acaTerry- To quote the famous Sgt. Hulka, "Lighten up Francis" While it's not easy to deal with an arrogant Captain, I've found the best way is to not accept any of their crap.
I am lightened up (I just like to be humorously loudmouthed).
Anyway, I can only agree with you on the grounds that what the CA is doing is ....crap. Too often though, the problem is that the FO is a young hotshot who thinks he's awesome or something. You know the type: 20 or so years old, less than 1000 hours and got a job that he is no way mature or developed enough to handle. He read the interview gouge, put on a good show at the interview, had a good training partner and so got into an airliner. Now he goes around telling everyone that he is in the jet because is was too good to waste on a prop....all that junk. And having a CA coach him is always taken as a personal attack. So they go around saying that this CA is mean, that CA is bossy, etc.
When I was an FO, I found that 90% or more of the "bad" CA's that other FO's warned me about were just fine. The only thing was that they wanted you to know your job and follow the standards. You do your job well and everything turns out fine. You blow everything you do because you are stuck on the thrill of polyester, or act like a hot shot, and you are not going to have a good time. It's almost always that simple. Perhaps if more of the kids getting into airliners ever had to work a real job, with someone over them, they'd accept the CA and FO roles a little less personally and a little more professionally. The fact is, CA is the boss. FO is what keeps the boss from killing everyone. This does not mean that you mouth off when he corrects you for being ref-10, or for sounding like an idiot on the radio. The CA has a job to do and that is to get the FO ready to be a CA. Until you pin on the CA stripes, be a good FO and learn from the CA. Yes, it's all about seniority, but if he was there first, he was there longer. Does the 38 year old SSGT blow off a 26 year old Major? No. Should the FO tell the CA to go to hell, my approach is fine, it's just 8 little knots? No.
You Captains: a good FO is great. Do you think that a newly upgraded CA in a new plane is better than that high time FO? Hell no. He will likely fly it better. But he will still accept your position of authority. So take some tips from them. But do not let them think for one second that they can usurp your position as CA. This thread has alot of these types by the sounds of things. Grow up everyone, before your little pissing match kills someone.
