Cockpit size of bizjets

[netjetwife]

Actually, Monkey, that brings up a good point. When your work environment is cramped it is helpful to keep the excess weight off.

Let me save my detractors the trouble of making snide remarks. The above is a general observation; not the voice of personal experience. Unless, we count being 8 months pregnant and squeezing behind the wheel of my car. Then yes, I can certainly imagine the jam some hefty pilot might find himself in..... I'm all for healthy crew meals.

 

[spitfire1940]

I'm 6 feet tall with long legs and fly a C560, same thing basically as an Ultra.

The hardest thing about the Citation cockpit is the kabookee dance you've got to do to get into the seat. Take out all the crap behind the seat (my company keeps the AFMs back there) and you can slide back a couple more inches.

In my experience, most Citation legs don't last more than 2 hours, but the occasional three-four hour flights can be extremely uncomfortable. I just did a Billings to White Plains flight that pushed me to the edge.

Cessna must have been thinking of the US women's gymnastics team when they designed the 500 series cockpit.

 

[CA1900]

I'm all for healthy crew meals.

Speaking of which, as a recent hire at NJA, what can I expect as far as the crew meals go? I understand they're not as luxurious as they once were, but can I put together something reasonably tasty and healthy? Coming from an airline background, I'm sure everything will be better than food court crap, but I'm just curious what kinds of things people are getting at NetJets.

 

[netjetwife]

NJ pilots now choose their meals from pre-set menu choices, 7 selections for each meal. So for those who like everything you'd never have to eat the same meal twice in a tour. To me the meals look quite reasonable, providing the caterer follows thru and the pilots are encouraged to report those who do not. My husband has had few complaints. It's to be expected that there'd be some grumbling after having been allowed to order as they pleased in the past. Considering the higher salaries, it is a good trade-off. The meals are--

Breakfast: Omelet--ham & cheese, vegetarian, or egg-beaters. Pancakes w/links, cereal, Breakfast burrito w/salsa and sour cream, or ham steak. The sides range from yogurt, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, muffins, toast, home fries, and hard boiled eggs. Drinks are milk or OJ.

Lunch: Caprese sandwich, Turkey club, beef burrito, chicken wrap, PB&J, Greek salad, or chicken Caesar salad. All sandwiches are on wheat, dressings are low fat. Sides include, cheese & crackers, chips, fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, celery sticks w/PB, cole slaw, and hummus w/pita. No drink.

Dinner: Grilled chicken strips, London broil, BBQ combo of 2 meats, chicken stir fry, grilled salmon or white fish, veggie burger. Sides are--roasted, mashed, or baked potatoes, grilled or steamed vegetables, dinner salad, cole slaw, fruit, and rolls. Desserts are brownies, cobbler, cake, cookies, low carb, or sugar free. No drink.

Although the meals are pre-set the choices are varied enough that a pilot could maintain a balanced diet. Heavier menus can be off-set with a lighter selection for the next meal. There are a number of items that could be saved for a snack later. The NJ crew food menus are changed quarterly and I think the pilots may get to vote for some selections. On the NJ board the menus are displayed with photos and complete lists of the ingredients of each meal.

 

[Diesel]

Considering the higher salaries, it is a good trade-off.

They are catering not because they are nice but because they know they can keep the buts in the seats. For every 10 dollar crew meal that they slop at us the jet can be charged at another 5,000 an hour.

The new menu is okay but the quality of the food is not.

Don't look at it as a perk.

 

[netjetwife]

I didn't suggest that it was done out of niceness. If that were the case, they'd have kept it as it was. Compromises are inherent in any negotiated settlement. Limits to the crew meals being ordered was a logical place to start. Many would view the old system of ordering what you wanted as a perk--one that was certainly easy to accustomed to. Clearly the new arrangement isn't that and it's human nature that downgrading always takes more getting used to. It is a reasonable meal system that can satisfy the average pilot. There is a mechanism to address legitimate problems with quality that pilots should avail themselves of so that standards are met.

The answer is to make sure the pilots wages compensate them as the professionals they are and are adjusted to reflect the demands imposed by flying through meal times. If that is done there will be less animosity surrounding the meals that are provided by the company. It's all relative; the better the salary, the more the meal will be viewed as a perk. There aren't many NJ pilots that see the meals that way, I'd guess. Many probably do see it as a satisfactory arrangement. FOs may be adequately fed but they certainly aren't paid that way....

It's a new version of the "grass is always greener" debate...

The food is always tastier in the other cockpit....

 

[netjetwife]

....The hardest thing about the Citation cockpit is the kabookee dance you've got to do to get into the seat. In my experience, most Citation legs don't last more than 2 hours, but the occasional three-four hour flights can be extremely uncomfortable. I just did a Billings to White Plains flight that pushed me to the edge.

That probably has a lot to do with why my husband likes shorter flights. So staying limber is a job requirement for flying a Citation? Not something the average person would ever guess.... Say, you guys could teach yoga instructors a few new moves....

 

[skiandsurf]

Speaking of which, as a recent hire at NJA, what can I expect as far as the crew meals go?

The selection isnt too bad, its trying to eat in the cockpit that is bad. Also, most of the planes dont have ovens, except the Falcon, so eating cold omeletes and chicken strips is the norm.

They have a "healthy choice" breakfast. Cereal, yogurt, orange juice. That is easy.

For lunch, I have been having the Turkey Club sandwich....used to have a wrap.

For dinner, a handful of selections, but remember its tough to really enjoy it in the cockpit.

 

[CA1900]

Diesel -- compared to what I'm dealing with right now, it is a perk, although it sounds like things aren't as flexible as when you could order anything you wanted. More money, worse food. Maybe something to talk about next contract?

It's still far better than my current gig, where we often have turns that don't allow us time to even buy from the awful food vendors in the airline terminals, and that's if the airport even has anything. Basically, we're trapped away from (usable) food sources just as you guys are, but without any kind of meal available unless we packed it at the beginning of our 4-day. For example, "breakfast" this morning was a 400-calorie package of pop-tarts that kept me going for about an hour. I'd have killed for an omelet, even cold, compared to my stale breakfast tart!

Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be pining for better food within my first month on the line. :cartman:

And NJW, thanks for typing up the detailed descriptions of the crew meals; it's much appreciated.

 

[brokeflyer]

They are catering not because they are nice but because they know they can keep the buts in the seats. For every 10 dollar crew meal that they slop at us the jet can be charged at another 5,000 an hour.

The new menu is okay but the quality of the food is not.

Don't look at it as a perk.

$10?......yeah for just the bread....try more like $50-$60 per crew meal....