"To Jack of all trades" & "Flungdung" I would just like to thank you guys for your constructive comments over this overall thread and for keeping the facts straight.
When I got my first opportuntity to fly in the LHS in SPIFR EMS/SAR helicopter as a crewman I was thrilled or somwhat honoured to be offered the front left hand seat, even if I didnt have much of a clue on the front seat operations!! I realised there and then that I needed to support the captain and demonstrate knowledge and skills in flying operations that
assisted in the role (i.e contribute to reducing the cockpit workload or dont be up there at all!) and not sit back and assume that I could feel good about myself being up front. I spent the best part $15,000 of my own money at the time completing a PPL(A) to demonstrate that committment. Whilst that is only scratching the surface in aviation knowledge, it reduced the cockpit workload and enhanced the CRM support to the SPIFR role. Supporting a small family, my committment to the crewman (the corner stone of my employment role!) and lack of a industry career progression were the only reasons for not going on to further those flying skills. Other crewman have gone on to complete full CPL(H) qualifications like many other pilots at great personel and financial cost in order to professionally develop their skill base and should be commended for their efforts.
There are crewman today who dont have any qualifications but have also achieved some of the theory component of aviation core subjects from the PPL/CPL courses. That in itself is demonstrating motivation and committment to the job. Like in any other industry, formal qualifications are the key performance indicators for employment opportunties and career progression.
It might be timely for crew persons to consider from just this thread alone what the captains and some organisations in the industry might be expecting of us in the future. Remember with the AW 139 "level of technology" about to be ushered into oz, crewman need to be thinking upward and onward and how we can best meet those technology challenges as opposed to cocoon ourselves from change!! We wont be flying around in the older twins forever!!
This decision whilst complex at the outset would have be a "threshold moment" and if anything a great opportunity to recognise those crew folk who work at achieving multiple functions and tasks (flying & ground) in support of flight operations in the rotary wing industry.
Over the years the crew persons side of the industry has attempted to recognise the skills associated with helicopter multi - crew operations. Whilst in the majority of organisations like EMQ and other large commercial entities have set the bench mark, other organistions for whatever reason (most likely a financial one) are unable to achieve the same standard of skill set and recognition for crewman. Thats not to say that they dont see the skills of crewman in any less a manner.
Maybe, and its just maybe, we could further this decision by EMQ to look at the recongition of crewman throughout the industry in some form or another. The Helicopter Association of Australiasia is about to meet later in the month to establish a forum of industry recognition and future direction for crew persons as part of its industry representation.
