Totally agree Sarcs, and I hear what you are saying. The issue for LCAOC RPT operators of A/C>5700kg however is very much one of costs. These clowns have "solved" their pilot shortage by employing the only pilots that will now accept the shamefull T&C's on offer. Cadets and low time wannabes (no offence intended, but it is a fact). This has resulted in the bizzare situation where there is a surplus of pilots (at least according to one out of touch airline manager) but due to the critical shortage of Captains and upgradeable F/O's, the cancellation of flights are still a daily event!
The Check and training staff at these carriers are flat out with recurrent and endorsement training, so none are spare to sit in the RHS while pilots, although qualified for the line, go through the process in the LHS in an effort to build the number of hours (Multi-IFR Command) required to satisfy the command requirements of the LCAOC. As far as I can see this is the only legal way of doing so, although I do take your point about it not being the whole story!
What they (the operators) want is to simply have these inexperienced people log ICUS from the RHS during normal line ops with a normal line Captain "in attendance" in the LHS, just because it's their (the F/O's) sector! It's a crock!
A lot has been said from some HCAOC F/O's about it being acceptable. My question is, what REG says it's acceptable? And there in lies the operators, and CASA's problem.
Last edited by KRUSTY 34; 31st Oct 2008 at 01:17.