Makes me think of a UAL -400 captain. All lined up in LAX and they asked to switch close in. He clicked everything off to side step and the FO looked at him like *** are you doing. He responded he still knew how to fly an airplane.

So does the FMS have to be loaded or can you do it raw data? Just asking because a visual approach doesn't have a published miss which would eliminate the need for the box info.

..................................

Slightly off topic but how many of you guys have a "circle to land VMC only" restriction on your ticket?

I'm going to have to say this is flamebait, right?

If not, you create rules when time and time again you had enough accidents and incidents to prove there was a problem and time and time again its been proven you cannot trust all pilots to do what they ought to do. So you create rules and you create a new culture that says go around if you're not in the right place rather than pulling an AMR LIT, XJT CLE, SWA BUR, etc.

BTW, even with those rules ExpressJet still had pilots landing 7,000' down a 10,000' runway because it reduces taxi time. If a pilot sees that as a form of emasculaton then, well, they're ignorant to reality. Its really simple common sense.


You don't need to load the FMS and ILS to do a side step. You can use your eyes. But if your company requires you to do it, then the FO was exactly right. Not sure if UAL 747s have that requirement but I would be surprised if they didn't.

As Hockey said earlier, if thats what they want and thats what they pay me to do then thats what I'm going to do.

Fed on board, green CA, green FO, sixth leg, 15th hour of duty, min rest the night before, an abnormality with the plane, line check, not familiar with the airport, don't have numbers for the other runway, other runway not authorized, etc, etc.

But maybe the biggest reason is the approach to the other runway was not briefed. I don't know about other airlines, but we are required to brief an approach prior to commencing it.

They delayed you three minutes? You are paid by the hour aren't you?

So we need to keep creating more and more rules (and their respective "cultures") because someone screwed up one time? I'd love to see how that would work in an office environment, every screw up needs a new rule, before you know it there's a system of bureaucracy so heavy weighing down on yo... oh wait, never mind, already happened.

So I guess newarkblows is right... on at least 2 items.

I guess the only "legitimate" reason I could think of to decline is runway performance or Feds on-board.

You're paid by the hour, correct?

It's a good thing they have you riding sidesaddle.

Impressive "comeback", I didn't just jump into the side saddle out of nowhere. Unlike some of my RJ "brethren".

Pilots should always fly per company guidance in their FOM/GOM. If the company says you must have the ILS tuned and FMS programmed for a visual approach, and you don't have time to do that, then decline. Pilots should never fault other pilots for flying "by the book."

That said...there should be a little common sense involved on part of those writing the book. If its CAVU and you're at 1000'agl on final and get a sidestep to a runway with a VGSI, a short briefing of "Sidestepping 18L instead of 18R, got the PAPI, we'll take that right turnoff just past midfield" should be sufficient for two professional pilots to accommodate ATC while never compromising safety of flight.