Originally Posted by
waflyboy
Thanks Rickair and Xtreme for your valuable info! I was trying to figure out how things could be soooo bad over there. Now I have a better understanding. Sounds like an awful place to work with the deception and what not. Hasn't the FAA caught onto this? Are you telling me that it's better to train a new captain (after reporting a violation on one) than to take the fine?
Lets remember that xtreme flew for air midwest, which is a little different from the rest of the airline.
I am not saying that anything that he said isn't true. But I'll tell you how it is for me on the dash-8 out west.
The captains accomplish the walk around, I believe for the reason that xtreme mentioned: to get a first hand look at the airplane they are about to fly. The captain is also responsible for the FMS, and its operation, thus removing one more way a F/O can "screw him." Both of us review the flight plan on paper and in the box prior to push.
On the dash, (the street captain airframe in question) we have a flight attendant who is responsible for the cabin of the aircraft.
In my almost year of flying the line, I have never seen the release come with in accurate information. Sure, we have had new ones sent to reflect changes in fuel or flight plan, but none with blatantly wrong info on it.
My sim partner was a 250-hour guy that everyone here enjoys ripping on. He was sharp in training, in the sim, and quickly became one of the best, and most well liked F/O's at the airline. The other 4 guys in my class who were of the same background are no different.
I have met pilots at other airlines who have zero personality and have their heads so far up their asses I'm amazed they can safely fly an airplane. I wouldn't trust some of them to fly the blender I sent my grandmother last X-mas, and these guys have 1000's of hours.
I guess it depends on the individual, and not the hours.