PBS Frontline
 

PBS Frontline is doing a one-hour investigative documentary on the airline industry since deregulation - with a focus on the rise of regional airlines - and the concerns that are brought to light with Colgan 3407. We are looking for some pilots to speak candidly with us (on background if need be) and we are also trying to get some access to a seasoned Q400 pilot inside a full mission simulator. If you have any suggestions, you can respond here - or send an email to the reporter: pilot/plane owner - and former CNN correspondent - Miles O'Brien. [email protected]

Hope you get some great leads from this post, Miles. I haven't been in the commuter business for decades but others here are living the dream and can provide insight.

I'll never forget your sober and seasoned reporting of the Columbia disaster, thanks!

Welcome to PPRuNe Miles.

As well, glad to see some hard news research being conducted here. Being from the exact opposite side of the aviation spectrum gives some insight into what it's like 'in the trenches', but it would be nice to see an original investigation free of mainstream media pressures to publish or perish.

The journalists and researchers who work with Frontline are some of the finest and unbiased in news media today:D.

It would be fantastic a few of their researchers could obtain a temporary IDs, and be assigned to commuting and non-commuting crewmembers so they can experience what it is like to commute to and from work, have limited time at home with the family, experience long duty days, minimum rest periods, and crappy noisy layover hotels.

Unfortunately management of regionals don’t have the balls to invite these legitimate journalists onto their property and perform above ground fact finding research.

To the Frontline team... keep up the good work:ok:.

I considered signing up at one of the schools. I suspect someone would have recognized me!

Another welcome to pprune Mr. O'Brien, and I would also like to commend you on your space coverage on CNN (fighting for time must not have been easy)

I look forward to seeing this report, Frontline is one of the few shows where I am not second guessing everything they say (although I keep a critical eye open! ;) )

Welcome aboard Miles.........there are plenty of well informed experienced professional pilots that are members of pprune, the trouble sometimes is sorting the wheat from the chaff :ok:

Miles, always thought of you as straight shooter. Good luck and am looking forward to your Frontline program.

Btw, thank gawd you are no longer associated with CNN and that other "O'Brien."

Also, plz spread to your fellow journalists, no one in the airline industry calls it the "tarmac" at least not in the U.S. It's called the "ramp."

So true. :ok:

Parker P 51 time involved in colgan crash? Just wondering.

Miles,

just one request:

please, please, leave the sensationalistic aspect out. I know that it is good for ratings, but unfortunately that's what constitutes a credibility loss among most media outlets.

Good luck.

PBS is the last to sensationalize anything, they are very good at just reporting the facts. That shows in their ratings unfortunately when most viewers are looking for suspenseful drama

PBS
 

PBS is also very good at showing reruns of "The Lawrence Welk Show". I enjoy it very much.

Does anyone know if this documentary will be available on the internet?

Sadly, any 'expose' of regionals, Colgan, FAA, 'fatigue', or 'low-time', 'rest' etc. etc. will of course be sensational. The only solution lies in accountability. The lack thereof is breathtaking, in corporate and regulatory entities both. The only attention that should obtain to this sad situation is Headlines. So sad that to create accountability requires some form of published notoriety or punishment, in front of everyone. Just as we see the start of change (or not) from any direction, some other hole in the dike will appear, and people will die unnecessarily. The only thing that ever works in any democracy is criminal sanction and punishment. A 'wink' and a 'nod' should mean jail time, IMO.

"Does anyone know if this documentary will be available on the internet?"

Normally PBS Frontline episodes can viewed online after transmission
@ FRONTLINE: home | PBS

Are you really the real Miles?
 

Dear OP

Is this really you?

Miles O'Brien (journalist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Based on his original post, I would suspect so. Trolls usually aren't that articulate.

Accountability is the absolute key issue. I worked in a regional airlines’ flight operations management for 7 years, and there is no doubt in my mind that “the system” has been deliberately designed to upstream control to the majors while keeping accountability for operations and maintenance downstream at the regional.

Marketing, scheduling of the aircraft (the life blood of an airline) and financial control all reside on the major airline side of what is, literally, an accountability firewall. Operations and maintenance – those are kept on the regional side of the firewall.

And the problem is developing within the major airlines themselves. The system of holding companies and code sharing agreements needs to be addressed so that accountability for the quality of the operation flows from every airplane in an airline’s colors all the way to the board room at the top of the corporate structure.