Also FO's please don't turn the seat belt sign on or off without saying something. And if it's borderline, ask the CA as they might have spaced it. I've had multiple SkyWest FO's (former CA's) do it and not say anything, often in light chop that doesn't require it or short duration turbulence that lasts 5 seconds. I won't notice the change and then 20 minutes goes by with the sign in the wrong position.

And before someone says "but the pax don't care"... that's true for some, but not for all.

 

My response would be: sorry, wrong department. Ever since they became flight leaders and management started removing things from the captains purview, inflight has devolved into a mess. I don't want to manage customer service and I have been told again and again it's not my place to solve problems in the cabin. Good luck with your departmental fix. Not my circus/monkeys.

 

As an FO I never touched the seatbelt sign unless asked to. Sometimes if I think the captain forgot I'd say "want me to let them up?" Or something to that extent but some FOs are so antsy to do stuff it's funny.

 

Is DCLC typically scheduled before sims and OE? It seems like it would be more appropriate after training, especially the wing ceremony.

 

ladies and gentlemen , sorry the Flight Attendants will remain seated for the entire 3 hour flight as there is a 10 percent chance of light chop showing on the widget weather about 300 miles west of of our route 😂😂. All the pax are like WTH ?

 

She just spoke at the spring LCA meeting, with the same message. In a nutshell, Captains put on your big boy/big girl pants and start leading and start enforcing the policies and expectations. Refreshing.

Another facilitator spoke at the DCLR and had a great presentation. She did an excellent job in explaining what goes on in the back, especially during red/yellow emergencies, etc. A great presentation.

Those two presenters are assets to the FA training department.

 

I found the DCLC to be overwhelmingly good when I did it. And I appreciate the fact that the people who curate it really want it to be the best it can be.

That said, I don't know how to reconcile the notion that I am a supposed to act as supervisor to the cabin crew. They don't want me to and I don't want to. Set up for bad CRM is what that is.

 

I was JSing a few days ago and it was a little bumpy for most of the first half of the flight. The lead got up and did her service in first, but the FAs in the back wouldn't get up. I stepped out for a break and chatted with her, she wasn't happy with the other FA's for saying it was too bumpy. "It's going to be the downfall of the this airline if they don't get FA's who will work," we're her words. I think the leads are helpless because they're all scared of their own leadership with few protections. I'm guessing the safety card gets thrown out automictically in these situations.

I agree that Captains need to set expectations but it really needs to start at the training department and with in-flight leadership. Until people start getting fired for this stuff, it will only get worse. It's downright embarrassing how many flights I've been on where there is no service due to "rough air," when it's barely noticeable. They really need to step up their in-cognito ride along program and start cracking down.

 

It must be coming from the FA training department - they must be giving them an idea they can't serve if it's "rough".. when it's pretty smooth.

I had a flight recently where an FA from the back called up and asked when it was going to get smooth because they can't serve.. it was almost dead smooth, just a ripple here and there.. I said as much.. "I don't know why you think this is rough. I'm on the same airplane as you and it's almost smooth. The seatbelt sign is off" and the seatbelt sign had been off for a while.

 

Senior Mamas I fly with will be slinging drinks and food in D1 when it's pretty bumpy out there. The younger ones in back will be strapped to their seats. That's what I see most of the time.

Even when it's smooth with an occasional intermittent light chop this happens. Even had one of them one night call us up from the back asking us to to "turn on the seat belt sign because it was too rough in the back". It was pretty much smooth with maybe a burble of light chop once every 10-15 minutes. Hardly worth turning on the belts. Chatted with the purser about it, she said that basically if they think it's too rough to serve, there wasn't much as the purser she could do about it - safety.

I wonder if they have a turbulence simulator for the FA's?? I think most of the new ones haven't been in truly moderate turbulence. We have good tools to try to avoid most of the bad stuff, so generally we can find them pretty decent rides most of the time on most trips. Maybe they just don't understand it. I try to educate them when they call us up front. I'll tell them "this is smooth with occasional light chop, nothing more, the seat belt sign will remain off until I determine it needs to be turned on" Just trying to cage their perceptions of what type of turbulence we are experiencing if any at all. Also, if we get into moderate, after the flight or later once we're cleared I'll call them and let them know, that, which we just went thru, is moderate turbulence. I think they need a better frame of reference is all.