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Old 5th Oct 2010, 21:43
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Maurice Chavez
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Gangster Paradise, RSA
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I don't know how to help you with your question, nor do I know how many airlines are enforcing LOSA audits. My airline has implemented the LOSA audits, although it was not a IOSA requirement during the last IATA/IOSA audit.

Our airline preferably lets a non type rated pilot (rated on another type within our fleet) to conduct the LOSA audit. Even with a non type rated guy sitting on the jumpseat conducting the audit, the flightcrew will fly, or try to fly according to the SOP's. So no abnormally's are noted during this audit, and renders the audit IMHO useless.

LOSA audits are there to identify, if there is a difference between the way crews are trained, and what actually goes on online.

Flightcrews see the LOSA audit as a "checkride" and will try to perform as they would in the sim. I personally do not see the benefit of the audit, but that could just be me.

IATA/IOSA is making it mandatory to capture flightdata from the QADR. IATA even sponsors partial cost of the program. This would be interesting information and by for more realistic then a LOSA audit. The QADR capturing is done randomly and flight crews are not aware that it is their particular flight that has been pulled.

That said, it makes them aware that at anytime the QADR can be downloaded and could be their flight. Therefor it would likely hint them to fly according to published company SOP's/Aircraft Manufactures standards and not their own way of flying the aircraft.

From the data capture of the QADR, your Flight Safety Officer/Flight Data Analyst can determine if crews are actually flying the aircraft the way they are trained.

With all these great rules now in place, we would think the industry is becoming a safe environment. I stand corrected, however I seriously disagree. Pilots are taught to rely on automation, and over complicated procedures.

When automation fails, most of us are lost, mainly due to the lack of flying raw data/hands flying. Raw data and hands flying require a far higher workload from a crew, it exercises (IMHO) the brain far more and allows the crew to be far more confident/vigilant when flying fully automated.

Again, I can not help you with your particular question, on how to make it more fun, especially dealing with managers, I just wanted to point out that a LOSA audit on its own has (IMHO) little value towards the SMS.
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