Remember what Nancy said...

"Just Say No."

 

This statement will mean different things to different people. Generally speaking to me, I don’t care when we eat…I let the Captain decide, unless my bladder is giving me intolerable pain…I allow the person to my left to decide on if we have a lav break. If he/she is a Cold from Cleveland type….I have a windbreaker ready.

However what we saw in the video is to the extreme. Certainly anyone coming from the charter world (more 91 than 135) knows the new first officers are routinely placed into similar ethical dilemmas. Since most are below ATP mins they know it’s good for their career progression if they look the other way…….so most do, and as such a culture is born and thrives, those who try and resist are destroyed with malice by the gatekeepers.

If what we saw in the video represents one end of the “Go along get along” scale……the opposite end of that same scale is “bad attitude”

How does someone get to do Charters anyway?? Probably you have had to get along with someone important to do them.….Ive never seen them in the bid packet, and I’ve never been asked to do one….at least here.

I’ve said so long as I am an FO …I don’t think it is appropriate for me to police my Captains who do not wear hats. (My views on the hats notwithstanding) All I can do is be uniform compliant myself. I however will REFUSE to turn off Ground Power equipment……that is not my job and I was not trained to do it and the company does not want Pilots doing it.
So where am I on the scale?… Ultimately the individual FO themselves are the custodian of their own tolerance. We were hired to exercise Good Judgment just as everyone else was.

 

Good for you. I cannot stand how some workgroups put pressure on us to cut corners so they can “make things happen” NOT COOL!

I encounter those types of FA’s, they already don’t like me and I’m certain I m on some charter blacklist, but the Minnesota Timberwolves don’t put food on my table.

 

Actually, as pilots, charter flights are randomly in our bid packets. We aren’t chosen for them, and the team has no say. They get awarded to pilots like any other trip. FA’s, on the other hand, have to interview to fly charters. It’s all about customer service for them. That’s great and all, as long as they(and us) color inside the lines.

As far as pressure, I’ve never felt it. They may try to imply this or that, but the bottom line is this: The most popular, senior management charter coordinator is still a subordinate to the Captain. They can only pressure you if you allow them to.

 

This seems to *have been a cultural norm for a lot of UA charters. The only difference with others was this was captured and shared (went viral on video. It is a gross willful violation of the regs, no doubt about that. However, because it went viral, this crew were the sacrificial lambs.

 

They weren’t sacrificial lambs. They willfully violated FAR’s and our FOM security procedures, got caught, and were then given the appropriate sentence. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

Absolutely were sacrificial lambs – sacrifice to the gods of Social media (whoever they are).

Let those who don’t violate, cast the first stone

Caught on video, but does the video capture the context of the moment?

The death penalty is never the appropriate sentence

This is not a game. This is people’s livelihood and careers. To sum it up as a game is callous.

 

A cultural norm? I’ve done 4 or 5 charters here and never left the flight deck door open and was never suggested by any charter coordinator.

 

I have a very hard time believing that this was somehow a cultural norm.

 

This wasn't a case of flying 251 below 10K, this was willful and blatant disregard of flight deck security procedures. Some offenses are worse than others. Deliberately not wearing the hat is a violation of the FOM, but it won’t get you fired, or even disciplined for that matter. Deliberately ignoring flight deck security procedures is on a completely different level. Playing stupid games is just an expression, so how about this…..stupid choices should and do come with serious consequences. There are cases where the death penalty (termination in this example) is appropriate, and this was one of them. Definitely unfortunate for their careers and families, but they have only themselves to blame.