Earlier this month in Dubai, in his keynote address to the Foundation’s 69th annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS), Capt. Henry Donohoe, divisional senior vice president of flight operations at Emirates, questioned whether the modern air transport pilot ranks himself or herself as second-best in the cockpit. Is automation the real commander, he asked?
To Donohoe’s way of thinking, pilots have gotten too dependent on the highly complex, highly reliable systems that are intended to reduce pilot workload and increase safety. The resulting complacency may serve to increase risk, not mitigate it, said Donohoe, who sits on the Foundation’s Board of Governors. He called for a “back to basics” approach to training and professionalism.
That sort of honest assessment is foundational to our summits and seminars, and IASS 2016 in Dubai was no exception. To a large degree, Donohoe set the tone for the event, and just about every speaker and presenter who followed him over the th…
