"Regional Airline Anecdote" has been published on The Daily Diatribe Home page:

www.dailydiatribe.net/

Thanks, Admin.

Honest, folks, you can't make this stuff up!

C

Just what I needed to hear just before I go on a trip!

Care to share the name of the airline?

And I was working for one of the "better" regional airlines!

The real problem is, I hate to say it, is lack of regulation of the company.

The FAA considers airlines to be "customers" and provides them "service." Also, regulations such as the Crew Rest and Duty Time Limitations are written to benefit the companies.

NASA did massive studies of performance versus duty time/rest and published recommendations for airlines. The recommended practices have been adopted in one form or another by virtually all civilized nations except the United States.

Why? Because if you give pilots more rest and limit the length of their working day, it costs more money.

And the bean counters don't like that.

I think it is safe to say that anyone who has worked for an airline in this country has a story like that. I have learned that safety is a word that means two different things. The meaning that people have who work for an airline and then the meaning that everyone else has. It seems that safety in the airlines is talk about A LOT in fact its like a buzz word, and in truth most people in the airlines would like to see things safe, but the reality of it all is airlines are only willing to be safe as long as it dose not eat in to the bottom line. Safety has a price.