From my experiences it seems those with the most axes to grind are usually the ones most guilty. And yes, it comes down to AIRMANSHIP and PROFESSIONALISM. And once again, in my experience it comes down to those claiming to have it are generally those so far removed from it.
Interesting to read the Aussie bashing.... No matter as next week it will be the Americans, then the English, then the European (sub-divisions)...
So, what's wrong with following the damn SOP's or rules and regs as laid out, as you signed up for, as you requested to do when you joined an airline, as you are bound by law to do? So very many SOP's in companies I have been involved with or have read into have SOP's that I completely disagree with. It is not my arrogant right to just do what I want and place my fellow pilot in an awkward position to have to correct me. I do not have the arrogant right to pick and choose which procedures I follow and which I ignore, even if I disagree with them due my perceived "common sense". If in my opinion it came down to a safety matter then follow the correct protocol and report it with a solution in order to try to have it changed and therefore (hopefully) create a safer procedure.
How many times do we hear "Just follow the SOP's and you'll always be protected..." Rubbish. That's all well and good until 90% of cases where we get "The SOP's say this or that, but this is a better way of doing it...." or "If you read the SOP's the correct (ie "MY") interpretation is...." What complete arrogance.
Same with RT. I posted a thread a while back stating that RT is a dying art of aviation. Q codes, meters vs feet as well as RT, etc, etc are all laid out by the rules and regs YOU asked to and SIGNED up to follow. So saying that "I use 'altimeter' for my own reasons" when the correct and published RT quite clearly states contrary is a prime example of this. The over-use of the term 'heavy' is yet another example. I could go on.... But I'm sure the "close enough is good enough" breed of pilot already disputes everything I've written. Again, just follow the damn SOP's and stop believing that your way supersedes the airline's and ICAO's rules and regulations.
I believe RT is a dying art because so very, very few ever studied it from the Jepps or standard State's RT AIC's or ICAO Doc 4444. Instead they learned it from their instructor at day 1, who learned it from his/her instructor, and then it is compounded from the bad habits listened to at the work place. I mean, just now, since when has "Charlie-Charlie" been a standard reply? Not for decades yet it has snowballed back into favor due the sheep-like behavior. It's non standard. Plain and simple.
And it's those who breach either deliberately, ie the "I know best", or the "too cool for school" attitude, or ignorance that are the ones most offended when corrected. How so? By deliberately breaching an SOP be it RT or procedure you are forcing the other pilot into an uncomfortable position to have to speak up. Being "anal" or rigid has nothing to do with it. What it does come down to is AIRMANSHIP and PROFESSIONALISM that I (used to) think most pilots all aimed to one day achieve. Don;t blame the LCC or Airbus for this trend. Blame the system that promotes and refuses to correct it.
Last edited by TopTup; 12th Dec 2011 at 22:34.