Originally Posted by
FlyJSH
Out of curiosity, do you give your FOs a list of "silly nonsense" items they should ignore?
Also, when your FOs make one of these "silly nonsense" mistakes, do you correct them or let it slide?
I ask these questions because your comment reminded me of a trip when I was fresh off OE in an all-glass jet when all my previous experience was in steam gauge turboprops. On day one of a four day, he turned on the anti ice when I thought we didn't need it. Being the FNG and thinking I had memorized the limitation incorrectly, I pulled out the book and looked it up. What I read confirmed that my recolections were correct, so I asked him why he turned it on. I expected to get a tribal knowledge rule, a personal experience story where he had gotten icing outside the limits, or "opps, my mistake." All would have been valid responses. Instead I got something along the lines of 'there's a right way, a wrong way, a company way, and MY way to fly this plane'. His response to my questioning one piece of silly nonsense made it clear: I was to shut up and sling gear.
I actively fly both seats (2 companies) so I have a little bit of perspective on this.
No I don't give anybody a list, and I generally am very open to suggestions given the right time and place. I also rely on my experience and knowledge to keep the operation going. If someone makes a mistake I don't particularly care about I let it slide and demonstrate their mistake later hoping they will learn from that experience. As a simple example, if I see a bad landing coming I don't go into panic mode, I might get on a control here or there to keep it manageable, but I'll let things go through, then explain what they could have done better.
There's a time and place for everything and there's nothing wrong with asking questions to learn, that time isn't on an approach at 400 feet, we all have instrument ratings and we all SHOULD know what safe and unsafe is (which is sometimes different from stable or unstable), if something doesn't feel right make it know and make it known loud and clear.
My earlier comment was more directed at when you're on an approach to minimums and somebody starts piping up about unimportant items, if you're up at the flight levels there's nothing wrong with having a conversation about stuff, it is, however, very important to make your tone clear in that there is a difference between a conversation and being a nitpicker.