Geoff, You are exactly correct! In todays world they the SLF will report back to their manager, supervisor or higher of anything they deem to be irregular. Which intern means the crew gets called into the Chiefs office the very next day to explain.
Hand flying is fast becoming a lost art in the offshore environment. On a 2.5 to 4 hour flight how much does a crew actually jiggle the wiggly bits. Well FDM data show about 3 to 4 minutes at max if you abide by the written procedures in most of the procedures that I have seen and witnessed on highly automated aircraft. To state that you can practice this in training or on training flights is again incorrect. When was the last time your organization allowed you to take a large offshore heavy aircraft out a training flight. I can tell you that it does and will not happen in our part of the world, again economics.
As for the practicing hand flying on simulator missions given the structure of syllabuses as of late most of it revolves around use of automation and CRM. Which is fine but the times allotted are no suffice to cover everything especially handling without modes engaged. The funny part is most of this is being driven by outside entities ie: the customer / aviation advisors but yet they are the ones whom are first to challenge the company or crew when there is a excursion of any form. Facts be known the operators are losing control of how to manage their own aircraft and crews and the big oil folks are dictating who we will all fly our aircraft.
Off topic but the SAFETY word is becoming a huge joke now in the industry in North America anyway. We are finding that we are more worried about what boots, protective eyewear, proper and approved undergarments, following the right pathway to aircraft, correct high vis outwear to get to aircraft, fatigue management scores the list goes on and on. Yes, these are all important and valid concerns but during audits or reviews by big oil they seem more focused on these issues then the REAL issue – FLYING. All of our training budgets are predicated on the contracts we have agreed upon with the client which in turn means lowest price wins, hence training is always a major player in the cost. Given the current economic crisis the oil companies say they are in (joke) I can only forsee more things becoming more degraded as we move forward.
Last edited by SK92A; 18th Dec 2015 at 11:56.