shdw,

I actually trained with an Aussie for my ATP and noticed that his flight discipline was impeccable. So much so that he felt very uncomfortable with anything out of the ordinary. Although he was just a very small example of Aussie pilots, it was still obvious that the flight culture was very different than it is in the US. We actually talked about it for a while and it seemed to be kind of like the difference in philosophy between Airbus and Boeing. It seemed (correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems consistent with the emphasis that you put on FD) that the Aussie thinking was, if we plan for everything and do everything by the book, the decisions will already be made for us. This seems more consistent with FD, enhanced procedures, memory items, checklists, etc.

It also seems that US mentality of safety starts with planning, but really finds its bread and butter in decision making, CRM, etc. I would guess that this is because most all accidents are caused by an error chain put in place by pilots. The philosophy here seems to be, instead of taking the decision out of the pilots hands, lets make the pilot better at making the decisions (through CRM, ADM, LOFT, and other training events). Who knows if the attitude that not everything can be planned for or general American cowboy attitude comes into this at all.

What do you think?