FBO etiquette

[airspeedsalive]

What I hate the most, is when other pilots keep coming into the weather room and then walking right back out to the hall and tell their copilot something about wishing I was off the only computer in the FBO so they could check the weather. Who do they think they are. Maybe they should complain to the manager about not having two computers, so I could check on that big ole pilot watch I'm watching on Ebay while I'm typing this. That might speed things up.
I don't care if they are ready to go and need to look at the line of weather thats forming. They can see it when they get in the air. I've got six more hours to wait, and I've got to do something to kill time.

I hope you're not serious. Let the guys that have business to do use the one computer. With six more hours to wait time ahead of you, check ebay later.

 

[Box-Hauler]

I hope you're not serious. Let the guys that have business to do use the one computer. With six more hours to wait time ahead of you, check ebay later.

Sarcasm?

Look it up.

 

[dictatortot]

Dont pack a three day supply of Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, and walk out with a smile on your face, like a little kid that just robbed the cookie jar!

I've definitely seen many a Captain "top off" on FBO cookies.

 

[Hawkster54]

and what about the guys that take a crap in the ladies bathroom, clog the toilette, and then break the handle off.

 

[flyboycpa]

How about the guys who start both engines, and just sit there. Are you guys filing a flight plan, getting a standard pilot WX briefing, AND doing the first flight of the day checklist? The fractional guys are the worst in those straight wing Citations. And why do the line guys where I go, always complain about Flight Options Pilot tipping the least and being the rudest? The bad part is that there are so many of these pilots making a bad name for themselves.

Regarding the straight-wing Citations:
you're exactly right! those CE-500 guys are the worst for sitting with both turning while scaring off all the birds/linemen/pilots, etc.. I don't understand, and due to the consistency, it must be something taught. I haven't flown a Citation so I don't know.

Regarding Flight Options Pilots:
I AM a Flight Options pilot and I'm sorry you have a bad taste in your mouth for us. I apologize, on behalf of the good among us, for the jerk(s) you ran into. As far as tipping goes, that's dictated (read that....reimbursed) per Company policy. Don't shoot the messenger.

flyboycpa

 

[NJAPLT]

How about the guys who start both engines, and just sit there. Are you guys filing a flight plan, getting a standard pilot WX briefing, AND doing the first flight of the day checklist? The fractional guys are the worst in those straight wing Citations.

I fly one of those straight wing Citations, being one of those fractional guys your complaning about. The problem is that we have to wait for gyro spinup, several of the self tests we are required to do will not work until the gyros are up and running. Most of the time we get everything else done on our checklist possible and still have to wait for the gyros. (Sometimes even having the gyros prespun with a gpu doesn't help.)

Our first flight day check in the citation V ultra (that is once the engines are running) only consists of a t/r check (at taxi off the ramp) and a GPWS check (will not test right until gyro spinup.)

I agree that they checklists are not exactly set up to get us off of the ramp as soon as possible, but then again we are always ready when we get the short taxi at places like the taxi from Jims Air to the runway in San Diego.

 

[airspeedsalive]

Sarcasm?

Look it up.

Sorry....a little slow on the up-take.

 

[hawkerflyer]

What I hate is the fact that I just spent the last half hour reading this entire thread realizing just how screwed I really am. Oh, and that I don't wear tighty-whiteys.

 

[tracearabians]

How about the guys who start both engines, and just sit there. Are you guys filing a flight plan, getting a standard pilot WX briefing, AND doing the first flight of the day checklist? The fractional guys are the worst in those straight wing Citations. And why do the line guys where I go, always complain about Flight Options Pilot tipping the least and being the rudest? The bad part is that there are so many of these pilots making a bad name for themselves.

Gyro spin up ! DUH

 

[FlyingFisherman]

Ultra and Encore gyros will spin up just fine on the taxi out. No need to just sit there and twiddle your thumbs making noise. Must be something else. In fact I don't believe I've actually waited for the gyros to spin up in the Primus 1000 or any of the other EFIS displays. They'll come up in about a minute.

