Just recieved this email from a very close friend who's been in aviation for longer than I have, this is not the entire content, but I think that it sums up what we all have to tolerate these days:
Things have changed inordiantely since you and I spoke every day, now I just go to work, do the job to the best of my ability, take the salary and go home.
Sadly, we can no longer do "grown up's aviation and follow common sense", we must abide safety management systems, the law of cover your six a clock and the corporate "do or be done syndrome".
What makes me angry is that the people we used to respect as regulators (for both pilots and atcos) who used to be in the field regularly and be able to offer professional common sense advice, are now just auditors at the behest of the CAA top neddys and the EASA paperpushers, and what's worse is that the people who now do that job certainly aren't in the same category of the inspectors we formerly respected.
They've made no difference other than to increase the number of ATSINS, local Supplementry Instructions or Temporary Operating Instructions we have to read and absorb on a daily basis - it would probably be of no suprise to you that I had to read 11 of these usless pieces information before taking over watch yesterday.
Anyway, enough of that nonsense, it's been a lovely day here, my rhubarb wine from last year must be approaching rocket fuel value and I look forward to your next visit, (sans le other like minded chaps), to evaluate it's quality and to reminice of the real world and how things used to be before little people with big egos. took over our world..