80ktsClamp

I have seen an improvement at AA out of ATL. There was a time when it was bad enough that ATL ground wouldn't let ramp release AA flights until they got their numbers.

DCA A321 FO

There are a few ******** non CRM guys on the bus, all the 767 guys are laid back and ask for an input. On the bus, guy is flying .80, bumpy as hell, I spin it back to .76 or .78 whatever the turb speed is on bus. You should have seen his face.

Another tried to fly through a red cell on the radar, yep, I just call ATC and say I have lightening 12 o'clock, need a vector.

If you have a concern you need to say something to get it on the recorder, then take whatever action is necessary.

450knotOffice

I see two things you did that that would antagonize almost any captain, including you someday: 1) you apparently just spun back his speed without maybe suggesting he may want to slow down first. Excuse me?! Better CRM would have been to suggest that "maybe we should slow down because it's pretty bumpy". Give the guy a chance to make the move on his own. Hell, I'm a captain of MY airplane, and that's the type of suggestion I would make of a first officer during his/her leg. It's just damn rude to spin it down when it's not your leg.
2) Concerning the red cell, did you first suggest that maybe you should ask for a left or right heading away from the cell? If so, did he just ignore you, or offer up a reason why he was planning to penetrate the cell?

CRM goes both ways. You know that. Work as a TEAM. Your actions, at least the way you've described them, strike me as the actions of someone who feels he knows it all, and has to act as the real captain onboard your jet.

DCA A321 FO

No buddy, he was worried about a 30/7 problem for his next trip, a commuter, plain and simple. Crap was flying everywhere. I used the words "bumpy as hell." If you want to be a stupid captain, I will treat you like a stupid captain, everything is recorded on the bus. My bad for leaving that out.

The red cell, he had a meeting with his wife, anniversary, and was in a rush to get home. I did ask him to go around the cell, he said NO.

I was just trying to give 7576FO a couple examples of a few situations here. Didn't want to write a book with all the details. In his example the captain said NO to his request, my point, like his in hindsight, is I would have asked anyway.

Called get-home-itis sometimes.

These are few and far between incidents. 99.999% of the time things run smoothly.

7576FO

Yes, thanks guys.

I still learn something every trip. I try to be diplomatic. I should have just keyed the mic while I was Flying pilot and said "Did someone say ILS OTS?"

My diplomacy isn't always correct.

I just always thought ?'s are free

If there's a ? always ask.

But, sometimes (I) want to let the PM Pilot monitoring do the radio work.

"No" shouldn't be a valid answer.

AA is long overdue for some CRM. Some of the worse comm skills I've seen in my whole career have been at AA.

Out of MIA we have a great culture where the FO speaks up. Especially in South America or the Carib.

D B Cooper

Through these door pass the best trained crews in the WORLD!

aa73

I actually enjoy and learn quite a bit from those HF classes. They've gotten a lot better over the years. I remember back around 2005, they were showing videos of all of the incidents /accidents AA had during our bad streak in an effort to "sober us up".... that was BS. Nowadays it is a good class. Just went through it last week and came out having learned a few good things.

I suspect AA is pretty much like most other airlines out there, just a few cultural differences but overall the cockpits are run very CRM-friendly. 99.9% of CAs I fly with are very good at delegating and using the crew concept, making sure we both agree on everything. Of course there is always that 1% but all airlines have them.

Looks like it wil change for the better now with the USAir culture mixing in.

bigscrillywilli

Haha yea my friend sent me a picture or that. I said " that's why you're standing outside!"

Get over yourselves

aa73

Doesn't Delta have/had that sign at their school house too? Agreed, it is unnecessary.

TQ Nola

Eh, I've always liked that sign. I've never felt it was arrogant. It's not directed at other companies, it's just a little 'pick me up' for guys who find themselves once again shlepping their bags through those doors to the waiting tedium inside. I mean, it goes without saying that, unless you're mentally challenged, you won't think that AA training is magically better than anyone else's.