The new airline thread

[brickhistory]

3 hours ago, TheNewGazmo said:

Well, I can see us going down a rabbit hole with this one, but I think we can all agree in general that people of color have had less professional opportunities than your average white dude.  I am a white dude and I can acknowledge that.  I can go into a decertation as to why this has been and will continue to be an issue in this country until things significantly change (on both sides of the fence), but I will say that I think a lot of people in these groups are in this predicament because of the way your average white dude has treated them, because of the way your average white dude has dominated how the legal system operates and how your average white dude could care less about cleaning up areas of poverty predominantly occupied by people of color.  I acknowledge that poverty has no color, but you can't tell me that your average white household living below the poverty line has generations upon generations of family members who've been discriminated upon and who've dealt with the social injustices of other minorities.  Just my .02.

dec

 

"decertation" or dissertation?  I think I begin to understand your post...

[TheNewGazmo]

dec
 
"decertation" or dissertation?  I think I begin to understand your post...

Uh oh. They're on to me!

[DirkDiggler]

We really gonna turn one of the more useful threads on Baseops into another fuckin’ political pissing contest?

[BFM this]

1 hour ago, DirkDiggler said:

We really gonna turn one of the more useful threads on Baseops into another fuckin’ political pissing contest?

C’mon, could you Nazi that coming?

[di1630]

For any airline person on here: how long til you felt comfortable with your new job? From flying to scheduling etc

[Scooter14]

For any airline person on here: how long til you felt comfortable with your new job? From flying to scheduling etc

I’d say about 3 months after you leave training. The flying for me definitely made more sense when you get to the line, but I’m a hands on learner anyway. It’s like the difference between FTU sims/FTU flightline and then MCT back home. It’s the same…but different.

You’ll pick up a lot of tips and tricks for the scheduling part from the regional guys in your class, the captains you fly with and your guard/reserve buddies (if applicable).

I’m lucky to have about 20 guys in my Guard unit that all fly for the same airline I do, so I’ve got access to that tribal knowledge plus the knowledge of my classmates as well.

[SurelySerious]

2nd to the above. Learning the contract and work rules is kind of a job in and of itself for the first 2-3 months, but good to accomplished on reserve or at cruise as applicable. Learning the shenanigans crew scheduling may try to pull from the regional guys, running things past the captains, or by experience is like any other threat. Avoid and suppress, then funnel up to union rep.

[HossHarris]

And the best teacher for bidding, scheduling, work rules, etc is when you screw it up due to lack of knowledge and then suffer with a terrible schedule for a month, etc. 

[Butters]

8 hours ago, HossHarris said:

And the best teacher for bidding, scheduling, work rules, etc is when you screw it up due to lack of knowledge and then suffer with a terrible schedule for a month, etc. 

I still remember sitting in the seat doing my preflight when the CA showed up and the first words out of his mouth were "So, what did you do to get stuck with this crappy trip?" Told him I was a reserve call out, so I asked him what he did to get stuck with it. I will never forget his answer:

 

"I bid off the wrong bid package... got my first choice!"

Turn out he was looking at a bid package from 2 months ago when he listed his choices. Bet he never did that again.

The trip did really suck. SEA-BOS BOS-SAN Deadhead to SEA SEA-EWR EWR-SEA The report time out of BOS was brutal.

 

[HuggyU2]

15 hours ago, di1630 said:

For any airline person on here: how long til you felt comfortable with your new job? From flying to scheduling etc

12-15 months for me.  

[HossHarris]

2 hours ago, Butters said:

I still remember sitting in the seat doing my preflight when the CA showed up and the first words out of his mouth were "So, what did you do to get stuck with this crappy trip?" Told him I was a reserve call out, so I asked him what he did to get stuck with it. I will never forget his answer:

 

"I bid off the wrong bid package... got my first choice!"

Turn out he was looking at a bid package from 2 months ago when he listed his choices. Bet he never did that again.

The trip did really suck. SEA-BOS BOS-SAN Deadhead to SEA SEA-EWR EWR-SEA The report time out of BOS was brutal.

 

Pain is an effective teacher 

[pawnman]

51 minutes ago, HossHarris said:

Pain is an effective teacher 

Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions. 

[SocialD]

It took me a few months on the line to feel mostly comfortable with airline flying.  Occasionally you'll do something different like fly into places with closed towers, or random other crap that really isn't a big deal, just different.  As far as scheduling stuff, you'll have the 90% solution within a 6-9 months.  The last 10%, you'll learn as time goes on.  I've been at DAL for nearly 8 years and I'm still learning stuff here and there, to include rather big one that I just learned.  When some people learn a scheduling trick, they often keep it to themselves and you learn them by accident.  Of course things that work on one fleet/base, might not work on another fleet/base, so there is that too.  WRT bidding...I was PBS union dude for a while and I still screw myself occasional on my bidding lol.  90% of it is easy, it's just when you get super senior and you start getting picky with your bids, that you can actually screw yourself.  The KISS method applies!

