On the flight deck – there are 3 golden rules to be employed in times of crisis.
Aviate -keep the damned aircraft flying.
Navigate-plot a course that corresponds where you need to go
Communicate.-let your folks on the ground as well as your passengers know what the hell’s going on.
Transport Canada would undoubtedly weigh in on a pilot’s ability to continue on in his or her chosen career should proficiencies in this particular trifecta continue to grade defective.
Yet they themselves are somewhat deficient in all 3 areas.
Insofar as “keeping the aircraft in the air” is concerned – with the recent announcement of a curtailment in sun destination flying by Canada’s 4 major carriers – well, this one needs no further explanation does it.
In attempting to navigate a course – this one’s all over the map.
Flights by Canadian carriers to sun destinations have been axed in an effort to reduce Canada’s exposure to both the known existing strains of Covid as well as to the up and coming variant strains.
Can’t argue the logic there.
However in looking at today’s arrival boards at each of Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal – there are some 50 flights scheduled to arrive from a variety of European, Asian, Middle East, South American and US departure points.
Are we to surmise therefore that zones such as Casablanca, Brussels, Beijing, Tokyo, Taipei, Bogota, London Istanbul etc.etc. are Covid free and as such are deemed safe entry?
Far be it for me as a guy who makes a living (or used to) promoting travel however this all over the board map as to what can fly and what can’t is impossible to navigate.
After all, our neighborhood Costco has more folks wandering through on a given day than the average Canadian airport and yet the Costco shoppers move unimpeded and on to the next box store with impunity. “Ah-tower to Captain -where are you headed?”
And then there’s communication.
Or lack thereof.
On January 29th the good folks in Ottawa announced a series of impending measures including the curtailment of Caribbean & Mexico flights effective January 31.
In addition, for those scrambling to get home, a series of measures including but not limited to a 3 day mandated hotel stay plus additional PCR testing at a cost of approx. $2000 to be paid by the passenger.
These measures were said to be “coming soon” with no definitive implementation date which of course led rise to the hoards of keyboard warriors across the country eschewing any resemblance of fact in favor of a wide range of conspiracy theories.
Or not.
Perhaps the keyboard warriors are on to something and prior to any firm implementation date a number of returning Canadians are being held captive in airport hotels pending the $2000 ransom.
Oh and by the way – is that $2000 for each of Mr. &Mrs. Smith for their 3 night Club-Fed experience?
Either way, the ministry of Abracadabra needs to jump on the keyboard and start communicating the what, where, when, why and who before the great unwashed, with some justification perhaps, begin to storm the palace.
No one reasonably expects our fearless leaders to be the sharpest knives in the drawer.
Were that to be a political prerequisite, the hallowed halls of power would resemble an echo chamber.
We should however have a reasonable expectation of their ability to effectively communicate and of late that prowess would appear to be in short supply.
Adios until next time
Dave
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