"Mmm Rabski, I wonder what your colleagues might say.
When CRM 1st came into our world some Airlines conducted an anonymous questionnaire. Some Captains were so shocked at the perception of themselves by others, they went sick for a while.
As for these two. Well these things happen, but they should have not flown back.
It will be interesting to see how the tribunal reacts as they are not aviation professionals."
I hope (and I'm pleased to say that experience suggests) that my colleagues would say that I can be a disruptive, ornery, foot-stamping git at times, but that's because ultimately the buck stops here. If I see something that I think compromises my safety and that of those around me, I'll damned well say so. I always have done. It hasn't cost me a job yet (though it's come close a couple of times) and in only a very few years I'll be sitting in my rocking chair dribbling gently into a nice claret. And the way things are going, I'll be bloody glad to, to be honest, but that's another matter.
For the moment, I'll keep saying, nice and loud, if something isn't right. Equally though, I try to always keep my right ear open. I try never to be overbearing to anyone sitting on that side of me, because like it or not, we all make mistakes sometimes and that seat is usually the place where those mistakes are picked up before they turn into a real problem. If I've missed something, or God forbid, screwed something, I want someone next to me to feel they can tell me so, quickly and without fear, before it all goes pear shaped.
Naturally, I never set anything incorrectly, never miss a decimal place and generally am perfect. However, one day I might not be.
The people sitting to your right aren't idiots by a
very long stretch and any left-seater who treats them that way is heading for major problems sooner or later. There's a reason for having two seats, and mostly it's because we need assistance and two pairs of ears and eyes. Sometimes, we need help. Big time. If it's ever my day for all the holes to line up, then I'd much rather the guy or girl to my right is happy to work with me, rather than in the middle of a massive sulk.
It's not just CRM, it's basic human interaction and decent manners. Banter is fine, but I would never call someone 'my bitch' unless I knew them extremely well. To do so otherwise seems to me to be asking for exactly the situation that developed in this instance. Quite possibly the FO was a stick of dynamite waiting to go off, nevertheless, in this instance the captain lit the fuse.
Not only poor people management skills, but basic bad manners.