Chocky frog!! darn it Sarks give them a box each.
They identified and fixed one of the major problems and frustrations that plague the commercial side of GA. Its sad but perhaps an indictment of the lack of direction by senior management in CAsA that has allowed the FOI's and AWI's to destroy the generic manual.
Thirty years ago you still had to have an operations manual.
The manual was generally thirty or forty pages long and reflected instructions pertinent to company operations the CP felt were beyond what the various regulations dictated. Operating instructions for installed equipment not contained in manufacturers manuals, and directions on company administration and employment.
Today that has Morphed into 1000 page Tomes of biblical proportions just for the main Part A. There are some in CAsA who love to call the ops manual a "Living Document"!!! Its alive for sure because its breeding, the PART A now has an ever expanding brood of chicks, one company I know is now out to PART J, I have no idea what they are going to do when they run out of Alphabet. The "New" reg's will require them to be carried on board the aircraft within easy reach of the pilot. So after the ballast in the rear locker to balance all the books scattered around the flight deck, a librarian crew member to find the right book and pass it to the pilot, there aint going to be much room left for the passengers.
The operations manuals now no longer express stuff that the operator particularly wants to express to those in their employ, rather they contain the opinions of various FOI's and AWI's that have crossed the operators path over the years, and therein lies the long suffering CP's despair. What's "compliant" for this FOI or AWI is not necessarily "Compliant" for the next, similarly what is "Compliant" in NSW may not be "Compliant" in QLD.
Those retired CAsA people who now make their living producing this stuff first question will be.."Who's your FOI..Ah you need a Billy Blowfly Manual".
Why are many in the industry paying exorbitant fees to these manual writers? I know of a company who forked out over a hundred grand for manuals, CAsA fees and proving flights to put a simple Citation on their AOC, they already operated one, it was just a different type. Based on their Part C, an amalgam of three or so FOI's opinions, it will cost this company around forty grand just to give a pilot a job on this aircraft, plus dozens of hours of non revenue flying to keep them employed.
If the industry and CAsA consulted and produced generic manuals those fees could be charged by CAsA and provide an income stream, CP's would suddenly stop being angry men, hell maybe people would start applying for CP positions again as most of the frustration would be removed at a stroke, and the ever present threat to their career and livelihood from the dreaded "Not a Fit and Proper person" Friday fax so beloved of the dastedly wabbit.
I don't believe the old "Liability" issue is pertinent largely because out there in the cyber world there are lots and lots of carefully stored emails and scanned documents to trot out if there ever was a liability issue, which I believe would prove to any judge that these manuals are heavily influenced by CAsA via their FOI's and AWI's.
If this occurred, the industry would all be working off the same page, and an even playing field. There would be enormous savings, imagine.. a 20;11 check by one company could be accepted by another, a proficiency check by this company could be accepted by another...so many other requirements that stem from regulations that should have everyone doing the same thing, with the same standards, that currently don't, everybody is different, different based on the opinions of various CAsA employees.
Boys and girls if you think its bad today...have a look at what's coming down the pipeline, a target rich environment that must have the FOI's and AWI's rubbing their hands with glee at the carnage they will be able to inflict on the industry.
Last edited by thorn bird; 8th Apr 2014 at 20:08.