Captains flying Right Seat...

[XJohXJ]

At Mesaba, CA's are effectively prohibited from flying as FO's. Needless to say, LCA's fly in whichever seat they need to for training/checking.

 

[Brasilia Flyer]

At SkyWest, CA's are not qualified to fly in the right seat. If they run short, they pay F/O's 150%. End of story.

Unless you're an LCA.

 

[trolleydriver]

At the company I was at (stoppped operating on June 30 this year) but an ALPA carrier, since the average life expectancy of an FO was about 4-5 months before they quit for greener pastures, we could never keep any FO's around -

So the company solution was to offer upgrade to everyone once they reached 1500tt - in the theory that once you made captain you were less likely to leave - whether there was a need for captains or not. (It did kind of work in the beginning.) At one point we had 160 captains to 75-80 FOs.

If you were senior enough, you got to fly as captain - if you weren't senior enough - you got reserve and maybe got to fly as captain when you covered for some captain's sick or vacation, but more than likely got to assigned to fly an unfilled FO's line at normal captain's pay. - which most people didn't care for - they wanted the turbine PIC time.

Lineholder CA's could be junior assigned for 200% to fly as FO, but not an FO's line for the month.

There was no contractual language preventing assignment of captains to FO lines and originally there was no requirement for right seat qualifications at all - until one captain who was hired straight into the captain seat and had never flown in the right seat complained that he couldn't fly as FO because he'd never received training to fly in the right seat and had no clue as to what the FOs did on their side of the cockpit. Then all captains had to do a right seat qual.

 

[Sunking]

At AAI all Captains have to be qualified to fly in the right seat. The company however can not make you fly from there, try as they may, they try to intice you with 1 1/2 capt. rate, even had some offers at double time. I suspect with the furlough news, that has come to a grinding halt, or at least it should if you had a conscious.

 

[sstearns2]

Skywest did this about 6 years ago for the reserve Brasilia captains. They were paid straight CA pay to fly as F/O. It only lasted a few months.

I think check airman can pick up F/O open time for 150% pay, if you can get crew support to give it to you. I never tried.

Scott

 

[Freight Dog]

Nothing wrong with captains flying in the right seat for captain wages...

Perhaps you'd rather have a $20/hour FO in there instead?

 

[rightrudder]

Comair...Ca's can not fly as FO's. Check Airmen are the only exception.

same with air wisconsin.

 

[regionalcap]

Nothing wrong with captains flying in the right seat for captain wages...

Perhaps you'd rather have a $20/hour FO in there instead?

It looks bad when you are threatening to furlough. You have to look out for ALL pilots, not just those making captain wages.

 

[Shrek]

I think this is JR league and should be avoided at all costs at the major level.

And if people are on the street while this is going on ....... unacceptable.

 

[Freight Dog]

My point is I'm all for companies paying top $$$$ for a guy in the right seat.

It wouldn't make any financial sense whatsoever to furlough a guy making $20/hour and pay someone else to occupy that seat for $120/hour.... though, we ARE talking about the airlines.

True, we do have to look out for everyone.

 

[FO 4 Life]

Eagle captains can fly the right seat. Colgan can not fly right seat.

 

[007]

At XJT CA's can fly as F/O's. I'm typed in the darn thing, I think I can fly it from the F/O's seat. It might not be pretty though.

 

[motch]

Thanks for the few PM's guys... starting to compile a good list.

Some of you have said that you can fly right seat even though you are a Captain. But are you doing 3 take offs and landing in the sims from that seat also?
Or are you just doing a regular left seat check ride?

The issue of Captains back filling FO's is an issue on 2 front, IMO.

1) as someone said earlier.. "I'm typed in the thing but it won't be pretty"
I can tell you from a legal standpoint an airline would be paying out on the civil side if anything ever happened. I really do think it's a safety issue.
2) It gives the company an out to have less pilots on the property. Yes, it might only mean a couple of percantages points less.. but if it saves the company from hiring 5-10 FO's then they win/are happy and we (as a work force) lose.

Keep it coming guys.. and thanks

 

[007]

Your current no matter what seat your 3 bumps are in! Is it safe? Maybe yes, maybe no. Is it fair during furloughs? Definitely not. But from a legality standpoint I think it does not matter. I mean, my ticket does not say PIC privileges only!

 

[a320drivr]

Not allowed at JB.