View Single Post
Old 03-20-2017, 10:45 PM
  #20  
Albief15
Gets Weekends Off
 
Albief15's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 2,889
Default

Agree with your points, but I think the place to fix those issues is with the Training Committee, LOAs, and section 6 work.

Once I commit downrange to upgrade, my goals are A) learn all I can about my new craft and B) avoid any extra stress by getting through all my events smoothly. Another issue is setting the tone and example for your FO, who may be a new hire. I pretty much expect that to mean there will be some times you may be carrying said partner if they (like me) come from a background with zero heavy or airline experience. My 76 partner was an unflappably calm, very capable experienced FO who was already in theater, so it was relatively easy for us to get the job done. Some of our new captains will be hearing things like "what is a flow?" and "why can't we just use the checklist?" I can only imagine what a LIMFAC I would have been had I got VFR direct to the right seat of the MD-11 from fighter.

Where I thought the training REALLY could have been improved was not having 0400 box times. That--and some shortfalls with Hack's--I put in my critiques. I CC'd the ALPA guys on some of those as well. I didn't appreciate doing LMS on my own time, but I detested waking up at 2 for a 4 am box. Most guys gaffed off doing any briefing and did it the afternoon prior. It worked--because the IP cadre really did care--but it was far from optimum for anyone involved. It wasn't a instructor problem, but just a resource problem...we just didn't have enough training facilities for the volume of students. Good news it appears the trend is improving with more sims coming online.

Some of the issues we have with training are mirrored at other legacies. It might be worth some work at the National level to design what we believe is an acceptable baseline of academics verses self-study. I have a friend at Delta who has done multiple upgrades at both FDX and Delta (long story) and he describes how much more detailed the FDX training was. To be honest, that didn't make me feel so good about being a Diamond flyer on Delta, because I thought our 767 program was a bit light...at least compared to my previous MD-11 experience. In any case, we are at a point I think some of the responsibility to learn is definitely on our shoulders. While the amount of time we "owe" the company of our own time to prepare is certainly up for debate, under the current system you better plan on diving in and getting some of it done on your own. There comes a point where professional pride and self preservation become more important than figuring out who gets billed for the timesheet. I agree with your premise, but figure once academics start you need to just do all you can to get good at your craft. Take good notes and then try to fix any issues once you are back out on the line...
Albief15 is offline