difete
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2004
- Posts
- 270
Just saw the C-SPAN on the whole hearing. Very interesting stuff. They are going to be looking at changes in the regs so that airlines will have access to the primary checkrides records for a pilot candidate in interviews.
They are reaming the FAA for not implementing, or for dragging their feet on implementing more than 500 NTSB recommendations.
The senate committee is asking all departments of transportation officials on things like:
1) Pilot compensation related to safety. (Examples were mentioned as concerning salaries being too low for pilot's to afford hotel or crashpad rentals to commute a day earlier and have proper rest.)
2) NTSB recommendations to FAA related to the different levels of fatigue comparing a major airline pilot flying 2 to 3 long legs, compared to same flight time/duty time of a regional pilot flying 5 to 8 legs.
3) Training records accesibility, requiring airlines to have full access to FAA training records. As of to date an airline can ask a pilot to disclose the records by signing a waiver to his privacy. The only records the airline can obtain were only those provided by previous employers.
4) Concern of the FAA inspectors being "too friendly" with the airlines assigned to.
5) Airline training department record keeping, and renewal of standards for testing and failing airline ground and flight checks.
6) The impact of outsourcing maintenance, and the limited ability of the FAA to oversee the outsourced maintenance facilities. (Example was quoted of an A320 flown empty to El Salvador for maintenance, and then flow back to USA empty for return to service. Can the FAA oversee a maintenance facility oversees?)
7) The FAA chairman complained of his predecessor asking for more money from the Feds to better equip the FAA to manage all these changes, and being retaliated upon by being fired by the last administration.
The chairman and all senators were increasingly alarmed because of all the details on the COLGAN CVR. They read over and over the CVR, quoting both pilots, and saying that: the pilots stated their disbelief of being hired so inexperienced, expressed concern about their current inexperence on their current flying conditions, and concern about their pay, and rest.
I think something good might come out of this, and hope things do change to the improvement of our safety, and QOL. That unfortunate accident of COLGAN might be the start of a new change for all airline pilots.
It is the first time I have heard a CVR so reveiling of our current state in these economic times as emerging regional pilots. The FAA administrator even confessed to not having the related experience as being a regional pilot, and knowing what it is like to work as one. He said he came from the military, where major airlines picked them with good salaries, because majors knew these ex military guys had options getting into much higher paying jobs with their qualifications, so airlines had to lure them with better compensation.
The conclusion seems to be that the FAA is going to gather with everyone (NTSB, Airline reps, FAA field inspectors, safety institutions, etc...) and come with viable changes and solutions to the current trend. I think he said they will meet next monday.
Also the Senate will convene again with reps. from all airlines next week to question them about the current situation. Looks interesting. I never watch C-SPAN, but this discussion was a good one. I just want to share with you all, and if you have the time to watch it, I recommend it.
Other than that, fly safe.
(grammar and spelling were not checked. Any comments expressed about other carriers... example: MESA, do not expresively represent the view of the poster of this thread
. All opinions about me, will be ignored)
They are reaming the FAA for not implementing, or for dragging their feet on implementing more than 500 NTSB recommendations.
The senate committee is asking all departments of transportation officials on things like:
1) Pilot compensation related to safety. (Examples were mentioned as concerning salaries being too low for pilot's to afford hotel or crashpad rentals to commute a day earlier and have proper rest.)
2) NTSB recommendations to FAA related to the different levels of fatigue comparing a major airline pilot flying 2 to 3 long legs, compared to same flight time/duty time of a regional pilot flying 5 to 8 legs.
3) Training records accesibility, requiring airlines to have full access to FAA training records. As of to date an airline can ask a pilot to disclose the records by signing a waiver to his privacy. The only records the airline can obtain were only those provided by previous employers.
4) Concern of the FAA inspectors being "too friendly" with the airlines assigned to.
5) Airline training department record keeping, and renewal of standards for testing and failing airline ground and flight checks.
6) The impact of outsourcing maintenance, and the limited ability of the FAA to oversee the outsourced maintenance facilities. (Example was quoted of an A320 flown empty to El Salvador for maintenance, and then flow back to USA empty for return to service. Can the FAA oversee a maintenance facility oversees?)
7) The FAA chairman complained of his predecessor asking for more money from the Feds to better equip the FAA to manage all these changes, and being retaliated upon by being fired by the last administration.
The chairman and all senators were increasingly alarmed because of all the details on the COLGAN CVR. They read over and over the CVR, quoting both pilots, and saying that: the pilots stated their disbelief of being hired so inexperienced, expressed concern about their current inexperence on their current flying conditions, and concern about their pay, and rest.
I think something good might come out of this, and hope things do change to the improvement of our safety, and QOL. That unfortunate accident of COLGAN might be the start of a new change for all airline pilots.
It is the first time I have heard a CVR so reveiling of our current state in these economic times as emerging regional pilots. The FAA administrator even confessed to not having the related experience as being a regional pilot, and knowing what it is like to work as one. He said he came from the military, where major airlines picked them with good salaries, because majors knew these ex military guys had options getting into much higher paying jobs with their qualifications, so airlines had to lure them with better compensation.
The conclusion seems to be that the FAA is going to gather with everyone (NTSB, Airline reps, FAA field inspectors, safety institutions, etc...) and come with viable changes and solutions to the current trend. I think he said they will meet next monday.
Also the Senate will convene again with reps. from all airlines next week to question them about the current situation. Looks interesting. I never watch C-SPAN, but this discussion was a good one. I just want to share with you all, and if you have the time to watch it, I recommend it.
Other than that, fly safe.
(grammar and spelling were not checked. Any comments expressed about other carriers... example: MESA, do not expresively represent the view of the poster of this thread
. All opinions about me, will be ignored)
