Sarcs # 1651 –"There is a ‘but’ with this cosy Non-SOP arrangement…always.. always keep to the rules as laid out in Chapter 6 of the EM or you could find the once obliging ALC will not come to your rescue when/if it all turns to sh*t!"
Creamy #1652 –"At the next meeting of the CASA executive, look around the table and ask each attendee: How often have you actually put your name, as delegate, on some decision that’s grounded a fleet of aircraft, ended a career or put an organisation out of business? If you get to someone who’s been in the organisation for a very long time, and the answer is “not many” or “none”, pick them too."
Ah yes, the who's to bless and who's to blame game? The big question: is McComic simply a cats paw for the GWM; guilty by association or the root cause?. Either way the exit sign is clearly marked. Sunny the 'manuals' mean diddley – none of it does, until as and when it suits. Some of the 'philes' being reviewed by serious people are literally unbelievable. Was asked to look at a 'phile' recently (operational 'technical' issues) for a case which is going live; the rape of policy, embuggerance (thanks Sunny) of protocol and total disregard for prescribed procedure was breath taking. But the abuse and manipulation of 'law' beggars the imagination. Yerrss – it was a Wodger special; but I will leave that story to the eminent SC in charge of future retirement planning.....
As it happens, I had a beer (or two) last evening with an old mate, he was on 'light' as the car was parked fairly close to the pub. This led to a conversational gambit on booze busses which naturally led to DAMP. A reference he made in passing almost whizzed by before I realised what was said; so I backed him up and begged the story (cost me round): here, to go with your Sunday morning cuppa is a sanitised version.
For the potted story, we'll call the protagonist Vic and our antagonist FOI. Once upon a time, Vic rocks up to work one bright sunny morning, FOI is paying a visit along with some other suits and ties. Anyway – eventually, Vic leaves the building and toddles off home. FOI waves Vic bye bye from the doorway, all good. A short time later, FOI buttonholes the chief pilot, confirms that Vic has, indeed gone home; much later, just before leaving FOI speaks to the CP of 'grave concerns'; seems Vic appeared 'scruffy', glassy eyed and smelled of last evenings intake to the FOI. "We'll call him back" says the CP "we have a DAMP officer on site". The offer was declined, "no, don't worry about it" says FOI.
Back in the lair the tale is relayed by FOI to a management type, who gleefully files it away to incubate for nearly four months. Meanwhile, Vic is happily operating through the period in blissful ignorance, until 'the letter' arrives (by ordinary post) cancelling his medical certificate against complaints received from FOI and his 'mate'. Imagine, suddenly grounded, guilty of alcoholism until proven innocent; full battery of psychiatric, forensic, medical and pathological tests to be conducted by a rarefied specialist 'professor' (cost a bomb). Turns out Vic was deemed clean as a whistle, never had, never did; nor, was likely to be in the future a 'drinking man'. The expert prof's report was not complimentary of the enshrined CASA system by the way. All good, no sir. The management type insisted that two more years of quarterly blood tests were required. Clear evidence, expert opinion and unimpeachable witnesses, all unimportant. All this was achieved by the use of selected parts of various manuals, policy and what ever else could be made to fit.
Think on it – then refer to any of those manuals mentioned and see what can be achieved. Was McComic aware? will He Hoo Doo Voodoo cop the rap?, or will the weporting manager cop the flack? - Buggered if I know; but it's a good Sunday yarn; a better thing is that it wasn't me, some inutile FOI and his mate would need to make sure the deeds to the house, car, dog and pot plants were in someone else's name.
Minnie, time for Kirk, fetch the buggy and no cussin' till we're home.
Selah.