Horizon pilots are well known in the industry as wimps

[pair_of_pratts]

Don't shoot the messenger. Just quoting the following article from the local paper in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Fear of flying
By Chuck Poulsen
Saturday, February 10, 2007, 12:02 AM

I’ve only had to fly five times in the last year. Lucky me!
Four of those trips were long-delayed, although not as long-delayed as my luggage, which came the next day after three of those fights.
The other flight — a planned pilgrimage to Seattle to see the Green Bay Packers — didn’t make it out of Kelowna.
The Horizon plane that was supposed to take us to Seattle never arrived, although a WestJet plane had no trouble landing in the same conditions only five minutes earlier.
An anonymous Canadian pilot says that Horizon pilots are well known in the industry as wimps, afraid to land in the slightest chill or snowflake of Canadian weather.
An airport spokesman denies that Horizon pilots are fraidy-cats, but what’s he supposed to say: “You’re right, them Yank pilots are just plain chicken, or plane chicken, heh, heh. They won’t fly without a Teddy bear and courtesy pillow under their arms.”
No, airport manager Roger Selleck would never say that. Even if it is true.

Full article here: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/article_4490.php

 

[QXpeon]

deleted

 

[wmuflyguy]

HA...that guy ranted about wimpy pilots, expensive airport food, lost baggage, damaged baggage, sercuirty, and rental car companies.

He should jsut buy a Motorhome. Then his next article will be about traffic jams, gas Prices, old people dirivng, road rage, car insurance, and speedlimits.

He is a good complainer, he would make a good pilot.

 

[ReverseSensing]

While it is true that I am a wimp, I would suggest that the main problem is the Canadian authorities. Comparing what QX can get away with (and are authorized to do) in Canada and what WestJet, etc. can get away with (and is authorized to do) is pointless and ill-informed.

BTW, the irony of a Canadian calling anyone a wimp is precious.

 

[ColganCapt]

HA...that guy ranted about wimpy pilots, expensive airport food, lost baggage, damaged baggage, sercuirty, and rental car companies.

He should jsut buy a Motorhome. Then his next article will be about traffic jams, gas Prices, old people dirivng, road rage, car insurance, and speedlimits.

He is a good complainer, he would make a good pilot.

You mean Flight Attendant!!

 

[wmuflyguy]

You mean Flight Attendant!!

haha, I stand corrected!

 

[ArcticFlier]

Or maybe the captain on the inbound leg was new (ie High mins, baby capt) and wasn't able to start the approach? Hard to know without a wx report.

BTW, the irony of a Canadian calling anyone a wimp is precious.

I don't care who you are.................that's some funny shizzle.

 

[check6]

It would help if the Glideslope wasn't OTS during the Winter season. . .

As I recall, Westjet also has their own IAP into Kelowna. . .

 

[unwashed]

As a Canadian and former QX pilot for eight years, this person is full of it. I have never failed to land at a C-airport in eight years. I may not currently be employed with QX but this is complete bovine satoris

 

[QCappy]

Maybe this has something to do with the fact that the Canadians (NavCanada) think an NDB approach is safer than using a GPS navaid substitution. Not kidding.


By the way, the Trailer Park Boys rule!!!!!

 

[ArcticFlier]

Out of curiosity, is QX NDB capable? On the RJ side, SKYW isn't. Not in the ol' Op Specs.

 

[turbinesurgeon]

Thats it Im boycotting Canada

 

[trip]

Trailer Park Boys!! I thought I was the only one who likes that show! When will they make the airwaves south of the border??

 

[DiverDriver]

Out of curiosity, is QX NDB capable? On the RJ side, SKYW isn't. Not in the ol' Op Specs.

SkyWest can't do an NDB approach at all? An NDB approach saved my butt going in to ORD one time preventing a diversion. Not many people get to shoot an NDB 9R in actual. Twas fun after doing two misses due to NAV1 and 2 crapping out on the ILS. Didn't have anything else. I was told it was due to water ingestion of a canon plug in the belly. So, since it's a CRJ that SkyWest flys I guess you'll be diverting should the same problem occur to you.

 

[LearLove]

thats it, we're bombing Canada.

 

[Mookie]

C-Eh
N-Eh
D-Eh...

I fly and hang out with tons of former and curent QX'ers...and while they are usually complete wimps in life...(dashtrash),:laugh: they most certainly are not in flight...
Mookie

 

[ArcticFlier]

SkyWest can't do an NDB approach at all?

We can in the Brasilia. Not in the RJ. I don't care to get into ORD (or any airport, for that matter) that badly, except my domicile. :smash: FAT has some real approaches, not that NDB crap.

 

[P-Dawg_QX]

I'm gonna start body-checking every Canadian pilot I see up in Kelowna. And while they're writhing in pain on the floor, I'll shout, "WHO'S THE WIMP NOW?!?" I figure if I do that for the next three years, I'm bound to eventually get the guy that said this. And that will make me feel like less of a wimp.

 

[ReverseSensing]

Out of curiosity, is QX NDB capable?

Capable and authorized in all aircraft (including the RJ), with vertical guidance using DA authorized in the Q400.

 

[QCappy]

Out of curiosity, is QX NDB capable? On the RJ side, SKYW isn't. Not in the ol' Op Specs.

Yes, very capable. The departure procedures out of Kelowna and kamloops reqire NDB navigation.:crying:

 

[Fly2Scuba]

Here's a theory; Horizon pilots have one of the best contracts in the industry so if they divert, call in fatigue, cancel, etc., they are paid and covered for that flying unlike some other carriers. Makes the safe no go or other safety related decisions much easier knowing that there aren't negative compensation related outcomes unlike some other carriers, example - Mesa.

