IF (just if) the Capt was not on the flight deck, is there any part of the AFR pilot culture which would make the two folks up front hesitant or reluctant to make a significant deviation (time & fuel implications) around severe weather without the Capt's prior knowledge?
Right on the money ! There is and it is mainly due to the differences in reactions from skippers once they discover the aircraft miles away from the track. It's happened to me when I was a F/O and being rather pig headed and a woos, I couldn't care less about what the guy said as long as we were out of the CB's. Not the case for every copilot.
I remember being amazed............and scared as a F/O at how close to yhe CB's some of these older guys would take us. As to the radar which I was adament to use with full gain, it was a constant battle with the captain turning it back to auto telling me " You're going to scare yourself boy. See, it's all green now ". I swear I am not kidding.
Today, I really have to brief the F/O's not to hesitate to deviate as much as it takes..........and I don't always get the results I want.
There is both a lack of training and a lack of awareness. A lot of younger chaps have no clue, or had no clue how dangerous it can be and 447 was a brutal wake up call. Even now, there is a huge denial about the possibility that the crew might have flown into this weather, and this despite all evidence shown by Tim Vasquez.
One thing I can tell you is, a lot of us are going to stay on the flight deck as long as it takes before getting our well deserved r&r's.
My opinion is that, regardless of the talentof the chaps sitting up front, there is a breach in the chain of command. No one is really in charge and in a dire situation like the one 447 encountered, there is no way you can have ONE single person in command who makes the life saving call. This is why the captain has to be in his seat until the situation allows him to take his rest safely.
Not a put down for F/O's, just a hard fact.
Some of the posts here are full of very simple wisdom. Show respect to mother nature and go back to basic. Unfortunatly, keeping attitude and thrust isn't rehearsed in the sim. we're supposed to be happy with what's in the books. Lack of time, lack of money..........etc
I think the system has just gone cookoo.