Scary stuff

[AtW]

I've just been reading Russian pilots' forum and it is a really scary stuff

[oraclesmith]

Is that because the maintenance guys are on intravenous vodka.

[AtW]

Recent cash that killed 171 people appears to have happened because the airline had penalties that will be applied to pilots who would not save fuel - this meant they would take chances, which normally works, but in summer tempreture is higher at heights and this affects aircraft more than I thought before.

I will never again fly any Russian airline.

[oraclesmith]

According to this report, it seems to be more about lack of information and poor judgement in trying to gain height to bypass a weather system.

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/09/05/Navigation/177/208806/'Climb+over+storm'+doomed+Tu-154+.html

[oraclesmith]

Another Tu154 went down the other day :-

http://www.boston.com/news/world/mid...sian_made_jet/

[AtW]

Yes, but he did not refuel at the airport because fuel prices there more expensive - he had fuel for flight there and back, what's worse is that Russian airlines operate scheme where they basically give "bonus" for saving fuel, when this bonus is significant part of salary (and it is), this effectively becomes penalty and thus making pilots take risks, normally all works out but not always.

When two airplanes (one cargo, the other Russian passenger) collided over Swissland due mistake by ground control, one Russian man who lost his wife and children came and killed the ground controller who was responsible - this made him hero as this reaction appears normal to Russians.

The country is truly fked up, such a shame - it could have been the best place on Earth.

[oraclesmith]

Fuel more expensive at the airport. Hmmm. So what are they supposed to do, taxi it down to Tesco's ?

A better scheme (if they're going to have one) would be to give them incentives to save fuel by quantity, not price. A guess an airliner is pretty expensive, so that knocks the economics of this little wheeze about a bit.

[AtW]

Fuel more expensive at the airport. Hmmm. So what are they supposed to do, taxi it down to Tesco's ?

What they do is fuel up for both trips without having to refuel at the expensive airport, of course this means when they fly back they got less fuel to spend - in this case it was huge thunderstorm that they'd have to bypass big time, and looks like they would not have had enough fuel for this - a Turkey airline plane flying same time same route just before them returned to airport, but those guys did not (even though they could) - otherwise they'd have to refuel there and lose monthly bonus.

Bonuses are fine, but when they become so significant that losing them is a huge part of salary people start taking risks, this normally works out, but sometimes does not. It should be illegal to conduct business in such a way - CEO, CFO should be jailed for manslauhgter of 171 people. Of course this won' t happen in Russia.

And get this: the plane was insured for about twice its market price ($2 mln), but guess what was the insurance payout for each lost life? $3k each!!!

[oraclesmith]

Ok, so why don't the relatives storm the airlines offices and kill all the board members. Surely that would be the Russian way of doing things ?

[AtW]

In previous case one particular alive person was responsible - airtraffic controller, so there was a single target. He was also not protected by bodyguards etc.

The scum have accumulated around 250 bln in gold reserves - they would not put it into safety of aviation because their own airplanes are top notch, and people will just eat it - those who got killed will be sidelined just like victims of terrorist acts, other Russians will be glad the death passed by them, this time.

Everything will remain as is, in a few weeks it won't be news.