There has been a lot of news coverage recently about the Qantas jet that suffered a gas explosion whilst in flight. Most of the coverage has been on trying to find where to lay the blame with very little coverage on the actions of the pilot and the crew in avoiding a potential disaster.
In one of those few articles, the pilot said that he was flying on instinct but 'instinct' like 'luck' is strongest when you train and work hard at being the best at what you do. One passenger praised the flight crew and said that they were calm, took control and helped the passengers through the unfortunate experience. Whereas I do believe in instinct, I also do not underestimate the role played by the hours of training and preparing for such emergencies which enabled the pilot and his team to avoid disaster and land the plane safely.
I have peace of mind knowing that if anything untoward should happen on a Qantas flight, I will be in safe hands. Compare that to an experience that a colleague of mine had on one particular Asian carrier. At one point during the flight, the aircraft went through severe turbulence which resulted in it dropping at what seemed to be 100 feet per second. My colleague said it was pretty hairy stuff but made all the more so by the flight attendants running down the aisles screaming in fear.
Qantas prides itself on being one of the 'safest airlines in the world,' and the actions of the pilot and crew in the latest saga would certainly back that up. But, all is not rosy in the Qantas camp one fears. A post investigation into the explosion and the events thereafter has revealed that not all gas masks in the cabin fell down and some of those that did were not operational. The unions were quick to blame this on the cost cuts that have been going on at the company for a number of years. A fact violently rebutted by Qantas management. Whether it is true or not I would not know, but of one fact I am certain and that is if a company, in the name of profitability or cost cutting, starts meddling with those factors upon which it has based its mission and built its reputation, then it will not survive in the long term. The message is simple - Don't mess with your DNA - that is, don't mess with what has made you unique.
If you are asked to cut costs in your department or company - look at those factors upon which you have built your reputation and protect them from the 'money grabbers,' but be ruthless in cutting or shedding all other factors not related to your reputation or mission. Otherwise the last words you may hear are, 'This is your captain speaking...'
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