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The FA said "she's a commercial pilot." I'll bet that she has a commercial certificate but she doesn't fly planes for a commercial operator, there's a difference. When you read AOPA magazine, everybody and their dog is a " commercial pilot."

Actually I knew of a couple mainline FA's that were also regional pilots.
 
The FA said "she's a commercial pilot." I'll bet that she has a commercial certificate but she doesn't fly planes for a commercial operator.

Wow Sherlock...Ya think?!!

What gave it away?...the fact that she WORKS FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES AS A FLIGHT ATTENDANT?!!

Good Christ...sometimes I can't take the stupidity.
 
At the same time? I'm throwing the BS flag.
We had one at Pinnacle.

He was a fairly senior AA F/A, dropped most of his trips to fly for Pinnacle, bid minimum days at PCL as well, flew for AA as a F/A when he was off. I called B.S. too, he showed me his I.D. and logged onto AA's scheduling software to show me how he was bouncing back and forth in bidding... crazy.

Have no idea what he's doing now, probably still at PCL, he got hired about a year before I left and that was 2006...

That said, I agree, this F/A was probably a Commercially "rated" pilot still trying to break into a Regional or charter gig or maybe even still flight instructing.
 
Somehow the AMR guys will staple her to the bottom!!
 
I agree with Lear and a few others. There's no way I'm letting an unknown gain access to the cockpit in this day and age. Unless I'm dealing with a Sioux City type scenario I can fly the plane just fine single pilot. A FA or CASS verified OAL crewmember occupying the other seat is helpful, but not necessary. Good job to the CA for using an available resource and good job to the FA for stepping up.

OTOH, we all know that her being in the cockpit was more an exercise in CRM CYA than it was a real benefit. She read the checklist? BFD. Totally unnecessary. If the CA hadn't used her he would have to explain himself to the feds for not using a resource. Was she helpful? Yeah, I guess to some degree. Did her presence materially add to the safe outcome of the flight. Not even remotely.
 
Help in an emergency?

Lear I understand your concern for obvious reasons, however... lets just say in an example given your F/O has a Heart attack.. your call the F/A to see if anyone on board is an airline pilot but none is found but an older guy that holds a private instrument, shows his license, drivers license and he is true America red white and blue..

You would not ask him to come up front to help out with check lists and radio work? what if you your aircraft was already having some trouble enroute (maybe the cause of the F/O stress) and you had your hands full keeping the airplane upright??

What if it was a guy like me, has not flown acft in while, is a dispatcher as well (but out of work, so not in CASS)? Think I might be a help or be a hinderence..?

Even if I never had been trained on that equipment, I think I can pull a QRH or get the FOM emergency section out and read it to you.. make calls to MX or ATC.. Check breakers etc..

Just asking, as these are such rare occurrances anyway, just interesting to see how we think in this post 911 era... how much we would risk to avoid opening that flight deck door...

Yea yea.. this possibility would be like hitting the lotto 2 times in the same month... :)
 
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We had one at Pinnacle.

That said, I agree, this F/A was probably a Commercially "rated" pilot still trying to break into a Regional or charter gig or maybe even still flight instructing.


She is 61 so I doubt she is trying to get to a regional. I like how the first thing she asked the captain was "Where are the brakes?" Huh?
 
I understand your thought process, but again, unless I can somehow verify the credentials and identity of someone, there's NO WAY they are getting onto the flight deck in flight.

I have a little experience with people flying next to me who are good for reading a checklist and running a radio and that's about it (had them at PCL and had a couple of them at Kalitta - thankfully we've weeded most of them out and sent them packing).

If it's a qualified pilot and I can verify their I.D.? Absolutely, I welcome the help! Someone who's not qualified AND I don't know from Adam? I'd honestly rather be by myself than have someone up there who's just going to distract me or, worse, be a potential terrorist threat.

Here's another "unlikely" possibility. Al Qaeda agent falsifies a pilot's license showing he has a 737 type rating and an I.D. that says he works for some ACMI cargo carrier that I've barely heard of, much less have seen what their I.D. looks like, buys a ticket, and sits in the back. At the hotel the morning of the flight, another Al Qaeda operative slips some type of nastiness in the CA or F/O's drink, causing them to get violently ill shortly after takeoff. Non-sick pilot asks for help, and a guy who LOOKS legitimate with legitimate looking credentials just HAPPENS to be on board.

It's not hard to fake the I.D.'s we carry, with the exception of the passport. Any company can buy the machine that makes hard-card identification and anyone even halfway decent with photoshop and a stolen pilot's license could fabricate it.

