Asa Cancels 10-20 Flts Aday=no Crew

[Plug]

I heard on the vine that the manifest would still be required. Pretty typical of ASA to spend money on something new only to continue using the same process we cureently have.

At least now the skipper can do all the bullshoot work to justify the pay. Hopefully us gear monkeys can finally just sit and stare out the window 'till it's time for pushback.

Actually, according to WD, the CA will give the PDA to the FO but the CA will be responsible for the thing. Also, the FA can go through and select the seats that are occupied and indicate whether or not there is a child or adult in said seat. There will also be an addition to the release that will have the W & B template to input max. t/o wt., actual t/o wt., actual land. wt., indexes for t/o and land., and t/o trim. At the end of the trip the CA will then "craddle" the PDA in ops prior to duty out. This is like a "hot sync" function on Palm OS. This will download all w & b info into the company's system for tracking purposes. From what I gather all the leg work is done, just waiting on the funding. I got to tinker with the thing in our stretch limo (w/ bar) on the way back to ATL from Maconga and it's a pretty sweet program. Just get the ATIS, input the wx info in to the PDA and sit and wait for the final count.

Cheers

 

[Tim47SIP]

Why PDA's?

I recently jumped seated on a RJ that had an FMS that looked identical to ours. They input the W&B into the FMS and it figured all of the info. There was a page with several data entries, the CPT input the data from the FA and bada bing!, the numbers were all there. Why couldn't we get a software update that would allow our FMS's to do the same thing?? Just curious.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Actually, according to WD, the CA will give the PDA to the FO but the CA will be responsible for the thing. Also, the FA can go through and select the seats that are occupied and indicate whether or not there is a child or adult in said seat. There will also be an addition to the release that will have the W & B template to input max. t/o wt., actual t/o wt., actual land. wt., indexes for t/o and land., and t/o trim. At the end of the trip the CA will then "craddle" the PDA in ops prior to duty out. This is like a "hot sync" function on Palm OS. This will download all w & b info into the company's system for tracking purposes. From what I gather all the leg work is done, just waiting on the funding. I got to tinker with the thing in our stretch limo (w/ bar) on the way back to ATL from Maconga and it's a pretty sweet program. Just get the ATIS, input the wx info in to the PDA and sit and wait for the final count.

Cheers

That is downright stupid. If given the choice of the current system and this PDA.... I'm seeing a lot of PDA's getting lost in engine inlets and toilets before a Captain walks this thing over to C concourse after a duty out on D, or E. Are FO's that lazy? Or are the 600 hour wonders not expected to learn limitations anymore?

Heck, just hand me the load manifest, I've been doing them for a decade and I double check the runway analysis anyway because my kyster is in the airplane.

If that is they system - kill it. I am now strangely thankful that Delta is wasting money on promotion of alternative lifestyles, if it keeps PDA's out of the operation.

You want ACARS, buy ACARS. Don't give me no flippin Palm Pilot.

 

[bailout]

>>Originally Posted by MetroSheriff
I heard on the vine that the manifest would still be required.<<


Just for the first few months to double check against each other, then the paper goes away.
It will be the CPT doing the Palm, and the F/O doing the paper. (I doubt you will find many CPTs who would want to trade! )

I have a copy of the W&B program that you mentioned above for the FMS, and its too expensive to buy, but the killer was the FMS can be deferred, thus nullifying the weight savings. The reason they are using a PDA sized thats not attached to the airplane is because if its 'attached' in any way, it has to meet all the FAA requirements of an electronic flight bag which is WAY to expensive, so this was the cheapest easiest, solution.

 

[FL000]

Actually, according to WD, the CA will give the PDA to the FO but the CA will be responsible for the thing. Also, the FA can go through and select the seats that are occupied and indicate whether or not there is a child or adult in said seat. There will also be an addition to the release that will have the W & B template to input max. t/o wt., actual t/o wt., actual land. wt., indexes for t/o and land., and t/o trim. At the end of the trip the CA will then "craddle" the PDA in ops prior to duty out. This is like a "hot sync" function on Palm OS. This will download all w & b info into the company's system for tracking purposes. From what I gather all the leg work is done, just waiting on the funding. I got to tinker with the thing in our stretch limo (w/ bar) on the way back to ATL from Maconga and it's a pretty sweet program. Just get the ATIS, input the wx info in to the PDA and sit and wait for the final count.

Cheers

Great, but will it add bags after the door is closed???

 

[Plug]

Great, but will it add bags after the door is closed???

Yes, just like you would now. In fact it'll be easier, it'll give you a new trim, and indexes instantaneously. Just call the new numbers in!

 

[Plug]

That is downright stupid. If given the choice of the current system and this PDA.... I'm seeing a lot of PDA's getting lost in engine inlets and toilets before a Captain walks this thing over to C concourse after a duty out on D, or E. Are FO's that lazy? Or are the 600 hour wonders not expected to learn limitations anymore?

Heck, just hand me the load manifest, I've been doing them for a decade and I double check the runway analysis anyway because my kyster is in the airplane.

If that is they system - kill it. I am now strangely thankful that Delta is wasting money on promotion of alternative lifestyles, if it keeps PDA's out of the operation.

You want ACARS, buy ACARS. Don't give me no flippin Palm Pilot.

Wow, chill the F out. What does this have to do with 600 hour pilots learning limitations? Axe to grind? Dude, the company has actually developed a system to make less paper work in the cockpit, I am all about shooting holes through things that management dishes out, like uniform guidelines, and vision cards. But this genuinely is a good idea, and what makes you think there won't be craddles in the "D" lounge? By the way the company expects you to come back to "C" to check your mailbox prior to duty out as per the SP's.

And who said we weren't going to get ACARS? Eventually the plan is to have us do the work on the PDA and instead of putting all the info on the release and having to craddle it later, we will simply input everything in to the ACARS. This is just a hunch and WD didn't say anything about ACARS. The PDA isn't going to be the "poor man's ACARS" if that is what you are thinking.

Lastly, back to limitations, there are going to be some massive overhauls to our POH. Fewer limitations! There will still be some, but a lot of stuff will move in to the QRH. This is coming from the CP's office.

Cheers

P.S. Haw hell, makes no diff. we'll have new management when bought by Skywest! TIC!!!!!!!

 

[sweptback]

Lastly, back to limitations, there are going to be some massive overhauls to our POH. Fewer limitations! There will still be some, but a lot of stuff will move in to the QRH. This is coming from the CP's office.

Evidently DB was a big proponent on having everything that you would possibly want to know in the POH (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just makes the POH huge and easy to get out-of-date compared to other pubs). Work has already begun to slim down the POH since his departure, moving some stuff to the QRH and maybe even move other stuff to a POH vol II that you can leave at home.

Anything to make my flight bag lighter is good news to me.

 

[Plug]

Anything to make my flight bag lighter is good news to me.

Amen to that!

 

[MetroSheriff]

. Why couldn't we get a software update that would allow our FMS's to do the same thing?? Just curious.

Because it would cost more than 50 bucks.

Apparently that is all that Delta allows Skip to spend without going to Fort Widget with his hat in his hand.