APU USAGE!!! The great uniting force in today’s politics!!!! :D

Works the other way as well.

Cap ... When you get to the plane just go ahead and start the Apu and cool it off.

... Some time later ...

Cap ... Hey, why is it so warm in here ... I asked you to start the Apu and cool it off.

F/O ... Well, the company wants us to reduce the Apu usage bla bla bla..

*** This is how an f/o becomes a radio operator for the next 2/3/4/5 days and I do all the flying ... with a gentle lecture on each leg about CAPTAINS authority ***

Works.

so you are encouraging FOs to think outside the SOP by using your authority to establish a rigid hierarchy in the cockpit?

some how I doubt they come away from the trip with the wisdom you’re trying to impart...

Oh sweet Duvie ... If you want then to run the show then great ... I don't care.

Yeah, I love when I express my environmental condition displeasure and the captain says “I’m fine and adjusts the blazing gasper vent at himself with warm air.

1) you are occupying the same amount of cubic space the three (3) paying passengers are sitting in and generating 98.6F heat energy.

(2) the anemic air vents in the 737 make me draw a comparison to the German ovens. Almost no airflow and its hot at that.

(3) the cockpit gasper vents produce an insane amount of flow so even your luke warm air is passable in your “spacious” confines of the 737 flight deck.

Jill from Omaha just paid $589 dollars and would like to at least not suffocate while being jammed in to her seat.

The best part about being the captain is: ultimately what I say goes. No need to convince or cajole. When you aren’t constantly worried about your power being usurped, you might find that things are less tense and you very rarely have pull rank.

If I/FAs/pax want cooler air, I turn the APU on. If the FO does something out of the ordinary I just ask him why. If it makes more sense than what I wanted, we do it, if it doesn’t, I explain to him how I think we should do it. it’s pretty easy

i’m not here to change anybody’s mind about who is the boss/the smartest/a better pilot. I am simply here to be the last line of defense against safety. Leave your ego out of it, your trips will be far more enjoyable

Just to let you in on a little known and well kept secret that many don't know about but, their is a rigid hierarchy in the cockpit. It's really if ever a problem.

I want my effos to think. I encourage it. That's part of the hierarchy as well. Mentoring.

I disagree. On a good day we are a team. That is the way the system works best, when both people feel like they’re valued and respected. A rigid hierarchy is one where the top dog takes it all information and makes a choice. Historically that has been shown as not a great way to foster teamwork or train future leaders.

maybe we are just disagreeing on the definition of rigid

The top dog is the Captain. He's supposed to take all the information and make a choice. He signed for the jet. FO makes input. It's valued and respected. FO supports Capt in final decision in order to get plane on ground. Sorry "boss duvie", but it isn't a democracy.

I have only done this 5 or 6 times over 20 years and only with the continually defiant few ... Also works during contract negotiations when I have withdrawn my enthusiasm ... some call it job action ... I call it WOE ... A guy picking up time or cutting deals with the company ... I figure he's tired ... Give him a break and just have him work the radios for a few days ... Pull out the contract or DYKs at cruise and talk about it. I know it has made a difference once or twice ... One guy dropped all of his picked up trips ... Ended up running for a union position a few years later ... I voted for him.

You can do it without being a tyrant and actually have some fun with it.

Never created a safety issue ... well, except "captain jack" ... an f/o who created his own safety issues ... No jack ... If you are high on final you can't just do a 360 without asking ... don't care what you did in the Sr.-71 ...