Filthy Cockpits
08-21-2007, 09:27 PM
#23
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: MD11 F/O
Posts: 653
There seems to be no cockpit cleaning by FedEx except the date of the cargo conversion. When the 11 goes to Asia, it does get cleaned by the contracted help. My fellow pilots at FedEx set a wide variety of examples. I'd say about 70% take a few seconds to pick up thIer trash while the rest act like thier wives are going to pick it up. (Just like my crashpads). We carry a set of charts and on my last trip they were coffee stained. Nice!
08-23-2007, 03:11 PM
#24
On Reserve
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: Captain, ERJ 145XR
Posts: 15
I'm one of about 3 captains at my airline that actually try to clean up after ourselves. I carry a Dirt Devil Detailer(19.95 at Dirt Devil Dot Com) which actually has enough power to suck things out of the crevices, windex cleaning wipes do good on the buttons, screen gel on the screens. My biggest gripe is that so many of my colleagues are "pipps" which stands for pigs in pilot pants. My biggest pet peeve is digging sunflower seeds and finger/toenail clippings out of the center console. What I'd like to add to these new airplanes is a sextant port--not that I want to relearn how to take star shots-but with a hose, brush and proper fitting you've got the worlds greatest vaccuum cleaner in cruise. If everyone would wash their hands before they get in the cockpit it would stay a lot cleaner.
Fogey
Fogey
08-23-2007, 03:54 PM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: XJT CA
Posts: 528
Hey, I see the flithiness as building my immune system. Sometimes I'll scratch the gummy ashtrays and chew my fingernails just to introduce new bacteria to my body - like a vaccine. 
Here's one for you... Once every couple of years, our Flt. Ops. has to put out memos to not clean the gear handle because of inadvertant gear extensions in cruise. Maybe "cleaning" is an excuse for my "sasquatch Deer Stag bumped the lever while checlking my eyelids for holes," - I don't know. But I'm sure it's actually happened a few times.
Here's one for you... Once every couple of years, our Flt. Ops. has to put out memos to not clean the gear handle because of inadvertant gear extensions in cruise. Maybe "cleaning" is an excuse for my "sasquatch Deer Stag bumped the lever while checlking my eyelids for holes," - I don't know. But I'm sure it's actually happened a few times.
08-28-2007, 06:02 PM
#27
On Reserve
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Posts: 21
Originally Posted by HSLD
Over the past few years many of us have watched our respective companies cut costs and services internally (hows that for an understatement).
One of the things that bugs me at my airline is the general cleanliness of the cockpit. A few years ago, cleaning the cockpit was taken away from maintenance and assigned to the outsourced contract cleaners. I know cleaning the flight deck isn't all that glamorous, but when maintenance performed this function they took pride in their work and planes were spotless.
Now, I honestly don't think the cockpit of our jets have been cleaned since.
I carry wipes to scrub down boom mics, hand mics, and maybe the yoke. Today I decided to wipe out the handhold used to get leverage to adjust the seat, and was pretty well convinced of the cleaning schedule of these jets.
So my question is: how does your company take care of your workspace - mine doesn't.
One of the things that bugs me at my airline is the general cleanliness of the cockpit. A few years ago, cleaning the cockpit was taken away from maintenance and assigned to the outsourced contract cleaners. I know cleaning the flight deck isn't all that glamorous, but when maintenance performed this function they took pride in their work and planes were spotless.
Now, I honestly don't think the cockpit of our jets have been cleaned since.
I carry wipes to scrub down boom mics, hand mics, and maybe the yoke. Today I decided to wipe out the handhold used to get leverage to adjust the seat, and was pretty well convinced of the cleaning schedule of these jets.
So my question is: how does your company take care of your workspace - mine doesn't.
08-29-2007, 08:51 AM
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: high speed taxi driver
Posts: 162
Originally Posted by btwissel
dedication to doing your level best, no matter how menial the job?
sadly, you're right.
sadly, you're right.
08-29-2007, 09:32 AM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: C152
Posts: 501
Originally Posted by jdsavage
Agreed, seems like people will work harder to get out of doing their job, than actually doing it.
I love this country, and I know that there are lazy people in other countries and cultures but laziness is a big part of our culture. I personally think that we have got to be (as a whole) the laziest country in the world. And that is as a whole, including all the classes. The upper class in a lot of other countries could probably give us a good run for our money, but if you tally up the average 'laziness' of the entire society I'm pretty sure we would be at the top of the heap.
08-29-2007, 10:02 AM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 744 CA
Posts: 4,772
Hell you have never been to Italy. I am surprised those people can even have a functioning country. I picked up a bird from Augusto Aerospace in Brindisi ( it was contract depot level maintenance ) and then flew it back to the states. I had done several depot level pickups stateside, one day... TWO max. FCF flight, yada yada... fix a few things.. you get the picture. TWELVE days we were there... ( it was fun i am not complaining ) but the Italian workers actually only worked about 3 hours a day. I am NOT kidding... between breaks and mandated stuff from their union... and towing the bird in and out of storage.... we had like 3 hours a day to get the bird ready.... in the end it was a 6 day trip that turned into nearly 3 weeks .... can you say per diem baby. My point was that was one lazy bunch of workers. We asked the AF Major who was the rep there and he said after the first 6 months he had gotten use to it and just rolled with the flow.
