Originally Posted by
BEagle
chugalug, much of what you say is true. However, don't forget that the aircraft captain is often very busy during the management of delays. Is it unreasonable for him/her to delegate passenger liaison to those responsible for looking after the passengers in the 'air terminal'?
I have received a PM from an 'undervalued mover' at the Covert Oxonian Airbase. Not only are the disgusting lavatories still in need of repair, but even the check-in desks are faulty and in need of repair.
bodge tape is the only thing keeping some of the creaking old wrecks flying.
Beagle, Well of course you are very busy, but in truth how long does it take to get up on a chair/table and say it how it is. If you can't then so be it, but if it is your intention to do so whenever it is possible you will do a great service to your pax. Maybe you could spare a crew member to liaise with the pax. The ALM would seem to be a good choice, after all they are his/her pax instead of being simply the pax!
As to the larger picture of making the whole AT package work as one, I remember a far off time of which we now know little. MRT Sqn Cdrs then had their own first line servicing, ie ground crew, under their command. Naturally the inter squadron rivalry extended to the serviceability of aircraft as well. This led to our boss making one claim too many at a FEAF (this was at Changi) guest night. The next morning, on his orders, the five aircraft on the ramp were in close formation over HQFEAF at 0900 hours! A shocking waste of public money but great for esprit de corps.
A few years later the bean counters scrapped that arrangement and centralised aircraft and engs into an Eng Wing, comprising two squadrons. The two resident flying squadrons at a Secret, but not Top Secret, Wilts base co-opted one Eng Sqn apiece to continue the tradition.
Surely something along these lines could be tried at the Covert Oxonian base? Take the boys and girls up from time to time. Explain your problems and listen to theirs, just talk instead of confronting one another! The pax see it as all one package, so it has to work as that.
As to loos, etc, will they still be decrepit at the next AOC's Inspection? Do they still have AOC's Inspections? Do they still have AOCs? Moan to your boss on behalf of the pax. Submit a Voyage Report on behalf of your pax. Moan to the Staish. If all else fails he gives a deadline and then has the work done out of Public Funds on HSE grounds and shoves the whole thing up the CoC. That's what it's there for, that's what he's there for, and if he doesn't know that a lot of what has been written on this thread is explained!
As to "keeping some of the creaking old wrecks flying", that is just the sort of personal remark that is so unnecessary! :-)