Mr B767Longhaul,
Dont wish to start a personal argument, but could i just point out that
a) under Icelandic and Uk rules you can actually go up to 14 hours FDP not including discretion
b) as long as the FDP is finished, duty can continue forever, as long as you follow it with an equal rest period.
As I said earlier, if we could sort out the BJL, then this wouldnt happen....
And the CAA do indeed regularly check. Discretion reports are sent to them when things go wrong. They are told, we don't do cover-ups.
Now show me an airline that hasn't used discretion after tech problems, ATC delays, en-route diversions..... I make no claims for perfection, but I think it is unfair to say Excel or Atlanta are any worse than any other airline. And I do know what the Icelandic crew planners have done - positioning from Argentina to London and expect to fly again the next day, return from holiday in Oz to fly the next day in Santa Domingo. All I can say is we are making a lot of progress in educating them, but while daily rosters are done locally by an ops guy then things change very slowly.
I have resigned from another airline in the past by refusing to make an illegal roster - I am sure all Captains would do the same if asked to perform an illegal duty. Surely safety and conscience are worth more than tax free pay?
And 2Bad - surely you know the MOD thing was not a tail strike? If you were that involved with the company you would know what really happened.
Anyway, how about working together, and all trying to improve things? We in ops will try to make life as fair as possible, and when things go wrong, and if asked to someting illegal then you pilots must refuse to fly. After all, someone in ops writing a roster on paper is not illegal, its only when a Captain does it that it become an illegal act.
And as someone said elsewhere - there are other airlines, and no one holds a gun to your head and makes you fly for AAI. The point of this thread was that a lot of guys are leaving. They may not get such well paying jobs again, but they will find something. And well done to them for following their consciences.
Maybe if we could get a universal hours rules set this would stop, as the difference between uk, icelandic, australian, american schemes are huge.
c
ps I do a feel a bit exposed having to defend Iceland on my own, so if you could direct your vitriol to MOS would appreciate it.
pps Mr Longhaul, next time you're in LGW i'll buy the first beer.