Jumpseating Etiquette

[TurboS7]

One other thing that I have noticed is that guys that commute a lot seem to carry a bag of candy with them. It must help because they always seem to get where they need to go on time everythime.

 

[njcapt]

You going to let some PMS'g FA run roughshod over your airplane?
I'm not.

I went back to my original post to see what I had said to provoke your rant about dealing with F/A's, and I can't figure out what you found wrong with it. I suggested that jump seaters consult the F/A's when accessing a cabin seat (the only ones available to off line pilots) and you go off about how its the Captain's cabin and where the jump seater sits is none of their business. You might have all the power in the world as Captain of the aircraft, but a jump seater is still a guest on the flight. Maintaining cordial relations with the cabin crew is a good idea for someone who needs to be somewhere, and your assertion that a jump seater carries the authority of the Captain is ridiculous.

As a Captain I would never let, as you say, 'aPMSing Flight Attendant' run roughshod over my aircraft. I just know that 95% of the time I can get what I need by including the back end crew in the decision making process, and save my 'Captain's authority' for the other 5%.

Permit me, if you will, an analogy.

Two bulls, a father and a son, were standing on a hill looking down at a herd of cows. The son says "Dad, lets run down there and pork one of those cows". The father responds, "Son, I've got a better idea. Let's WALK down there and pork them all".

Res Ipsa Loquitor.

 

[Boeingman]

I went back to my original post to see what I had said to provoke your rant about dealing with F/A's, and I can't figure out what you found wrong with it.

OK I'll help you out here. You stated, and I quote: "No matter what the Captain says the cabin is theirs".

No matter what the Captain says? Are you joking? Where do you draw the line on what the Captain says that they can disregard?

I suggested that jump seaters consult the F/A's when accessing a cabin seat (the only ones available to off line pilots) and you go off about how its the Captain's cabin and where the jump seater sits is none of their business.

You're right it is not any of their business. During my brief (and company policy) is specific that all JS's (including FA's), ride in first class.

you might have all the power in the world as Captain of the aircraft, but a jump seater is still a guest on the flight. Maintaining cordial relations with the cabin crew is a good idea for someone who needs to be somewhere, and your assertion that a jump seater carries the authority of the Captain is ridiculous.

Please point out where I asserted this authority of the JS rider? My perception of your cordial relations could interfere with your ability to take a stand as a Captain when the time comes. That "no matter what the Captain says...." line is ringing in my ears.

And the JS rider is a guest of the airline which also employs the FA's. The airline set a policy and I emphasize my personal policy for security.

As a Captain I would never let, as you say, 'aPMSing Flight Attendant' run roughshod over my aircraft. I just know that 95% of the time I can get what I need by including the back end crew in the decision making process, and save my 'Captain's authority' for the other 5%.

It is not a decision making process but a policy. If they try and assert their personal issues, I am going to have a problem with that.

Looking back on it, I don't even think I have had a problem with even 5% of them. Probably 1 or 2 in my entire career. And both had attitude problems about life in general anyway.

 

[TailStrike]

One important thing I didn't see mentioned in any of the other replies: GUM!! Nothing will make the the crew sorry they took you along fster than reaching for a switch and leaning into a big cloud of your halitosis. And if you had bad Mexican the night before, gulp down a couple of those little anti-gas pills.

Seriously though...leave your bag out of the way, step aboard and hand your J/S form, ID, and medical to the lead F/A, smile and say something like "Morning! I was hoping to catch a ride with you folks over to Timbuktu this morning." She'll probably shake your hand and introduce herself. (REMEMBER HER NAME, and use it if you get a chance). She'll take your paperwork up to the captain who will probably invite you up to the cockpit. Ask her where she'd like you to put your bag and comply cheerfully. Then go forward, and knock on the cockpit door (not in the middle of a checklist). Say the same sort of thing to the flight crew. If they can offer you a seat in the back, they probably will. Chat (with both crewmembers) if it seems like they want to chat, but listen carefully to the radios and shut your pie-hole instantly when you hear your flight number. As for refreshments and stuff, be prepared to get nothing, but you can accept anything they offer you (don't ask for anything special). When you get there, make a point to thank the flight crew and any of the cabin crew you met

Generally, if you're nice, crews will hook you up when they can. I once got the J/S on a United 767 from BOS to LAX. The Capt. let me sit up front (I asked - first time up front in a big jet) for the first hour or so...then the lead FA came up and offered me a seat in First (the Capt. said "take it, man...that ain't gonna happen very often!") and pampered me the whole flight, until we started the descent, when I got to go back up and watch the approach into LAX on a crystal clear night. It was awesome, and for a short time, it didn't even bother me any more that those guys made more in a month than I did in a year.

