TC C-550

[Old fella]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2 ... alcomments


CBC make this out to be a big investigative scoop, when in fact these 550s have been around since 1994.

[Colonel Sanders]

Some (ok, not all, but some) TC Inspectors need flight time
in order to stay proficient and current and knowledgeable
about the industry that they are supposedly regulating.

I'm not sure why this is so hard for people to understand.

[Old fella]

The procurement position at the time(1992) was that us TC types need to get with the latest jet equipment combined with glass and FMS. There is a valid arguement for this and TC Aircraft Services got the CAE Phase D sim(1995) so the training was very good as was the groundschool. I was one of the first that went through the TC groundschool and sim as the previously group went to FlightSafety for sim training........

It(C550) was an expensive project for TC and it was suggested at the time a fleet of BE300 would be better suited, lots of debate and still ongoing by sounds of it..............

[Beefitarian]

You have to figure there's people out there thinking transport guys are flying empty airliners around and taking their buddies out for trips to cancun etc.

[Colonel Sanders]

If they only knew what my father and his buddies used to do in the RCAF ...

Sometime I must tell you the story of the Great Winnipeg Shark Scare.

[A Regulator]

If they only knew what my father and his buddies used to do in the RCAF ...

Sometime I must tell you the story of the Great Winnipeg Shark Scare.

Wouldn't be the time they dropped the fridges out of the herc when someone gave the code word that customs was going to meet the aircraft only to find out someone was joking?

[Prairie Chicken]

You have to figure there's people out there thinking transport guys are flying empty airliners around and taking their buddies out for trips to cancun etc.

That's the impression people would get reading Greg Weston's article. A couple of years ago Tom Clark got this same bee in his bonnet on CTV's Power Play.

Maybe someone should set this guy straight. There is an issue here, but Weston is barking up the wrong tree.

[Check Pilot]

That Weston guy is seriously biased and sure does not know the true story. We used the 550's probably 95% of the time for operational inspection and trying to remain current. Most of the time the Inspectors were expected to remain current on type when allocated 48 hours of flying time per year.
That's not much, but years of experience were there before joining the Department saved my hind end more than a few times. We also had (have) an excellent training program in Ottawa with the good old 4 day recurrent course jammed into 2 weeks every year.

[jeta1]

.

[Big Pistons Forever]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2 ... alcomments


CBC make this out to be a big investigative scoop, when in fact these 550s have been around since 1994.

I think this is the first time I have seen anybody use the words "sleek" and "luxury jet" when talking about an old straight wing Citation

[tired of the ground]

So why do we need to have current and qualified inspectors? What part of the job could not be done equally well by someone with lots of industry experience, but has lost their medical?

[Prairie Chicken]

tired, that's a loaded question and one that many inspectors argue over as well. While I believe many inspector positions could be effectively filled by non-current pilots in the short term, there are many draw-backs over the longer term. Would you really like to be checked by a pilot who has never flown a glass cockpit, or who hasn't kept up with the many technological advances now changing aviation?

Of course, you wouldn't have to pay these ex-pilots too much and that would save $, and no need to operate a fleet of a/c so that would save mega-bucks. Come to think of it, maybe just hire some new commmercial pilots. They would understand some of the lingo and you wouldn't need to pay them much at all! I'm sure they could monitor the SMS program adequately.

Well, you see where I'm going. Keeping inspectors current is VERY expensive but TC made the decision some time ago that it was necessary. Now they're making some changes by introducing the Alternate Professional Currency Program which will revolve currency among the inspector ranks. I have no doubt this is intended to keep costs down and improve the currency of those who are flying.

[2.5milefinal]

What do they do in other country's like Britain or France ?

[rigpiggy]

Didn't they just take omega off the exam. Seriously though TC's bureaucratic inertia sucks wind

[Sasquash]

Tired

There were several positions in TC that were occupied by non pilots. Specifically, an aviation enforcement superintendent in the Prairies Region, a manager of Civil Aviation Contingency Operations in Ottawa, and a superintendent of Aerodrome.

This was such a problem that in 2007, the Canadian Federal Pilot association (CFPA) filed a grievance with the Public Service Labor Relations Act. (reference: http://www.cfpa-apfc.ca/eng/docs/PSLRB_ ... 2008_e.pdf). The grievance was ruled in favour of the CFPA.

One of the examples at this hearing was a witness who testified about a decision by a TC enforcement manager to sanction a young pilot on one of his first IFR revenue paying flight. The pilot was given an IFR clearance to maintain an altitude to a fix and then start the arrival procedure to his destination. The pilot descended prior to the fix (in IMC) and was in conflict with traffic at lower altitude, luckily without incident in that regard.

The pilot inspector, who conducted the investigation, recognized that while there was a violation, the problem was the young pilot did not fully understand the IFR procedures due to his lack of experience and therefore recommended the pilot be given further training. (See?, sometime enforcement inspector do try to be nice about it!)

The non pilot manager disagreed with the investigator and confirmed the violation and issued the fine. The point at the hearing was that aviation safety was certainly not met in this case because the non pilot manager did not fully understand the implication of his decision on aviation safety

As for currency on actual aircraft, the comments made so far were quite right, since most flight crews in the industry would rather be inspected, or audited by their peers, rather than by a non pilot ticking boxes on a form.

[Old fella]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2 ... alcomments


CBC make this out to be a big investigative scoop, when in fact these 550s have been around since 1994.

I think this is the first time I have seen anybody use the words "sleek" and "luxury jet" when talking about an old straight wing Citation

TAS 360kts with boots.........

[jeta1]

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[Sasquash]

2.5milefinal

not sure about Europe, but the FAA had, a few years ago anyway, a King Air 90 they were bouncing around the country from region to region. The FAA inspectors relied mostly on local aircraft rental and had a budget accordingly. I'll drop a post on PPRUNE and see what they come back with...