If I haven't verified you through CASS or you don't work for us, you're not getting onto the flight deck. I don't care if the plane's on fire and a wing is falling off.

Again, YMMV
 
She is 61 so I doubt she is trying to get to a regional. I like how the first thing she asked the captain was "Where are the brakes?" Huh?
I hadn't heard how old she was, didn't really read any of the article, just what was on here... :)
 
Wow.. that is quite a possibility.. I guess these days everyone has to think what type of thing "could" happen.. and I fully understand and agree.... Of course I carry my passport card as well... on a lighter note.. ( crap.. there goes every G/A guys hero dream).. hehe.....

Good discussion...
 
Wow.. that is quite a possibility.. I guess these days everyone has to think what type of thing "could" happen.. and I fully understand and agree.... Of course I carry my passport card as well... on a lighter note.. ( crap.. there goes every G/A guys hero dream).. hehe.....

Good discussion...

I never understood the concept, really. There was a Continental flight some years ago and the FO asked a pax to come up who had a private pilots license--the CA was incapacitated (http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=9926). Airplane was fully functional. I think some people don't have the confidence and tend to freak out in single pilot situations.

If the airplane is fully functional, this really shouldn't be difficult. As an FO, if the Captain was knocked out for whatever reason, the last thing I'd do is let one of our FAs into the cockpit (let alone a pax, "private pilot") to "help out" because they would be more of a distraction than a help, and many of them would likely freak out themselves. We are all fully trained and capable of flying the aircraft alone in case of incapacitation. Let's not complicate things by involving pax and FAs unless you really, really need it (i.e. flight control issues, structural failure, etc).

Now, Non-revving pilots, jumpseaters, etc, are a different story.
 
I'm assuming you're being snide to point out the fact that it would have been a terrible security breach and an epic case of bad judgment to let an unknown passenger up into the flight deck in this day and age...

If that's not what you meant, then yes, the post was in poor taste. If that IS what you meant, then never mind, I got the sarcasm, but it took me a read or two (and several years of reading your posts) to get it. Internet humor/sarcasm doesn't come across very well unless you explain it or somewhat know the poster's writing style.

Of course it was sarcastic. And yes, you probably know my style by now. And no, I would not make fun of 9-11 etc.


Bye Bye--General Lee
 
Unless there's a DH company pilot or jumpseater in back I'll land it myself, not a reason to make it bigger deal than it already is. Sorry no stews of PP' from the back.
 
What about a Jump seating dispatcher... ya just going to tell him/her to sit there and shut up?? We could be quite helpful, especially if we dispatch for your company, but we are probably not very good at first aide, in general..

I can't count the number of times that a crew has instructed me to be a set of eyes and ears during the sterile/ O2 /radio check out briefing.. in the back of my mind I always wondered what I could be asked to do in different situations.. I know I would do all I could to help in anyway the PIC would demand..
 
DeLuna received a commercial pilot's license in 1970 and has logged about 300 flight hours on a Cessna, according to American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely. Captain Hunter has worked for American Airlines since 1977.
Captain Hunter was "exemplary" and "so collected and so together," DeLuna said, that her role was primarily to support him should he need help.
"He did everything by himself pretty much," she said. "I watched for traffic and listened for information from air traffic control just as a backup for him."
DeLuna also changed the altimeter settings a couple of times, she said.

LOL.
 
no way we can fulfill all the GA's dreams anymore. Can't do it- Lear said it well in his first post- it would be a colossal security breach- and forget al quaeda - just think PP in the middle of a divorce- or some other nut who can claim to be a pilot- and like the last poster said: for what? It's not a 707- and even travolta single handed that one. I don't mind the FA being up front to help- but I bet the story didn't happen as it was stated- I can't imagine anyone making a PA like that- how heart attacks would that induce?
 
What about a Jump seating dispatcher... ya just going to tell him/her to sit there and shut up?? We could be quite helpful, especially if we dispatch for your company, but we are probably not very good at first aide, in general..

I can't count the number of times that a crew has instructed me to be a set of eyes and ears during the sterile/ O2 /radio check out briefing.. in the back of my mind I always wondered what I could be asked to do in different situations.. I know I would do all I could to help in anyway the PIC would demand..
Different animal... if you're already up there as a licensed dispatcher, yeah, I'd probably put you in the seat and ask you to handle the radios.

Just not going to bring someone up from the back unless I know AHEAD of time who they are and that they'll be an asset. For the most part, unless they're a company pilot or a pilot on the same or similar equipment of another airline, they're not going to be a lot of help and, as many have said, maybe even a distraction.
 

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