Learmount at it again
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Learmount at it again
Having heard Flight's boss's interview with Jimmy Young on Radio 2 today, I thought it was admirable how he quoshed the fiction presses' imagination on how certain engine manufacturer's had a poor record of failures etc. and how he generally backed the airline public transport sector.
However, his television interview yesterday which included ramblings such as sabotage theories was untactful and misdirected for a man of his media position.
However, his television interview yesterday which included ramblings such as sabotage theories was untactful and misdirected for a man of his media position.
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I'm not sure David Learmount is Flight's boss, just he tends to get introduced as that. He's the Operations/Safety Editor
Anyway, he was also interviewed yesterday on Radio 4's PM, where they were trying to make a big issue out of the CF6 "unsafe condition". David started off about the fact that many advisory notices are issued, but then went on a ramble about GE and Rolls-Royce.
In such cases you need to be quick and clear at rebutting such questions or say "let's wait and see what the NTSB say".
Maybe it's time for the industy to invite some of the main TV and Radio transport correspondents/news editors around their facilities to try to explain what the terminology that is used by the industry means.
Anyway, he was also interviewed yesterday on Radio 4's PM, where they were trying to make a big issue out of the CF6 "unsafe condition". David started off about the fact that many advisory notices are issued, but then went on a ramble about GE and Rolls-Royce.
In such cases you need to be quick and clear at rebutting such questions or say "let's wait and see what the NTSB say".
Maybe it's time for the industy to invite some of the main TV and Radio transport correspondents/news editors around their facilities to try to explain what the terminology that is used by the industry means.
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Nothing new there...after a few valid sentences I have noticed in recent years that 'Mr. Learmouth' tends to either go off at a tangent, use technospeak (that I suspect he doesnt fully comprehend himself) or make vast statements which are either unqualified and/or his own very personal opinion...or all three!
Yet this is seen by the media/general public as the 'voice of our industry'!!
No thank you...
Yet this is seen by the media/general public as the 'voice of our industry'!!
No thank you...
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It's OK being a paragon of virtue, but before you degrade DL you should have to ask yourself one question. Have I the technical knowledge that he does ( and yes he does have it ), and could I, therefore, make informed statements?
Probably not. So ask yourself another question. Why do the press and media always want DL views - you rarely see others?
Probably not. So ask yourself another question. Why do the press and media always want DL views - you rarely see others?
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Mr Learmount definately isn't Flight's boss. I suspect you are also one of the people that slag off Flight International without actually reading it. (Mind you £2.40 is a bit dear) Anyhow, pick up a copy and check the inside if you really want to know who the editor etc. is...
My Main point:
Who then, do you suggest should answer questions from the Media? Bear in mind Mr Learmount does have a background in aviation...
My Main point:
Who then, do you suggest should answer questions from the Media? Bear in mind Mr Learmount does have a background in aviation...
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I haven’t seen or heard everything that DL has said on this issue however whenever there is an aviation news story both radio and TV look for an "expert" in their address books. Frankly I would prefer DL to the GAPAN "expert".
What I would really prefer is for the BALPA Technical Committee Chairman or the IAP Technical Committee Chairman
to be available for interview.
In the meantime wouldn’t it be nice if scavenging jorno’s actually used their full names as user names on this Board and included in the Personal Title both who they worked for and a picture of themselves (£££££).
Possibly consideration could be given to a separate Forum for Journo’s Questions on this BB so that only people qualified to answer would do so rather than the multitude of "Bozo’s" who presently clutter up this board with their ill founded opinions.
What I would really prefer is for the BALPA Technical Committee Chairman or the IAP Technical Committee Chairman
to be available for interview.In the meantime wouldn’t it be nice if scavenging jorno’s actually used their full names as user names on this Board and included in the Personal Title both who they worked for and a picture of themselves (£££££).
Possibly consideration could be given to a separate Forum for Journo’s Questions on this BB so that only people qualified to answer would do so rather than the multitude of "Bozo’s" who presently clutter up this board with their ill founded opinions.
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It is indeed unfortunate that Dave "Learmouth" is the only person that the media deem worthy of interview, when accidents like this happen. I knew him in the RAF when he lost his medical category and he doesn`t seem to have changed.Perhaps it might have been more appropriate to have interviewed a senior Captain who is current on the A-300, or someone from AAIB.
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Sky9
I don't know which media you are watching or listening to miss DL, but he seems to have been on most.
Anyway, your suggestion about BALPA and/or the IAP Tech Committee's putting up spokespeople is interesting. Is this going to be taken up.
I don't know which media you are watching or listening to miss DL, but he seems to have been on most.
Anyway, your suggestion about BALPA and/or the IAP Tech Committee's putting up spokespeople is interesting. Is this going to be taken up.
