Originally Posted by
keenster
There in lies the problem. When you sat in a NWA jet in the right seat you knew exactly what the guy in the left seat expected and you did exactly the same thing in the right seat every flight, no guessing what is this guy going to do and expect. As well you knew exactly what the guy in the left was going to do. This allowed immediate recognition of a guy that might be out to lunch and then you knew you had to be on your toes if that was the case. Just saying how it used to be not that it is better than DAL because I can not judge how you guys run things until I exerience flying with enough guys to make a judgement.
Yes, this is a universal complaint from the previously NWA colleagues I've had the pleasure of yanking gear for. I can say, however, that the way it's been done at fDAL is the way I've seen it at the other airlines I've worked at. That is, the guy doesn't look at you funny because you made the noises for him before the pax loaded or started a QA on the inertials to get the box going. I know both jobs, and I can tell what's been done or simply ask. I don't think I'd like things so regimented that there's no flexibility- that's what leads to the "this is your side of the panel, so don't cross the line" crap or our older captains getting fatter and fatter because the book says the FO does the walk-around, so why would I ever do it? The recognition of a guy out to lunch should happen anyway- that's just basic SA. You either have a big SA window or you don't.