Ha, you aren't worth the hassle. Enjoy your time at AAY! For all others wanting to go to AAY...I was there, grateful I didn't have certificate action against me and am way happy at a Legacy. Lots of luck!

 

Disco where do you work, Value-Giant? Its not always as simple as "if its broke, just write it up." If you worked at G4 you would know that. Many times things have been written up multiple times and then signed off; to the point where the crew knows an item is INOP but MX has just signed it off so the logbook is clean...

What does one do then? Allegiant crews have to deal with situations like this everyday, no?

 

Yeah, those engine failures (50?) could have been prevented had those guys written them up prior to taking off. How AWESOME is our MTO program?! Engine showing signs of stress?…push it harder! Safety first!

That's just engines, I could go on for days.

 

I'm an Allegiant pilot...

About 3 years ago at my former airline (one of the better regionals) I had an early morning flight into IAD. The whole east coast was socked in with horrible weather. We did a Cat 2 right down to mins and barely made it in. Luckily for me scheduling took me off my trip and sent me to the hotel. The hotel was still serving breakfast when I arrived, so I dropped my bags in my room and came back downstairs. As I'm sitting there eating breakfast and another crew from my company are checking out their release on their phones next to me. The captain turns to his FO and says "whoa man, did you see all of these MEL's?" He continues telling his FO that the Autopilot and yaw damper, one pack, the radar altimeter and a few other things were MEL'd too. So asked them "where are you going?" "Houston", they responded. The weather in Houston was about as bad as IAD. They had a takeoff alternate and their alternate for Houston was less than spectacular. I looked at the captain and asked "you aren't really going to accept that plane are you?" He gave me a sheepish look and said "do you think we should refuse it?" My response was something to the effect of "hellll yes!" I couldn't believe they were considering an almost 3 hour flight with bad weather everywhere and multiple MEL's that would compound any problem that may arise.

Pilot pushing is not a new phenomenon in the airline world. I bet every pilot at every airline has a story like mine from either first hand knowledge or from someone they know. This is where good Aeronautical Decision Making and asserting your authority as captain or even FO comes into play. Every airline is guilty of cutting corners when they get caught in a pinch. Delays, short staffing, broken airplanes timed out crews and on and on..... Scheduling and MX are always trying to pull a fast one. They aren't the ones who have to worry about getting killed. It's our professional duty to step in and stop some lunkhead MX department or scheduler from pushing us into doing something we know is unsafe. Man up and do the right thing. If they want to fire you for that, then you probably don't want to work for that place anyway. Better yet, sue them and report them to the FAA and media.

I have no illusions that Allegiant isn't trying to cut corners where they can. I have yet to see a logbook or release that has made me question the safety of the aircraft. Then again, I was hired into the Airbus. Maybe that has something to do with it. I'm no G4 cheerleader. Heck, I have my apps out just like 90% of the guys here. I'm sure as hell not going to risk my life or certificates for Allegiant or anyone else. I will speak up as soon as I feel the need to. Even as a lowly FO, if I'm not happy with something, I'm not going.

 

If you were hired into the bus, that means you've been here about a year or less. You are correct that the Airbus and MD-80 are vastly different experiences at the same company. In fact, you have experienced the "best" of Allegiant. This is true for now. When the 757's came, they were the darlings. They have gone the way of the 80's and so will the Bus. A leopard doesn't change its spots and you can't pry the ValuJet mentality out of their heads with a crowbar. Again, only TWO things will change this place.

 

Ahhhhh that explains much! Well I was at AAY 5+ years and flew the 80. As all of the above have said, you can't really write up an engine before it fails. I figured if i'd let you talk a bit you'd dig your own hole.....Ha hired into the Airbus, been at AAY less than a year probably....no wonder you are still in the honeymoon phase. Give it a few more months, jump into the 80 just for fun, go "write up" a few planes, see how that goes...

 

Actually, to be more accurate, I have seen the regional side, AAY side and now the Legacy side. Oh and again I didn't "stay there" I left when I saw things were going downhill and wish I would have left way earlier hahaha!

 

Sure the classes will be filled. With who? Years ago the old system chief(MD) use to walk around brazenly asking rhetorical questions like, “so boys how is the job market?”. Making light of the fact it was dismal, inferring you better just go along with the program. Carrying mel’s with a smile, disregarding the lack of operational support, etc.. Your atypical dirt bag airline. The current regime up until recently did the same thing, not quite as much vigor as md. Bragging endlessly about all the astronaut/over qualified resumes on his desk.

Present day, a recent class had a lot of ‘no shows’. But yes, eventually they got filled and will probably continue to get filled. What we’re doing is keeping g4’s well earned reputation alive and well, so that our little management trolls will have a more difficult time finding the over qualified. What I’m hearing is, they [you little management turds] are seeing a lot of what they don’t want; people with misdemeanor criminal, e.g. dui’s; lots of training failures. No longer is the desk stacked with 3000 resumes of over qualified pilots.

G4 is not interested in making this place a career airline. Their actions speak for themselves. They are looking for the eagerly desperate who are here just long enough to get fed up and leave.

 

Lucky walking straight in to the airbus not having to suffer the MD-80. Curious, what made you change your mind?

 

Management trolls, who won the door prize?