A dodo is a flightless bird, and that's what you are once you start your training. As flightless birds go, they are easy prey to winged predators that commonly inhabit cockpits and flight lounges. These winged predators will extract from you all kinds of information which for the life of you can be answered by six simple statements namely:"Sir Yes Sir!", "Sir No Sir!", Sir Can't Afford Sir!", "Sir Try to Find Out Sir!","Sir No Reason Sir!" and "Sir No Relation Sir!". Other variations to these six answers may be allowed as long as it starts with a Sir and ends with a Sir. In other words, everything that goes against CRM ( Crew Resource Management) is the so-called "Dodo" way. PAL used to be like that, especially before that infamous pilot action way back 1998. The equally famous "your time will come" line is also an attribute of the "dodo" mindset. And like the real dodo, which once inhabited the island of Mauritius and is now extinct, this mindset should also go the way of the dodo.
As college graduates, we believe that we are already adults and should deserve to be treated as such. We have been taught that we have to be assertive, to be inquisitive and to be fully responsible for all our actions and dealings in life. That, in a nutshell, is the general philosophy of CRM. It is in making full use of all available resource in the immediate environment (you, your crew, your aircraft systems, ATC, etc.) in arriving at a decision that has been well thought of and executed. It is the atmosphere of the workplace that enhances such a decision making process. And in order to be a productive member of that process, one should also be well-trained, disciplined and mentally balanced. Pride and an over-inflated ego has no place in this kind of work environment.
But as I posted before, old habits die hard. PAL management has been working hard to rid itself of these stereotypes and it is up to the new guys to help them see it through. I am hoping, bluecrush, that you don't get to meet these types when you get into the flight line. But, forewarned is forearmed.
Good luck on your new career and may you have blue skies and fair winds always!
