Originally Posted by
aa73
PerfInit,
There is always the 1%. AA has them too, hence the DNP lists. That said - I've jumpseated on many different airlines and I can unequivocally say that AA runs one of the most relaxed cockpits out there. 99.9% of CAs I fly with are perfectly content letting me make my own decisions on my leg, and go out of their way in setting up a relaxed cockpit atmosphere.
Sure, there are many things to fix. J/S rules, getting rid of the F/A anti-pilot culture, etc. That will change for the better with the merger. But from a cockpit culture point of view, our pilot group is tops. From a brotherhood view, our pilot group is tops. You got some kind of issue and put it on our message board, you'll get flooded with hundreds of offers of help that same day - from money donations to thanksgiving meals with a pilot's family during a layover to someone going to an employee lot and moving your car out of a flood's way... I've seen it all and am truly humbled to be a part of the AA pilot brotherhood.
I'd like to second that. Ive been a AA captain since 91 and on the 777 for the last five plus years and have found the great majority of pilots Ive flown with to be laid back. That would include SFO, ORD, BOS, and LGA for bases, both international and domestic. I cant speak for DFW folks which we all joke about as being "hard ___'s", but I have a few friends based there that are really good guys, even those flying as check airmen.
Maybe its just as an insider, but its exactly as those writing before me have said. You need advice, assistance or a listening ear, guys will bend over backwards to help you...it really is a bunch of special people to be around day in, day out. For all the misfortunes AA has had, our fellow pilots make up for most of it.
