Narrative:

Recently the company eliminated the use of cockpit v-spd 'FLIP' cards. This is a major change in the operation of the B767/757 fleet that was accompanied by little to no guidance from the fleet. This lack of guidance is; in my professional opinion the single worst implementation of any major policy I have witnessed in my 28 yr career as a professional pilot. The latest communication from the fleet was an e-note describing in greater detail what is expected in terms of airspeed bug usage and information available to the pilots including a statement that these rather important pieces of information be written in whatever manner 'on any convenient paper' and placed below the EICAS panel! I consider this unilateral change in SOP to be unsafe for the following reasons: 1) there was no training given by any branch of the company. 2) originally; there was no guidance on how to implement this change. 3) the guidance given through an e-note on jan/mon/07 (weeks after implementation) is not an appropriate method of dissemination of this type of information. 4) the guidance given is still inadequate insofar as we strive for fleet standardization and safety; these goals have not been as yet met. I would add that the B757/767 fleet does not have speed tapes available to it as many; if not all the other fleets do which seriously hampers this effort. 5) advocating the writing of critical aircraft performance information in a completely non-standardized format 'on any convenient paper' is simply unsafe and unacceptable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-B757 PLT CONCERNED WITH COMPANY PROCS FOR DETERMINING 'V SPDS' FOR THE ACFT.

Narrative: RECENTLY THE COMPANY ELIMINATED THE USE OF COCKPIT V-SPD 'FLIP' CARDS. THIS IS A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE OP OF THE B767/757 FLEET THAT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY LITTLE TO NO GUIDANCE FROM THE FLEET. THIS LACK OF GUIDANCE IS; IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION THE SINGLE WORST IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY MAJOR POLICY I HAVE WITNESSED IN MY 28 YR CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT. THE LATEST COM FROM THE FLEET WAS AN E-NOTE DESCRIBING IN GREATER DETAIL WHAT IS EXPECTED IN TERMS OF AIRSPD BUG USAGE AND INFO AVAILABLE TO THE PLTS INCLUDING A STATEMENT THAT THESE RATHER IMPORTANT PIECES OF INFO BE WRITTEN IN WHATEVER MANNER 'ON ANY CONVENIENT PAPER' AND PLACED BELOW THE EICAS PANEL! I CONSIDER THIS UNILATERAL CHANGE IN SOP TO BE UNSAFE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) THERE WAS NO TRAINING GIVEN BY ANY BRANCH OF THE COMPANY. 2) ORIGINALLY; THERE WAS NO GUIDANCE ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS CHANGE. 3) THE GUIDANCE GIVEN THROUGH AN E-NOTE ON JAN/MON/07 (WEEKS AFTER IMPLEMENTATION) IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE METHOD OF DISSEMINATION OF THIS TYPE OF INFO. 4) THE GUIDANCE GIVEN IS STILL INADEQUATE INSOFAR AS WE STRIVE FOR FLEET STANDARDIZATION AND SAFETY; THESE GOALS HAVE NOT BEEN AS YET MET. I WOULD ADD THAT THE B757/767 FLEET DOES NOT HAVE SPD TAPES AVAILABLE TO IT AS MANY; IF NOT ALL THE OTHER FLEETS DO WHICH SERIOUSLY HAMPERS THIS EFFORT. 5) ADVOCATING THE WRITING OF CRITICAL ACFT PERFORMANCE INFO IN A COMPLETELY NON-STANDARDIZED FORMAT 'ON ANY CONVENIENT PAPER' IS SIMPLY UNSAFE AND UNACCEPTABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.