Not looking Good..oppose S. 3048
03-04-2010 | 07:47 AM
#21
ULTP-Ultra Low Tier Pilot
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,228
Likes: 0
I sent my letters off.
You all might wight to double check on who they have as your U.S. Representative is. Mine was wrong so I had to find the correct one. Sending a letter to the wrong US Rep is like sending the letter to my Grandma, it would be received but not taken seriously.
Are any of the other airline unions doing anything about this?
If they are not doing anything now is the time to write your union and tell them do actually earn their dues.
You all might wight to double check on who they have as your U.S. Representative is. Mine was wrong so I had to find the correct one. Sending a letter to the wrong US Rep is like sending the letter to my Grandma, it would be received but not taken seriously.
Are any of the other airline unions doing anything about this?
If they are not doing anything now is the time to write your union and tell them do actually earn their dues.
03-04-2010 | 08:07 AM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Left
As a professional air line pilot, your constituent, and a member of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), I urge you to oppose S. 3048, a bill by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) to mandate the use of cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) information for discipline, rather than its intended use for safety investigation.
This bill seeks to use CVR and FDR information to punish individual pilots, rather than to promote and support the proactive safety culture that our industry needs to protect passengers, crews, and cargo. This bill will threaten aviation safety, compromise the accident investigation process, and squander financial resources that could make established and proven aviation safety programs even more effective.
Every airline flight is unique due to weather, equipment, distance and other operational factors. Pilots are expected to work as a team, communicate effectively, and supplement one another’s skills and experience to continuously evaluate and adapt to the changing operational environment of each individual flight. The chilling effect of having conversations and flight data monitored and evaluated out of context for possible disciplinary action by corporate managers who may have motivations other than safety would be substantial.
Pilot performance is currently monitored randomly through the Line Oriented Safety Audit (LOSA) program which uses trained observers in the cockpit. As a commercial pilot, I must also pass at least two annual check rides. Existing safety programs such as LOSA, Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP) are voluntary, nonpunitive initiatives that use data and pilot reports to detect safety issues. These programs are critical to aviation safety and misusing recorder data will jeopardize these proven programs.
I urge you to oppose S. 3048 and any legislative attempts to use CVRs and FDRs for anything other than their intended safety investigative purposes.
This bill seeks to use CVR and FDR information to punish individual pilots, rather than to promote and support the proactive safety culture that our industry needs to protect passengers, crews, and cargo. This bill will threaten aviation safety, compromise the accident investigation process, and squander financial resources that could make established and proven aviation safety programs even more effective.
Every airline flight is unique due to weather, equipment, distance and other operational factors. Pilots are expected to work as a team, communicate effectively, and supplement one another’s skills and experience to continuously evaluate and adapt to the changing operational environment of each individual flight. The chilling effect of having conversations and flight data monitored and evaluated out of context for possible disciplinary action by corporate managers who may have motivations other than safety would be substantial.
Pilot performance is currently monitored randomly through the Line Oriented Safety Audit (LOSA) program which uses trained observers in the cockpit. As a commercial pilot, I must also pass at least two annual check rides. Existing safety programs such as LOSA, Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP) are voluntary, nonpunitive initiatives that use data and pilot reports to detect safety issues. These programs are critical to aviation safety and misusing recorder data will jeopardize these proven programs.
I urge you to oppose S. 3048 and any legislative attempts to use CVRs and FDRs for anything other than their intended safety investigative purposes.
This is a very weak response at best to this major issue. The only thing that appears to adequately address the point is:
"The chilling effect of having conversations and flight data monitored and evaluated out of context for possible disciplinary action by corporate managers who may have motivations other than safety would be substantial."
Other statements are ill-contrived and whiney. If I was a know-nothing senator who thinks the media covers aviation well - HA. I would be saying to myself - "well the current system doesn't work, so let's try this!"
We need a better template! Let's spend some time developing something worth-while and better thought out.
03-04-2010 | 08:13 AM
#23
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 406
Likes: 0
From: back in the right
Remember who we are dealing with. These Senators and Congressmen have huge Ego's. Bigger than most Airline CEO's. I think the tone is humble enough that when it is read, the reader doesn't feel intimidated by the content and put up guards. Instead there is enough there that they may use in a committie debate and make it sound like their own original thought.
03-04-2010 | 10:52 AM
#24
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,183
Likes: 0
From: 777, sofa
Find Your Senator
The full text of the bill is here:
S. 3048: A bill to improve air safety by authorizing the limited use by air carriers of information... (GovTrack.us) (Limited use my ***. Limited to using it against pilots.)
You can find your Senator here:
U.S. Senate: Senators Home
Many have web forms where you can express your opposition to S.3048, instead of using regular e-mail.
Might also be a good idea to also contact the Committee Chair John Rockefeller Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and ranking Republican Kay Baily Hutchison United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
S. 3048: A bill to improve air safety by authorizing the limited use by air carriers of information... (GovTrack.us) (Limited use my ***. Limited to using it against pilots.)
You can find your Senator here:
U.S. Senate: Senators Home
Many have web forms where you can express your opposition to S.3048, instead of using regular e-mail.
Might also be a good idea to also contact the Committee Chair John Rockefeller Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and ranking Republican Kay Baily Hutchison United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
03-04-2010 | 02:40 PM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,111
Likes: 0
From: MD80
03-04-2010 | 06:44 PM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 937
Likes: 0
From: 747 FO
This is a very weak response at best to this major issue. The only thing that appears to adequately address the point is:
"The chilling effect of having conversations and flight data monitored and evaluated out of context for possible disciplinary action by corporate managers who may have motivations other than safety would be substantial."
Other statements are ill-contrived and whiney. If I was a know-nothing senator who thinks the media covers aviation well - HA. I would be saying to myself - "well the current system doesn't work, so let's try this!"
We need a better template! Let's spend some time developing something worth-while and better thought out.
"The chilling effect of having conversations and flight data monitored and evaluated out of context for possible disciplinary action by corporate managers who may have motivations other than safety would be substantial."
Other statements are ill-contrived and whiney. If I was a know-nothing senator who thinks the media covers aviation well - HA. I would be saying to myself - "well the current system doesn't work, so let's try this!"
We need a better template! Let's spend some time developing something worth-while and better thought out.
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