 

[Eagle-ista]

Ultra and Encore gyros will spin up just fine on the taxi out. No need to just sit there and twiddle your thumbs making noise. Must be something else. In fact I don't believe I've actually waited for the gyros to spin up in the Primus 1000 or any of the other EFIS displays. They'll come up in about a minute.

Cool. Wait til you get the first maintenance bill.

 

[NJAPLT]

Ultra and Encore gyros will spin up just fine on the taxi out. No need to just sit there and twiddle your thumbs making noise. Must be something else. In fact I don't believe I've actually waited for the gyros to spin up in the Primus 1000 or any of the other EFIS displays. They'll come up in about a minute.

If a Meggit standby attitude indicator is installed, any movement on any aircraft axis will make it reset and start the 3 minute countdown again. Also, can't do the before taxi avionics self test, the inverter tests, and the GPWS test (if first flight of the day) without the gyros erect and displaying good data. I've never done it myself, but I've heard stories of people accidently flying a whole leg with the Meggit blank showing the 180 sec to go indication.

Finally, just my opinion, but it is poor form to taxi without a good heading indication, as it may be needed to quickly confirm that your heading matches the airport diagram to avoid a runway or taxiway incursion. The Primus display is much easier to reference in a hurry than the magnetic compass, especially just after completing a turn on the ground before the compass stabilizes.

Having the gyros erect before taxi also helps when the gyro never erects due to a failure, you don't have to admit to ground you need to return to the FBO :blush: .

 

[tracearabians]

Cool. Wait til you get the first maintenance bill.

I agree ! That guy obviously hasn't talked to an avionics person . Sure, they will spool up, but it will be costly !!

 

[nerdpilot]

Too bad if I wake you up to turn on the television when you could have fallen asleep in the quiet room instead of the pilots lounge.........lots of t-bags with there bluetooth and cell phones and pagers and blackberries and leatherman and flashlights on their belts...........wannabe Batman. Lots of King Aire and straight wing citation pilots love to sit and sit and sit with engines running right in front of the Fbo doors while they try to figure out where they are and where they are going..............pull to another part of the ramp and do your checks for Gods sake.

 

[FlyingFisherman]

Cool. Wait til you get the first maintenance bill.

It was more of a tongue in cheek reference to (lack of) decent procedures in the 500 series airplanes at my former company. Nobody waited for the gyros to spool up in the 560U/E. Each and every battery start would have us taxiing before the gyros spooled up in both the Primus 1000 and other EFIS display equipped airplanes.

I've since flown with a couple "real" companies that use/adhere to not only procedures but common sense. A breath of fresh air

 

[XSWANN@240]

Tip? For what? Doing their job like they are suposed to do? Ill tip if they do something not expected as normal routine. Drive to hotel, lav, etc. Tipping for things that are normally considered part of their job is just reinforcing normal behaior. If you just start tipping so you arent considered cheap, you might as well also tip the girls at the desk for picking up the phone or submitting your fuel order to the lineman. Its their job to do that. Its why they have a job.

My employer reimburse tips I give to line guys and whom ever. So why be so cheap? Tips are only a small fraction off the operating cost. Also, try not to tip when you frequently use the same facility or if you fly international where its sometimes expected. See what kind of service and treatment you'll receive.

 

[pilotpat]

Also, try not to tip when you frequently use the same facility or if you fly international where its sometimes expected. See what kind of service and treatment you'll receive.

Can someone say MYNN...MMSD...?!!!

I didn't read through the entire thread, but my only annoyance on the ramp is the full power out of the blocks when someone's parked behind you bit.

 

[Americam]

The Cessna 172 with the 50 hour know-it-all private pilot doing their run-up on the blocks while we're boarding 40 feet away...

 

[pilotpat]

The Cessna 172 with the 50 hour know-it-all private pilot doing their run-up on the blocks while we're boarding 40 feet away...

Hahahaa! You mean the guy who starts the thing with full throttle?? I know that guy!:smash:

 

[Limeyflyer]

sorry just woke up from my nap snoring my head off, due to my abnoxious ringer on my loud A$$ cell phone, while my computer was playing movie full volume, now I just have to go use that mens room next to the passed out NJ guy in the crew lounge. I agree with all you guys posts except I do like to tip a lot of the ramp guys, expecially Duane at Jet in TEB.