Your turn: The best captain I ever flew with...
12-11-2007 | 05:55 PM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 204
Likes: 0
From: 737 FO...
Red Flag:
"I'm a by the book kinda guy, I'm pretty mellow, relaxed, so let's just go and have some fun..."
the guys that are...don't have to tell you that...and there's probably a reason that I (as a reserve) am flying with them to PVR in December...and it ain't b/c the fo doesn't like mexico...
"I'm a by the book kinda guy, I'm pretty mellow, relaxed, so let's just go and have some fun..."
the guys that are...don't have to tell you that...and there's probably a reason that I (as a reserve) am flying with them to PVR in December...and it ain't b/c the fo doesn't like mexico...
12-13-2007 | 11:47 AM
#23
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 849
Likes: 0
From: Student Pilot
Red Flag:
"I'm a by the book kinda guy, I'm pretty mellow, relaxed, so let's just go and have some fun..."
the guys that are...don't have to tell you that...and there's probably a reason that I (as a reserve) am flying with them to PVR in December...and it ain't b/c the fo doesn't like mexico...
"I'm a by the book kinda guy, I'm pretty mellow, relaxed, so let's just go and have some fun..."
the guys that are...don't have to tell you that...and there's probably a reason that I (as a reserve) am flying with them to PVR in December...and it ain't b/c the fo doesn't like mexico...
I like guys who are by the book because I know exactly what to expect... what annoys me is captains who claim they are by the book but instead are very inconsistent. Like they would ignore/do the opposite of some things the book says, and with other things they very nitpicky.
Lately, the most annoying thing though has been this captain who is like a backseat driver.. he is still a CFI in the worst sense who constantly nags me about things like being 3 knots fast (literally, he got on my case about being 3 knots too fast). I haven't had to fly with many guys like this, but for me it's probably the most annoying thing in the cockpit.. like 1000x worse than a captain laying a really smell one on you.
Last edited by kalyx522; 12-13-2007 at 11:52 AM.
12-13-2007 | 06:29 PM
#25
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 6
Best captains I have ever flown with (exceptmyselfofcourse...)
- Guys who have a very good oversight of the 'big picture'. Whatever that means. But you know those folks when you meet them.
- Pilots who never lose their cool.
- Pilots who are competent and precise and thorough but don't lose the ability to have a lot of fun doing the job.
- Pilots who act as leaders. Again, nebulous. You know a leader when you work with one. And you know a weasel when you work with one. This world has more weasels than leaders.
- Pilots who come to work to work, not to sleep on the job and let the F/O do the whole thing. Even though I liked doing the whole thing......
- Pilots who weren't patronizing. (read: pilots who recognised the obvious fact that I was better than them...
)
- Pilots who could laugh for four solid days.
- Guys who have a very good oversight of the 'big picture'. Whatever that means. But you know those folks when you meet them.
- Pilots who never lose their cool.
- Pilots who are competent and precise and thorough but don't lose the ability to have a lot of fun doing the job.
- Pilots who act as leaders. Again, nebulous. You know a leader when you work with one. And you know a weasel when you work with one. This world has more weasels than leaders.
- Pilots who come to work to work, not to sleep on the job and let the F/O do the whole thing. Even though I liked doing the whole thing......
- Pilots who weren't patronizing. (read: pilots who recognised the obvious fact that I was better than them...
)- Pilots who could laugh for four solid days.
12-13-2007 | 08:24 PM
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 0
From: Leftof longitudinal
That's funny! Bustin on you 'cause we know what you mean, but for someone who doesn't like to emphasize oneself, you sure use it alot <BG>
12-14-2007 | 01:02 PM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
From: E-190 Leftist
Some of the things that I've picked up along the way from people that I admire:
Take the time to learn the names of the people that affect your ability to succeed and say hello to them by name when you see them. (IE Rampers, agents, etc). By doing so, you're most likely to get assistance before other folks who haven't done so.
Do the best that you can at your own job and encourage others to do the same.
Don't get bent out of shape about the things you can't control (like staffing, lost bags, full gates).
Don't take out your frustration on the ramp staff- odds are they are 3 people short, working in ****ty conditions for marginal pay. Yelling at them sure isn't going to get things done any faster.
Life is too short to spend it screaming at operations over the radio.
Take a moment each workday to smile at a customer and thank them for flying.
Give cockpit tours. When you do, take a photo with your own camera and offer to email it to your passengers.
