I'm Standard

[Dumb Pilot]

It is funny when during Line Checks I hear the skipper give the "I'm Standard" speech and those are the ones that I spend more debriefing time Re standardizing.

It's a good practice to end the month you spend together with an F/O with him or her debriefing your performance. Ask specific questions, don't only say How did I do? If you are specific, you will get specific answers. Do you think I use the correct sequence on my cockpit preparation? Did you see me cutting corners on the flight deck safety check to power the A/C up? What do you think I should change on my F/A brief? Rather than ask, What do you think about my approach brief? Ask. What would you like me to add on my approach brief? etc.etc. If you are specific about your questions on regards of the way you conduct your business, you'll be amazed as to how useful the constructive criticism is.
One last note. Don't justify yourself when receiving the critique interrupting the F/O when he or she is debriefing you. Remember that this is not for him or her, It is for YOU! Listen, analyze, adjust your behavior and learn. Even the 500 hour rookie has something to teach if you only Listen.

 

[DiverDriver]

Capt saying he/she is "standard" then they are not.......I would say this is pretty "standard"

How about FOs who brief "I'm going to duck the GS a bit to make the TD zone." Translated it means "I'm going to push forward and gain airspeed and hold power in longer than necessary so when I get in to ground effect I can float a really, REALLY long way down this short runway then when I do slam it in I can jam the brakes and pull full reverse thrust to save my ass." Uh, sure. Why not just fly the profile as written and you don't have to make me wonder if we're dragging through the approach lighting system mkay?

Yah, love them standard non-standard briefs too.

 

[JettBoii]

I have only flown with one cptn who was completgely standard to the "T". Even passing the controls during his brief off the approach. I liked it; no guessing as to what was ever going to happen. I wish eveybody would just do it standard. Slackers.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

I have only flown with one cptn who was completgely standard to the "T". Even passing the controls during his brief off the approach. I liked it; no guessing as to what was ever going to happen. I wish eveybody would just do it standard. Slackers.

I had one of those recently too. I'm all about standard, but if approach changes your runway assignment 3 times there is no need to swap flight controls each time to brief another approach. All of the swapping back and forth resulted in us nearly messing up a crossing restriction. Just use a little common sense sometimes, folks...thats all.

 

[Poahi]

How about FOs who brief "I'm going to duck the GS a bit to make the TD zone." Translated it means "I'm going to push forward and gain airspeed and hold power in longer than necessary so when I get in to ground effect I can float a really, REALLY long way down this short runway then when I do slam it in I can jam the brakes and pull full reverse thrust to save my ass." Uh, sure. Why not just fly the profile as written and you don't have to make me wonder if we're dragging through the approach lighting system mkay?

Yah, love them standard non-standard briefs too.

Good point. FO's remember: most of the bad habits captains have were developed when they were FO's. As captains, they are less likely to be challenged.

Don't develop habits you will bring to the left seat.

 

[olympus593]

You guy's really have problems with reading in the cockpit???
Glad we don't fly together...

 

[JustaNumber]

Quick F/O poll:

Hypocrisy issues aside, would you prefer to see more or less standardization in the cockpit?

 

[vectorvictor]

My goal is to create an atmosphere relaxed enough so my FO will speak up if she or he is concerned about something or knows something that should be brought to my attention, but strict enough so that I don't get walked on all day long. If this means I pick my battles and every once in a while a procedure is bent, so be it. My brief is I give no brief. I always fly the first leg when I am with someone for the first time. I kind of set the procedural bar and then expect them to conform to it. If they scare me, I get upset otherwise....party on. As for reading in the cockpit....only if it has pictures.

 

[NuGuy]

Well, I don't know about standardization, but I could do with a LOT less of seeing pictures of the dude's girlfriend, and THEN pictures of the smiling wife and kids.

A year later you fly with guys like these, and all you get is 4 days of how bad he's getting hammered in the divorce...

Nu

 

[shamrock]

Quick F/O poll:

Hypocrisy issues aside, would you prefer to see more or less standardization in the cockpit?

I wouldn't say "less" standardization, but more common sense would be nice on a few rare occasions. I have no problems with probably 95% of the people I've flown with in my 6 years as an FO. The checklists get done, no crossing restrictions are missed, no runways are "incurred", and we have a good time as well as a few laughs at our screw ups, for lack of a better term. The hardest thing I have come across are the super standard, precisely by the book Captains who can't see the forest for the trees, the ones who are so wrapped up in the minutia (sp?) of the procedures that they miss the big picture. "If there's not a procedure for it, I don't know how to handle it". Luckily I've only had a handful of theses guys/girls in my career so they seem to be the exception to the rule.

That being said I know I have become a bit complacent in my career in the right seat so a challenge every once in a while isn't the worst thing in the world. All that I hope for is for the person correcting me to pick their battles when doing it and treat me as if I'm at least a marginally competant pilot. If you point out every little thing (half a dot high or a few knots fast on a visual approach) I'll eventually tune you out and the whole CRM thing will be out the window. Again, I haven't had too many of these types in my career, but the ones I have had have left a lasting impression.

Taking cover now.

Edit:

I always fly the first leg when I am with someone for the first time.

Excellent idea. That makes an FO's life much easier.