Lack of data!
At the moment we have a thread were the mud is being slung around and people are calling other people idiots without grounds to do so.
The fuel planning will by its vary nature change from hour to hour, what is safe for a route in the morning may well be unsafe six hours later.
Statments about an airline operations department telling a pilot to continue rather than divert are common, OCC have a job to do and this gets much more difficult when aircraft are in the wrong place, if the aircraft fuel state is borderline leagal for the destination then they will always say continue. It is for the aircraft commander to decide if the flight is safe to continue and to take the appropriate course of action.
I can't help thinking that some of you do not fully understand the responsabilitys of being an aircraft commander, the job will involve you standing up and telling OCC and others that they can't have their way on safety grounds.
As the commander you may have to justify your decisions to the airline management, it is only when an aircraft commander is fired for making what at the time and with the information avalable correct decision that the media should be writing the shock, horror & outrage headlines.
Last edited by A and C; 31st Dec 2012 at 12:37.