Pilot's Choice to live or die...
Flying Bean, Chuck and the rest that all mentioned that pilots are pressured into flying, here is some food for thought. I suppose some will say that I should get off my high horse, but here goes...
There has been a lot of "but the operator pressurised me to do the flight" over the last couple of years. Where does it stop?
Part 91 of the SACARS clearly state that the captain takes ultimate responsibility for the safety of his aircraft and pax. But is that all? I believe that the captain of an aircraft is the last link in the safety chain - if he/she makes the decision to fly, that's it.
However, what a lot of operators (and unfortunately pilots also) prefer not to say out to loud, is that Parts 135 and 121 clearly state that "the operator...is responsible for the safety of the operation...".
Now I believe that (and thankfully I have never been put into a situation where I had to make that choice), the choice should be easy. "I choose to live".
I am sure that once pilots see that some other pilots choose not to do certain flights and stand together to make it known that a specific operator operates outside of the regulations, things will start to change. Any pilot can phone in to the CAA and report an operator.
From an operator's side, there is nothing that pisses me off more than to see some poor sop (scared out of his skull that he might be fired) flying a f****d-up aircraft that hasn't seen the inside of an AMO for years, at night, overweight and in the process screws me in the eye by taking business away from me because he can do it cheaper.
I believe that it is time for the pilots and straight operators (of which I would like to believe there sure are some) to stand up to unscrupolous operators and take them down. It for our own good and for the good of the flying public...
There, nou het ek my straaltjie gepis, lets get some more thoughts on this...