Originally Posted by
boxhauler
FDX TA: Pilot in command/captain of record determined by seniority for doublecrewed flights. sec 22.B.2 Why the change in the way we do it now? Doesnt it suck for the captain who bids the line to lose the flight/landing to a captain who bids a double crew line? Lots of potential for abuse by senior capts bidding nothing but two crew lines ( and racking up the deadhead NW miles) but keeping current by trumping for the landing. we already have too many professional RFOs begging for landings to stay current, but never bid a line that might actually give them a landing. Ive seen more than one captain recently tell a senior rfo no, bid a line and work for a living. Anyway, I thought this issue was already debated and resolved. Why the change? Was it a union request or management?
When we first started KIX-MEM the pairings were built with FDX18 and FDX7018. If you had the pairing with the FDX7018 you were the Relief Captain. Then came the AL K. rule.
Harry J. had the pairing with FDX18 so he was designated PIC. Harry J. was very junior. Al K. was quite senior and because his pairing had the FDX7018 he was the R/Capt.
At alert the crew was advised that they had a jumpseater, a FAA Maint. Inspector. The senior AL K. had a problem with the cockpit being too crowded. When the crew met the inspector they convinced him take the flight a couple of hours later that stopped in Anchorage. All was fine, the crew thought. When the FAA guy's boss found out about it it became a big deal because they bumped an Inspector. Al K., the senior guy that caused the issue in the first place said "Hey, I was not PIC" The PIC of record had his ATP suspended for two weeks, and the policy was changed to the senior pilot was always PIC.
Then a number of years later after CDG-SFS started they started building Captain lines that had a dhd to CDG fly CDG-SFS, dhd KIX, fly KIX-MEM. Those trips were very senior and the other Captain was normally junior so he was bumped back to R/Capt on those legs. This caused a problem for a number of Captains that were bumped back. JL changed the policy so the Captain with the main pairing was the PIC and those flying those two leg around the world flights were the R/Captain. ALPA took the position that it should remain by seniority. The company and ALPA could not agree so we now have one Captain and three F/Os, problem solved!