 

[QCappy]

Here's a theory; Horizon pilots have one of the best contracts in the industry so if they divert, call in fatigue, cancel, etc., they are paid and covered for that flying unlike some other carriers. Makes the safe no go or other safety related decisions much easier knowing that there aren't negative compensation related outcomes unlike some other carriers, example - Mesa.

Wrong. If we call in fatigued, we are docked pay. If we are canceled the trip isn't necessarily paid the same, and most likely will be paid less in the end. Besides, none of that goes into a decision whether you get in or not. You either do, or you don't. The weather, runway conditions and ops specs dictate those things, not our contract.

 

[regionaltard]

BTW, the irony of a Canadian calling anyone a wimp is precious.

Yeah, until one of 'em pulls your sweater over your head and beats the tar out of you.......on ice skates!

 

[ReverseSensing]

EDIT: QCappy and I are going to just keep repeating each other because we keep posting simultaneously.

Here's a theory; Horizon pilots have one of the best contracts in the industry so if they divert, call in fatigue, cancel, etc., they are paid and covered for that flying unlike some other carriers. Makes the safe no go or other safety related decisions much easier knowing that there aren't negative compensation related outcomes unlike some other carriers, example - Mesa.

Well, it's an interesting theory, but partly inaccurate. QX pilots don't get paid for fatigue calls. Min guarantee is generally reduced for fatigue calls. QX pilots don't get a cancellation guarantee, per se. If a flight is canceled, you will not go below min guarantee, but if you had a line over min guarantee, you might lose pay from that line, depending upon how you are subsequently used and how the trip is rigged. We don't have a line guarantee.

A contract that doesn't punish pilots for doing the safe thing would be nice, but alas, management at QX thinks anytime a pilot plays the safety card, he/she is just being lazy or obstructionist.

Like every airline, we have pilots who are unafraid to call "whoa" to a potentially unsafe operation even if it effects their pay. We also have pilots who think of themselves as "can-do" types, who will push the limits. Being a professional is about remembering that your primary concern is the safety and well-being of your passengers, even if it hits you in the paycheck occasionally.

Being a professional also means being unafraid of someone calling you a wimp.

 

[ReverseSensing]

Yeah, until one of 'em pulls your sweater over your head and beats the tar out of you.......on ice skates!

Good thing I don't wear sweaters...or ice skates. I am full of a tar-like substance, though.

 

[DashTrash400]

EDIT: QCappy and I are going to just keep repeating each other because we keep posting simultaneously.

Well, it's an interesting theory, but partly inaccurate. QX pilots don't get paid for fatigue calls. Min guarantee is generally reduced for fatigue calls. QX pilots don't get a cancellation guarantee, per se. If a flight is canceled, you will not go below min guarantee, but if you had a line over min guarantee, you might lose pay from that line, depending upon how you are subsequently used and how the trip is rigged. We don't have a line guarantee.

A contract that doesn't punish pilots for doing the safe thing would be nice, but alas, management at QX thinks anytime a pilot plays the safety card, he/she is just being lazy or obstructionist.

Like every airline, we have pilots who are unafraid to call "whoa" to a potentially unsafe operation even if it effects their pay. We also have pilots who think of themselves as "can-do" types, who will push the limits. Being a professional is about remembering that your primary concern is the safety and well-being of your passengers, even if it hits you in the paycheck occasionally.

Being a professional also means being unafraid of someone calling you a wimp.

Good call... FWIW, I myself think that regularly handflying a plane as low as 50' DA and 600 RVR exempts a pilot group from "wimp" status. So does riding in the right seat during that just hoping the stupid HGS doesn't puke at 100' again!

 

[Fratboy]

An anonymous Canadian pilot says that Horizon pilots are well known in the industry as wimps, afraid to land in the slightest chill or snowflake of Canadian weather.

Jazz pilots are so tough they don't even need our girly runways here in the US- even in VMC.

http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=SEA04IA035&rpt=fa

Brief narrative statement of facts, conditions and circumstances pertinent to the accident/incident:

On January 19, 2004, at 1138 Pacific standard time, the flight crew of a de Havilland DHC-8,
C-GTAQ, inadvertently landed on Taxiway Tango at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle,
Washington. There were no injuries to the Captain, First Officer, Flight Attendant, or any of the
32 passengers. There was no damage to the aircraft, which is owned and operated by Air Canada Jazz.
The 14 CFR Part 129 scheduled air carrier flight, which departed Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada, about 35 minutes prior to the incident, was landing in visual meteorological conditions.
The aircraft had been on an IFR flight plan.

FB

 

[Sonoran]

I can't possibly resist. In my very own opinion, only THREE good things came out of that place....1)Strange Brew 2)John Candy 3)Rush...and curling, what the hell is that all about? Going back to not caring.

 

[MALSR]

Canada Sucks

 

[Southbound]

I'm gonna start body-checking every Canadian pilot I see up in Kelowna. And while they're writhing in pain on the floor, I'll shout, "WHO'S THE WIMP NOW?!?" I figure if I do that for the next three years, I'm bound to eventually get the guy that said this. And that will make me feel like less of a wimp.

P-Dawg, I am crying that is so f'n funny. Like being called a wimp by a third grader....or a frenchman

Those "wimpy" QX pilots must have been new and not had a chance to visit the Cactus in YLW. I'll never divert from Kelowna again if it means a beer in that place.