Good luck!

 

[propjockey]

Hang on to your ID

One tip -- hold on tight to your ID until you're situtated! One of my most embarrassing moments came when I was jumpseating on a 777 for the first time to go out to SFO to meet my dad for his retirement flight. When I sat down in the cockpit and buckled in, I noticed my ID was missing. I frantically checked all my pockets about 10 times and searched my suitcase and the the forward closet to no avail. I finally gave up and told the crew. The Capt was going to let me go anyway, because he had already seen my ID earlier.

Just as we were getting ready to push, someone called up from the ramp asking if anyone had lost an ID. They had to bring the jetway back and pass it to me through the door because they didn't have a pole long enough to pass it up to the cockpit window. It turns out it had fallen off my pocket and down through the gap between the plane and the jetway when I went out to retrieve my bag after getting the OK to jumpseat. I was very apologetic, because I actually made the flight late. The walk from the cockpit to the door, through business and first class and back again, seemed to be about 5 miles long, and I was beet red!

 

[Mike Reyna]

I've jump seated quite a few times as a ramp agent for KHA. Of course, I always sat in the cockpit of our Boeing 727's. What aspiring airline pilot wouldn't? Sometimes I would just jumpseat, just to fly. Not a lot of "non airline" people get to do this, let alone fly in the cockpit. It sure gave me a different perspective of what I expect to fly in my future.

I love our Kitty Hawk flight crews. They are so laid back, and we would always take quotes from the movie Airplane. It doesn't get any better than that! I hope to jumpseat on our DC 8 to Alaska soon. Not a lot of people get to fly in that bird.

I think you should be fine, just dress according to your airline policy. As for the food/drinks, we have no problem as long as we ask our OPPS person. I know some airlines do and some don't. It's no big deal, but check before you fly. Nothing worse than flying on an empty stomach. lol

Mikie

Edit: Like Propjockey said, be sure to have your proper Airline/airport ID at all times. Some crews won't let you jumpseat if you don't have ID.

 

[Beechnut]

So far it seems as though commuting regional pilots have the system down. They are polite, introduce themselves at the appropriate people at the correct times and are ready with their medical, certificates AND Airline ID. If I may be so general, the people that need to refresh their procedures are the mainline folk. TWICE this month Mainline folk from the big U have ignored our flight attendants and have stepped up to the flight deck without first asking permission. As if being a Express carrier is a second rate institution not requiring the proper etiquette. And I don't know that I have EVER seen a mainliner from ANY carrier offer, or have ready their medical or certificates. I know it is the Captains responsibility to ask for such documents, but to not have them at the ready is a snub as well.

S.

 

[dispatchguy]

When I was a commuting dispatcher at AAEagle (I'm now totally out of the airline industry), I would always leave my rollaboard in the jetway, then intro myself to the Lead F/A with their J/S form, license, and airline ID. I never assumed I had the seat (even if their C/S agent gave me a boarding pass), and always asked the captain for a ride. I had my license laminated and clipped to my airline ID - no digging in the wallet at the last second.

Always, always, always thanked them upon arrival. If the flight deck door was still closed, I'd always ask the lead F/A to pass my thanks to the crew when they're available.

Always talk to both the Captain, F/O, and F/E (if on a F/E aircraft), as the F/O and F/E will be a Captain someday!

Granted, I usually never offered snacks, as all I had were nutrigrain or granola bars (I'm diabetic).

One thing that always fascinated me though - my license plainly says Aircraft Dispatcher on it, but yet I was asked for a medical countless times after 9/11. Good thing I hold a 3rd class Medical (Special Issuance) - one UAL A320 captain even asked me about the C152 I was signed-off to solo in, in addition to whats going on at Eagle.

To the ATA, SWA, UAL, TransStates, AirTran crews I flew with when at EagleDX, thanks for the rides!