Is this Job a Joke?

[Rick1128]

Dog,

You need to learn how to read and understand ENGLISH. It was never said that the f/o is just a gear bitch. All that was stated was that a PIC must use GOOD JUDGEMENT. He is also expected to follow company policy. If policy is that F/O's fly only from the right seat, they fly from the right seat!

As a check airman, I am required to grade pilots on judgement. I expect them to exercise common sense and good judgement. Each F/O is different and the PIC must use his judgement on how far he will go with each F/O. A strong F/O, you let do more than one who is not as experienced. The PIC is responsible for the aircraft and what happens. Even if the F/O does it. The PIC will then be hammered on lack of judgement and justifibly so.

It also depends on the type of operation and the time available, if the PIC has the F/O do things like flight plans and paperwork or PIC duties. And I do not expect my F/O to keep their mouths shut. I do expect them to be clear and concise on their concerns. As that makes it easier to discuss the issue with them. Crew Resource Management is a two way street. The PIC has responsibilities as do the other crew members.

 

[Freight Dog]

Rick,

I believe "reading and speaking English" is a pre-requisite to hold U.S. ATP which I hold, so you can leave your petty insults at the door, and discuss the topic.

Secondly, sure, you are required to "follow company procedures" etc. You also stated that the customers want you to fly and not the FO because you are Mr. Smoothride.

You also state that you will only let the FO fly a non-rev leg just to "check him out and see what (you) have to work with."

It seems like to me that you don't give them adequate training to be fully functional crewmembers to begin with. Secondly, it seems to be that you let your customers decide who flies why and how. Now, I don't know about you, but I am a stickler when it comes to Captain's authority, and no passenger of mine will tell me who gets to fly my airplane. Thirdly, if you fly a two-pilot aircraft, it is imperative that BOTH crewmembers are fully-trained, functioning, proficient and have company's and captains' confidence that they can provide just as smooth ride as the captains could, and can be a valuable asset in an emergency. Any other way, and it reflects the piss-poor company training and management. It may not reflect in day-to-day operations, but in an emergency, you might as well have dead weight in that right seat.

 

[Rick1128]

First of all I have no issue with your last paragraph in the most part. It is the other ones I take issue with. I never said I was Capt Smoothride. The issue in question was that the charter client was not comfortable with the f/o. I don't know why and not able to find out. I believe it was due to the f/o's interaction with the client. But in a small two aircraft charter operation, if a $60k a month client requests something, if it doesn't adversely effect safety, he generally gets it. In the corporate enviroment, if it doesn't adversely effect safety, what the CEO, COB or President wants, they get. Remember, if they become unhappy with the service (and this is a service business) it is you the gets the ax, not the VP who you answer to. Safety is another issue. Remember these people directly sign your paycheck. At this level, they don't have to be reasonable, they are the boss and they know it. I have seen a pilot fired because he didn't use enough brake on landing. And a flight department shut down because the pilots ran an aircraft off the end of a runway. Airline crews are a little more fortunate in that the passengers have very little input in who flys the aircraft. About the only thing they can do if they are unhappy is put their butts on someone else's airline. While airline crews are more or less insulated from these issues, in the charter or corporate world, I fight the battles that are important and save my political capital for the times I need it. Like being told to go below minimums or use a runway that is too short, etc.

As a check airman, I generally know what I have to work with, as I most likely did their checkride. But checkrides do differ from regular line flying. And a checkride is just your authorization to go out and learn. Back when I just a simple line pilot, the first leg a new f/o flew would normally be a non-passenger leg. It usually ended up being the first leg of the day. And Yes, it was because I wanted to see what I had to work with. And I don't apoligize about it either. I was fortunate to work with some very excellent Captains early in my career and the advice they each gave me when I upgraded was very similar.

Use good judgement.

Know your limits.

Know your F/O's limits.

Fight the battles you need to fight.

And stop putting words into my mouth. The main thing I have been advocating is that PIC's must exercise good judgement. They must keep in mind not only their limitations but also the F/O's limitations and use that information accordingly. And it varies from aircraft to aircraft and from operator to operator. A Part 121, B737 operator going between long ILS runways has different considerations than a Part 135 air ambulance Lear 24 operator doing night flights into Mexico.

I expect and insist that my f/o's know the aircraft systems and procedures. But it has been my experience that you have to start flying the aircraft before you really start to learn it. By that I mean all the little things they seem to miss in ground school. Like how do you unstick a frozen brake on the runup pad. Or how do you deal with a stuck start valve. That fuel rolling up over the tip tank, did someone forget the fuel cap or is the vent line check valve stuck. You don't learn that in ground school, you learn about that when it happens to you. And my f/o's and I quiz each other on limitations and emergency items. Usually before checkrides. I try to keep it from being too much like a checkride, mostly to prevent personality issues.