F/O's can you relate?

[oldskoolbronco2]

so, the capt over sleeps again, I goto the airport with the FA to get the plane ready while he/she wakes up. The hick agent gives me 20 questions about letting us down and handing over the release because, "we don't have a pilot". He didn't get the idea that the capt and fo are trained on the airplane. Do any of you FOs out there get sick of everyone thinking you are dead weight instead of a crew memeber?

 

[Baronman]

Honestly I've never had the problem. I'd be suprised if most gate agents noticed that one of us have 3 stripes and the other have 4. Either way I got alot more stripes than the gate agent and I'm sure it wouldn't take much to get those papers. Plus I think at most of our oustations they'd give the FA the paperwork if they thought it would get the flight out on-time to avoid getting the late out time.

 

[73belair]

Honestly I've never had the problem. I'd be suprised if most gate agents noticed that one of us have 3 stripes and the other have 4. Either way I got alot more stripes than the gate agent and I'm sure it wouldn't take much to get those papers. Plus I think at most of our oustations they'd give the FA the paperwork if they thought it would get the flight out on-time to avoid getting the late out time.

Sounds about right...

 

[BlackPilot628]

Old School I feel you.

You know at first a took offence to the fact people thought of us as "dead weight". After flying for a while I began to understand that the general flying public doesn't really know what we do. They still think of us as Copilots and not First Officers; they just don't know. We can't really assume that the majority of our customers know the functions of pilots. When I was flying a Jetstream 32 for Corpex our passengers could look up and see who was flying. After a landing the aircraft and parking at the gate passengers would always say, " I didn't know the copilot flies". I soon got tired of explaining my functions as a first officer. You just have to take with a grain of salt.

Now, Gate agents have no excuse. He/She was just being a butt. In normal circumstance yes the Capt. does get the flight release, but if he or she is coming late, it's your paperwork.

We have to just face it, the general public knows nothing about Pilots period. Hell, I was asked one day by airport police if I stole my uniform. I thought he was joking; he wasn't. The other group of pilots standing dumb-founed. He told me he had not seen me before. BLAH BLAH BLAH!
He was suspended for 60 days for racial profiling or something.

Anyhow, This is just something that we live with.
Good Luck!

 

[Flechas]

Same here, never have had a problem getting the paperwork or anything related to the flight. Our agents know we are capable of getting the plane ready and of making decisions.

 

[sf3boy]

I wouldn't sweat it. Just go sit in the seats at the gate with the pax and tell the agents that we'll get the plane ready after the captain shows up. I don't care how late we are.

 

[BlackPilot628]

I wouldn't sweat it. Just go sit in the seats at the gate with the pax and tell the agents that we'll get the plane ready after the captain shows up. I don't care how late we are.

Yeah if the gate agent won't give you the paper work. I would do just that as well. Put the delay on the gate agent.

 

[Flechas]

Right on, that'll teach 'em!

 

[FlyinScotsman]

so, the capt over sleeps again, I goto the airport with the FA to get the plane ready while he/she wakes up. The hick agent gives me 20 questions about letting us down and handing over the release because, "we don't have a pilot". He didn't get the idea that the capt and fo are trained on the airplane. Do any of you FOs out there get sick of everyone thinking you are dead weight instead of a crew memeber?

Why are you leaving without the lazy jerk! Sit in the lobby and make phone calls every 10 min.

 

[Raskal]

Huh, you mean gate agents actually do something? I had no idea...