Sunwing captain passed out drunk in cockpit

[Spaceshuttle]

Because that question will prevent pilot from drinking and flying. Didn't that happen to some
AT pilots somewhat recently? I guess our canadian way of detecting alcoholism didn't work that time... but it would work on this guy...


Give you head a shake!


Where did I mention prevention???

[altiplano]

Garneau has written a letter to all Canadian air carriers to impose measures in response to this incident by February 15th.

Fucking Europeans - first I can't go take a piss on my own, now we'll be getting random breathalysed at work. What a fucking joke.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

deleted

[Gilles Hudicourt]

Marc Garneau lettter

[Eric Janson]

Garneau has written a letter to all Canadian air carriers to impose measures in response to this incident by February 15th.

Fucking Europeans - first I can't go take a piss on my own, now we'll be getting random breathalysed at work. What a fucking joke.

Be thankful this is all you have to do.

My company has introduced mandatory psychological testing - just did it 2 months ago. EASA is going to make this mandatory as a result of the Germanwings 9525 crash.

It's pass/fail.

[Rockie]

Garneau has written a letter to all Canadian air carriers to impose measures in response to this incident by February 15th.

Fucking Europeans - first I can't go take a piss on my own, now we'll be getting random breathalysed at work. What a fucking joke.

Be thankful this is all you have to do.

My company has introduced mandatory psychological testing - just did it 2 months ago. EASA is going to make this mandatory as a result of the Germanwings 9525 crash.

It's pass/fail.

That ends in May. In lieu of that we are now asked if we're "feeling ok" once a year at our medical.

[newcomer]

Fucking Europeans - first I can't go take a piss on my own, now we'll be getting random breathalysed at work. What a fucking joke.

It has nothing to do with being European. If I remember correctly 2 Air Transat pilots were arrested and jailed a few months ago for the same reason...
It's an industry wide issue, because some pilots cannot take their responsibilities and act like the professionals they should be.

[Maxpwr]

Yes it has to do with being a f---ing moron! Where they're from is irrelevant.

[a380super]

"" Fucking Europeans - first I can't go take a piss on my own, now we'll be getting random breathalysed at work. What a fucking joke."

Woow..what a level of arrogance Altiplano...Time to step down from your pedestal !

[justwork]

You are using this incident to further your cause so you implicitly advance that this incident, therefore travel safety, is compromised by TFW and the FLVC process, so I repeat my question: in this case, would a full up licence conversion prevented this issue? If no, then you have no buisness bashing TFW in this thread.

I think it definitely would have. Because a full license conversion takes time and money, and would likely be less efficient compared hiring a Canadian for the job. Now, I am not saying that Canadian pilots are safer than a pilot from anywhere else, and I'm not saying that Canadian pilots don't drink, as this is obviously not the case. Your question asks "in this case" and in this case this pilot would have likely never set foot in Canada if a full license conversion was mandatory.

I work overseas, and it took my airline 6 months to convert my license. It required a written exam, medical, and PPC, the long part was the processing time.

[AuxBatOn]

I am talking about differences in process. Not how long it takes to get a full conversion. The FLVC process in itself does not compromise safety when compared to a full conversion.

And you do not know that this pilot would have never set foot in Canada so let's not speculate.

[Ypilot]

I am talking about differences in process. Not how long it takes to get a full conversion. The FLVC process in itself does not compromise safety when compared to a full conversion.

And you do not know that this pilot would have never set foot in Canada so let's not speculate.

According to this news report, the FLVC validation process could compromise safety.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/s ... -1.3923781

"Transport Canada specifically directs staff to not check medicals and licences unless they have a concern," said Greg McConnell with the Canadian Federal Pilots Association, who says it shouldn't be left to airline operators to validate such important information.

"It used to be common place where licensing inspectors would check this," he said. "I'd think they would want to check to make sure licences are valid and that these people were capable of doing the work they were about to do."

McConnell says Transport Canada would also be able to work more closely with foreign aviation authorities when needed.

"How would an airline operator be able to determine whether there are any concerns with respect to the pilots and would the foreign authority provide that information to an airline operator? I don't think they would, but I think they would provide it to Transport Canada if Transport Canada asked the question," he said.

