Originally Posted by Airhoss

As has been pointed out just becuase it's MEL-able doesn't mean it's safe. That's why a Captain makes the big bucks for his decision making ability and system awareness and knowledge. A low rent company man who blindly follows management directive with no concerns other than getting a flight out on time is a captain in name only.

Flew DC-8's all over the world including deepest darkest Africa in the middle of some very unpleasant little bush wars with no APU. Flew deep into the polar regions landing on sea ice hundreds of miles from land with no APU. Flew single pilot all over Mexico and Central America with no APU. All in turbine airplanes. Those were different circumstances and a different kind of operation. There are times that I'll take an airplane no APU but I won't take a 757 ETOPS or in low vis conditions without one and I might not take one depending on what else is wrong, it ain't about the size of your balls Skippy. It's about making the safest decision for the current circumstance. I guess you didn't know that?

A captain who disregards his crew and takes an airplane with complete disregard for the concerns of his F/O is a complete CRM nightmare and an accident waiting to happen. Of course I've heard that the culture over there is pretty much stuck in the 1960's regarding crew resource management, captain is king and all that stuff...

Of course we don't know the whole story on what the circumstances were. We are only getting the parts that make it juicy for retelling.