sourdough44

How do you force a crew to leave their home on a day off, in the dead of winter to ferry a plane to somewhere that’s 30 below?[/QUOTE]


Years ago I got a 1:00 A.M call to ask if I could swing a 4:00 A.M. departure to bring a plane to a divert in South America. I don’t think I was even on reserve, if so outside any call window. Being the gung-ho guy I am, I said yes.

We flew down, layed over, then flew the divert plane out the next day. It was a bit ripe from sitting in the sun, fully catered, power off. It did teach me to ask about plastic in the ovens when they call up from the back smelling ‘smoke’ or fire.

BMEP100

Apparently it did. I have it on good authority the rescue delay was staffing.

Btw, the contract does not allow for 500% premium pay. Maybe it should.

Toddnel

Medlink decides you divert, it’s tough to not divert.

SUX4U

My good authority (Crew Companion) shows opening pairings began around 3:50am on the 20th and the relief flight left at 8am.

sourdough44

Let this run through your head before that ‘medical’ divert to an out of the way Station. Of course, sometimes you do what you have to do, or lean towards Medlink directed.

No I wasn’t there, no input on this event.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa6c3OTr6yA

APC225

But we choose where.

sailingfun

Medlink offers advice, The captain and dispatch decide if a divert is needed and to what city.

BMEP100

Any and everyone involved that counseled a divert to Goose needs serious re-training. That place is nothing. It is a military outpost airfield. The town has 8000 people. There is no hospital. There’s no bevy of services standing by to service and repair airlines as it is in Gander. Med link doctors are not responsible for the security and well being of our plane and crew. Let them stick to their Bonanza’s

Just two weeks ago, a 777 captain with a medical emergency over flew a medlink advised landing and continued to destination based on what he personally saw in the cabin and the advice of on board medical people. It worked out fine. Fsap filed, all is well and no news coverage.

The Canadian Border services state online, that they will only provide services to aircraft with 15 or less passengers at Goose.

I don’t think a lot of people understand what a threat putting a 300 passenger airliner into a remote location at 30 below. So many things can easily go wrong and often do at those temps. With a 5mph wind, skin gets frost bit in about five minutes.

This was a major F/U. You’d think our Fltops and Dispatch would have learned a lesson from three years ago when we did it. We got such a black eye from that.

We are not flying freight. It wasn’t on fire or out of fuel. The comfort and security of all our passengers on the ground, needs better consideration than our divert planning policy seems to allow.

Hopefully this will serve as a “teachable moment” this time and flight ops will use that mountain of memo’s, briefings, bulletins, etc to get the word out.

JoePatroni

That is not correct, there is a hospital five miles from the airport. Wouldn't be my first choice but there is medical care available.

sailingfun

To the Captains credit he was honest with the passengers and tried everything to get the company to launch a rescue effort.

“”The flight crew was great and did the best they could, but you know it’s bad when the Captain starts telling passengers the email Oscar Munoz and post to social media in a bid to actually get some sort of rescue plan in motion. He had more faith in a viral campaign than he did in the company he represents..””