CAs an FOs are rarely on the same LATT when the parings are split or a reserve or relief pilot is involved. More than once I've had to say, "sorry captain, I know this messes up your trip too be I'm not going to XYZ." It's great that the captain is encouraged to "take care of his/her crew" but this is on each individual. We are all adults and professionals entrusted to make the right safety decisions.

 

Sorry but this post reeks of unrealistic idealism.

 

If this is your idea of a good captain, you think only about 1 percent of our captains are good ones.

 

That last part changed when we went to the FRB process. I've only had to pull the plug once for Unfit for Duty since the current PWA process went into effect. I asked the FO how he was feeling about everything as a part of several conversations to ensure that he was good with what we were doing and wasn't already Unfit or Fatigued before I was. When I made the call to tracking and got transferred to the duty pilot for the "how much time do you need to be rested question", the duty pilot indicated that he was required to speak to each pilot individually. We both had to say we were Unfit and we both had to give a time when we would be rested. Definitely different than previously when we could make the call as a captain and get everyone put into rest and that was that.

This peeks my curiosity. Which part(s) are 99% of captain's not doing? Asking the other pilots for input on unfit/fatigue? Pulling the plug if one of the other pilots becomes unfit/fatigued? Or is it the last part about making the call and keeping the other pilot's names out if it I discussed above which I believe is impossible these days?

 

Might want to spend some time in dispatch getting to know exactly what a dispatcher does. I guarantee your dispatcher was neither praying nor hoping either way, it's a crew tracking function. Period. Might want to get to know what the only other represented work group on property actually does before you lump them in with "the Man". Trust me, you have a bigger ally in your dispatcher than you think you do.

 

Kind of like typing in English. You’ve been using it for what, 55-60 years, yet you can’t put together a single post using “an” instead of “a”. Or using “you’re” instead of “your”. Not to mention all the other ways you absolutely murder your mother tongue.

The normal duty day for domestic ops is 14 hours, right. If I’m unable to continue past that, why is it incumbent on me to fill out fatigue reports? I showed up rested and ready to work. If weather or maintenance, or a reroute cause me to have to work past 14 hours, if I feel good, I’ll do it. But having a punitive system in place where, if I can’t continue 2 hours past my (normal) max duty day, I’ve got to satisfy a bunch of company requirements to get paid? The company does this on purpose because the risk/reward, or pain/pleasure threshold is going to cause most of us to just suck it up and get the job done without making any waves.

It’s why they pushed so hard for the current sick call requirements. After a certain point, knowing that calling in sick will cost you a trip to the Dr., most guys will show up, just cause it’s easier than calling in sick.

Unfortunately, I’m convinced that our leadership doesn’t care if we are fit to fly or not. Whatever makes Delta the most money is what’s most important. If we cry mercy, they relent, but they make it as difficult as possible. If you’re a domestic pilot and you haven’t flown a trip in the last 5-6 months that absolutely kicked your rear end, you’re either really senior or you’re doing something else right. I’m seeing 8:15-8:30 block days regularly on a day or two of almost every trip I fly. We’ve always managed to keep the operation running safely, fatigued, exhausted, or not. We will continue to do so, because we are professionals, and it’s in our own best interest to continue to do so.

 

Apparently some of you guys just don’t have the “complete the mission” mindset. Turn in your backpacks.

 

I'm not sure I share your optimism. At some point, we're going to pay the piper. Hopefully it's no worse than bent metal, but you can't push thousands of pilots on sick/fatigue/nutrition/D0/extensions/ unwanted 91 hour PBS awards/ uncommutable trips/8:30 block NB 4-leg days... without some consequences. We're getting it done, but I'm not sure continuing to do everything as we are doing (and trending) is all in our own best interest.

 

Sure they can. They’ve done it at the regionals for 20 years.

 

First of all your max duty day is defined by the contract. You work under the FAR’s where the extension is legal. It was not that long ago that the FAR’s had no max duty day. Legal to start, legal to finish. If you will exceed your max duty day you don’t have to fill out anything or satisfy anything. You are done and will get paid 100% of the time.
If you want off your trip before your contractual max duty day you will be asked to fill one form out that takes two or three minutes. Oh the horror!
I have never had a job where if I asked off work early the boss did not ask why.