No, it is an issue. Especially on a night flight where you have the F/As chatting and comparing cat food recipes loudly and with the reading lights on while the revenue passengers are trying to sleep. Go sit in the back galley if that's what you need to do instead of bothering the passengers.

Or, God forbid, actually do your job and walk down the aisle occasionally and actually look at the pax to see if they need anything, rather than the straight ahead, see nothing, I'm ignoring all of you walk.

T

I've RARELY heard FA's being loud back there during late night flights. I'm not kidding. They're usually very quiet and mindful of the sleeping passengers. At least on AA they are.

As for the strobes on when just sitting there waiting to be cleared to go, are we not not being just a BIT overly dramatic and sanctimonious about jeapordizing public safety? As I said, I NEVER call anybody out on anything on the radio because it's just juvenile and classless, but it IS irritating to see a jet blasting it's strobes while just sitting there. Yes, we ARE smart enough to look away. By the way, almost NOBODY does the strobes on while parked on the runway thing. I'm ORD based - home to UA and AA. Neither airline has many pilots who turn on the strobes while just sitting there - policy or not. Thank you.

Personally, I go out of my way to not shine a bright light into another crew's eyes. Most seem to act the same way. Some obviously don't give a crap, under the guise of "safety". Right.

I don't care if FAs sit in the last row of a plane. I do care if they talk loudly in to each other while passengers are trying to sleep. I have been on two early flights in the second to last row with noise canceling headphones and only a few hours of sleep and both times they kept me up. The last one was a few weeks ago and I heard every detail of the FAs four day. I was jumpseating home so didn't care too much, but if I was a paying passenger then I would not be happy.

As far as strobes go... Do you complain when a plane lands with strobes while you are holding short? I remember when I was new to 121 and a captain showed me how annoying it was when someone put strobes on when they entered the runway. I agreed with him but a few weeks later I realized that before he taught me that, I never even noticed. I learned when I was a student pilot not to look at strobes and some how people forget after a few years in 121.

You put strobes lights on when you are on the runway so that landing traffic can see you are on the runway. I have had enough close calls caused by ATC trying to get another departure out in front of us in the daytime to appreciate the AIM aircraft lighting policy.

I'll agree with 450 on the FA issue. Their jumpseats are absolutely horrible. If the flight isn't full, I can hardly grudge them for wanting somewhere comfortable to sit for a few minutes.

Don't agree with you on the strobes though. If it bugs you so much, don't look at them.

I don't have a problem with the strobes on while taking an active runway. It's not that hard to stare at your knees and helluva lot better than ending up like that Skywest (I believe) EMB-120 that got flattened in California about 20 years ago. Procedures, policies, and regulations are usually written in blood for a reason.

Amen....mr 450 knots has a lot to learn.

I don't ever complain about strobes to anybody. I just duck my eyes and get on with it. I'm discussing it because that's what a forum is for - discussion. By the way, you guys act like its common. It's not. It's actually pretty rare. Almost everybody flips on their strobes at the cleared for takeoff call.

The Skywest accident was at LAX in early 1991 and I happened to be flying an Aerostar right by LAX that night at the time of the accident. I remember it clearly. The airplane was a Metroliner and was sitting on the runway at an intersection. It's the reason why we are not allowed to sit in position at an intersection at night.

While I agree it helps to see the guy on the runway, In actuality, airline jets are already lit like Christmas trees while on the runway, with at least a nose light, beacons, logo lights, on. I find it difficult to believe that any crew on final would fail to notice a large jet parked on the threshold of a runway.

Anyway, it's all academic to me anyway. If some pilot's want to flip on their strobes the moment they taxi onto a runway, then by all means, have at it. I personally think its overkill, but that's just my opinion. Nothing more.

Easy on the thinly veiled insults, Mr. Crockett. I've been flying professionally for 24 years and have more than 17,000 hours with no incidents, busts, etc., and am an experienced check airman. I am well aware of the reasoning behind the recommendation, but do not necessarily feel the compelling need to agree with every little recommendation issued by our esteemed FAA.

Jeez guys. Freakin' relax a little.

I find it's quite rare for someone to wait to turn on the strobes until the takeoff call. They are mostly on upon entering the runway as per standard FOM policy around the country.

Well, I can't speak for another airline's policy, but our Before Takeoff Checklist is divided into two parts - above the line, and below the line. If a delay is expected before a full takeoff clearance is issued, we accomplish the checklist to the line. Once Cleared for Takeoff (company's italics, not mine), then the below the line items on the checklist will be completed, which includes lights.

For us, that generally means, nose and recog lights on (beacon of course already being on) taking the runway. Landing lights and strobes once cleared for takeoff (strobes only at night).

As I said, other airlines may differ in what their policies are.

Anywhoo...

This is supposed to be a TOTD thread...
Differing opinions on lighting etiquette does not make any of us "tools"

Moving on. ;)