But unless theres a solar flare then satcom should be 99.99% available. Its like the GPS satalites, theres only an issue when driving in large cities like NYC or in tunnels.
declaring
- Thread starter A1TAPE
- Start date
But unless theres a solar flare then satcom should be 99.99% available. Its like the GPS satalites, theres only an issue when driving in large cities like NYC or in tunnels.
Cptnchia
Dissatisfied Customer
Satcom is EXPENSIVE! As an example, we have close to 600 planes or so. Only the transoceanic ones, 200 or so have satcom. All the domestic planes are VHF. I can guarantee that there probably isn't an RJ type flyimgcin the USA that uses satcom for ACARS either.
BayouMLU
Well-Known Member
The vast majority of ACARS works as advertised. While it's a small percentage in the grand scheme of things that it fails to operate properly, it happens often enough for companies to develop policies for reporting and communicating the usual information by a means other than ACARS.
BayouMLU
Well-Known Member
What about the GOM?
Also, I'm sure it may vary from company to company, but I have always had access to the FOM from ticket agent to station manager to dispatcher no matter the company for whom I worked. This goes back to paper manuals and manuals mailed out on a CD-ROM.
So you mean PDFs of the manuals on a CD-Rom
BayouMLU
Well-Known Member
And today instead of being on a CD-ROM they are on a huge server.
Cptnchia
Dissatisfied Customer
I've worked for two 121 companies. I have never used a GOM. Not even sure what that stands for. I guess I could access the ACS or IFS pages on the company net, but I really don't have a desire or need to.
BayouMLU
Well-Known Member
General Operations Manual.
It supercedes all departmental manuals like the FOM, DOM, FAM, etc. Our pilots know it pretty well. I have seen them occasionally not match up at other carriers where I worked. Rarer still, I have seen them contradict each other. Not every carrier communicates well inter-departmentally apparently.
BayouMLU
Well-Known Member
Correct.
The best part is they're searchable. I don't understand why anyone in our shop uses a paper manual. CTRL + F and a keyword and I'm there before they can get through the table of contents.
Cptnchia
Dissatisfied Customer
General Operations Manual.
It supercedes all departmental manuals like the FOM, DOM, FAM, etc. Our pilots know it pretty well. I have seen them occasionally not match up at other carriers where I worked. Rarer still, I have seen them contradict each other. Not every carrier communicates well inter-departmentally apparently.
Well, I learned something new today!
Out of our 14,000 pilots, I'd wager there's only a super small percentage that are aware of the existence of such a manual, and how to even find it.
BayouMLU
Well-Known Member
I think it's a company culture thing. I'd be willing to bet your company has good practices in place to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the manuals agreeing with each other. No reason to have you flipping through how many seatbelt extensions that in flight is required to keep on the aircraft or how many lav items the station stocks.
I like it because it can help you understand everyone's role. That can often clear up the expectations of my department.
Cptnchia
Dissatisfied Customer
News flash! Not every company has a GOM.
Cptnchia
Dissatisfied Customer
Yeah, being one of the oldest airlines in the US and world tends to develop solid practices. It can also lead to some entrenchment too unfortunately.
dispatchguy
Well-Known Member
Yes, 3 months after 9/11, and a bomb threat had been called in on one of our flights - a flight operating out of the Dom Rep back to SJU. ACARS/Dialup performance over the DR was hit or miss - so I asked the watch manager to have the crew call me on the dialup once they were talking to SJU (3 minutes away), I informed them of the threat, and we decided to divert to the nearest online airport - which was under their nose.
Keep in mind, the twin towers were still a smoking hole in lower Manhattan (another day on the desk I never want to relive), so that was foremost in my mind.
I caught hell from mgt after the fact (who was more concerned about completion factor), but at the time the manual said that if a known threat was made against a flight, and the manual stated that a known threat included the use of a radio call sign (and this threat did include the use of the radio callsign), it was to have been taken seriously.
Keep in mind, the twin towers were still a smoking hole in lower Manhattan (another day on the desk I never want to relive), so that was foremost in my mind.
I caught hell from mgt after the fact (who was more concerned about completion factor), but at the time the manual said that if a known threat was made against a flight, and the manual stated that a known threat included the use of a radio call sign (and this threat did include the use of the radio callsign), it was to have been taken seriously.
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It pretty sad when mgt care MORE about completion factor than about safety. If something had happened then you just lost a whole plane with people onboard making completion factor a moot point. Try explaining that to the press.
I declared only one time in my career and I certainly hope I never have to again. In this case one of our flights was overdue and a manager pulled my work off joy desk and asked me to help locate it. When I contacted a Central American center and asked if a certain flight was in their airpspace, I was told they were busy and had many aircraft. I them immediately declared and their response was completely different and professional. The flight was not in their airspace and it didn't have a good ending.
Luigi
Well-Known Member
That's my greatest fear...losing contact with one of my aircraft and then seeing it on CNN.