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Old 2nd Jul 2010, 01:28
  #8 (permalink)  
fireflybob
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: UK
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There is a difference between doing "things right" and doing the "right thing".

The former is management, the latter leadership.

Recall not long after I joined BOAC in 1970 the accident report for GARWE (B707) had been published. The a/c suffered a major engine failure on departure RW28R and landed back on RW 05 having been airborne only a few minutes. I think about 5 lost their lives in the evacuation due to fire.

I boarded the crew bus to travel from the car park to operations. Two senior captains were discussing the report and one said "I really don't understand how they managed to do the after take off checks, the descent check, the approach checks and the landing checks in such a short period of time". Someone on the back of bus then shouted "Gear and Flaps! What else do you need?". All on the bus fell about laughing but the conversation taught me quite a lot!

There also seems to be a mistaken belief that if you require pilots to drone on about what they would do in the event of a take off emergency that this means they will do the right thing. Sorry but I think this is rubbish - the only way to ensure (as far as you can) that they will react correctly is to actually practice it in the simulator on a regular basis. Am I against take off briefs - no not at all but they should, in my opinion, be as brief and concise as possible otherwise it's done by rote and people stop listening.
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