Originally Posted by
FlyJSH
And there in lies your ignorance. When one is flying eight legs from Houston to BPT or VCT or DRT or CLL or BPT (none of which have food), the turns back at IAH are about 30 minutes. Figure the time it takes to walk to the ops center, get the release or do the walk around, take a leak, and get back into one's seat, there is NO time to eat. Figure six or eight legs, that poor soul is looking at 10-12 hours without a break. And with legs that are less than an hour, cruise time (a time when we are permitted to eat) is often less than 10 minutes.
There have been many days when my crew and I had no time to wander up to the concourse and choose a meal. Heck, I even had to tell several FAs that I do NOT expect her to take a leak in the porta potty that is our "lav". I'll take a delay so that my crew can pee in a flush toilet and wash their hands in a sink. Yeah, it can be that bad.
Maybe one day when you have flown old fashioned puddle jumper routes you will understand.
Until then, **** off.
Been there, done that- so I'll refrain from ****ing off.
I've done my share of 6-7 leg days (there was even a 6 leg day on the Airbus in ATL a few months back). If there is no break to eat in your day, you take one and get some chow. If you have to delay a flight, so be it. I've always followed that rule, never got in trouble for following it... and every pilot with any sort of sense follows that rule.
I remember in one of those 6 or so leg days at the regional, a supervisor met me coming off the plane to take me directly to the next flight. "Sorry, I'm getting some food."
him- "there's no time! You've got to get to the plane!"
me- "nope, want something? I'm stopping by Einsteins... I have to have food."
Needless to say, I got my way and never heard anything about it.
At mainline, they'll even meet us at the jetbridge with a crew van to whisk us away to the next airplane if we're running behind. A number of times we've refused that ride because we needed to get some chow.