FE Job

[taxicabdriver]

Just wondering if anyone on here has much experience sitting sideways and would mind sharing what its like. I assume its a much busier job than up front, but I've never seen a cockpit with an FE seat, so I have no idea as to what their job duties would be.
Thanks

 

[capt_zman]

If you like paperwork, then it's the job for you. Also, making sure the fuel is balanced, cockpit is warm/cool enough, setting/verifying proper epr settings, turning on/off the damn engine heats (9 switches for the 727), calculating performance for each phase of flight, and most importantly, making sure the guys up front are well fed and have a fresh hot cup of coffee. All of this and make sure you keep your head up front and ahead of the airplane.

The job is pretty easy, but I don't think I've come across anyone who really loves it.

 

[seefive]

it's not too bad for a little while. Not very challenging/rewarding and it's just a job. Best place to get seniority quickly at FedEx and that's worth something.

 

[ewarning]

Just imagine....

You work your entire career flying all the worst aircraft in all the terrible weather and finally after several years of paying your dues, you get the dream job. You arrive at the aircraft after initial training ready for your first solo flight as a plumber/panel dog/flight engineer, and then it happens......

You get to spend the next few years watching two guys do something that you love.

Sounds like fun, huh?

Two time panel loser.

And don't give me this crap about, "its a great place to learn how the operation works."

E

 

[radarlove]

Check essential. Download. Power the bus.

How can you tell who the flight engineer is? He's the one with "fuel" spelled backward across his forehead from napping.

Q: What's the difference between a dog and a flight engineer?

A: A dog sleep UNDER the table

 

[CKJET]

It was my first Airline job on the 727. At first it was very exciting, and I was one of the most enthusastic S/O's in the world. After two years it became very dull and my move to the right seat was like scoreing with a very hot chick!! The second time I went back with AA I had a better outlook on it knowing that the right seat was in my future!! Then some terrible world events happened and well...... If you have never worked for an airline before it is a great way to learn abour CRM and how the operation works.

 

[capt. megadeth]

It's cool for about the first 50 hours. After that, it's like "get me into the 75"

 

[CaptainMark]

And don't give me this crap about, "its a great place to learn how the operation works."

E

agreed...i can see how the operation works from the left seat too...but if wrenching is the first step to the left seat of a widebody making real money..i think we can all suck it up for a while...i did it for a year and didn't like it either...

 

[81Horse]

... I've never seen a cockpit with an FE seat, so I have no idea as to what their job duties would be. ...

OMG. I woke up old this morning.

 

[blzr]

I talked with someone yesterday about their first experience at AA. They said you get two weeks of training on the pannel and then an FAA checkride.

Do the feds just want to see you balance fuel and do W/B?

 

[radarlove]

I talked with someone yesterday about their first experience at AA. They said you get two weeks of training on the pannel and then an FAA checkride.

Do the feds just want to see you balance fuel and do W/B?

AA had one of the toughest FE schools--EVER. B727 captains with thousands of hours were known to wash out.

FE school is at least four weeks (two weeks ground, two weeks sim).

 

[AMRCostUnit]

I was an FE on both the DC-10 and 727 for a couple of thousand hours. The -10 was something like 18 swithches gate to gate. We called it "deadheading between pre-flights." Good food, smooth ride, good reading, mostly transcons. Good vantage point to learn about the moving parts of AA. Still not the same as a window seat.

The 727 was much of the same but a lot more switches and would bite you in the arse if you weren't careful. Meals not as good and more legs per day. Still not a window seat.

You did the preflight and walkaround, checked the book, worked the checklist, ran the a/c packs, generators, fuel panel, hydraulic pumps, cabin temps, ACARS, company radio calls, etc...

Going to FO on two man jet was interesting as you could see during the systems class how the FE was engineered out of the picture with the black box. Now generators tend to put themselves online (except for the 737-800; like being an FE again but I get to land!) and bus ties open and close automatically.

FE, and SIC FO time for that matter, is pretty much useless now a days so don't do it unless you think it might lead to something worthwhile.

Unit
3 year FE/10 year+ FO

Hey FedEx guys, does the -10 and 727 FE make me anymore competitive for you guys? This pax stuff is for the birds...

 

[AMRCostUnit]

AA had one of the toughest FE schools--EVER. B727 captains with thousands of hours were known to wash out.

FE school is at least four weeks (two weeks ground, two weeks sim).

Yes, the New Hire (what's that? Wish we had some...) program was a very hard school. Sort of like a rite of passage. Run by retired USAF Senior enlisted types that made you build the systems and all. Definately a weeding out process. Two weeks ground school, two hour oral, and two weeks in the sim.

The only way I got through 727 was being a New Hire on the DC-10 program! What a party! We were at the pool by 1400 in the Texas summer and had polished off a case or two by the time the poor 727 guys were getting home from their daily flogging. I did the 727 after being displaced from the -10 during the backwards movement in 1993/94. I was well off probabtion and it was more of a gentleman's course.

Unit

Now the hardest AA school is the 757/767 program with all the varients, ER and non-ER, and not knowing which one you'll get on the rating ride.

 

[COpilot]

AMR, I can top that. (Haha) When my class showed up for first day they stuck us on the A300 panel. Now if you think the DC10 was easy, just imagine having only 2 engines to run. I've always said, "the best sleep I ever got was on the Bus".

And man are you right about those first year B727 guys. Sweeting things out every night, class reviews, acronyms for every abnormal. Heck every checklist we had was "check auto switching; ck. list complete"... LOL!!!

 

[CKJET]

I talked with someone yesterday about their first experience at AA. They said you get two weeks of training on the pannel and then an FAA checkride.

Do the feds just want to see you balance fuel and do W/B?

Not in my experince a guy and a gal washed out of my class!! I had done it before so I was not learning for the first time but it still kept me on my toes!!

 

[AAflyer]

Not in my experince a guy and a gal washed out of my class!! I had done it before so I was not learning for the first time but it still kept me on my toes!!

Never heard of that either....

I didn't think the program was that hard.

AA

Ohhh. Maybe that was because it was my 4th time through 727 school.


Gotta agree with Unit, the 767 program kept you on your feet.

 

[V-STALL]

Just wondering if anyone on here has much experience sitting sideways and would mind sharing what its like. I assume its a much busier job than up front, but I've never seen a cockpit with an FE seat, so I have no idea as to what their job duties would be.
Thanks

Sitting sideways puts a really bad kink in your neck! :crying:

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

Wait s minute...A300s don't have FEs!

 

[V-STALL]

Wait s minute...A300s don't have FEs!

Actually they do(did). The earlier A300's did in fact have F/E's. This was the first 3 man airplane to be later developed into a 2 man airplane. You can read about it here-

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=24id0gtjvh8gc?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Airbus+A300&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&sbid=lc04a&linktext=A300

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

Cool. I know we (UPS) are getting brand new ones so I assumed that it never had an FE.