Lessons to be learned about flying experience
02-24-2009, 04:28 PM
#1
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Lessons to be learned about flying experience
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Lessons to be learned about flying experience
An examination of recent events in the aviation industry begs the question "why?" Let's examine the two most recent airline disasters that had entirely different outcomes, US1549 and CO3407. It might be a prudent consideration before the Milwaukee traveling public books its next airline ticket.
One of the nasty little secrets that the airline companies don't want the traveling public to know is that although the ticket was sold as a Continental Airlines flight, the actual company doing the flying was Colgan Airways of Manassas, Va. Airline companies really hate paying experienced airline pilot salaries and would rather subcontract flying out to the lowest bidder - as opposed to paying their own employees - as a cost-savings measure.
Of course, the results are quite predictable when the combined flying experience aboard most mainline air carriers is greater than the combined ages of those flying at regional air carriers. US 1549 piloted by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger that ditched into the Hudson River had a much different outcome than did Continental 3407, where it would appear that pilot error might be to blame.
Experienced airline crews don't get paid because of the days when it's sunny and everything is going well. We get paid to ensure everyone entrusted to our care during flight goes home alive at the end of the day, regardless of the circumstances.
As a furloughed airline pilot from Midwest Airlines with nearly 25 years and 15,000 hours of flying experience, I expect history to repeat itself until the traveling public stops falling for the bait-and-switch tactics the airline industry employs in the name of cost savings.
Capt. Scott B. Kaley
Hilton Head, S.C.
Lessons to be learned about flying experience
An examination of recent events in the aviation industry begs the question "why?" Let's examine the two most recent airline disasters that had entirely different outcomes, US1549 and CO3407. It might be a prudent consideration before the Milwaukee traveling public books its next airline ticket.
One of the nasty little secrets that the airline companies don't want the traveling public to know is that although the ticket was sold as a Continental Airlines flight, the actual company doing the flying was Colgan Airways of Manassas, Va. Airline companies really hate paying experienced airline pilot salaries and would rather subcontract flying out to the lowest bidder - as opposed to paying their own employees - as a cost-savings measure.
Of course, the results are quite predictable when the combined flying experience aboard most mainline air carriers is greater than the combined ages of those flying at regional air carriers. US 1549 piloted by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger that ditched into the Hudson River had a much different outcome than did Continental 3407, where it would appear that pilot error might be to blame.
Experienced airline crews don't get paid because of the days when it's sunny and everything is going well. We get paid to ensure everyone entrusted to our care during flight goes home alive at the end of the day, regardless of the circumstances.
As a furloughed airline pilot from Midwest Airlines with nearly 25 years and 15,000 hours of flying experience, I expect history to repeat itself until the traveling public stops falling for the bait-and-switch tactics the airline industry employs in the name of cost savings.
Capt. Scott B. Kaley
Hilton Head, S.C.
02-24-2009, 04:36 PM
#2
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I understand Capt. Kaley's frustrations and anger for having his job outsourced to "lesser" pilots like us... but he conveniently forgets that the worst accident this industry ever had was caused by a VERY experienced pilot... Anyone forgot Tenerife? And how about all the other accidents that the Majors had in the past?
Being angry for losing your job due to the cutthroat nature of the industry nowadays is one thing... but generalizing as he did, and in the wake of what happened to Colgan, i would say shame on him.
Being angry for losing your job due to the cutthroat nature of the industry nowadays is one thing... but generalizing as he did, and in the wake of what happened to Colgan, i would say shame on him.
02-24-2009, 04:46 PM
#3
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This article only goes to show the further dividing of our profession among our ranks. These two situations are vastly different and cannot be compared to draw a conclusion on who was inept and who was properly experience. Both crews rolled the dice, one set came out on top, the other didn't. The real question you should ask yourself is in both instances would you have the experience or the knowledge to avoid or deal with these situations.
02-24-2009, 04:48 PM
#4
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How about this one then:
Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 a Douglas DC-9-14 crashed just after takeoff on September 6, 1985 from General Mitchell Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, en route to Hartsfield International in Atlanta. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and the post-crash fire. The pilot, the first officer, both flight attendants, and all 27 passengers were fatally injured.
The Safety Board evaluated the performance characteristics of the DC-9-14 airplane following an abrupt loss of power from the right engine in the takeoff phase of flight and found the airplane to be docile, easily controllable, and requiring no unusual pilot skills or strength. Therefore, the Safety Board examined those factors which might have caused the pilots to lose control, including the possibility that fragments of the right engine separated with sufficient energy and trajectory to cause critical damage to the airplane's flight control system; the possibility of control system malfunction, which could have rendered the airplane uncontrollable; and the possibility of inappropriate flightcrew response to the emergency.
The cause was determined to be a pilot error in handling the aircraft after the right engine suffered a catastrophic failure. The introduction of incorrect rudder pedal forces about 4 to 5 seconds after the right engine failure, followed by aft control column forces, allowed the airplane to stall at a high airspeed, which led to loss of control of the aircraft and its subsequent crash.
Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 a Douglas DC-9-14 crashed just after takeoff on September 6, 1985 from General Mitchell Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, en route to Hartsfield International in Atlanta. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and the post-crash fire. The pilot, the first officer, both flight attendants, and all 27 passengers were fatally injured.
The Safety Board evaluated the performance characteristics of the DC-9-14 airplane following an abrupt loss of power from the right engine in the takeoff phase of flight and found the airplane to be docile, easily controllable, and requiring no unusual pilot skills or strength. Therefore, the Safety Board examined those factors which might have caused the pilots to lose control, including the possibility that fragments of the right engine separated with sufficient energy and trajectory to cause critical damage to the airplane's flight control system; the possibility of control system malfunction, which could have rendered the airplane uncontrollable; and the possibility of inappropriate flightcrew response to the emergency.
The cause was determined to be a pilot error in handling the aircraft after the right engine suffered a catastrophic failure. The introduction of incorrect rudder pedal forces about 4 to 5 seconds after the right engine failure, followed by aft control column forces, allowed the airplane to stall at a high airspeed, which led to loss of control of the aircraft and its subsequent crash.
02-24-2009, 04:55 PM
#5
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How about this one then:
Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 a Douglas DC-9-14 crashed just after takeoff on September 6, 1985 from General Mitchell Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, en route to Hartsfield International in Atlanta. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and the post-crash fire. The pilot, the first officer, both flight attendants, and all 27 passengers were fatally injured.
The Safety Board evaluated the performance characteristics of the DC-9-14 airplane following an abrupt loss of power from the right engine in the takeoff phase of flight and found the airplane to be docile, easily controllable, and requiring no unusual pilot skills or strength. Therefore, the Safety Board examined those factors which might have caused the pilots to lose control, including the possibility that fragments of the right engine separated with sufficient energy and trajectory to cause critical damage to the airplane's flight control system; the possibility of control system malfunction, which could have rendered the airplane uncontrollable; and the possibility of inappropriate flightcrew response to the emergency.
The cause was determined to be a pilot error in handling the aircraft after the right engine suffered a catastrophic failure. The introduction of incorrect rudder pedal forces about 4 to 5 seconds after the right engine failure, followed by aft control column forces, allowed the airplane to stall at a high airspeed, which led to loss of control of the aircraft and its subsequent crash.
Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 a Douglas DC-9-14 crashed just after takeoff on September 6, 1985 from General Mitchell Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, en route to Hartsfield International in Atlanta. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and the post-crash fire. The pilot, the first officer, both flight attendants, and all 27 passengers were fatally injured.
The Safety Board evaluated the performance characteristics of the DC-9-14 airplane following an abrupt loss of power from the right engine in the takeoff phase of flight and found the airplane to be docile, easily controllable, and requiring no unusual pilot skills or strength. Therefore, the Safety Board examined those factors which might have caused the pilots to lose control, including the possibility that fragments of the right engine separated with sufficient energy and trajectory to cause critical damage to the airplane's flight control system; the possibility of control system malfunction, which could have rendered the airplane uncontrollable; and the possibility of inappropriate flightcrew response to the emergency.
The cause was determined to be a pilot error in handling the aircraft after the right engine suffered a catastrophic failure. The introduction of incorrect rudder pedal forces about 4 to 5 seconds after the right engine failure, followed by aft control column forces, allowed the airplane to stall at a high airspeed, which led to loss of control of the aircraft and its subsequent crash.
02-24-2009, 05:02 PM
#6
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Joined APC: Oct 2008
Posts: 195
I understand Capt. Kaley's frustrations and anger for having his job outsourced to "lesser" pilots like us... but he conveniently forgets that the worst accident this industry ever had was caused by a VERY experienced pilot... Anyone forgot Tenerife? And how about all the other accidents that the Majors had in the past?
Being angry for losing your job due to the cutthroat nature of the industry nowadays is one thing... but generalizing as he did, and in the wake of what happened to Colgan, i would say shame on him.
Being angry for losing your job due to the cutthroat nature of the industry nowadays is one thing... but generalizing as he did, and in the wake of what happened to Colgan, i would say shame on him.
02-24-2009, 05:38 PM
#8
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Joined APC: Feb 2009
Posts: 276
I might get a lot of flak for this, but to Captain Kaley, as well as many other pilots out there, myself a former RAH pilot, did you all feel as competent and qualified at upgrade as you may have wished you could? I am not disrespecting ANYONE out there. I have been flying for 36 years, and everytime I moved up, I wondered if I was as good as they thought I was. God speed and safe flights to ALL!
02-24-2009, 05:44 PM
#9
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Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 888
I've always had this idea for a game... it's called jump to conclusions.... you'd have like a mat with conclusions printed on it... and you'd jump to them.....
02-24-2009, 06:14 PM
#10
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Position: Any port in the storm
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