Guess Gary Kelly thinks AirTran does 1 thing better than Southwest

[LeeRoyJenkins]

Don't sweat it. I thought the same thing when I read the first post.

Put SWA management in charge of AirTran pilots and we'll fully justify the increased cost.

Single engine taxi at SWA will save more than .5 Billion a year at current fuel prices. That figure came from SWA Flight Ops to AirTran flight Ops last week.


Guadalupe Captain

If you can convince SWA Flight Ops that single engine taxis save fuel then beers are on me. Somehow they just can't seem to grasp the concept from the SWA line pilots. Maybe they will listen to AirTran.

 

[shootr]

Single engine taxi is not something Airtran brings to the table. It's just something SWA management chooses not to do (for whatever bizarre reason). They may choose to do it in the future.

 

[CaptainKiwi]

SWA's policy is to leave the gate with two engines...from there the cpt can single engine taxi all he/she wants. The checklists are in the airplane. I looked back at my last 25 flights and only 1 flight taxied longer than 10 mins (including pushback, and engine start). Saying we don't single engine taxi is simply not true. It just is inappropriate for most of our flights.

Just last night in bwi, an AAI called for push just before us and recieved clearance. We also got clearance right after. We started both engines, taxied to 28... We were on takeoff roll when I saw the AAI plane finally creaping up to the runway easily able to be passed by a lawnmower...Meanwhile, our customers are on their way to their destination. AAI still trying to get the other engine going...

On my way from dropping off a fedex package in mco, I was driving under one of the bridges watching an AAI plane go over a bridge. If it was going any slower, it would have started rolling backwards down the slope of the bridge. How much power does it take to go over that bridge single engine at 2 knots? wow! Those are real efficient aviators. SWA could really learn from those guys...

My father in law flew on AAI 2 weeks ago. (SWA flights were full) After the flight he told me, "Airtran is gonna have to pick up the pace if they are going to be SWA". I asked him why. Plane was 2 hrs late. Boarding process was very slow. 45 mins to deice in the gate. (It wasn't snowing) Taxing to the runway took forever! (all his words)

There is more to efficiency than just single engine taxi...

 

[PropPiedmont]

Even SWA has it fair share of those moments. We sat for 45 mins waiting for a gate in LAX with both engines burning fuel the entire time. This is where the s.e. taxi will save money.

 

[CaptainKiwi]

Even SWA has it fair share of those moments. We sat for 45 mins waiting for a gate in LAX with both engines burning fuel the entire time. This is where the s.e. taxi will save money.

uh... then why didn't you shut one down? You do know they want you to shut it down after 3 mins, right? It could have been a situation where it was tight getting into a gate and the cpt chose to operate both engines to get into the gate. Even then, for 45 mins? Shut them both down... There is a checklist for that too. That would be a choice of the pilots, not that the company would not let them. Completely different.

 

[scoreboardII]

shutdown both motors at LAX on the taxiway? Riiiiight.... Ground will let you do that fer sure.

 

[PropPiedmont]

uh... then why didn't you shut one down? You do know they want you to shut it down after 3 mins, right? It could have been a situation where it was tight getting into a gate and the cpt chose to operate both engines to get into the gate. Even then, for 45 mins? Shut them both down... There is a checklist for that too. That would be a choice of the pilots, not that the company would not let them. Completely different.

Have you ever tried to tell a SWA captain what to do? I'm merely an FO at this Captain's airline. Im here to satisfy insurance requirements and that is all.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Single engine taxi at SWA will save more than .5 Billion a year at current fuel prices. That figure came from SWA Flight Ops to AirTran flight Ops last week.


Guadalupe Captain

Half a billion? Um, yeah, sure.

Single engine taxi vs two engine is a wash. Any money saved gets wasted when the second engine won't start for some reason and you're miles from the mechanics. Also, it's not as safe.

Single engine taxi is for bozos and prop dawg commuter pilots that need to get that spinning blade stopped for the rampers.

So AT thinks single engine taxi is something they bring to the table. Geez, really digging around on the bottom of the barrel, eh?

 

[CaptainKiwi]

Have you ever tried to tell a SWA captain what to do? I'm merely an FO at this Captain's airline. Im here to satisfy insurance requirements and that is all.

If you really believe that, it's sad. You might as well sit in the back and be a passenger...

btw, not tell them what to do, but mearly suggest. Yes, I have suggested several times. It is two pilots working together, not a cpt draggin along his dog on a leash

If you didn't notice, when that cpt does something wrong and you didn't say anything. Your in the sling too.

 

[jonjuan]

If you really believe that, it's sad. You might as well sit in the back and be a passenger...

btw, not tell them what to do, but mearly suggest. Yes, I have suggested several times. It is two pilots working together, not a cpt draggin along his dog on a leash

If you didn't notice, when that cpt does something wrong and you didn't say anything. Your in the sling too.

He didn't say he did something that was unsafe. He said if the CA wants to burn dino fuel waiting for the gate, then that's his perogative. Gary will keep paying him the same whether or not he says anything.