UConn,

Ok, you weren't whining, but be careful, nwafo got a whiff of something in your original post and it was close. Anyway, it won't be the last time you encounter a jack*ss in the aviation business, but maybe you've had coaches or teachers cut from the same mold as that FO and you dealt with it the best you could, let your performance and actions speak for themselves and wrote it off. I flew with one guy who was ornary and agitated and he nitpicked constantly. As I got to talking with him on the third leg of the day in cruise, I found out his teenage daughter had committed suicide a few months prior. I felt like an @ss for having less than flattering thoughts about the guy and it taught me to look deeper. I'm not saying your FO had a personal burden or tragedy, but right now his career is in certain turmoil and maybe he's going through a divorce or financial hardship, maybe not. Still doesn't justify being rude, and maybe it's as simple as that--he's rude. Bottom line is you will have flight instructors, captains, job interviewers, mechanics, flight attendants, gate agents and others in your pilot career that will dump on you for no other reason then you are the nearest target, comb your hair funny or played football and they hate football and the Univ of Conn because they ruined his alma mater's chances at a national championship. Name any silly reason. You may fly with a pilot like this FO for an entire month for 80 or 90 block hours when you're an airline pilot and have to deal with it. You're a QB and have a better understanding than the average bear for leadership and setting a positive tone for your teammates and your opponents for that matter. You're accustomed to teammates looking to you for the leadership, decisiveness and assurance. That'll be a great resource for you as you move up the aviation career ladder--use it. Maybe you've had to reel in a teammate that was over the top, or at least learn to work with him on the field because you had little choice. Guaranteed when you're an airline pilot, you'll get some know-it-all or irritable sort and that'll be your world for that trip while you try to maintain a safe, healthy working/operational environment.