August 20
So just today the 3 top stories : serious mental health issues among pilots, some suicidal (in a murderous kinda way), passengers lunging at controls, flight attendants activating seat switches that severely injure people at least 5 times in the latest ang greatest airliner… yet ALPA is against single pilot ops (i am assuming those would have some sort of “autopilot and perhaps HQ can assume control outside safe parameters”) ? The public deserves better from a pilot union than placing membership numbers and $ above pax safety. Those are not reasons that i will accept for getting myself or loved ones killed in aviation. ALPA needs to be constructive and put safety first. That means acknowledging that when well implemented, single pilot can improve safety.
1 reply
August 20
▶ pubdc
Going to a single pilot will improve safety? Really? Concern over mental health is a reason to keep two pilots in the cockpit, not get rid of one. Why would you want the possibility of one mentally troubled guy controlling your fate with nobody to intervene? If you’re advocating for single-pilot ops, what you’re really pushing for is no-pilot ops.
1 reply
August 20
▶ Dan_D_Ruff
Right on. If you have no redundancy you have no plan “B”.
1 reply
August 20
▶ Tom_Waarne
I think if and when the powers that be decide that one pilot in the cockpit is OK, I start to drive more often.
August 20
So, Emerson is speaking for ALL airline pilots?
Interesting ambassador the airlines have 
. I don’t ever remember being challenged enough to lie about medical issues or using mushrooms. Is this common among airline pilots?
August 20
Egyptair, Malaysian (likely) and Germanwings testify that 2nd pilot is no guarantee. UPS proved even 2 can barely, just barely, overcome 1. Obviously there have to be safeguards when you go down to 1, but an honest look at the fatals and the status quo just doesnt cut it. ALPA may have other interests at heart besides safety when they refuse to engage in safety enhancing opportunities.
2 replies
August 21
▶ pubdc
Nah, I don’t buy it. Stick with two up front.
August 21
▶ pubdc
What happened with Germanwings was only possible because there was only one person in the cockpit.
1 reply
August 21
▶ Dan_D_Ruff
You are dancing around half-facts. Who says 2nd would hv made any diff ? There will always be toilet breaks. 2nd didnt make a diff in Egyptair, Malaysian. 2 well-willing but so clever pilots also managed to kill a planeload in the Ethiopian 737Max mishap. Just go through all the accident reports and tell me pilots aren’t a weak point. No different from road traffic. I get frustrated that fact-driven pros like pilots refuse to acknowledge the facts when (they think ) money is at stake
August 21
In considering mental health in the context of single-pilot ops, there’s no question sitting isolated & alone for extended periods is certainly not the best situation for someone who has serious mental problems circulating in their head. It’s another a problem that offers no easy answers, beyond the fatalistic “Hey, stuff happens.”
August 21
A lot of discussion about single pilot ops and the safety aspect of it. I’m admittedly not sure how that applies in this particular case.
In this case two pilots operating the aircraft were able to save the day from a jump seater having a really bad day.
The FAA’s current approach to mental health is wildly broken. The system currently in place is making possible the exact outcome they claim to want to avoid.
Like physical health, mental health is variable and can fluctuate. The FAA seems to treat it as a static unchanging state.
The report published earlier this year ( Federal Aviation Administration
Mental Health ARC Final Report) suggests as much.
1 reply
August 21
▶ Teagan
There have been 2 pilot crews for the past 80+ years and when stuff gets taken care of it’s not generally advertised to the whole world. Heck, even the russkies have 2 man+ crews. If it’s not broken don’t try to fix it.
August 22
Emerson is not typical. As if magic mushroom experiments gone wrong is the problem. Emerson is not the poster boy for this topic. The focus must be maintaining mental wellness amongst the pilot community by removing the stigma and barriers of getting treatment for a brain not at ease which is dis-ease. We want pilots to get well and stay well, not to dwell in a cesspool of negative thoughts, fears and anxiety, like losing a job if anyone finds out, or a company culture that doesn’t recognize the importance of supporting its employees (pilots especially) with supportive mental wellness policy and good health care.