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BALPA does make people available, but the news industry doesn't want 'lets wait and see' or its too early to tell' especially when they have 24hr rolling news to fill. They want 'pilots must carry guns' or 'it definitely was a terrorist act'.
Only unaccountable pundits can give this view. Some of the unmitigated tosh that has been spoken recently has really infuriated me.
Loose punditry is costing jobs.
Only unaccountable pundits can give this view. Some of the unmitigated tosh that has been spoken recently has really infuriated me.
Loose punditry is costing jobs.
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"..... the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) conducts air accident inquiries in the USA."
That's why he suggested the Press should direct questions to them.
---------------------------
Why do the Press go to David Learmount?
Because it's pointless (from their point of view) going to someone responsible. A responsible person would say things like 'It's far too early to make any sensible comment, and it would be irresponsible to speculate.' The journos job is to sell newspapers, and they love to find a shock horror "scandal", someone to blame if they can.
Because journos have a list of people who just love self-publicity, and can be relied on to make a comment without knowing the facts, or to say something shocking, whichever is needed. They used to use that self-important prat, somebody Wilson from Gapan.
This happens in all spheres, not just aviation. All the same names keep coming up.
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.....Because it's pointless (from their point of view) going to someone responsible...
nomdeplume whenever an aviation-related story crops up, Dutch media interview the chairman of the VNV (Dutch Balpa). His views are sought by the media and respected by the general public.
His predecessor was even something of a celebrity due to his frequent appearnces on the idiot box. These blokes do the cause of aviation a lot of good, because they are well spoken, able to give just the right mix of level-headedness & techno-talk made understandable.
They are not condescending, but invite the viewers and listeners to "think along with us" and to come "into our world".
Anyway, it's possible and perhaps Balpa should push itself a bit more??
nomdeplume whenever an aviation-related story crops up, Dutch media interview the chairman of the VNV (Dutch Balpa). His views are sought by the media and respected by the general public.
His predecessor was even something of a celebrity due to his frequent appearnces on the idiot box. These blokes do the cause of aviation a lot of good, because they are well spoken, able to give just the right mix of level-headedness & techno-talk made understandable.
They are not condescending, but invite the viewers and listeners to "think along with us" and to come "into our world".
Anyway, it's possible and perhaps Balpa should push itself a bit more??
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If you want a more experienced pilot on the news, try Eric Moody (who was the BA captain who landed the 747 at Jakarta after losing all four engines in volcanic ash). After the SQ crash in Tai'pei this time last year, he claimed on Sky News that "they [the SQ pilots] turned it into a Cabriolet [sp?]." I found that extremely offensive, many people lost their lives in a horrible fashion and he was making a joke of it as though someone had harmlessly driven a truck under a low bridge. I know for a fact DL wouldn't stoop to that kind of thing, even though he's got a tenth of the airmanship of Moody at best. I am yet to meet a pilot who I think would be up to the job of appearing on TV and making any kind of sense, as opposed to babbling in technospeak, saying "it's too early to speculate" or making horrific jokes (likewise I am yet to meet anyone in the TV business - including those with PPLs - that I would ever fly with).
I think you guys should get used to DL, his TV experience alone makes him qualified in the eyes of the news producers, he must have racked up over 100 hours on the box including documentaries and news, making him something of a pro.
I think you guys should get used to DL, his TV experience alone makes him qualified in the eyes of the news producers, he must have racked up over 100 hours on the box including documentaries and news, making him something of a pro.
DL is slightly better than that idiot Paul Beaver who also pops up with monotonous regularity, sometimes as an "Aviation Expert" and sometimes as a "Defence Expert", depending on the story.
Remember DL is also advertising FI when he appears, probably why he is so keen to do it. Paul Beaver is just advertising Paul Beaver!
Remember DL is also advertising FI when he appears, probably why he is so keen to do it. Paul Beaver is just advertising Paul Beaver!
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Also, most airlines are reluctant to allow pilots to speak to the media. Or anybody else unofficial for that matter. In schools, only one of the governors should speak to the media. Companies have press departments. Politicians have spin doctors.
The media have a habit of manipulating what anybody says to suit their own end (surely not!!!!!) - which is why most organisations think it is simpler to only allow narrow access to media.
Yes, it would be great to have people who know what they are talking about in the media. It would make for much more interesting stories. But I wouldn't hold your breath. Until the media are as accountable as the people who might tell those stories, it just won't happen. So the era of the media pundit will continue.
The media have a habit of manipulating what anybody says to suit their own end (surely not!!!!!) - which is why most organisations think it is simpler to only allow narrow access to media.
Yes, it would be great to have people who know what they are talking about in the media. It would make for much more interesting stories. But I wouldn't hold your breath. Until the media are as accountable as the people who might tell those stories, it just won't happen. So the era of the media pundit will continue.