Thoughts on QZ8501, AF447 and greed
Different cases I know, but basically, if I understand the results of the Air Asia report as summarized by the professionals: We have another incidence of a serviceable aircraft having crashed due to inappropriate pilot inputs in the high alt/speed regime. This in response to a technical failure which could have been otherwise managed without major incident.
Pilots today seem to be under the dual pressure of being competent at both actually flying in ALL flight phases, as well as understanding, monitoring, interpreting, administering as well as troubleshooting the networked system that is a modern airliner. This in addition to all the other disciplines and duties required on a daily basis for normal and abnormal operations. The consensus seems to be that pilots need all manner of enhanced and intensive training to mitigate a number of issues arising from having to be pure pilots as well as 'network administrators' (especially in emergencies), yet cost is a deterrent.
I worry about this shareholder capitalist driven world of ours. Profit is a good thing, it fuels economies. But I see the ramifications of 'reduced cost at all cost' in so many industries now - it's a common denominator that seems immune to the human cost of feeding the appetites of Oligarchs. Some say the remedy is higher ticket prices. Perhaps that is so, but going back to that common denominator in so many industries, does anyone have any confidence that higher profits would result in more/better training as required in all cases? I don't. Sounds like a 'occupy' mentality I know, but I do think somewhere along the way our big business practices lost something, and it's costing lives - in many ways.