Most of the industry response to the "Shock, Horror, Something must be done" media outcry in the wake of the Germanwings tragedy has been measured and low key.
If all the demands for the grounding of all pilots feeling a bit depressed or with girlfriend, boyfriend, partner, spouse, former spouse, children, bank manager etc problems were met, the skies might go a bit quiet. As in all walks of life most cope with these things in their own ways and the threat of grounding would only make the pressures worse.
The downside from the post 9/11 locking of cockpit doors was always going to be that at some time in the future there would be an event inside the cockpit about which those outside could do nothing. That has now happened certainly once and maybe several times. Unexpectedly, none of the events has been terrorism related.
The lesson learned in many industries is that when one possibility of failure is excluded the risk flows round it to the next point of weakness, often created by the solution to the first. In the flight crew case if a cabin crew member replaces an absent pilot,who is going to check out that person for their babysitting role ? How and how often? If it's a predictable person- eg the Purser,-then all Pursers will have to be checked out too. If it's a random person, huge numbers of cabin crew would need to be vetted and trained in what to do in an emergency.When the problem arises it won't be a case of sitting looking out of the window. They will need to know how to and be able to act swiftly and decisively and before they too are at best neutralised.
Calls for ground control to replace pilot control in drone style raise the risk of unfriendly takeover. The technology is there but so are the concerns. A transfer of control in the event of an onboard fire or incapacitation is already possible but the safeguards against the aircraft being hijacked via misuse of the same system are unresolved and no easy answer is in sight.
The BA response that it will not comment on its response to the Germanwings crash is the best one and a model for all others. Answers which are thoughtfully and thoroughly considered and assessed are the best. Kneejerks may keep the press away for a while but are not recommended.
If all the demands for the grounding of all pilots feeling a bit depressed or with girlfriend, boyfriend, partner, spouse, former spouse, children, bank manager etc problems were met, the skies might go a bit quiet. As in all walks of life most cope with these things in their own ways and the threat of grounding would only make the pressures worse.
The downside from the post 9/11 locking of cockpit doors was always going to be that at some time in the future there would be an event inside the cockpit about which those outside could do nothing. That has now happened certainly once and maybe several times. Unexpectedly, none of the events has been terrorism related.
The lesson learned in many industries is that when one possibility of failure is excluded the risk flows round it to the next point of weakness, often created by the solution to the first. In the flight crew case if a cabin crew member replaces an absent pilot,who is going to check out that person for their babysitting role ? How and how often? If it's a predictable person- eg the Purser,-then all Pursers will have to be checked out too. If it's a random person, huge numbers of cabin crew would need to be vetted and trained in what to do in an emergency.When the problem arises it won't be a case of sitting looking out of the window. They will need to know how to and be able to act swiftly and decisively and before they too are at best neutralised.
Calls for ground control to replace pilot control in drone style raise the risk of unfriendly takeover. The technology is there but so are the concerns. A transfer of control in the event of an onboard fire or incapacitation is already possible but the safeguards against the aircraft being hijacked via misuse of the same system are unresolved and no easy answer is in sight.
The BA response that it will not comment on its response to the Germanwings crash is the best one and a model for all others. Answers which are thoughtfully and thoroughly considered and assessed are the best. Kneejerks may keep the press away for a while but are not recommended.
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