“Arr! BISHTO”

IS THE CAA’s ROB BISHTON ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE A VIRGIN IN DISTRESS?

Last week the BBC reported that pilots at Virgin Atlantic indicated they would consider going on strike due to “serious concerns” about fatigue and their wellbeing.

Apparantly the  issue revolves around scheduling and rostering arrangements.

According to the BBC, Virgin Airlines said the existing pay and lifestyle agreement was “agreed, developed and supported by BALPA  pilot representatives within Virgin Atlantic, and our pilot community”.

The reality of the ‘support‘ that  BALPA  ‘offers‘ pilots who inform them of breaches of Flight Time Limitation and fatigue issues within the industry will be explored in the soon to be released book two in the series ‘Pulling Wings From Butterflies.”

Is it only coincidence that, as the book’s release appears over the horizon (Foreword by Karlene Petitt), BALPA now become  extremely ‘vocal’ in their support of action against an airline over fatigue? An issue, as my case highlights, that has existed for years.

Is it also a coincidence that this vocal support from BALPA comes as a police investigation into a case that revolves around fatigue and flight time limitations is completed and files are handed over to the Crown Prosecution Service?

So, who will come to the aid of an airline whose pilot community,  that according to BALPA, 81% of its Virgin Atlantic union members voted in the ballot that gave BALPA “an overwhelming mandate to pursue this dispute”.

It appears to be no other than the CAA’s Bishto kid!

STATEMENT BY THE CAA’s ROB BISHTON

Today I was sent the following announment by a digruntled Virgin pilot. The fact that he reached out to myself rather than BALPA speaks volumes as to the current climate within the aviation industry. The statement shows the unequivocal support for Virgin Airlines by the CAA and Bishton. 

‘IS ANYONE SURPRISED AT BISHTONS SUPPORT FOR VIRGIN?’

Those of you who have read the first volume in the ‘Pulling Wings From Butterflies’ trilogy already know the details and background to the case, when I refused to operate a flight duty that was planned almost an hour in breach of Aviation legislation. This is a breach of the Air Navigation Order. (ANO). According to the ANO a breach is a criminal act.

I also refused to operate a duty where the airlines own predictive software confirmed it likely I would be suffering a level of fatigue equivalent of effectiveness to that of a drunk driver. Again, is a criminal act for an airline to plan a run of duties that is likely to produce a level of fatigue that would endanger flight safety.

As the judge in my case stated in her judgement.

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This information was passed directly to the CAA’s Rob Bishton.

Here is the reply I received from the individual who now claims that the “safety of the travelling public  is the number one priority for the aviation industry and the civil aviation authority”.

“Final Correspondence on FTL matters” 

I acknowledge your recent exchanges with David Russell and your last email.

As I committed to you when you called me 2 weeks ago, 2 people have reviewed the information pertaining to your query and their determination was referred to me. I concurred with them in that there is nothing more for the CAA to investigate. Furthermore, as I reiterated to you when we spoke, discussions between the CAA and the Post Holders within an AOC are treated confidentially and you should not conclude that the CAA has not substantiated all the facts surrounding the flights you are referring to in your correspondence.

Yours sincerely,

Rob Bishton
Head of Flight Ops | UK CAA

‘NOTHING MORE FOR THE CAA TO INVESTIGATE – AND WHO DID THE ‘INVESTIGATION’?’

Bishton states that there was nothing more for the CAA to investigate. So who did the investigation using the evidence referred to in Book one of ‘Pulling Wings From Butterflies”? The CAA investigation officer was  Kathryn Jones who, previously had stated to the BBC, “We have no evidence of significant safety concerns with regard to crew and fatigue”, adding; “The evidence the CAA has is that the fatigue of crew is not a significant safety concern.” Jones is the ‘Safety Improvement manager’ who claims on her LinkedIn profile her “specialist area of knowledge is fatigue management, including flight time limitations”. (yep, you are ahead of me, she has never flown commercially and is not a doctor.)

The other senior CAA officer involved was Glenn Bradley who suggested I should just ‘Get Over’ this breach of legislation that a judge had stated would result in an “obvious increased risk to those flying if “not complied with”

As George Orwell in 1984 wrote “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

Choo Cho all aboard  aviation gravy train!