Originally Posted by BEEFF

Ask the FO in my Avatar... She had a whopping 300hrsTT before she took the reigns of an A320. She failed miserably at attempting a basic flying technique. Watch the video. She had been flying for Lufthansa for a year. She was just learning to walk, then a computer and a CA started doing the running for her. Push came to shove and a skill that was barely mastered in 300 hours quickly faded behind the automation she operated everyday.

The foundation of her flying abilities was just setting then an A320 was placed on top. The structure looked fantastic... till... the foundation cracked badly.

The CA made a very poor choice of not attempting the much more favorable runway, let alone letting her attempt a x-wind landing at the A/C's limit, let alone failing to call for a go around earlier in the debacle. Since she's low time and never been exposed to her limits she didn't even have enough experience to make the judgments that the CA should've made. Since the CA failed, and the automation can't help; a very weak pilot, who never had time to truly master the basics, almost drove it into the ground.

Instructing and additional flying b/n being a student and becoming an FO would've created a much stronger flying foundation, thus avoiding a near disaster.

It's not only the lack of technique, it's the lack of overall experience that lead to a decision to even attempt such a landing when it was completely avoidable in the first place.

BTW, they are hailed as being hero's over there. They posed for pictures and everything.

Originally Posted by SkyHigh

It seems to me that the job description for a First Officer is to serve as apprentice to a captain. The FO is there to learn and build experience while under the eye of the more experienced pilot. The origional intent was not to have two captain qualified and experienced pilots up front.

SkyHigh

Originally Posted by BEEFF

Ask the FO in my Avatar... She had a whopping 300hrsTT before she took the reigns of an A320. She failed miserably at attempting a basic flying technique. Watch the video. She had been flying for Lufthansa for a year. She was just learning to walk,

Originally Posted by 577nitro

Yikes! Wheres the video?

Originally Posted by BEEFF

It's not only the poor execution of the technique that's scary, it's the lack of overall experience that lead to a decision to even attempt such a landing when it was completely avoidable in the first place.

BTW, they are hailed as being hero's over there. They posed for pictures and everything.

Originally Posted by FlyJSH

ap·pren·tice (ə-prĕn'tĭs)
n.
One bound by legal agreement to work for another for a specific amount of time in return for instruction in a trade, art, or business.
One who is learning a trade or occupation, especially as a member of a labor union.
A beginner; a learner

okay, an FO is an apprentice captain. But he/she is also an FO: a required crew member whose responsibilities include assisting in decision making and challenging a captain's mistake. For example, the release comes with poor weather at the destination and no alternate. The captain is busy trying to clear an mel as the pax are boarding. A decent FO could call the captain's attention to the need for an alternate. A good FO will say, "we need an alternate and it looks like XXX will work." A bad, or ill prepared, FO can't help to check the legality of the release (he/she might not even think to look at the release).

Originally Posted by BEEFF

Since she's low time and never been exposed to her limits (and never even been given a chance to explore them) she didn't even have enough experience to make the judgments that the CA should've. Since the CA failed, and the automation can't help; a very weak pilot, who never had time to truly master the basics, almost drove it into the ground.