Framer,
Sorry, allowing my obvious frustration to show through
There are airline liaison people in ASA. If V or QF are communicating changes to these people the message is NOT getting through to controllers at the work face.
We have a new information book that we must read and sign before plugging in. These 'useful' snippets of information are not being inserted into this book. This book is a continuous stream of changes that is virtually impossible to keep up with unless you have a photographic memory anyway.
As I said in a previous post, I really don't mind if these speeds are changed etc even on a day to day basis. My point is: If something changes overnight that hasn't changed for two or three or 10 years previous, shouldn't the people that this affects be briefed?
What I'm suggesting is that the 'liaison' people either have no idea how these changes affect the day to day workings of both of our jobs or the communication process is failing. I'd also suggest that these liaison jobs appear to me to be more about talking ****, spinning about how good ASA is and how 'we're listening to you as our valued customer'
Changes I would make are: at least a fortnightly operational briefing from both sides, not about the fluffy **** that ASA continues to promise the airlines and not deliver. About ACTUAL operational changes that you may be making or changes that we are making and how it affects the day to day operations.
This would be pilot manager to ATC manager, people who have had operational experience and understand the implications of any proposed changes.
Whilst ever the empires that I spoke of continue to be built, there will be precious little resources from this side to achieve that. ASA is all about spin, the rubbish that spews from the higher levels is hard to take when you've been around a while and see how problems were solved in 'the good ole days' before there was a 3 to 1 worker/manager ratio.
I'd also make available to the airlines recordings of what actually happens during 2 or 3 hour sequences. Along with this recorded data, you could sit down with a flow and have them explain to you what is happening and why. You could sit down and watch what affect flying slow and supposedly saving fuel has on your company's sequencing. It may work in some instances but you have the right to this data to make an informed decision.
I'm also interested in keeping my licence for as long as I choose to exercise it. I'm also interested in keeping my record as clean as possible whilst I exercise it
