Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 115; Flight Crew Total 9098; Flight Crew Type 9098
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
I don't know what to make of the most recent bulletin about pilot mask usage and COVID-19. To date there is no concrete directive about mask usage in the cockpit. My own policy as Captain is to direct mask usage at all times possible while in the cockpit other than while eating or drinking or obviously in an emergency while using oxygen. I believe this to be congruent with CDC guidance for when someone needs to be in close contact with someone else who does not live with that person. This procedure is not perfect but the best I can come up with outside of pre-departure rapid COVID testing. As pilots we usually fly with new coworkers on every new trip and to date there is no way to determine that the person you are flying with is not an asymptomatic carrier of the virus.This whole situation is a failure of:The pilot group as a whole: We should do better than thisUnion: Our pilots are more at risk from death or injury from COVID than any other operational threatAirline: The safety protocol enforced outside the cockpit should extend inside as well; no exceptionsFAA: If none of the above will take action the FAA needs to step inMy First Officer on the flight associated with this report agreed in the briefing phase to comply with my directives for mask usage. During the flight I detected a problem though. I generally try to be friendly and conversational not only to pass the time in pleasant way but also to provide a comfortable environment to empower my First Officer to be a helpful partner in the flight.This wasn't to be on that flight and it culminated in my FO intentionally removing his mask on descent into ZZZ. Stating when asked about it that 'It is interfering with my duties.' The interference he was referring to was that I didn't hear the altitude ATC assigned and I asked him to ask ATC to confirm. I don't know how his mask interfered with ATC transmissions.I honestly think he was looking for an opportunity to remove his mask in defiance.I asked him to replace his mask and offered to work the radios if it's a problem.Later at the hotel I restated my objection to flying with someone who refuses to wear a mask and asked if that would be a problem in tomorrow's flight. He stated it would not.  There were no mask issues on that flight; however it was not the most pleasant environment; quite sterile.Mask-less cockpits are dangerous.Unfortunately this is not my first time experiencing the mask resistance in the cockpit.The current guidance on this is weak and shows a lack of leadership on all involved.My experience is that a surgical type mask does not interfere with my duties; is easily and quickly removed if necessary; and by medical consensus prevents contagious droplets from dispersing to a great extent.Please enforce mask usage and prevent the sickness or death of our brothers or sisters in the cockpit.
Air carrier Captain expressed a need for a concrete directive about face mask usage in the cockpit.