks in ops as a way of learning how and what ops do. this experience included working the 12 hour day AND night shift and all the crappy jobs that ops end up with. As it turns out I am now a part time Ops Officer.
What I am building to is that I don't think that crews are aware of exactly what ops do for them (for example how many of the crews understand the intricacies of CFMU or know how to book slots etc, they just expect it all to be done.) I think the time I have spent and continue to spend in the ops environment will make me not only more efficient as a crew member but also make the working relations between ops and crews that little bit less 'us and them'
Perhaps crew should be asked to do the same as I have done, perhaps they might learn something about commercial air operations that my benifit them (such as when to put in an REA)
Hope that pacifies some ops people and sparks a little more debate!