If you can find one, have a read of a USA based part 121 carrier COM. Notice the CP role is refined to typically dovetail with a Vice President Airline Operations/ a Director Flight Operations and a Chief Executive Officer. The controls and responsibilities are divided so that the CP can perform 'essential design function', tight focus on maintaining flight operations in the green band. Very few, if any CP selected from the 'ranks' really and truly understand pure 'management functions'. They can and do run flight departments very well (mostly) indeed, but the corporate 'fluff' is as alien to a 'pilot mind' as 'operating' is to a corporate wizard. That's where a good DFO is invaluable – the bridge over troubled waters – flight line to board room essential translation.
Nail on the head Kharon.
There is one jet operator in Australia that had done exactly this on the premiss that Part 121 was coming..... (yeah dont get started). The set up works, and very well, what was the view of the illustrious regulator we have.
Even though the role and responsibility was clearly defined in the OM & corporate tree, a particular CMT would not correspond to the DFO position because in their view it was not a recognized position by CASA (you cant make this up). Only the CP who had been approved & the CEO who also had the rug dance as the ultimately accountable manager were responsible to the regulator......
To further confirm this the company had the instrument of approval for the CP but if the CEO role is also of such relevance where is the instrument for the CEO? You think John or Alan have an instrument (dont be rude you lot
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So much for safety.
I feel sorry for the Tiger crews at the moment, having had dinner with a mate who is a skipper there just last night, the serious disconnect between reality and utopia is getting ever bigger. IF it truly is a witch hunt against an individual then if heads dont roll the disconnect between crew and ops will get to a point of no return.
How safe is that?
Where a realism of a flight plan is somewhere between the tooth fairy and easter bunny, when the music stops some one carries the can and you know who it will be.