CX experience levels
In the '777 low at SFO' thread, people discussed events that CX have had in the past.
Do you see them as symptomatic of a flawed system; be it recruitment or training, or just an ever increasing reliance on automation that erodes the flying skills many of us once were proud of.
How many of you are old enough to relate to a phrase I heard recently - "The older I get, the better I was". It got me thinking, if the airline is going to be headline news, what will be the likely cause and are some aspects changeable to minimize that threat.
Like many of us at CX, I have friends who work for other large and similarly 'safe' airlines.
As usual, when guys get together, we predictably chat about politics, sport, women and bull**** about flying and how good we are.
It should therefore be no surprise to hear that the events CX have had over the years, discussed in that thread, whilst all having the potential for a hull loss, have many similarities with events that have occurred in the airlines my friends work for, and they still continue to occur.
I also know two guys who worked for Asiana, and one of them discussing the SFO event said no surprise that it occurred, simply amazed it has taken so long, and that there's only been one crash - so far!
Evidently working there entails adapting to a very 'interesting' and different cockpit culture, and he was the captain. Simulator checks could fill a whole new topic.
So the relatively minor instances that occured at CX, are in reality not out of the ordinary, despite being undesirable to say the least. At best, they are humble and constant reminders of self imposed stuff ups which thankfully we can all learn from.
Let's face it, every flight has a possibility of the aircraft and occupants ending up in kit form.
However, it's the steps we as pilots, and the company, put in place prior to a flight that either reduce or increase the risk.
Once at dispatch and when you subsequently get on board, it's the scene the Captain sets, regardless of who is PM/PF, that again will add or detract to the likelihood of a successful outcome to the flight, by his words, actions and leadership, to ensure all crew know they can speak up if unhappy about any and every aspect of the flight.
Is CX immune from having a dingle? Clearly not.
Regardless of the management throwing constant changes to policy, or asking the Captain to smile and sit up straight making a PA, or playing the industrial relations two-step on housing/pay/T&Cs- all potential distractors - in general, our company rules for operating are reasonable provided we do our part. With that is the need to command when airborne and not delegate ones decision making to those armchair bound sitting safe and snug in IOC.
Luckily also for CX, is that at least for the time being, they still have crews, who for the most part, are not afraid to be very vocal when things are not going to plan. CX are also still very fortunate to have retained a good, but dwindling, experience level due to the fact that historically crew were only hired if they had many hours and/or varied experience, and for the time being, many of these elder folks remain.
The retirement bulge over the next few years will naturally deplete that experience bank.
We all know commercial and accountants have had disproportionate control or influence over the path our recruitment policy has headed, we all know it's for the worse, but I'll leave ear-rings and hair-gel out of it for now. Sadly, it is likely to take a serious accident, before common sense returns, and the company again realise there is no substitute for skill and experience.
I hope I will be proved wrong, but my biggest concern, based on a couple of anecdotal wtf's, is that if or when CX has a serious incident or worse, and I need to be somewhat PC here, (and this is not intended as a race issue) it's more a cultural aspect; operating crew need to be mindful of the situations where our locally hired cadet pilots, if crewed together fall in to the trap of feeling afraid to speak up, save he/she causes embarrassment or loss of face to the pilot in the other seat.
Similarly, with some of the i-cadets with next to zero real experience, with an adverse cockpit gradient, they can find themselves in a similar position.
The supposition on the '777 low@SFO' thread that a SFO event, or similar stuff up, could not happen in CX, unfortunately should not be discounted.
So if the great unwashed traveling public are sensible and vocal enough to demand safer airlines, then the airlines need to go back to hiring experienced pilots.
Newbie pilots should start with operators on smaller aircraft, flying high frequency routes to get their feet under the table. Larger airlines need to bite the bullet and pay more to those, by now more experienced pilots to attract that hard earned and invaluable experience, and if it costs more for a ticket -tough!
Passengers should really consider just how much their life is worth.
Rant over, getting off soap box, tin hat on.
My keyboard really should have a red wine interlock!