IT is actually partly right.....and also partly wrong.
There was a time when the sum total of the CRM chapter in the QF FAM was 'Captains are expected to utilise all aspects of CRM in the operation of QF aircraft'- or words similar to that. This was about a decade ago. The training was considered to be about 'industry average' at the time according to my research in the area. It did decline towards the end of the '90s until QF1 and the subsequent audits started to bring it toward sharper focus. Beginning with Mike Hawke the standard of training and the content improved dramatically although I did lament to Mike on a number of occasions that if we wanted to do CRM properly- rather than just the token effort we (as required by CASA) devoted to it- that it would take about double the time (6-8 hours instead of 3) and probably smaller groups and therefore more facilitators. The budget never stretched that far- and that was never Mike's fault because I know he pushed hard for the CRM department. We also lamented at the time about the lack of teeth to CRM in the FAM and John Capaldi (the ex RAAF and AN crew member that ITalludes to) was the man on the spot to beef up the FAM in that area. We now have a policy that articulates more clearly the obligations placed on both senior and junior crew and give the subordinate crew something to shove in the senior persons face (be they another S/O, F/O or skipper) if they ark up at the subordinate speaking up. That said, it only articulates what the expectation had always been- as stressed through previous recurrent CRM courses, simulators, initial CRM courses and so on. It also articulates what I had (mostly) experienced when working QF flight decks over the years. Ninety percent of guys got it and didn't need the policy and it was just there so that we had something to 'fight back' with for the 10 percent that didn't.
I still lament that we don't have the budget to extend to a more in depth CRM course. There are certainly better courses out there but they 'cost' and it isn't cheap. We'd be looking at two CRM facilitators a day instead of one and we'd be looking at the 6-8 hours rather than 3. I can see the 'value' in them. Unfortunately they are VERY confronting courses and they would likely create some degree of angst with some crew. Given the increased cost I'm not suprised that others wouldn't see the value in them at all- especially given that I know of some who seen no value in the 'cost' of CRM courses as it stands currently.
Last edited by Keg; 10th Nov 2006 at 05:28.