[Lord Ratner]

You won't even know what you don't know with your contract until at least a year in. If you find the hustlers and pick their brains you might have a good hustle by your third year.

I'm at 4 years now and I probably qualify as an expert in the contract (from the perspective of a line pilot, not a union negotiator). Top 5% for sure. 

 

You will be comfortable as an airline pilot quickly. Don't let your comfort in the cockpit translate to comfort with the work rules. The more effort you put into learning the game, the better the job will be.

 

[tatertots]

Alright internet, are the airlines screwed because of all this Russia business?  Oil, instability, and all that?  I’m separating real soon and I’m a little nervous. At least Covid is over. 

Edited February 26, 2022 by tatertots

[Royal]

2 hours ago, tatertots said:

Alright internet, are the airlines screwed because of all this Russia business? 

No.

[BADFNZ]

On 2/22/2022 at 10:29 PM, di1630 said:

For any airline person on here: how long til you felt comfortable with your new job? From flying to scheduling etc

Opinions may differ, but imo, the hardest part of flying as a brand new FO are taxi instructions at a big airport.  Something we obviously don't get much practice at in the AF.

My very first leg of IOE was into LAX at night.  After taxing clear, something like this went down:

ATC: "SWA69, turn right on H-6, cross 25R at J, then the North route to checkpoint 1."

Me, still 20 miles back wondering how we got here:

[BashiChuni]

On 2/26/2022 at 6:51 AM, tatertots said:

Alright internet, are the airlines screwed because of all this Russia business?  Oil, instability, and all that?  I’m separating real soon and I’m a little nervous. At least Covid is over. 

yes they are you should delay submitting your apps for a few more years /s

[Lord Ratner]

4 hours ago, BADFNZ said:

Opinions may differ, but imo, the hardest part of flying as a brand new FO are taxi instructions at a big airport.  Something we obviously don't get much practice at in the AF.

My very first leg of IOE was into LAX at night.  After taxing clear, something like this went down:

ATC: "SWA69, turn right on H-6, cross 25R at J, then the North route to checkpoint 1."

Me, still 20 miles back wondering how we got here:

Yup! It was like the very first ils clearance in pilot training. You knew exactly what was coming, prepared for it, rehearsed it, then:

ATC: Iron 73 fly heading 150, maintain 3000 feet until established, cleared the ILS runway 13 right.

Me: Iron board 737, cleared to land 3000 feet, heading 13, good OBOGS. 

 

The other mind fuck is your first experience with ramp. Imagine trying to drive a 737 through a six-lane roundabout in Kabul during rush hour. That's pretty close to CLT ramp.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Lord Ratner

[disgruntledemployee]

Yep, that was one of the biggest learning to operate areas, ground ops at the big airports.  Ramps, metering, call or monitor, what's a Porter (the plane that says Porter on the side), and finally, "copy, follow the RJ" and they say that's not an RJ, its an Embraer.  Commercial WEFT identification wasn't in indoc.

Funny, but when SWA started ops in O'Hare, one would hear a funny comment like, "you ain't from around here, are ya" when trying to taxi.

[BFM this]

17 hours ago, Lord Ratner said:

The other mind fuck is your first experience with ramp. Imagine trying to drive a 737 through a six-lane roundabout in Kabul during rush hour. That's pretty close to CLT ramp.

While setting the parking brake at the gate on my first IOE leg into ORD, CKA turns to me (still wearing my WTF just happened face) and says “Welcome to O’Hare, world’s largest uncontrolled field.”

[Smokin]

4 hours ago, BFM this said:

While setting the parking brake at the gate on my first IOE leg into ORD, CKA turns to me (still wearing my WTF just happened face) and says “Welcome to O’Hare, world’s largest uncontrolled field.”

Had a taxi in there where we literally never talked to ground.  The freq was so busy that every time I tried to key the mic, the controller started talking.  Finally, the capt just taxied to the gate (landed on the inside runway, so didn't have to cross any runways).  I kept waiting for the CPO to call, but I guess no one noticed.

[mp5g]

Last night, LGA changed from landing on 31 and departing on 4 to landing on 4 and departing on 13. The pure shit show that was ground talking to everyone was hilarious. Added hilarity when company maintenance would chime in to ask if they could move a piece of equipment, right after ground gave a lengthy clearance and was awaiting read back. 

[FourFans]

This is why I so dearly my cargo gig. I land at ICN, and they say “follow the greens.”

Wait…scratch that, cuz then I go to anywhere in China, which is like O’Hare…in mandarin.

[herkbum]

This is why I so dearly my cargo gig. I land at ICN, and they say “follow the greens.”

Wait…scratch that, cuz then I go to anywhere in China, which is like O’Hare…in mandarin.

I wish every airport had “Follow The Greens”.

Landed in PVG yesterday and lucked out and got the landing on 17R. I think it was because we came from BKK instead of ICN. Typically feels like your taxiing across China.


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