Originally Posted by
flybe.com
For example, you ask why the Captain left the F/O alone for so long given the F/O's inexperience in European Ops. Well, those of us who do have experience of European Ops (which includes you) know that once you enter French airspace the first controller will usually give you clearance direct to a waypoint hundreds of miles ahead, and then all goes quiet for long periods of time with the exception of an occasional frequency change. It was at just such a point that the Captain left the flightdeck (with the F/O's permission) to go to the loo, eat some breakfast, and have a cup of tea. I make no judgement on whether he was right or wrong to do that, but that was the crew's third sector, and the first opportunity for the flightdeck to take a break in what was rostered to be a 10 hour day. The Captain returned to the flightdeck 25-30 minutes later, so you're effectively saying that the F/O was incapable of manning the ship alone for that length of time.
I find that astonishing, and frankly alarming. Leaving the flight deck to eat breakfast and have a cup of tea for
only 25-30 minutes
So what if it's 10 day. I regularly do 10 hour days but wouldn't dream of doing the above. Is this a regualar practice at Flybe?
A4