Madison newspaper editorial response

[Typhoon1244]

Originally posted by Dieterly
One of the great things working for a REAL airline, the captains IS allowed to act like one.

When my father was a captain at Eastern ('66--'89) captains were allowed to decide on their own how much fuel they would carry, when the plane would be boarded, how many engines they'd use for taxi, when they'd run the APU, etc.

My understanding is that's not true at most majors anymore.

 

[KigAir]

Iam surprised the Wiese's baggage didn't get routed to Asia..

 

[flyndesk]

??

I was the captain on the B-1900 in the east a few years back. During the 15 min downtime at the tiny, little, middle-of-nowhere airport, I decided to get an apple out of my bag, which was in the cargo compartment in the rear of the aircraft. When I came back inside the terminal, a 75 year old man asked me if I was checking my stash of pot. (Bizarre!) I calmly held up my apple, and told him we do not make jokes about drugs in the airline industry, and his comments were inappropriate. (There was all of five people in the place, including his daughter, the passenger.) Later, my f/o commented to me how polite and professional I was, and how well I handled the situation.

Well, imagine my surprise when the daughter deplaned at the hub and handed me a nasty note, saying I had embarassed an old man for no reason, and had acted wrong! I wonder what she would have said if the DEA had been called and swarmed the place. Funny thing, later that afternoon, she was again my passenger going back! I smiled and welcomed her aboard and forgot the whole thing. No note that leg!

However, this was all B.A., or "Before AmericaWest," the biggie incident that apparently replaced our security screening with sobriety checkpoints. Today, I, too, would submit to alcohol screening if someone "joked" about my sobriety, just as the FBI would show up if someone "joked" about a bomb.

 

[MetroSheriff]

One of the great things working for a REAL airline, the captains IS allowed to act like one.

You've got to be kidding.

You want to see pilots who make decisions? Go check out the folks hauling boxes and checks in the middle of the night in 402s and Chieftans. The airplanes may be smaller but they have more discretion than any 121 operation.

Airline flying is a great big game of Mother-May-I.

That being said, perhaps this has something to do with the lopsided safety record in favor of airline ops.