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Robert Perkins wrote in message I think the pilot's mistake was not so
much that he was asleep while another had the controls; the safety problem with that is not as critical in a 2-crew airplane at cruise. Walker's flies a few times per week, one hour out and one hour back, always during the day with the crew being home every night. It's not a high demand job. Doing back-to-back red-eyes out to LAX can tax one with fatigue, but not doing a cake job like Walker's. Besides, a professional pilot makes sure he is well rested before taking a flight, or he calls out sick. The FO is certainly capable of flying the plane. However, radar services are NOT available for much of their route and there is a lot of traffic crossing that route. An extra set of eyes scanning for traffic is a valuable safety asset. Rather, it was that he let his passengers get unsettled enough to document it. Never scare the pax, right? They pay the bills for the flight, after all... They weren't unsettled. They were giggling. They don't pay the bills either. The island is huge tax write-off for a big corporation. Those passengers will likely be back. The one on CNN said as much. So while falling asleep wasn't bad for flight safety so much, it was *very* bad for business. Wasn't he sacked? Wrong, wrong, and wrong again. He resigned. |
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On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 07:54:57 GMT, "Capt. Doug"
wrote: The FO is certainly capable of flying the plane. However, radar services are NOT available for much of their route and there is a lot of traffic crossing that route. An extra set of eyes scanning for traffic is a valuable safety asset. And I, in the light singles I'm allowed to fly? Were I to fly that route under part 91, would I therefore be a detrimental safety liability, if my pax don't scan for traffic? (And yes, I've had conversations with pilots who reported waking up in their light single in an unusual attitude. Not fun, I'm told...) I didn't argue that the man didn't need to be awake. I argue that it was much worse on the company flying that leg to have a pilot get caught doing what pilots do on occasion, and have that hit the news ("OMG! a pilot was asleep! That's worse than Palestinian Suicide Bombers! Run the video again, Bob!") than the actual detriment to safety warranted. IOW, pax overreacted. Media (as usual) overreacted. One thing's for sure, though, IMO. The age-60 rule just got itself another point in the "pro" column, don't you think? So while falling asleep wasn't bad for flight safety so much, it was *very* bad for business. Wasn't he sacked? Wrong, wrong, and wrong again. He resigned. Nixon style, beating them to the pink slip? Or would he have kept his job after making the national news anyway? eh? Rob |
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"Capt. Doug" wrote in message ...
Robert Perkins said: wrote in message I think the pilot's mistake was not so much that he was asleep while another had the controls; the safety problem with that is not as critical in a 2-crew airplane at cruise. snip, snip Cap sez: Walker's flies a few times per week, one hour out and one hour back, always during the day with the crew being home every night. It's not a high demand job. Doing back-to-back red-eyes out to LAX can tax one with fatigue, but not doing a cake job like Walker's. Besides, a professional pilot makes sure he is well rested before taking a flight, or he calls out sick. snip, both ends Pac sez: Right you are Cap Doug... but, Boy, I'm not touching this one with a ten-foot pole. But you ougtta see how many people are awake on the flight deck of a "back door" round the world flight somewhere around MNL to BOM. ;-) Time zones, circadian rhythm disruption, short layovers, and fatigue from struggling to understand foreign controllers (over 80% of communication is through facial expressions.) NASA did sleep studies in the 90's; wired us up for six mo's. The preliminary report concluded we "were operating in a dangerously impaired state" from sleep deprivation "most of the time" (night cargo ops.) Big box-hauler management got wind of this, and saw to it that the report (which was on their property, and published voluntarily with their consent,) was never published. UPS pilots sued, and then I never heard what the outcome was. Keep the door closed! Never know who's hiding in a suspicious looking box with a camcorder! pac "cargo dog" plyer |
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"Capt. Doug" wrote in message
news:lP6Sa.62639 Rather, it was that he let his passengers get unsettled enough to document it. Never scare the pax, right? They pay the bills for the flight, after all... They weren't unsettled. They were giggling. They don't pay the bills either. The island is huge tax write-off for a big corporation. Those passengers will likely be back. The one on CNN said as much. A difference without distinction. So while falling asleep wasn't bad for flight safety so much, it was *very* bad for business. Wasn't he sacked? Wrong, wrong, and wrong again. He resigned. See above |
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Maule Driver wrote in message A difference without distinction.
I dunno... Hollywood has a saying about there being no such thing as bad publicity. Walker's couldn't have bought better publicity. Sure, it was a little embarrassing, but how many folks saw the broadcast and then Googled Walker's Cay? D. |
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