24th august

[sixtiesrelic]

Well to-day's the twentieth anniversary of the demise of the great old days of the Aussie Airlines.

 

Before 24th August 1989, crusty old and bold Captains who'd learned the craft from crustier, older and bolder pilots, taught the young blokes how to think and plan and remember the little embarrassments so they aviated.

 

They knew when these new computers were giving out erroneous info because of finger trouble. They mentally calculated a rough figure of what they’d expect to see from the EXPERIENCE they’d gained over the years of looking up graphs and knowing all the little the rules of thumb.

 

They could push up FULL power if that was going to get them out of trouble and bugger the engines if it was going to save everyone.

 

Today throttles are becoming just switches which apply a power setting computers are programmed to apply, NOT full power but what companies reckon the maximum power they want to set… maybe 95% to save the engines.

 

To-day pilots operate and monitor computers which fly the aircraft for them.

 

What was the dispute about?

 

A vindictive little prime minister helping an airline owning mate crush a union to bring the unions to heel prior to de-regulation. They chose the strongest union in the group; one that had stood up to him when he was the leader of the ACTU. They wouldn’t be affiliated with the ACTU the same as every other professional group wouldn’t.

 

Who won???... no one

 

Who was in the stoush?

 

Ansett, TAA, East West Airlines, Ipec, The hawke labor government and the Australian Federation of Airline pilots.

 

Who’s left still operating? …. The AFAP.

 

Many people didn’t like the word ‘scab’ yet there were those who ‘were offended‘ at hearing that term who used the term ‘labor rat’ with spiteful venom.

 

Seems if people rat on the labor party, they’re much worse than those who scab against unions… but then, isn’t labor the party for the unions??.

 

The truth will never come out, but I’m proud to have been part of it.

 

 

[Coop]

It's an ill wind, sixties....

 

That dispute was responsible for myself and the Navigator enjoying the privilege of a flight from Adelaide to Sydney in a Herc, including occupying the large jump seat at the back of the cockpit for the landing at Sydney.

 

Mind you, we had to fight for it- on several occasions we were moved up to a 727 seat, but were put back on the end of the queue at our request. In the end there were only 11 people on theHerc flight.

 

But I agree- no-one won anything from that dispute. And I am more nervous these days when I am a passenger in machines where there is no direct connection between the pilot's movements and the aircraft's response...

 

Coop

 

 

[siznaudin]

Well done for the reminder, Sixties - and yes, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed, particularly about the disconnect 'twixt pilot and components .. witness the recent stuff-ups eg Singapore Airlines effort in NZ and the even more recent one we saw in Melbourne.:mad: