Although I have been out of commercial aviation for some years I still keep in touch with and am contacted by the many wonderfully talented human beings with whom I flew. I frequently get calls from distressed airline pilots who have been traumatised by (in my opinion) unreasonable demands made of them during SIM and Line Checks (or whatever they are called these days.
There are a number of RPT operations in Australia who have Check Captains who suffer from the same common inept human factor. Line pilots are absolutely terrified of them. Some of these characters are control freaks and fail to have them empathy for the candidate. Some are used by Flight Operations Management and the HR department to use the the Check to diminish the spirit of the candidate with the end result of a broken spirit. This is especially those candidates who have dared to question a potential flaw in the standard operating procedures, deficiencies of a safety nature or the culture of the airline.
Some Check Captains get appointed because of Seniority or nepetism with management. Some are great operators and respected by the line crew. Others have a malicious streak and actually get a false sense of power out of the control and power they are allowed to exercise over the candidate.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THESE SORT OF CHARACTERS ARE DISEMPOWERING TALENTED HUMAN BEINGS IN ORDER TO SATISFY THEIR DEFICIENT EGOIC NEEDS.
IF FLIGHT OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT DO NOT SEE THE TREND OF CARNAGE THESE
PR"CKS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PLUS ACTUALLY COSTING THE COMPANY A SH"TLOAD IN RETRAINING AND DOWNTIME THEN I PRESENT YOU A METHOD OF BRINGING THEM DOWN.
THE Legal Eagles are not going to like this.
CHECK LIST FOR SIM CHECKS AND LINE CHECKS.
1. TAKE A MEANS OF COVERTLY RECORDING THE EVENT WITH YOU.
2. DO NOT EVEN TELL THE SUPPORTING CREW MEMBER WHAT YOU ARE DOING. DONT TELL ANYONE.
3. DO NOT ARGUE THE POINT WITH THE CHECK CAPTAIN JUST ACCEPT THE CRITIQUE AND RECORD THAT TOO.
4.IF YOU FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BULLIED THEN ENGAGE AN AVIATION SAVY BARRISTER.
5.DO NOT WARN ANYBODY IN THE COMPANY OF YOUR INTENT.
6.TAKE OUT A CIVIL ACTION OF WORKPLACE BULLYING AGAINST THE OFFENDING CHECK CAPTAIN. HAVE IT PRESENTED TO HIM AT HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE (even better if it his birthday or wedding anniversary).
7. HAVE OTHER CREW WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME TRAUMA ORDERD TO ATTEND AS WITNESSES. DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY PRIOR NOTICE OF YOUR INTENT.
8. IF YOU CAN GET VOLUNTARY SUPPORT FROM OTHER CREW FOR ITEM 7 THEN EVEN BETTER. BUT MOST PILOTS ARE TERRIFIED OF RETRIBUTION SO THE METHOD IN ITEM 7 MAY BE A WAY OF PROTECTING THEM FROM BEING ACCUSED OF BEING PARTY TO YOUR INTENT.
I expect a number of you will give me legal reasons why this may not be viable and I welcome your feedback.
Would it not wonderful to create a legal precedent if such an action was successful. Management might then be forced to review the vetting process for Training and Check & Training positions within the organisation.