[justwork]

I am talking about differences in process. Not how long it takes to get a full conversion. The FLVC process in itself does not compromise safety when compared to a full conversion.

And you do not know that this pilot would have never set foot in Canada so let's not speculate.

But you're speculating. I'm just speculating too, if the process took 6-8 months the likely hood of foreign pilots coming over seasonally would probably be lower. Now a Canadian pilot with a drinking problem could do the exact same thing, and has.

[AuxBatOn]

Because a news article says it compromises safety (and the interviewee is heavily biased to say so), it means it does?

I think the process as-is is okay. What incentive does a company have to let someone they think is not fit to fly operate their aircraft? What would our medical process add? It's a questionnaire, some blood work, an ECG, a summary eye exam and hearing test. Unless the guys has diabetes or some major heart problems (which would likely be detected on any aviation medical, regardless of country), the Canadian medical will not screen anything different.

justwork: how am I speculating? I am comparing processes. Not pretending something happened that I don't know for sure.

[justwork]

justwork: how am I speculating? I am comparing processes. Not pretending something happened that I don't know for sure.

I don't know. I guess in my mind I figure if it cost the same and took as long to bring someone from another country to work for you then it would make sense to hire a Canadian pilot and bond them, and if it were a Canadian pilot crewed on that flight the Slovakian fella would have been drinking Slivovica back home. Either way I don't really care, I'm going back to Kijiji to look at Harleys.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

You are using this incident to further your cause so you implicitly advance that this incident, therefore travel safety, is compromised by TFW and the FLVC process, so I repeat my question: in this case, would a full up licence conversion prevented this issue? If no, then you have no buisness bashing TFW in this thread.

Let me quote the Canada Gazette to reply to you:

401.07 Foreign Licence Validation certificate

"While the issuance of the foreign licence validation certificate accepts the standards of training and operations within the original licensing country, these restrictions upon the duration and purposes of such a certificate minimize the potential exposure of Canadian operators and the Canadian licensing system to possibly less stringent standards."

"This prohibition (that the pilot be a resident of Canada) supports the limited duration and use to which such a certificate can be put. This measure ensures the protection of the Canadian aviation system from the effect of possibly less rigorous standards applied in pilot licensing elsewhere, which would dilute the worth of a Canadian document if foreign licenses were validated in Canada without limit or restriction."

[AuxBatOn]

Key word: potential.

[justwork]

Key word: potential.

Like in this case a potential drunk potentially flying Canadian aircraft with Canadian passengers.

[altiplano]

"" Fucking Europeans - first I can't go take a piss on my own, now we'll be getting random breathalysed at work. What a fucking joke."

Woow..what a level of arrogance Altiplano...Time to step down from your pedestal !

Don't get me wrong, I love Europe and Europeans... It's a great place and many great cultures, from which my ancestors are a part. I go there every chance I get.

Maybe I should have said Fucking Most Recent European Pilots... that's more accurate.

It is true - their state of industry, zero hour cadet, buy a type rating, pay to fly an airliner with nothing industry has brought us problems. Including these 2.

2 years of being locked in - that guy would have never made it through his first job here instructing/up north/on the ramp here... let alone fit in the flight deck of an airliner.

Now this guy, who shouldn't have been here in the first place, and the BS we'll deal with as a result of his actions... Fact is it wasn't a Canadian or Permanent Resident who earned that seat passed out at the wheel... It was a European who bought his 737 type rating and thus holds inadequate value for his position and the responsibility placed on him.

Pedestal? If you want to call it that fine - because most of what's going on over there is certainly beneath me...

That ends in May. In lieu of that we are now asked if we're "feeling ok" once a year at our medical.

Yeah I read that to, but I'll believe it when I am going back without calling the babysitter... Optimistic, sure... But it's not yet a certainty... particularly with the recent event eroding our position.

[Spaceshuttle]

So I guess our report times will be 4 hours before wheels up to accommodate CASA feel ups and now breathalyzers... who is going to pay us for this publicity stunt time wasting?? Transport?? Are they going to recognize this as part of a duty day? Along with our 17 hour extended days that the free world says are not safe?

Joke really... but I guess truck drivers, bus drivers and others who work in the transportation industry will be doing the same now...