'Empty' Operations on passenger aircraft
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Various bits of legislation cover food handling and I am not aware of any airlines that train their pilots to the required standard. Commercial operators ensure that adequate training is provided to cabin crew with regard to the handling of food though.
Skills are enhanced by adequate training and provision of tools to do the job. It is debatable whether giving pilots a list of circuit breakers to pull (slight over simplification) and a box of food without any instructions could be classed as adequate training.
H&S legislation is a cornerstone of safe operations in just about every area of working life these days and I have no doubt that businesses of many kinds have tried to duck their obligations on the basis that their area is 'Special' or 'It's never been a problem until now' (or maybe even 'We see no need to mollycoddle our staff - They're well paid and can look after them selves).
Skills are enhanced by adequate training and provision of tools to do the job. It is debatable whether giving pilots a list of circuit breakers to pull (slight over simplification) and a box of food without any instructions could be classed as adequate training.
H&S legislation is a cornerstone of safe operations in just about every area of working life these days and I have no doubt that businesses of many kinds have tried to duck their obligations on the basis that their area is 'Special' or 'It's never been a problem until now' (or maybe even 'We see no need to mollycoddle our staff - They're well paid and can look after them selves).
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Various bits of legislation cover food handling and I am not aware of any airlines that train their pilots to the required standard.
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Quote <Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995
Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995
These are Regulations made under The Food Safety
Act 1990. Similar laws apply in Northern Ireland.
Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995
These are Regulations made under The Food Safety
Act 1990. Similar laws apply in Northern Ireland.
These two sets of Regulations apply to all types
of food, and food business, but they do not cover
primary production or food prepared in the home
for domestic purposes. >
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/safetyaw.pdf
of food, and food business, but they do not cover
primary production or food prepared in the home
for domestic purposes. >
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/safetyaw.pdf
The experts in this area are the ferry crews who spend their lives transferring new (and not-so-new) aircraft round the world. As far as I am aware a ferry crew does not run to any cabin crew !
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Quote <Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995
Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995
Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995
You should ask this question to the freight dogs, but be ready for a somewhat less civil response.
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Pilots flying freight or empty passenger plane are not only preparing their own food, but also that of mate, I guess?
On passenger planes, there are supposed to be strict rules against allowing both pilots to eat the same meals - presumably to guard against double pilot food poisoning. Do those rules apply on freight and ferry flights as well?
On passenger planes, there are supposed to be strict rules against allowing both pilots to eat the same meals - presumably to guard against double pilot food poisoning. Do those rules apply on freight and ferry flights as well?
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I've ferried a few flights, and empty sectored quite a few.
1. Passengers are generally the most damaging cargo from personal experience, even on business jets. or especially? Removing the source of the risks generally reduces the risks.
The aircraft are generally consistently built.
The crews are generally consistently trained.
2. Pilots, like everyone else, are capable of some common sense and reason (notwithstanding some of the little spats that go on on here) I've managed quite well, preparing my own food over the years, and have been quite unsuccesful in gaining a promotion by preparing the other blokes food. There's always the fire axe.
3. I sometimes wonder if many of the regulations are there to safeguard other people, or to simply make it easier to point the finger or prosecute someone in the event of an incident. My own paranoia, big brother, etc.
4. I have been involved in a double pilot food poisoning. It makes bugger all difference if the food is selected off different menus, or is simply different, if the source of the problem is the food prep company. Which it was. And often is. Eating at different times is probably valid, but by how long?
Actually, come to think of it, I have had serious food poisoning 4 times over the years, only once while flying. Each time it came down to food prepared professionally; either a restaurant, or food prep company. All of which should have been impossible according to whatever regulatory authority.
I like the idea of having a certain amount of SOP to operate to. But it will become a very strange place if everything was written into rigid SOPs.
And you can't fix everything with an SOP. Some free thinking is essential to survival.
1. Passengers are generally the most damaging cargo from personal experience, even on business jets. or especially? Removing the source of the risks generally reduces the risks.
The aircraft are generally consistently built.
The crews are generally consistently trained.
2. Pilots, like everyone else, are capable of some common sense and reason (notwithstanding some of the little spats that go on on here) I've managed quite well, preparing my own food over the years, and have been quite unsuccesful in gaining a promotion by preparing the other blokes food. There's always the fire axe.
3. I sometimes wonder if many of the regulations are there to safeguard other people, or to simply make it easier to point the finger or prosecute someone in the event of an incident. My own paranoia, big brother, etc.
4. I have been involved in a double pilot food poisoning. It makes bugger all difference if the food is selected off different menus, or is simply different, if the source of the problem is the food prep company. Which it was. And often is. Eating at different times is probably valid, but by how long?
Actually, come to think of it, I have had serious food poisoning 4 times over the years, only once while flying. Each time it came down to food prepared professionally; either a restaurant, or food prep company. All of which should have been impossible according to whatever regulatory authority.
I like the idea of having a certain amount of SOP to operate to. But it will become a very strange place if everything was written into rigid SOPs.
And you can't fix everything with an SOP. Some free thinking is essential to survival.
