The BRB have spoken.
It all started with an aside; one of the founding members (good hand at darts) and his family, based in Sydney are 'frequent flyers' on the Sydney Harbour Ferries. As long time 'users' they know quite a few of the regular ground crew and pick up all kinds of gossip about the ferry system, its operations and, he being an aircrew type, is naturally interested in the 'operational' side, maintenance and general 'safety' culture of the operation. It seems, there are some fairly 'curly' questions being mooted about the general state of some of the 'new' boats; steering and damage due to constant pounding and some ugly half truths about the 'quality' of the welding which holds the boat together. All idle rumour and fit only for casual conversation at the Pub.
However, it became a BRB talking point, mostly through Jumbo skipper who was 'impressed' by the sheer number of passengers carried on a daily basis and the size of the loads shifted – on a daily basis. It was quite a natural pathway for 'pilots' to identify with the Commanders of a vessel which carries a load equivalent to a Jumbo; the qualifications and responsibilities of command being comparable.
It takes a degree of skill to bring an aircraft over an ocean and to park it neatly at the air-bridge with 400 souls on board; it would be a horror story if the steering failed and the aircraft ploughed into that air-bridge and (gods forbid) the aircraft caught fire or there was passengers waiting to be boarded. It is not to be contemplated – end of. The ground steering system, as important to safety as the in flight 'steering' system must be fully functioning and as well maintained as the aircraft itself. It all matters.
The tales of woe in the media, and some pretty good handling skills have prevented, thus far, a fully loaded ferry colliding with a fully loaded dock; due to a 'failure' of the primary steering system. Any form of steering failure whether it be a Semi trailer, Bus, Train, Ferry or 747 has the potential to be catastrophic. No one wants that amount of weight and speed (momentum) out of control limits. It begs the question; should the maintenance, structural and operational integrity of a ferry carrying 400 people be at a less standard than that demanded, world wide, from an aircraft doing essentially the same job. That of delivering folk to their destination – in one piece.
The BRB say that there are great similarities between those who work on the water and those who work in the air; in terms of the safe delivery of whatever is behind the flight deck door. To do this, the 'machine' must be fit for purpose and maintained to the best standard possible; to avoid the carnage and subsequent fall out and embarrassment, not to mention the legal cost of the aftermath.
Anyway, FWIW should any of the sea going brethren care to drift in for an Ale or two (even three) and a hand at darts anytime; they'd be more than welcome.
Toot – toot.
It all started with an aside; one of the founding members (good hand at darts) and his family, based in Sydney are 'frequent flyers' on the Sydney Harbour Ferries. As long time 'users' they know quite a few of the regular ground crew and pick up all kinds of gossip about the ferry system, its operations and, he being an aircrew type, is naturally interested in the 'operational' side, maintenance and general 'safety' culture of the operation. It seems, there are some fairly 'curly' questions being mooted about the general state of some of the 'new' boats; steering and damage due to constant pounding and some ugly half truths about the 'quality' of the welding which holds the boat together. All idle rumour and fit only for casual conversation at the Pub.
However, it became a BRB talking point, mostly through Jumbo skipper who was 'impressed' by the sheer number of passengers carried on a daily basis and the size of the loads shifted – on a daily basis. It was quite a natural pathway for 'pilots' to identify with the Commanders of a vessel which carries a load equivalent to a Jumbo; the qualifications and responsibilities of command being comparable.
It takes a degree of skill to bring an aircraft over an ocean and to park it neatly at the air-bridge with 400 souls on board; it would be a horror story if the steering failed and the aircraft ploughed into that air-bridge and (gods forbid) the aircraft caught fire or there was passengers waiting to be boarded. It is not to be contemplated – end of. The ground steering system, as important to safety as the in flight 'steering' system must be fully functioning and as well maintained as the aircraft itself. It all matters.
The tales of woe in the media, and some pretty good handling skills have prevented, thus far, a fully loaded ferry colliding with a fully loaded dock; due to a 'failure' of the primary steering system. Any form of steering failure whether it be a Semi trailer, Bus, Train, Ferry or 747 has the potential to be catastrophic. No one wants that amount of weight and speed (momentum) out of control limits. It begs the question; should the maintenance, structural and operational integrity of a ferry carrying 400 people be at a less standard than that demanded, world wide, from an aircraft doing essentially the same job. That of delivering folk to their destination – in one piece.
The BRB say that there are great similarities between those who work on the water and those who work in the air; in terms of the safe delivery of whatever is behind the flight deck door. To do this, the 'machine' must be fit for purpose and maintained to the best standard possible; to avoid the carnage and subsequent fall out and embarrassment, not to mention the legal cost of the aftermath.
Anyway, FWIW should any of the sea going brethren care to drift in for an Ale or two (even three) and a hand at darts anytime; they'd be more than welcome.
Toot – toot.