"Hi there, I'm Standard"

[G2T]

I hate your briefs. I'll nod my head and pretend I give a sh|t but I'm really thinking, it's an RJ not a 76, we all fly a hundred legs a month, and this job really isn't that difficult, only mind-numbing when I have to listen your pointless briefs.

I don't care if your super standard or if you have a pound of hash in your flight case, just try not to be a total doosh.

And I hate it when you stare out the window when I'm briefing. Believe it or not, I might have some information you should be interested it. When we take off unpressurized because you were "nodding your head and pretending you give a ********************" while we were discussing mel's and special procedures for the day I'm not going to be happy. But hey, you were to cool to brief.

 

[LazyLightnin']

And I hate it when you stare out the window when I'm briefing. Believe it or not, I might have some information you should be interested it. When we take off unpressurized because you were "nodding your head and pretending you give a ********************" while we were discussing mel's and special procedures for the day I'm not going to be happy. But hey, you were to cool to brief.

I listen to important things. You telling me you're standard and that you are a Taurus does not help the plane get there safely. At least throw in some gossip like you're wife is screwing the mailman and so you're head might be out of it.

And if you've taken off unpressurized, sounds like you F-ed up there as well, big guy. You should know the configuration of your aircraft before you start barreling down a runway.

 

[WWEfan]

Our IP's aren't even "standard". I love having a checkride and performing a maneuver one way because that's how the last check pilot wanted you to do it. Then your next check pilot says, "WTF are you doing that for?"

It usually takes me about 2 minutes to figure out if my FO is going to kill me or not. When we push back and the FO asks me if we should start an engine....that's when I cringe. No, dumbass, we are gonna taxi out on APU thrust to save fuel.

 

[DX Rick]

I listen to important things. You telling me you're standard and that you are a Taurus does not help the plane get there safely. At least throw in some gossip like you're wife is screwing the mailman and so you're head might be out of it.

And if you've taken off unpressurized, sounds like you F-ed up there as well, big guy. You should know the configuration of your aircraft before you start barreling down a runway.

You guys fly together often?

 

[777forever]

I don't mouth off to the Captain unless whatever he's doing is going to get me fired, violated, or cause a lot of smoke.

Prior to landing in ATL, had one Captain tell me not to but the gate number after the flight number like you can thru the FMS because it messes up the ACARS and the company checks stuff like that. I just said ok and sat quietly while he deleted it out.

I tell you what though, there's nothing more pleasant then flying with a safe, efficient, and friendly Captain. Makes you think of how great work would be if every Captain was like that. I guess that happens when you upgrade....

 

[ASA_Aviator]

It usually takes me about 2 minutes to figure out if my FO is going to kill me or not. When we push back and the FO asks me if we should start an engine....that's when I cringe. No, dumbass, we are gonna taxi out on APU thrust to save fuel.

Maybe...just maybe...he is trying to figure out how much of a jerk you're going to be, and asking in a non-assertive way if you want him to start the engine. (He should be more assertive, but that is a different issue.)

Trust me, some captains get wrapped around the axle if you just reach up and start the engine without asking (probably justifiably). If you leave most experienced FOs alone, they will do what is necessary to get the job done.

Lead by example, and the FO will follow. Start off with some smartass remark on the first pushback, and you will lose the FO for the trip. Your choice, I suppose. Captain.

 

[Abernathy]

I've had guys who give no briefing, don't say they're standard or laid back, who are difficult to fly with. I've had guys that say they are laid back or standard who are easy to fly with. It really doesn't matter. I had a Captain give a no less than 5 full minutes briefing on how he flies and what he expects from me. Truth be told, I completely tuned out after about a minute, but he turned out to be great to fly with.

The only way to know if a guy or gal is going to be a dick is if they have a reputation you already know about, or if they have a dick personality when you first meet them. You can gauge if someone's a dick in the first few seconds of meeting them. Whether or not they say "I'm standard" after that is irrelevant after that point.

As far as starting the engine during pushback, CA is supposed to call for it after the ground crew clears him. If the groundcrew doesn't clear him, and he doesn't say anything, I'm not starting an engine.

 

[777forever]

Maybe...just maybe...he is trying to figure out how much of a jerk you're going to be, and asking in a non-assertive way if you want him to start the engine. (He should be more assertive, but that is a different issue.)

Trust me, some captains get wrapped around the axle if you just reach up and start the engine without asking (probably justifiably). If you leave most experienced FOs alone, they will do what is necessary to get the job done.

Lead by example, and the FO will follow. Start off with some smartass remark on the first pushback, and you will lose the FO for the trip. Your choice, I suppose. Captain.

Precisely, some Captains prefer for you to wait for them to tell you to start an engine.

 

[PA44Jockey]

The problem with Non-standard Captains isn't that they aren't allowed to break away from standardization in certain scenarios (Most Manuals give digression.) The problem is that the particular Captain is used to being Non-Standard and he follows his own routine every flight. But when you start mixing in different FOs on every flight and we haven't flown with you before, we are spending multiple flights trying to understand your performance. "I'm by the book, but I do ten billion things differently." Therefor the FOs have to remain as standard as possible in order to start clean again with another plate of BS the next time we switch crews.