Always carry an updated resume and business card. You never know when something better might come along.
If it stops being fun, figure out why. If you can't, it's time to consider something new.
Invest in yourself and your family before all else.
Establish a good relationship with the CP and schedulers whenever possible. Doing so can make life easier down the road.
Be flexible.
There's a whole bunch more, but I don't want to bore you!
Take the time to learn the names of the people that affect your ability to succeed and say hello to them by name when you see them. (IE Rampers, agents, etc). By doing so, you're most likely to get assistance before other folks who haven't done so.
Do the best that you can at your own job and encourage others to do the same.
Don't get bent out of shape about the things you can't control (like staffing, lost bags, full gates).
Don't take out your frustration on the ramp staff- odds are they are 3 people short, working in ****ty conditions for marginal pay. Yelling at them sure isn't going to get things done any faster.
Life is too short to spend it screaming at operations over the radio.
Take a moment each workday to smile at a customer and thank them for flying.
Give cockpit tours. When you do, take a photo with your own camera and offer to email it to your passengers.
Always carry an updated resume and business card. You never know when something better might come along.
If it stops being fun, figure out why. If you can't, it's time to consider something new.
Invest in yourself and your family before all else.
Establish a good relationship with the CP and schedulers whenever possible. Doing so can make life easier down the road.
Be flexible.
There's a whole bunch more, but I don't want to bore you!
I had one guy tell me when I was an FO on the 727 to close my eyes. He asked my what I saw and I said "nothing". He said, "that's what's yours in this cockpit", and we all laughed. What a great sense of humor...........and something that helps to keep the cockpit a fun place to be. When it's not fun, it's time to find something else to do. A few of the things I do to make the job more enjoyable:
1. I always recognize my entire crew by name on my welcome aboard announcement and tell the pax how honored I am to have such a fine crew flying with me today. The FO's and FA's appreciate being more than a face and it gives them a sense of pride.
2. Unless it's been a while since I've flown, I'll always offer the FO his choice of legs (WX withstanding), and let him make the PA's and fly the legs if he has friends or family aboard. I can choose any leg I want, but I always found it the mark of the best CA's I flew with who didn't hog the good legs. 16 EWR legs in a row as an FO was my record.........NOT very fun or interesting to say the least. If their's an odd number of legs, I'll offer it to the FO or we can "spin" the heading knob to see who gets it: even I fly, odd he flies. Works great.
3. I always tell the FA's they're welcome to come up and chat, take a powernap, or see what we do. Newhires are thrilled to come up and see what we do, and love the view we have.
4. On a longer pairing, I'll try to take everyone out for lunch or dinner at least once. I realize most FA's and FO's aren't making much money, and it does wonders for the backend crew to know their CA "cares". I also try to buy Starbucks for everyone during the trip.
But overall, I think just having a good time with everyone makes this job one of the best. Happy Holidays everyone!!
1. I always recognize my entire crew by name on my welcome aboard announcement and tell the pax how honored I am to have such a fine crew flying with me today. The FO's and FA's appreciate being more than a face and it gives them a sense of pride.
2. Unless it's been a while since I've flown, I'll always offer the FO his choice of legs (WX withstanding), and let him make the PA's and fly the legs if he has friends or family aboard. I can choose any leg I want, but I always found it the mark of the best CA's I flew with who didn't hog the good legs. 16 EWR legs in a row as an FO was my record.........NOT very fun or interesting to say the least. If their's an odd number of legs, I'll offer it to the FO or we can "spin" the heading knob to see who gets it: even I fly, odd he flies. Works great.
3. I always tell the FA's they're welcome to come up and chat, take a powernap, or see what we do. Newhires are thrilled to come up and see what we do, and love the view we have.
4. On a longer pairing, I'll try to take everyone out for lunch or dinner at least once. I realize most FA's and FO's aren't making much money, and it does wonders for the backend crew to know their CA "cares". I also try to buy Starbucks for everyone during the trip.
But overall, I think just having a good time with everyone makes this job one of the best. Happy Holidays everyone!!
12-14-2007 | 01:59 PM
#30
On Reserve
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
My favorite Captain rode to work on a Harley, was loved by all the crews, and gave me one piece of very useful advice:
"If this airplane starts talking to you, you dang well better listen."
(think: TCAS, windshear, stall, etc.)
"If this airplane starts talking to you, you dang well better listen."
(think: TCAS, windshear, stall, etc.)
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