"Do you trust your colleagues?"
No in a word. I don't have blind trust in colleagues in the cockpit either.
Let me give you a later example. I fly at times with a co captain, who is ex "flag carrier" B744. I had been on leave, legal to fly but out of practise. As it was my sector I mentioned this fact to my colleague and briefed this at the appropriate time. My co captain set the fms up prior to both of us, running the full pre flight checklist. On checking the fms, the speeds that were produced, were for a flap setting we very seldom use, if ever in our operation. This seldom used flap setting is not defaulted in the fms, for safety reasons, so it had to have been a deliberate action. I picked the "mistake" up and I should have. If I didn't and he had forgotten about the "mistake" it may not have been good. When the flight was completed I demonstrated the system default and the look I gave him said all that needed to be said.
Rather reminds me of an engineer we used to have on board years ago in another "life" who would create a snag, then wallow in the glory when he "troubleshooted" it.
Never ever completely trust a colleague in or out of the cockpit, regardless of their background or experience. The background, experience and the past type does not make the man. Please bare in mind the individual in question would have gone through all the hoops, psychometric tests etc., to have got the position he held at the "flag carrier".
My advise is, watch your back very closely indeed. Paranoid? No just experienced in human nature.
Last edited by screwballburling; 24th Sep 2009 at 11:25.