INQUIRY AND ADVOCACY IN THE COCKPIT

 Inquiry is “A search for knowledge, or an instance of questioning” and Advocacy is “Active support of an idea or cause etc.” as per Webster dictionary.Inquiry and advocacy has been jointly addressed by Human Factors experts and lets examine its importance in the cockpit.

INTER-COCKPIT

There is a dire need for inquiry in the cockpit and the need for crew to be in the loop and only way is for either crew to communicate and inquire. Typically, Captain must encourage inquiry from the fellow crew member to enhance safety and make the fellow crew comfortable in doing so without any fear of  reprisal or retribution.

 Advocacy in the cockpit needs to be encouraged. Under the ambit of crew resource management,crew members should be encouraged to express their opinion on happenings in the cockpit and especially the issues which affect safety. That way information is solicited from the fellow crew to be better informed in case of eventualities and ensure a safe flight is conducted.

BETWEEN FLIGHT AND CABIN CREW

As between the inter-cockpit crew, inquiry and advocacy if extended to cabin crew, helps enable the Captain to ensure that information flow is maintained and crew are able to speak up on issues affecting safety without any fear or reprisal or retribution.

WITH ATC

Flight crew are faced with ATC requests that are not understood or are challenging to the crew to follow.(Airbus ALAR briefing).

It is imperative under these conditions for flight crew to exercise inquiry and advocacy to ensure the flight could be conducted in a safe manner. If ATC instructions are endangering safety or are not understood, inquiry by flight crew will help in ensuring the right action is taken by ATC. Advocacy on part of crew to ATC when in a difficult situation, might help them overcome a difficult situation.

In conclusion,team work, decision making and safety is enhanced when inquiry and advocacy is practiced by flight crew in dealing with the other stakeholders during the course of a flight.

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