terrible NWA flight
 

recently returned from team charter flight... awful flight with the crew and aircraft from NWA... FO heard i was a pilot and did his best to try to belittle my lack of experience in the aviation world as a pilot... tried to make me look like a jackass by asking me questions about the HP on my warrior's lycoming engine, how to execute an ILS, what is a cat III approach? basically anything to make me look like a fool in front of the 70 guys ive flown with from my team.. not a very sociable FO if u ask me.. 757s are generally nice aircraft and this one was as well, but not after what the pilots did to this one... crosswind on final was crabbed into, then kicked out way too late.. we crabbed left and the right side mains touched down, throwing the 757 hard to the right.. i think the runway caught the pilots off guard.. lots of vibration in the cockpit followed by loud screeching off the rubber tires.. not what you would call picture perfect...
however, thank u to the capt for the photo opp. at 36,210 feet from the j-seat

When some jerk asks you questions about aviation and you don't want to be taking an oral, just reply, "If you don't know that one by now, I can't help you!" That should shut him up. If that doesn't work, smack him with the aluminum aircraft logbook. :)

Hey UConn,
sorry about the luke warm reception. I'd be more than happy to rap with you if you showed up in my cockpit. Understand it's really a tough time at the majors right now and guys are losing everything they have worked their entire lives for. Having said that, no excuses for someone being rude.

Now, as for the landing...... If you haven't figured it out by now.... everyone slices one now and then, so be careful pointing fingers. Your next landing could be the best one you've ever had or it could cause your cheerleading squad to swear off flying and you. Frats, Tomcat

Not to sound like the Narc, but does anybody else find this comment questionable? (Not that I don't believe UConn, just that if such an event did occur, it's a major regs violation?)

Sorry to hear about your experience. It's possible that he was just trying to strike up a conversation and didn't mean to sound arrogant or make you look dumb... sometimes it's hard to figure out what to say when another pilot visits the flight deck. Of course he could have just been an @ss...

(Not that I don't believe UConn, just that if such an event did occur, it's a major regs violation?)=== from flyerjosh

... wasnt me that went into the cockpit.. the 3rd pilot that was sitting in the jumpseat was given my camera by the F/A and she took care of it for me... the incident i was referring to about the FO's oral exam took place when still on the ramp at ***... he and the captain were helping pass out the meals to the passengers before the flight started...

... oh trust me, a few landings of my own were not picture perfect, but this one was real bad... fortunately i was the only one who knew what was going on otherwise there would have been a lot of guys a little worried..

.. and too bad, but we dont travel with our cheerleaders ;)

is that normal..
 

not to travel with the cheerleaders? I would have a short college football career if that was the case...At 165 lbs (soaking wet...) i'd have a short football career anyway...:-)


-LA

Ragin Cajuns? Was that SW Lousiana, or Lousiana-Lafayette?

UConnQB---don't let anybody put you down. We all had to start somewhere, and sounds like you got an ealier start than that NWA guy! Cheer up, buddy.

Are you playing for UConn right now? I saw your team on ESPN 2 weeks ago, playing on thursday night. Beat Syracuse, right? Go Huskies...

Not sure how NWA operates charters, but it's REALLY common for 121 carriers to operate charters under part 91.

Bad Crew
 

I am sorry to hear about your experience with the crew. Most of the men and women at Northwest are usually very supportive of new aviators. In fact, most love to mentor new pilots. Maybe this guy was a bad egg, bad day …or both.

Is it possible that you approached him in a way that put him/her on the defensive?

Probably bad egg; all airlines have them. Who would want to put down a young aspiring pilot who loves flying?

The other comment by Admin is noted, however, many majors allow cockpit door to be open during charter flights, and for charter pax to occupy cockpit jumpseats during flight. Not saying I agree, but it is allowed, and does happen.

Bad Flight
 

Last thing....why the post? What is the reason? What kind of outcome are you after? Actually, after reading your post again it sounds more like whinning to me. I am very curious way he came after you like that.

Just my opinion. I dont condone public embarrassment ever.

Cajuns...
 

Thats both USL and now UL...Did you go there? Just a big college football fan???

-LA

Perhaps, but even if they operate under part 91, the flight crew is still bound by the company's flight operations manuals. Every airline that I know of has statements about opening the doors in flight and unauthorized cockpit entry. That's what caught my eye at first... it sounded like he had visited while enroute (rather than had a FA pass the camera up front).

[QUOTE=nwafo]Last thing....why the post? What is the reason? What kind of outcome are you after? Actually, after reading your post again it sounds more like whinning to me.

definitely not whining and really there is no outcome.. for those who have watched my games on tv (yes ESPN usually every week) and have seen me on TV, u know i am an intense person, but somewhat subdued... i just thought it to be interesting that here this guy is, for no other reason than to try to discredit my skills, acting as a DE on my oral exam for my ticket... the captain, who i spoke with in the terminal, was completely different, he was a really great guy and i hope to fly with him again.. the FO struck me as being rather strange.. as for the flight part, that was uncalled for by me, but looking at the pics, i wasnt surprised to see that the FO was at the helm on the way back from ***

UConn,

Ok, you weren't whining, but be careful, nwafo got a whiff of something in your original post and it was close. Anyway, it won't be the last time you encounter a jack*ss in the aviation business, but maybe you've had coaches or teachers cut from the same mold as that FO and you dealt with it the best you could, let your performance and actions speak for themselves and wrote it off. I flew with one guy who was ornary and agitated and he nitpicked constantly. As I got to talking with him on the third leg of the day in cruise, I found out his teenage daughter had committed suicide a few months prior. I felt like an @ss for having less than flattering thoughts about the guy and it taught me to look deeper. I'm not saying your FO had a personal burden or tragedy, but right now his career is in certain turmoil and maybe he's going through a divorce or financial hardship, maybe not. Still doesn't justify being rude, and maybe it's as simple as that--he's rude. Bottom line is you will have flight instructors, captains, job interviewers, mechanics, flight attendants, gate agents and others in your pilot career that will dump on you for no other reason then you are the nearest target, comb your hair funny or played football and they hate football and the Univ of Conn because they ruined his alma mater's chances at a national championship. Name any silly reason. You may fly with a pilot like this FO for an entire month for 80 or 90 block hours when you're an airline pilot and have to deal with it. You're a QB and have a better understanding than the average bear for leadership and setting a positive tone for your teammates and your opponents for that matter. You're accustomed to teammates looking to you for the leadership, decisiveness and assurance. That'll be a great resource for you as you move up the aviation career ladder--use it. Maybe you've had to reel in a teammate that was over the top, or at least learn to work with him on the field because you had little choice. Guaranteed when you're an airline pilot, you'll get some know-it-all or irritable sort and that'll be your world for that trip while you try to maintain a safe, healthy working/operational environment.

No, did'nt go there; went to a big ACC school. But, I am a big college football fan, and wondered why they changed their name from USL to UL?

USL to UL
 

I'm glad i left with my degree before they did that crap...It was a better school with the USL name...UL - it may have been to get money...Excellent engineering programs...but i spent most of my time eating the poboys and enjoying the many festivals around the area...

Grew up in Lafayette - my father use to fly for PHI (1980 - 2004, he logged some 20,000+ hours flying in the GOM / surrounding area...) until his death last year...

-LA