Originally Posted by
randomroute
If youre not optimistic, you’re miserable. Swift has alot of contracts and alot of flying. They are flying an elderly fleet that is maintained to regulation. If any discrepancy sufficiently scares you or makes you question your flying ability-refuse to accept the aircraft...end of story. The FAA ground AA’s entire 757 fleet over paperwork. If the feds were concerned, they’d have Swift shutdown immediately. But hey, why dont you call them with all your concerns. Matter of fact let the Swift POI know you had to escalate the matter of safety since you clearly already spoke to him while you were here as an F/O. Thats the right thing to do right? Itll help you sleep better at night too[emoji1742]*[emoji3603]
Especially the US air aircraft those are tired looking especially in the cabins, but they’re work horses and that’s why swift bought them. They do the high density flying with ICE or Cuba. The nicer Alaska aircraft with all the nice bells and whistles including HUDs, newer cabins are used in VIP.
I’d say for the most part they all fly pretty good, takes a minute to transition from efis to steam gauges but they all do the same thing. The 300s suck in the summer, only one recirc fan and weak APUs can make them a sauna. Don’t know much about the southwest 300s, but hopefully they have updated pieces on it.
The flight mechanics work hard to keep these aircraft going, since we don’t fly into hubs, parts are shipped to destinations and the type of charter operation makes it hard for aircraft to sit for days and be babied. It’s not ideal but idle aircraft don’t make money, that applies to any airline. If it’s broken write it up, easy as that. Even if they don’t like the answer because it causes a rift in occ to create rescue flights, it is what it is.
It’s boeing product and they were made to be put through its paces. Things happen, things break. Write it up if it’s unsafe and if someone coerces you to do otherwise that’s what the feds are for. So if you’re not reporting unsafe acts or doing your own due diligence you have no room to complain. This place is what you make of it and it’s as safe as it’s pilots make it, those not complying it will catch up quick.