dimit Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 I am sending the following letter to the officials listed. Please feel free to copy or modify the letter. I'm also sending a copy by email to all my helicoptering friends, and putting this post on the other Canadian helicopter forum. If we are serious about safety and fairness, we must get AME duty time limits. Thanks to Bullet Remington for the list of TC Standards officials. Thanks to each of you who takes a couple of minutes to fire off a few emails to help make this happen. Cheers, Dick Mitten The DIRECTOR , STANDARDS is Don Sherritt. He can be reached at: Don.Sherritt@tc.ga.ca Director General of Civil Aviation - Martin J. Eley; Martin.Eley@tc.gc.ca Regional Director , Pacific Region - David Nowzek - David.Nowzek@tc.gc.ca Regional Director, Prairie & Northern Region - Kate Fletcher- Kate.Fletcher@tc.gc.ca Acting Regional Director, Ontario Region- Joseph Swalek - Joseph.Swalek@tc.gc.ca Regional Director, Quebec Region- Diane Desmarais - diane.demarais@tc.gc.ca Regional Director, Atlantic Region - Arthur Allen- arthur.allen@tc.gc.ca March 25, 2010 Dear ____________, I am a commercial helicopter pilot, writing to encourage your support for aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) duty time limits. Pilot duty times are regulated to avoid acute and chronic fatigue, which are well recognized as significant contributing factors to aircraft accidents. If we are to take the SMS approach seriously, we must recognize the importance of the AME in the safety chain, and ensure that the system supports the best outcome from the AME’s work. When I strap myself into a helicopter and take responsibility for the lives of my passengers, the law requires that I have had ample opportunity for rest. I want the AMEs who worked on that machine to have the same opportunities. Please do everything you can to support and move forward the introduction of duty time limits for aircraft maintenance engineers. Sincerely, ____________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff931 Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 Thanks for your efforts on my behalf, they are much appreciated. This is long overdue and in BOTH of our best interests, pilot and AME, as well as the customer. I am sending the following letter to the officials listed. Please feel free to copy or modify the letter. I'm also sending a copy by email to all my helicoptering friends, and putting this post on the other Canadian helicopter forum. If we are serious about safety and fairness, we must get AME duty time limits. Thanks to Bullet Remington for the list of TC Standards officials. Thanks to each of you who takes a couple of minutes to fire off a few emails to help make this happen. Cheers, Dick Mitten The DIRECTOR , STANDARDS is Don Sherritt. He can be reached at: Don.Sherritt@tc.ga.ca Director General of Civil Aviation - Martin J. Eley; Martin.Eley@tc.gc.ca Regional Director , Pacific Region - David Nowzek - David.Nowzek@tc.gc.ca Regional Director, Prairie & Northern Region - Kate Fletcher- Kate.Fletcher@tc.gc.ca Acting Regional Director, Ontario Region- Joseph Swalek - Joseph.Swalek@tc.gc.ca Regional Director, Quebec Region- Diane Desmarais - diane.demarais@tc.gc.ca Regional Director, Atlantic Region - Arthur Allen- arthur.allen@tc.gc.ca March 25, 2010 Dear ____________, I am a commercial helicopter pilot, writing to encourage your support for aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) duty time limits. Pilot duty times are regulated to avoid acute and chronic fatigue, which are well recognized as significant contributing factors to aircraft accidents. If we are to take the SMS approach seriously, we must recognize the importance of the AME in the safety chain, and ensure that the system supports the best outcome from the AME’s work. When I strap myself into a helicopter and take responsibility for the lives of my passengers, the law requires that I have had ample opportunity for rest. I want the AMEs who worked on that machine to have the same opportunities. Please do everything you can to support and move forward the introduction of duty time limits for aircraft maintenance engineers. Sincerely, ____________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinstar_ca Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 good show, dick!!! :punk: :up: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmac Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 Dick: Excellent letter, but addressed to the wrong people. When you send a letter to a person who is not the actual head of that department, you can wait forever for a reply. Send the letter to the head of the department which is the Minister, copy to Director General TCCA. In sending the letter to the Minister (Baird), the letter will be answered by either the DG or the Director of Standards, but will be signed by the Minister who will have final say on the matter. Should you not receive the answer you want, go public with a copy to the newspapers on this long overdue safety concern. Also remember this thread is being read by TCCA and they will be ready. Cheers, Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 Nice work Love Glove. It sure would be nice. We all appreciate it. Swede Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff931 Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 I sent my email off to Mr. Nowzek just before lunch; much to my surprise he responded the same day just before 6PM!!! and HE forwarded my email to the Director, Standards and the Director of Policy and Regulatory Services on my behalf. Not the response I expected from a civil servant, but a pleasant surprise, thank you very much. :up: Nice work Love Glove. It sure would be nice. We all appreciate it. Swede Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnuckleDragger Posted March 30, 2010 Report Share Posted March 30, 2010 I hope it works out. It is hard for many of us to write a letter of our own without calling into question the practices of our employers. Of course if I was in transition from one employer to another I'd be all over that. Until then I am just another member of the silent majority. Too bad it couldn't be brought in as an anonymous vote or referendum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimit Posted March 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2010 Believe me, writing an email like the sample above doesn't draw any attention to your employer. My opinion is based on the generic responses I've gotten to my own emails. Those replies notwithstanding, if enough folks send emails it'll register as an important issue to tackle. cheers, Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrokenSpiral Posted April 19, 2010 Report Share Posted April 19, 2010 You wanna send one of those down to Oklahoma City and get the FAA to do the same? It's nice to hear the pilots out there caring about us wrenches so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47B3 Posted April 21, 2010 Report Share Posted April 21, 2010 Along the same lines as the thread and with safety in mind, attached is an interesting article on maintenance and fatigue what an individual can do ( via Flight Safety Information newsletter ). I downloaded it this morning, unfortunately toasted the link. Hope it comes through OK. MX_Fatigue_NewsletterV2I2.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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