Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

A Pinnacle captain with some balls

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Propsync said:
...but I believe Delta/Atlanta Radio has a RCO on the field. I think that probably would have worked well.

Would Atlanta radio be of any use to Pinnacle or NWA?
 
Captain Overs said:
That was stupid of the CA. Aren't we in the business to move people from point A to point B?

Yes, we are in the business of moving people. However, using my cell phone is not in the job description. The company doesn't pay for my cell phone, so I don't use it for company business. If the company wants to start buying my phone and paying for part of the monthly bill, then I'll start using it for company business. Until then, I'll continue to use the method of contacting dispatch that the company provides: ACARS. It's time to stop bending over backwards to help a company that screws you over every chance they can. If we don't have delays because of things like this, then the company will never fix the problem.
 
Outrageous

"Good Evening ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. We are waiting for our company to contact us. I could use my cell phone but darnit I don't want to spend the 12cents. So we will sit here. Are you all with me on this....hello, is anybody back there, hellooo"....


Jesus man I'm glad I'm retired and don't have to associate with you jerks that have taken my place. Outrageous!

~DC
 
Last edited:
Donsa320 said:
"

Jesus man I'm glad I'm retired and don't have to associate with you jerks that have taken my place. Outrageous!

~DC

I hope you are enjoying that retirement.
 
Let's play a game.

You are based at LGA, company says a part came in for a sick plane but they sent it to JFK, can you take your car and go get the part.

Are you going to make company pay for gas?

The company says, "heck no" they're not paying for gas for 26 mile trip - a gallon of gas - $2.50 max out of your pocket. But if you don't pick up that part, a plane is grounded and 50 passengers are stuck at LGA looking for options on how to get to their destination.

Is the problem the pilot's or is the problem the company's?

So when company has considered YOUR cell phone as an essential device to THEIR operation - does that make it right?

Pilot wages are probably 60% of what they used to be - I haven't heard of too many people getting pay increases in the last few years. Company has cut your benefits. They have renegotiated work rules so you are working longer and harder and at their disposal more hours out of the week. But you want to be generous and help THEIR customers by using YOUR cell phone.

You have no one to blame but yourselves for the paycheck you receive for your services.

No company in the world will fix anything or pay more for something unless they see a need. But 50 letters to the president from irate customers stuck on the ground will cause a great deal of upheaval for change. A plane did not move for lack of communication - now its Pinnacle's problem to fix as long as you don't fix it for them. The choices are fix the ACARS that may not have been working, hire more dispatchers because the ones on duty were too busy to answer ACARS, pay the bills to ARINC or Delta Radio to make the phone patch or maybe even allow the pilots to put in expense reimbursements for cell phone usage. But if you fix the problem for free, the company will gladly accept your charity.

Every single pilot on this board needs to start thinking like a contractor. You are limited to 1000 flying hours a year by the FAA. You get paid XX dollars per flight hour (Let's just say a young regional CA and put $60/hr). That's a dollar a flight minute. Every minute of your time is worth $1 to the company to act as a pilot. Yet, you show up to work, get dispatches, update your Jepps, pre-flight the airplane, feed the computers, taxi all over creation, sit on the tarmac and don't get paid a dime to do it. So that $1/min just became about 50 cents a minute. And then you commute to work and sit in hotels and have dinners at strange restaurants in strange places and wish you were home while you further diluted your earnings and now you are making 25 cents a minute.

Before I was furloughed, I was at the bottom of the seniority list. My last month had me on the road (Away from Base) for over 300 hours. I got paid for 71 hours of flight time at $34/hr. Do the math - I got paid $8.06/hour (13.4 cents a minute) to be a pilot working for a regional airline. And you want me to give the company cell phone minutes for free?
 
BOO HOO!!! You have a responsibility to the people in your care. Like I said, take it up with the company but don't punish the passengers. Am I the only who thinks this is an outrage?
 
Captain Overs said:
take it up with the company

This is the only way to take it up with the company. The only way to make the idiots in managament realize that there is a problem is to cost them money. Delays result in financial penalties under the air service agreement we have with NWA. The more financial penalties the company takes, the less money that senior management can pocket in bonus checks. That makes them sit up and pay attention. Working with management is not an option at this company. It's a constant fight.
 
Captain Overs said:
Am I the only who thinks this is an outrage?

Yes.... I agree with TARP and I like the analogy.

If I worked for a company who actually gave a crap about my well-being on ANY level, I would bend over backwards to help it succeed and we would all be happy.

Right now, the love of flying is the only sustaining quality most airlines provide to the pilots.

If making some pax 15 minutes late here and there makes a point and improves the QOL, you bet your ass I would do the same thing. Management doesn't listen to the pilots, so maybe it would listen to some complaining customers????!!

Nothing unsafe or wrong about what that CA did. In fact, it was perfectly safe and by the book. Nowhere in anyone's OP Spec does it say that you have to use your own personal cell phone to call dispatch.
 
300 of 600 anytime cell phone minutes dealing with:

Dispatcher's who can't dispatch properly (no alternates, wrong weather, etc.)

Mechanics who can't fix stuff, or sign off properly when they do.

Crew Trackers who can't staff a full, legal, qualified crew.

Hmm. They don't get the cell phone treatment anymore. They could EASILY put a phone in every plane slaved to the company phone #, but why bother when pilot's bend over to pay for their own phones?

Face it, company is smart, pilots are stupid on this one.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top