clandestine

I've been on the line for 3 weeks now. I was kind of expecting to fly then mosey up to the terminal and grab a leisurely lunch, then back to the airplane. Nope! I find I fly somewhere, have about 30 or 45 minutes depending on 300/700 vs 800, then off again. Captain will either go get us something or will run up then back so I can run up and back. Once I got the rhythm of things I find I have enough time to go grab something and get back with time to spare but I either eat at altitude or before push back...or if we are early I will just eat in the terminal. Most of the 3 or 4 leg trips are shorter legs so you just do your thing and I find I bring snacks with me and that's that.

I have found that while I'm very busy I'm strangely getting accustom to this go go go mentality here. I find that if I have to fly, then switch planes and have 2 hours of down time I start to feel like I'm wasting away! Not to mention having to build my nest in a new airplane...

I have flown everything from 40 minutes to 5+ hour legs. The 5+ hour legs are 1 or 2 legs a day and the shorter days will have 4 - 5 legs. Some days are 1 or 2 legs and genuinely short days. I've even seen trips that have one leg (OKC - DAL) that ends in DAL at 0730 and your done for the trip!

e6bpilot

There is such a mix of flying here, I can't say there is a "typical trip". Pretty much anything you can do in a 737 from ultra short (25 minutes from HOU-AUS) to fairly long (6+ hours from LIR-LAX) and everything in between. The only thing we don't do is long overwater stuff to Hawaii or the Atlantic.
You generally have 35-45 minutes in between legs to grab something. Most captains are proactive and you will talk about it prior to landing since your preflight takes about 10 minutes and his takes about 10 seconds. I stopped asking a long time ago and now I just tell them "hey. I am getting something to eat on the next stop, do you want me to grab you something or do you want to run and get me something?"
That will usually clue them in and they will either try to do your preflight or will run for you and the FAs.
Of course there are the ten percent that will have you run and grab them something and you will get back and see them on their phone with nothing done in the cockpit. Awesome. Thanks dude. Guess I will let that burger cool down. It was probably too hot anyway.
I have gotten out of the rush rush mentality and am more zen about the whole thing now. I find that it really doesn't speed anything up at all and just creates stress. If I delay a leg to procure food, so be it. There isn't a chief pilot in the system that wouldn't back you up if you got called on it.

NoDrop

I flew a trip with a captain out of Houston (probably #1 on the no fly list). He ran up to McDonalds, brought back his meal, looked at me and said "when you're a captain , you will be able to get lunch too".

Ohlsan

Were you able to fill out a southwest/careers application also or just the pilot credentials app? I am having a difficult time finding the second part of the application.

seminolepilot

He sounds awesome to fly with. Is there some kind of rule where only one guy can leave the aircraft at a time or something?

Bluesideup1

yup we still have to babysit the AC. This means one pilot has to be there at all times when there is power on the AC. They keep telling us it is going away but I am not holding my breath.

e6bpilot

That's when you say "oh, you're back? Everything is done, just waiting on the load sheet. I am hungry. See you in a bit." and walk away. That won't happen again after he has to explain to everyone why they pushed 10 late.
I am guessing that most of his conversation topics while airborne started with "I" and "me".

SlipKid

Absolutely...... Morons like that need a lesson in basic consideration.

I never leave the airplane without asking the entire crew if they need anything. Our ridiculous rules make it hard for the FOs and FAs to get food, although, with our ever increasing turn times (good thing we never re negotiated the rig! ), it's becoming less of an issue.

WHACKMASTER

You have more restraint than I do. If I wouldn't have punched him in the face, I would have packed my bag at the least and told him to go %^*{ himself as I walked off the plane. YHGTBFKM.

WHACKMASTER

It's not going away. Ground Ops recently refused to accept responsibly for APU fires, etc. should the jet be left unattended by us. It's not going away anytime soon and it's exceedingly frustrating.