I cringe every time an air line incident occurs that is widely publicized (and what isn't these days?), especially when it involves a crew member. People will approach me and ask me what happened, as if I were privy to some secret information that is not part of the reported story. Most of the time, I know as much as you do.
Latest case in point: the Jet Blue Captain who apparently went bonkers on his flight. Prior to that, the Flight Attendant who lost it and made strange PA's and the emergency slide FA who grabbed the beers and made his escape (see my blog of August 12, 2010, How to Keep Your Flight Attendant From Using the Emergency Exit on Your Flight ) Then of course, you have the rare occurrences of pilots who were suspected of drinking or the infamous "laptop" pilots.
With each of these events, the "media experts" suddenly begin to question whether "enough is being done" to ensure that pilots and flight Attendants are properly screened to be certain that these very isolated and rare incidents never happen.
Now I suppose we will see calls for annual mental health examinations on top of the already burdensome requirements that are imposed upon us.
Well, these days you almost have to be crazy to even want to be an airline pilot. Let's see; if you are not a military trained pilot (there are fewer and fewer of these entering the profession), you need to spend about $50,000.00 or more just to get to a point where you can be considered for a job, usually with a regional (which is not to say that regional pilots are any less experienced. I fly for regional and we have Captains with over 25 years experience just with our airline. I have been flying for over thirty years). All along the way, there are numerous FAA written and oral exams. Then the FAA flight check rides to ensure your practical proficiency.
If you do get hired, you are paid less than $30,000.00 as a first officer your first year. Many borrow the money for their flight training and end up making what amounts to a house payment for a very long time. When you are hired. the training is intense and pressure packed. There is no guarantee that you will even succeed and go on to "fly the line."
Aside from the intensive criminal background checks, security screens, drug and alcohol screening and TSA inspections we have to endure every time we report for duty, as a Captain, I put my job on the line about five or more times a year:
1 & 2. I have to pass two flight physicals a year. Any number of medical issues can "ground" me. Moreover, if I receive a DUI citation (never have), I have to actually report that on my medical form. Not even brain surgeons have to do that.
3. I have to pass an annual recurrent flight evaluation. This occurs in a very realistic visual simulator that can replicate numerous systems failures and put us in situations that we will most likely never ever see in real life.
We also have to pass an oral exam prior to the above mentioned flight evaluation before we are even allowed to get into the simulator.
4. I have to pass a written exam taken after our annual ground school which consists of several eight hour days reviewing procedures, systems, latest changes and crew resource management.
5. I have to pass an annual "line check," where an instructor pilot flies along on a revenue flight (one with passengers) to see how I perform.
Also, First Officers are always subject to evaluations by their captains, which can be positive or negative and result in some action being taken.
At any time, an FAA representative can just randomly show up and check my publications for currency, my license and medical as well as ride in the jump seat and evaluate me and my First Officer as we perform our duties.
So now, let's get MENTAL EXAMS in there. Really? I fly with some of the finest and most professional people in the world. Anything less is not tolerated and undisciplined people do not enter this profession. We fly as if our families are on board. None of us take our responsibilities lightly. The last thing we really need are more examinations; more scrutiny. I truly love to fly. I love to fly people. I love the responsibility that comes with that and nothing pleases me more than watching happy passengers exit my plane after I have completed my job; getting them to their destination safely. Remember, the most dangerous part of flying in an airliner is the drive to the airport.
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