Originally Posted by Turbosina

This.

Although, I don't mind the background question, I often asked it myself when I was a CA..."So, whatcha do before you came here?" Just kinda helps get a conversation going and helps you learn about the person.

To answer the OP...

A few classic red flags (all of which I have experienced personally) are as follows. I will say: all but one of these happened while I was at my former employer, and not UAL.

• First words out of his mouth are something along the lines of "Since I'm a check airman / management pilot / former squadron commander/ ..."
• "I'm not racist, but..."
• "I'm real laid back"
• Wears the hat IN the flight deck. Extra bonus points if the headset is worn over the hat (actually saw this happen once)
• "I just talked to the CEO the other day and he told me in confidence..." / and so forth
• Custom bag tag with bird col. insignia
• Brief takes longer than the flight
• Asks to inspect your pilot cert and medical (no, not while you're jumpseating....I mean when you show up to operate the flight)
• Rude to the FAs, ground crew, cleaners, etc
• Refuses to tip the van driver. "I don't get tips for doing my job, why should he?"
• Tells you your SOP-dictated technique is all wrong and insists you do it his way because that's how they did it at his previous airline
• Expects you to do the entire preflight (walkaround, box, clearance, flows, literally everything) and absolutely refuses to do anything aside from sitting there scrolling through pics of his boat / lake house / 'Vette / fourth wife/ etc
• Conversation is essentially a monologue about himself. For four days.
• Makes PAs that bear any kind of resemblance to the Servant Leader's spiel


And then the green flags:

• "Let's meet at the gate"
• Keeps the briefs....brief
• Consciously looks out for his/her crew's well-being (did we have time to get food? Hit the restroom? Is anyone fatigued?)
• Lets you do your thing without unnecessary interference
• When offering technique suggestions, actually helps you learn something and walk away from the flight as a better aviator
• Is perfectly okay with times of silence on a 5-hour leg
• Admits their own mistakes
• (At my old airline where we did postflight walkarounds) "Hey man, I know you gotta catch that commute flight, I'll get the walkaround for ya"
• Is a genuine, approachable, relatable human being