The point whizzed right over your head.
Nothing wrong with SOPs per se. Great idea.
But when they are blindly applied in a slavish and unthinking (almost robotic) manner, they are sometimes a barrier to good CRM - or even a source of conflict when illogical or not defined clearly, or when they become a distraction from a more pressing threat.
It does not impress me when an F/O makes a flourish of re-setting the Gain on the WX Radar at FL200 (per SOP) when there isn't a cloud in the sky and we are in a busy Terminal Area with non english speaking ATC'ers jabberring at us.
And if you ask him why is that Gain change an SOP, he will probably have no idea.
It just is!
This feeling is further compounded when the F/O then proceeds to prove he can't actually land the aeroplane in the touchdown zone on a CAVOK day. This is a person with his priorities totally wrong.
SOPs do NOT automatically equate to good Airmanship (a fancy word for good piloting).
Slavishly nit picking the minutiae of SOPs (FLAP, not FLAPS etc) is moronic, and really pointless. Exactly what difference does that term make in reality - I'd love to know. But as you say - while nit picking over FLAP not FLAPS - the same pilot may be unable to use proper ICAO RT Terminology, and won't give a damn about it either! Priorities??
The Perfect Pilot will apply the SOPs Perfectly.
He will fly the aeroplane flawlessly.
He will always land in the TDZ at the correct speed, bang on centreline, and grease it on (when appropriate).
He will use Perfect RT Terminology.
He will exercise Perfect CRM.
He will NEVER have an accident or Incident.
I have yet to meet that perfect pilot.
In the meantime I will happily fly with an F/O who says FLAPS (instead of FLAP) or forgets to re-set the WX Radar Gain on a CAVOK day - but can fly smoothly and accurately, land in the TDZ, and use proper RT.
So I say again - Perfect SOPs do NOT automatically equate to Perfect Airmanship.
There have been fatal accidents caused by slavishly following SOPs and forgetting Airmanship. You do realise that?
All that waffle about what I signed up to....I didn't sign up to killing myself.
Last edited by Algol; 13th Dec 2011 at 04:04.