ACR FIRST OFFICER LAMENTS THE LACK OF TRAINING OFFERED TO CAPTAINS OPERATING INTO HIGH ALTITUDE AND TERRAIN RESTRICTED ARPTS.

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I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH CHK AIRMEN NOT BEING PUT ON FLTS INTO SEQU; SLLP; MHTG; ETC. I HAVE WRITTEN 2 TIMES ABOUT WHAT I SAW IN SEQU ONCE ABOUT SLLP AND ONCE ABOUT MMMX. THE MOST RECENT RESPONSE WENT SOMETHING LIKE 'IF THE CAPT WANTED A CHK AIRMAN ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS ASK.' LET ME RELAY TO YOU THE BASIC CONTENT OF A CONVERION I HAD WITH ONE OF THOSE CAPTS ON ONE OF THOSE FLTS I WROTE A RPT ON. HE BASICALLY SAID; I KNOW I COULD HAVE ASKED FOR A CHK AIRMAN; BUT I REHEARSED IN MY MIND WHAT OUR CHIEF WOULD SAY; NAMELY: 'YOU ARE QUALIFIED; YOU ARE THE LAST GUY WE HAVE GOT; YOU'VE BEEN ON THE AIRPLANE FOR YRS AND YRS; YOU CAN HANDLE IT! YOU AREN'T TELLING ME THAT YOU CAN'T COMPLETE THE MISSION; ARE YOU?' THE FEELING I PICKED UP FROM HIS COMMENTS WERE THAT HE WAS AVOIDING A FEELING OF SHAME. I WILL SAY THAT I'VE HEARD SIMILAR COMMENTS FROM OTHERS. I WILL ALSO SAY THAT THE EVENT IN WHICH WE FOUND OURSELVES IN WAS POSSIBLY THE WORST SIT I'VE SEEN IN OVER 16 YRS. MAYBE IT IS JUST PERCEPTION; MAYBE THE 'CHIEFS' ARE NOT INTENDING TO 'PLT PUSH.' IT IS; HOWEVER; THE PERCEPTION THAT COUNTS AND IT IS THAT CAPT'S PERCEPTION THAT CONTRIBUTED TO OUR 'EVENT.' WHO CAN FIX THAT PERCEPTION? IN DECEMBER I HAD AN FAA GUY IN THE COCKPIT FOR A FLT. HIS WORDS REGARDING A DIFFERENT ISSUE BUT STILL A SAFETY ONE WERE 'THIS IS A UNION/COMPANY DEAL.' SO I ALSO HASTEN TO SAY; MY INTENT IS NOT ANY UNION/COMPANY DEAL. I ALSO WILL SAY THAT I HOPE THAT ATTITUDE; WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE A MISTAKEN ONE; IS NOT THE PREDOMINANT ONE AT THE FAA. WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN SEQU; SLLP AND ELSEWHERE IS UNSAFE AND THE DIRECTION THAT OUR COMPANY IS TAKING IS; IN MY OPINION; IS THE WRONG ONE. MAYBE I'M JUST THE UNLUCKY GUY. MAYBE I'M THE 'COMMON DENOMINATOR' (ALL THESE EVENTS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED HAD I NOT CLOWNED SOMETHING UP). I AM SIMPLY COMMUNICATING WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND MY BELIEF THAT PUTTING A CHK AIRMAN BACK ON THE TERRAIN CITIES FOR BOTH CAPTS AND FO'S IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A SAFE OP. ON 3 DIFFERENT RECENT OCCASIONS I HAVE NEEDED TO 'DIRECT OR INSTRUCT' A CAPT ON HOW TO PREVENT AN UNSAFE SIT OR HOW TO GET OUT OF ONE. I'M NO BETTER A PLT THAN THE NEXT GUY; BUT I HAVE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF BOTH GETTING A CHK RIDE INTO EACH OF THOSE CITIES AND 8 YRS EXPERIENCE FLYING INTO LATIN AMERICA. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PAIR A NEW CAPT WITH A FO WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO SEQU OR SOME OTHER TERRAIN CITY? I AM ALL FOR SAVING MONEY; JUST NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY.