G'day Cosmo
Yes, I do fly for an airline that surprinsingly is doing rather well, I'll let you guess but that isn't really the point is it ?
Yes our SOP's cover everyhting including when one should be allowed to have a wee, that's for the insurance compagny. It also says at the end that the Captain is allowed to do whatever he sees fit and will be of course held accountable for. One of the perks of this noble profession.
I was just amused by the very warrior like declarations of our esteemed US colleagues.
The closest I have been to combat was watching " Top Gun " on my VCR digging into the popcorn bowl and I somehow get very thingy when I hear loud brawl in a smoky bar . Action is all that counts to me, by that I mean what you end up doing in the heat of the momment and frankly the kind of violence we would be facing in these events is far more frightening than just plain war. You are facing fanatics, cruel fanatics, not soldiers who may be prepared to give their lives but would nevertheless be mighty happy to stay alive but loonies whose purpose is to die.
Unlike the US, most of airline pilots here are of civilian background and statements like what was posted above are not really in fashion. Call it hypocrit, dunno, but the fact remains that Europe isn't so much a gunho culture as the States. No judgement here, just plain fact.
So to be entirely honest I have no clue what I would end up doing. As I said, the broom is a good start. Well not entirely true, first bolt the cockpit door and take it from there hoping I'll do good.
Anyway, back to SOP's, I think it just comes to individuals. I know some guys who donk SOP's from sunrise to sunset just because they're freaking scared and some others who have a more healthy attitude. Let's not forget to that whenever there is a problem the press comes snooping to find out wether the particular issue had been covered. So airlines need to cover their ass to.
[ 12 October 2001: Message edited by: wallabie ]