FA helps American Airlines Land

[Lear70]

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

 

[Lear70]

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...

 

[clr4theapch]

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...

 

[Abernathy]

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.

 

[General Lee]

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

 

[trip]

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.

 

[clr4theapch]

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..

 

[embpic1]

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.

 

[waveflyer]

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?

 

[Lear70]

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.