The most senior guy on the seniority list at OH is the worst example. Doesn't matter who is flying and who isn't, he wants you to read him every checklist. Doesn't matter if it's a challenge and response checklist or not. Half the time you wants you to do a checklist before it's even time. Like running a terminating checklist while you are still waiting for ground power. So you end up going through the entire checklist saying, "Um, I'll come back to that." What was the point in even doing it if you have to come back to the entire thing, because it's not time for it yet. I'm surprised the FEDs haven't really tore this guy apart.

It's not a pissing match, or an I fly better than you match, but the Captains job is to set the tone for the trip. If every Captain sets a different and non-standard tone, just because they choose not to follow a procedure we are definitely playing with fire.

 

[Max Q]

I hate your briefs. I'll nod my head and pretend I give a sh|t but I'm really thinking, it's an RJ not a 76, we all fly a hundred legs a month, and this job really isn't that difficult, only mind-numbing when I have to listen your pointless briefs.

I don't care if your super standard or if you have a pound of hash in your flight case, just try not to be a total doosh.

If you are already familiar with the information contained in the brief, why are you allowing them to continue? I doubt there are many FO's out there that are holding a knife to your throat. I agree that if all the information (sigwx, MEL, EFP, reroutes) has already been discussed, reading a brief is useless. I use it only as a checklist for ensuring that we're both on the same page and read it only if the CA asks.

Additionally, the brief wasn't developed for people like you. It was developed for captains that say, "your controls" on the numbers because they don't know they're flying... that look down at an MEL sticker mid-flight and say, "Oh, look at that"... that take off with an incorrect altimeter setting...

Get rid of these guys and we won't need to brief your sorry asses anymore. :beer:

 

[777forever]

I heard there's a Captain at ASA that makes you write down the actual fuel numbers at every fix enroute and cross check it with the release.....

 

[Metro752]

"I'm easy to fly with thread number 234,719. Go!"

 

[IBNAV8R]

I hate your briefs. I'll nod my head and pretend I give a sh|t but I'm really thinking, it's an RJ not a 76, we all fly a hundred legs a month, and this job really isn't that difficult, only mind-numbing when I have to listen your pointless briefs.

I don't care if your super standard or if you have a pound of hash in your flight case, just try not to be a total doosh.

. . . And who says we have a problem with professionalism at the regionals?

 

[samballs]

"Hi, I'm standard" was never the flag. The true flag was someone that mentioned something along those lines and then ended up having a napoleon complex and not being smart enough to fly standard. You typically didn't find this out the first time you met them, though. There was normally a trail of pissed off FO's and FA's that they left behind.

Then there were the guys that just didn't care.... (for some reason they were almost always smokers...). That made for a long trip trying to figure out just what book they were reading from.

Being laid back and standard is always the easiest (and certainly is possible unlike some of the morons on here seem to think)- it takes minimal brain power and you always know what to expect.

Best pilot I ever met was an AA Capt. At 10,00 smoke in cockpit out of LAS, he and FO dont budge, I'm sitting there like wtf. Finally he says if the smoke gets bad tell me, the woman up front has not figured out how to not burn food yet. Then proceeds to tell me not to get married, just find what ever girl is hot to you, buy her a house, and never talk to her again. He then explained that mang hates pilots but as long as you look professional and never look defeated in front of them, they go home more pissed than you. Reason I quoted you is, I just came back from put in bay, and had never heard about the boat, now I cant get that damn song out of my head.

 

[DX Rick]

I heard there's a Captain at ASA that makes you write down the actual fuel numbers at every fix enroute and cross check it with the release.....

There is a guy at OH who does this.
He says "This is just my technique, I like to write down the fuel at the waypoints and double check it with the release, but thats just my technique".
Then while enroute he gets all flustered and tells me to pull out the release and do as he says.
And yes, he's been in the CP's office a couple times for messing up. So he's scared and trying to cover his arse in every arena.

 

[LazyLightnin']

There is a guy at OH who does this.
He says "This is just my technique, I like to write down the fuel at the waypoints and double check it with the release, but thats just my technique".
Then while enroute he gets all flustered and tells me to pull out the release and do as he says.
And yes, he's been in the CP's office a couple times for messing up. So he's scared and trying to cover his arse in every arena.

He should do it himself.

 

[platinum750]

amen brother

 

[Abernathy]

I heard there's a Captain at ASA that makes you write down the actual fuel numbers at every fix enroute and cross check it with the release.....

can he make you do that.. it was never a trained item. But I guess since we "serve at the pleasure" of the Captain...

 

[777forever]

can he make you do that.. it was never a trained item. But I guess since we "serve at the pleasure" of the Captain...

Don't think he can. I've never flown with the individual though. Just heard from a couple people who have.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Serious question, especially for those of you having such issues with of all things, a "briefing."

What are things you like to hear in a briefing then?