Originally Posted by
Hobbit64
1. First flight out (0545) has to get out on time or every other flight that plane flies will be late. Imperative. Crew does a preflight for said flight and finds a hole in a fan blade. Not a nick, chip etc. A HOLE through it. OK, easy. Call OPs, get maint. They are delayed. Base manager walks out a yells etc pressuring them to go. Yes, W T F !? Manager was getting pressure from HQ to end the late first flights.
Wouldn't doubt it for an instant. But that's why pilots don't work for the station manager. I've laughed in their faces as I turned and walked away... Yeah Bro, Whatever. The CP at any airline would back you to the hilt on something like this, but since you don't work for Ops anyway it shouldn't even come to that.
Originally Posted by
Hobbit64
FO gets a call to report for a Functional Check Flt and shows up as fast as he can. Gotta get this bird back in the mix to make $$$. Rapidly goes through the report evolution and walks to the designated gate-No Plane. Calls scheduling, on hold- "Oh Yeah, they're working on it. It'll be there soon" It showed up 3 hours later.
That's SOP at any airline. Mx tries to appease Ops by over-promising completion time. Ops tries to lead the problem by giving crew support an even earlier show. CS tries to lead that...I learned to always call the Mx Sup and find out the real schedule before getting in my car.