Merged: Senate Inquiry

[Artificial Horizon]

Wow, those comments just cement to me that the public have little or no understanding what is involved in our jobs. This is why I have given up telling people what I do because no matter how much you tell them otherwise they can't get over the whole 'you just push the autopilot button' and 'don't you only work 80 hours per month!!, I work 40 hours per week!!'.

I especially like the comment about Air New Zealand longhaul pilots and the fact that they fly 12 hour sectors and don't complain like these Jetstar princesses that only do 5 hour sectors

Take note Qantas pilots, I would say that public support for a strike may not be on your side.

[SOPS]

For those of you old enough to remember....in that year we cant talk about....the claims were exactly the same, "Pilots only fly 7 hours a week..bla bla bla" and the public believed it and they will believe it again...and again...and again

[BlueYonder10]

Air Crash Investigation

Not sure if this episode has aired in OZ yet, but if the public thinks that pilot fatigue is not a problem they should have a look at this episode about Colgan Air 3407.

YouTube - Air Crash Investigation - Stalled In The Sky

[Mr. Hat]

Yeah but does Senator Xenophon see it that way? Couldn't care less what joe public thinks. My job is A-B in one piece.

Watch them all cry when it inevitably goes wrong.

[Mr. Hat]

Done my bit put my reply on there "the Australian".

[rodchucker]

Ms Monique Neeteson-Lemkes

Am surprised there are no compliments flowing her way tonight.

Dont know, never met her and probably never will and that is fine.

What she did today was articulate, well focussed and gutsy given the personal risks.

Well done for taking a stand.

[stubby jumbo]

.....'just saw her on Sky News.

What a legend !!

When asked by Xenophon -"how would you describe the current culture at JQ?"

She replied:

"TOXIC"

The Leprechaun and BB will not be happy.

All that work spinning the 4 corners story to be a positive-GONE

The veneer is wearing very ,very thin.

What you sow ....you shall reap.

CLOWNS

[Sarcs]

Quote of the Inquiry

"TOUGHEN UP PRINCESSES":'Priceless!!!'

[LeadSled]

Folks,
The bit that I loved was Joyce explaining why the Jetstar training was to a different standard to QF mainline, it will be worth looking it up in the transcript.

Words to the effect that Jetstar flies different aircraft on different routes, so, of course the training has to be different.

Not a word about not polluting the jetstar cilture with any QF input, we will never forget that gem from the then boss of Jetstar.

Tootle pip!!

[WynSock]

All those concerned passengers who write in saying how terrible for JQ to errode safety...Have a glass of concrete and harden the up!

What's the chance of you or your closest family members actually being onboard when a bleary-eyed Airbus crew spears in? Close to zero.

100% safety costs a great deal more than you think. I'll take my chances with 99% safe or whatever it is so can get from the Goldie to Sydney for 49 bucks. That is a great fare! Forty-Nine dollars.

Princesses!

[Capt_SNAFU]

With regards to the harden up over PER-SIN-PER BOC perhaps the senators should ask JQ why QF stopped PER-CGK-PER BOC on the 737 some years ago? A very similar tour. Perhaps because it was deemed unsafe, considering the number of errors that occured on these flights and also on the flights on the following days due to having flown that sector.

[Lookleft]

If my memory serves me correctly the crew that did not put the CTP on the 737 from Per to Syd had done the CGK BOC the night before. Fatigue was considered to be a contributing factor. It was also considered to be a CF in the 737 EGPWS event near CB in 2005. I'm sure the public would love to know that the "princesses" up front are legally allowed to sleep in the cockpit just to try and mitigate the potential for a disaster at the end of the duty.

[The Kelpie]

Came across this as again the media seem to have been nobbled and the matter hushed up!!!

[The Kelpie]

I have a favor to ask:

Can someone please post a list of all Jetstar international tag flights (flight nr and route) with domestic sectors that use foreign crew (flight or cabin) from Singapore and bangkok.

I have a letter to Immigration Minister Chris Bowen all ready to go following evidence given at the hearing yesterday.

Cheers

The Kelpie

[breakfastburrito]

Senate Inquiry Day 4 Audio has its own thread

[Artificial Horizon]

Yep, this is a woefully bad part of NZ legislation. We have made progress on this issue though and there is a 'sick' leave pool that is available to top up these 5 days if needed and we also now have up to 90 days available for one off longterm illnesses.

[hotnhigh]

Interesting way the questioning of how the nz cadets are being utilized and integrated into the Australian op was answered. I certainly was none the wiser after hearing the response. Does anyone know what contract they are on? Shane Warne would have been proud of Bruce's answer with the amount of tweak he imposed on it.
Still though it's great to see the Qantas corporate culture thriving. A shame group Qantas isn't a sporting team, because it would be fair to say, the captains wouldn't make it out of the dressing room after their 'team mates' had finished their warm up.

Alan in the car with Bruce: "Hey Bruce, did you remember to fit the wheel nuts?"

[rodchucker]

The response"..... well sort of Alan. After a detailed examination by the BCG we agreed with their proposal that 4 on each wheel was really a waste of time and money.

After a full risk assessment you really only needed 1 on each wheel and on every second wheel provide an additional one to give you a safety margin.

We got even more comfort by the fact that the in house trained mechanics were able to do it quicker when we awoke them from their fatigue driven sleep as they were used to this work practice from being trained in the depths of some third world country."


ps sorry could not help it after watching these events unfold.

[airtags]

Leadsled: - quite right - it is way too early in their careers for the "where are they now" segment!
................ the answers given to the Senators were weak and somewhat disjointed. Joyce's body language and interjections demonstrated he was edgy. The chairs at the table are pretty comfortable, but he certainly seemed to be as restless as a Capt in bad wx with a 200 hr cadet at his side.

Rodchucker:
Ms Neeteson-Lemkes certainly showed she had more balls than the QF/JQ bosses and flunkies that preceeded her appearance. It was a shame she was not better armed with facts but, none the less, her anecdotal testimony was highly relevant, especially in relation to CC fatigue.

Interestingly her testimony underscored John Gissing's earlier gutting of the QF use of FAID to determine fatigue risk in connection with rosters and that in turn now poses a serious question to CASA.

Q: If CAO 48 deals soley with flight crew duty limitations, why did V Australia's CAO48 exemption which expired (ironically) yesterday get the rubber stamp of renewal AND to also include CC?

and.,

Q: If in upholding their position to include CC in CAO 48 exemptions, then why can JQ and QF agree that one pattern is 'wholly arduous and fatigue inducing for Australian CC' but...... then claim the very same pattern with an additional sector and reduced rest for QF Kiwi CC is not?..........another example of "$afety"

Actually, these give rise to a bigger supplementary question, that given the testimony relating to fatigue risks & duty limits:

Q: Why has CASA issued any CAO 48 and why has CASA not inisted on a full day of ops SRMP to be submitted with each Operator's application for the CAO48 exemption?

While some of this will formally be explored in the Parliamentary Inquiry into CC ratios, there is an apparent and 'blind-eye' void in both the Regulator's diligence and QF/JQ's integrity.

AT

[Mr. Hat]

Air Crash Investigation/Mayday etc.

I've been looking around on the internet (unsuccessfully) for a box set of Air Crash Investigation (Australian Region DVD). Does anyone know where to find one that is Aussie and not European (yes tried amazon ebay- no luck yet).

With Xmas coming up so soon was just thinking of a present for the Senators..

My shout..