Originally Posted by NuGuy

#2 You're kidding, right? Go around because the CA has to move the flap lever? SOPA/SMAC said that this is the way to do it almost all of the time. But go around because you can't do it exactly this way is absurd. Deviations were fine, but they should be the exception, and it was the nature of that you had to MAKE an exception to draw your attention to why you had to make it.

But consider what you are saying. If the other seat is so TOTALLY swamped that if he or she can't reach over and move the flaps a notch, and it's to the point in the approach where if he doesn't do it RIGHT then it creates a problem, then there are CRM issues going on, and you might want to consider the state of the crew and airplane.

I mean coordinating with the FAs when you are in the pattern? Is it something that important that it can't wait until you get on the ground? Don't you think that stuff is better handled after landing or before you decend below 10k? THIS is exactly the kinds of error that SOPA/SMAC was designed to trap.

This is what made SOPA/SMAC such an inherently strong error trap. If the PM DID have to reach over and move the the flaps, that was a big red flag that the guy in other seat is overloaded and that you'd better look around and do a quick assessment.

Sounds like you're getting your info from a guy who never flew under it. Next time you fly with a north guy, ask him what HE thought about it.

Nu