PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Load +weight Error At Egss Today
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Old 8th May 2007, 18:36
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Dropline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: West Sussex
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What exactly happened with the Air Med? If it was loaded differently to the loading instructions sent by Central Load Control then the Dispatcher is to blame as they are responsible for ensuring the a/c is loaded as per the instructions. CLC will send a loadsheet based on their instructions unless advised otherwise. If the crew simply didn't like the way the a/c was being loaded (and with so much weight in the front who can blame them) then CLC are at fault for such a bad trim.

Either way CLC is probably a factor here. When a Servisair station goes over to CLC its experienced weight and balance trained Dispatchers are gradually replaced by (cheaper) "ramp rats" with far less knowledge of the job. Dispatchers leave because they find no longer having any control over the w&b of an aircraft erodes what (little) authority they have left. Unfortunately Servisair seems to have no respect for (or understanding of) the role of a Dispatcher.

It wouldn't be so bad if CLC actually knew what they were doing, but many of them have very little aviation experience and have just been given a computer training course and list of standard loading instructions to follow! (see the Load Controller Job thread in the Flight Ops Crewing and Dispatch Forum to see how they are recruited!) Some of these so called Load Controllers have insufficient knowledge of w&b or the a/c turnaround and loading process, and while they can get away with it on a (full!) charter flight, give them a wide bodied/containerised a/c or a scheduled flight with cargo and mail and 2 classes of pax and no standard load plan (or say, an Air Mediterranee) and they have no idea how to trim it properly. This combination of inexperienced Load Control and ramp rat will inevitably lead to situations like the Air Med, which unfortunately are becoming more common than Servisair would ever dare to admit!

LGW went to CLC in February and since then its Dispatchers (many with over 10 years experience) have repeatedly raised their concerns at the loadsheet and trim errors constantly being made by CLC. For the most part these errors have so far (thankfully) been rectified by the Dispatcher before pushback. It seems that current management puts cost cutting higher up the list of priorities than safety as our concerns are falling on deaf ears. Unless a flight is actually delayed by CLC's incompetence, no-one seems to care!
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