It takes forever to get through their checklists.

 

They're trolling for dollars. Hey, do what you gotta do!

 

Oh yeah! We do have long checklists.

Not to be defensive here,
AA is constantly reviewing times on our sequences over a 3 month rig.
For next months schedule bid one of our Europe trips lost :30 minutes.
That trip is all hard time and no pay and credit. Due to pilots continually underflying.
For those that do not fly Europe, flt times vary wildly due to winds, storms and ride even on random routes.
That is just one example.
Last year we had a 757 taxi out and the left main gear broke (not collapsed) and dug into the ground coming to a very quick halting stop. There is now a new support shroud on all AA 757's. A FA was injured on that taxi out.

I know you're all going "Oh, yeah suuuurrrrrreeee, they're doing the Crandall crawl."
Maybe.
I did some volunteer work with Hot Spot (for taxi-ways and runways). One conclusion was all airlines taxi too fast.

For anyone that has never flown a MD80. The brakes chatter and shutter once they get warm.
As a drama queen i've flown Super 80 and 737's and 757's into and out of SNA. The S-80 always made me extra alert about getting into the brakes early so they didn't start chattering near the end of the runway. I know i'm overstating or embellishing this. But that is what a SDQ (Super drama queen) is supposed to do.

I've not reviewed the AIM recently, but have heard the "taxi at a brisk walk" has been removed.
A brisk walk is 4.0 mph.

Lastly, our loads we never know when we'll get them. We can Acars "bang the gong" message to loads, but it doesn't help. Wish we had SWA's ATOG laptop system. But we don't.

And maybe, just maybe. Pilots just aren't available on days off anymore to pick up open time. Maybe pilots are just flying their schedules and maybe a minute or two here and there adds up in their monthly hours and minutes total.

Just posting some thoughts.
7576

 

If I make Captain before we go "completely out of business" I will make sure to get out of everyones way especially in CHicago. Because there are a lot of Regional jets flying in and out of there and on a 37 seat RJ the break-even cost factor is 43 pax. at todays oil prices.

But until then "i'm just slinging gear" "jerking gear" "radio monkey"

i've always disliked those sayings.
7576

 

Hey guys, if you're stuck behind us at AA, too bad! We are a SAFETY ORIENTED operation. If you wanna get around us that bad, ask ground for an alternate taxiway... we'll gladly stop to accommodate you. Go ahead with your blistering taxi speeds... we do not play that game. Sorry if you're inconvenienced, but like somebody said, you'll never get into trouble for taxiing too slow.

Flame away!

73
8 in '08

 

aa73,

We have the same philosophy at AS. We know it's the kiss of death for WN whenever they get behind us, but then again we never hear someone on the radio saying "rotate" as we taxi by.

 

Nice... one guy sees one jet taxi slow and now we've got an organized work slowdown on our hands.

 

Reminds me of a couple years ago taxing out at SAN. They have a T/O curfew until 7am. The co. sked us out at 6:50 but sometimes we push earlier. So I'm creeping along to try to time it so I'll be at the end ~7. Ground comes on: "Hey American, see that South West? Let him go in front of you!" Us: "Ya, sure,go ahead."

The SW proceeds to fly down the taxiway (getting smaller and smaller in our windscreen) at light speed only to have to wait till 7 like everybody else! So we pull up behind him around 6:59:30 and tower clears him for T/O. I wonder if SW takes brake wear into their cost considerations?

 

Not really.

In one of our alleged slowdowns, circa 1989, a friend and I taxied our airplanes (737 and 727) very, very safely to the departure runway at FLL.

We were both met by flight managers when we landed at our respective destinations. Nothing happened, but it could have.

Just to show you the utter stupidity of senior management, a rather consistent trait of theirs, the #2 or #3 guy in flight operations wanted to send us to Denver for simulator instruction in the proper way to taxi. Both of us missed a golden opportunity to become instant legends when saner heads prevailed in management.

Stupid is as stupid does ……..

 

There is no way to defend yourself after a taxi incident if going "too fast".

How does your company come up with block times? Do you get paid by block time?