I’m sure the FAs LOVE having extra supervision and one more person in the van! /s

 

I'll preface this by saying that I agree with most of what you've said to this point. I've always been a team unity, "last guy up the jetway" kind of guy too. Hell, I even offer to hump FA bags up and down stairs if that's involved between hotel and the aircraft. But I just don't understand this:

I might be wrong, but the way I'm reading your post it sounds like you're saying that if your report time is say 10am and the flight attendants report at 8am, you go with them at 8am?

I gotta ask...why? The only way that *kinda* makes any sense is if you're flying with the same herd of flight attendants outbound and they gotta be there at 945am but your report is at 10am. But even then, assuming you and your FAs have the same rest requirements, it still doesn't compute for me. Wouldn't everyone's report time be the same?

I mean, as long as you get your required legal rest, I guess you're free to report whenever you choose? It just smacks as an empty (even creepy?) gesture. They are all independent, functioning adults, right? Ones that can fasten a seat belt, be driven a short distance and then easily find their way around any shopping mall or grocery store unsupervised?

I guess I just think there is a point where the "white knight" thing crosses a line into patronizing or even creepy and unwanted.

 

I always offer, but they rarely accept.

 

 

Division in the cockpit. AA’s favorite.

 

Yeah Freezingflyboy... you got it wrong. U.S. carriers are a wee bit different than foreign carriers... ranging from the culture of the home country of the airline to the culture within the airline and the passengers, (referred to as guests) flown. The good news is that we don’t have to worry about grievances being filed by one group agains another resulting in better cooperation, almost camaraderie by all involved assigned to the flight. Makes the job easier in most cases.

Carriers I’ve flown with overseas require cabin crew to report anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes before the front end crew. Other carriers are contracted to “handle” our aircraft at outstations.

I like to meet with the engineer(s) to review the tech log (especially items I entered into the tech log), pass along the outbound fuel load, and confirm with the F/As, no issues with the cabin, to mitigate potential issues causing a delayed departure.

You see, Freezingflyboy... overseas, unless ATS is notified of a delay and requesting an extension, the flight plan will drop out of the system. Our aircraft are equipped with SATPHONEs. Our OCC is able to refile or request for an extension of time of departure. Last minute refillings, overease, can be a rub.... CTOT’s and Slots FIR Boundry to name a few.

That said, showing up 30 minutes early has saved me 3+ hour delays by being, what I call, proactive. It’s like insurance... you don’t use it every day, but its sure nice to have it when you need it.

Mitigating delays makes a big difference when passengers need to make onward connections to othe destinations served with single daily flight. Its equally important regarding essential cargo, including important medical supplies being shipped to the same onward destinations too.

We don’t have the same support from an OCC that of the Delta, United, British Airways, Air France etc... It’s up to the Captain to make things happen from, sometimes 2,000 miles, away from the carrier’s base.

On the plus side... Loading up the Pax, and getting out well ahead of schedule has it’s benefits too... wouldn’t you agree?

 

This makes more sense now. I think most were taking what you were saying in the context of how one of the bigger airlines with more support operates.

 

You notify the company to adjust your show time don't you? Because otherwise.... You would be lying.

 

Who is filing grievances against each other? I don't even know how that would work or what mechanism that would involve short of a call to a flight attendant supervisor or chief pilot.

For what it's worth, I have never done any of what you claim to do yet seem to have no problem establishing some level of camaraderie with the cabin crew. Usually a simple "Hey, do you guys have everything you need? Everything working in the cabin? I'll get the AC going first thing when I get up front" will suffice. Especially if you do sneak it in there before you demand a cup of coffee or bottle of water.

Interesting. I've never run into that before. In my world, if we are staying at the same hotel with the flight attendants we are scheduled to take the same shuttle/transportation to the airplane.

Golly jeepers Mister Captain sir, that all sounds pretty complicated! Do they just park the airline when you take a day off? SATPHONES?! Gee whiz! Do you fly the Starship Enterprise?

Listen, we're all professionals here, lets act like it. I tried to approach your position with respect and I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the same. You seem to enjoy belittling those that don't share your sense of duty yet won't acknowledge that you are unquestionably the outlier.

Sounds to me like you are taking on a lot of extra duties that you are performing off the clock and uncompensated. In a former life, we would call that "masking the problem". I wonder what the company's position would be if you busted an ankle going down the jetway to deliver a fuel load to the fueler or confer with the engineers 30 minutes prior to your official report for duty.

That was my thought as well. Heaven forbid things go sideways one day and it becomes Captjns's Offroad Spectacular, I have to wonder how things would play out when you are on tape on your SATPHONE with OCC 30-45 minutes early of what the company considers your duty-on time. Assuming you have similar rules at your company or part of the laws you fly under, do you take that earlier report time into account when considering extended duty situations?

 

Correct ReadyRsv... via phone and ACARS. If situations dictate, we are allowed to go into “Discretion”.