Originally Posted by
Shaky Hands
Airmann
What a load of tosh, think you might be taking the p.
Your idea is designed to have pilots flying when they shouldn't be.
How would pilots fly when they shouldn't. The current system had pilots flying when they shouldn't be! It's already happening!
I don't think that pilots are THAT greedy for cash. I think that eventually when it's difficult to even get out of bed or to keep your eyes open while driving to work you will call in fatigued. If you as a pilot are not responsible enough to do that then you are not responsible enough to fly a plane with passengers on board. In which case there's a much bigger problem at hand. It's just that in the system I propose guys wouldn't call in for trivial reasons. Which is the fear airlines have right now, which is the reason things work the way they do.
As for guys flying for money, just make sure that pilots are being monitored for fatigue and make sure that there are stern penalties if you show up for work just for the money, when you should be recovering.
The current system has pilots afraid to call fatigued or even sick because they fear that the company won't believe them and point fingers back at them. So they end up flying when they are not 100%. The system I propose will switch it around so guys are afraid to NOT call in fatigued. Once you instil the culture into the company there are checks and balances to ensure it works.
Firstly, monitoring for fatigue and promoting a culture where showing up for work seriously fatigued is considered irresponsible and in many ways disgraceful (as fatigued pilots add an incredible burden on the guy they are flying with, and are a threat to themselves and to their passengers) this will ensure pilots call in fatigued or sick when they actually are. Secondly management will be content in knowing that due to the high flight pay guys will not call in fatigued unless absolutely necessary because there's too much to lose, keeping that side happy. And lastly rostering and manpower will be forced to ensure that rosters are such that the potential for fatigue is minimized through proper manpower levels as too many guys calling in fatigued is a serious strain on the system. This could easily be worked out between scheduling and HR.
Other things could be added to the system of course but that's the idea. Now no one can blame the company for a fatigued pilot. And pilots have no one to blame but themselves. Especially if scheduling gets things right, which is obviously part of a properly functioning system.