Originally Posted by
sinca3
Any of you FNWA calling the CPO or speaking to the chiefs, or calling flight training etc. about these short comings in the new procedures? I agree the -9's are much more pilot intensive...higher work load...and could use the 2nd release. I would be all over calling the head of the program to get something changed for the better ASAP.
As for the rest of the FNWA fleet, I have no idea what is needed especially for a 9+ hr international flight! Keenster you make a valid argument about your specific a/c why not call those that have the power to change it. Cheers
Hi Cinca3,
Yes. I flew only one leg yesterday using the AWABS, and I did de-brief the CP. He was (painfully) aware of the "growing pains" associated with the initiation of this new way of doing business. This is waaay harder than it needs to be. My favorite line in the entire LMS study was with respect to how we used to keep track of the fuel score right on the flight plan, down to the minute and pound, by each way point. The narrator said that "Delta doesn't use this method, but instead relies on the highly automated features of the aircraft to keep track of fuel remaining", or words to that effect. Remember, this is the DC-9 fleet we're talking about. It would have been laughable, if the whole thing weren't so....(insert your own adjective here). In concept, I'm in complete agreement with the obvious. We all need to be "doing business the same way" in the cockpit. But this last change we initiated on Sunday (number 6) is so painful, and downright regressive, that it is pathetic to watch. There are at least a dozen ways to screw this up, and when the glass cockpit guys come onboard with this, you'll see what we're all griping about. I truly hope we can do better than this. And it does not have to be worldflight MGL, but there has got to be a better way to skin this cat...or we may see some of our Buds get scratched.
Fraternally,
Chuck
MEM DC-9/A