NO JS to anti-ALPA types

[Axel]

I won't give a ride to someone who is on his way to cross a picket line. A real picket line. With signs and marching. That happens when there is an actual strike. Preventing a picket line from being crossed is a tangible and practical victory. Denying a seat because you are mad or because you disagree with someone's politics is just pissy.

It is a small person who lords his small power in this fashion, then publicly crows under a pseudonym.

 

[Princedietrich]

This doesn't seem to give any leeway to the PIC to deny an FAA inspector - which is why in my original statement I said the PIC has the authority to deny some people. If there is LEGAL precedent (something on record) for a PIC denying the jumpseat to an FAA inspector on official business (ie. not just trying to catch a free ride as they are known to do at times), then I stand corrected. And the FARs DO place limits on who can occupy the jumpseat. So therefore it is not the PICs "to with as he pleases".

FAR 121.548 : Whenever, in performing the duties of conducting an inspection, an inspector of the Federal Aviation Administration presents form FAA 110A, “Aviation Safety Inspector's Credential,” to the pilot in command of an aircraft operated by a certificate holder, the inspector must be given free and uninterrupted access to the pilot's compartment of that aircraft.

If I may elaborate a bit.

NEDude is correct that regulations require a federale to be given access to the cockpit and the jumpseat if requested. This does not, however, mean that the 110A is essentially a "free universal boarding pass."

Whenever a federale does an enroute check, he or she has to fill out and submit a form that is numbered and tracked, and there can be no enroute check at all unless someone from a higher paygrade has given it the A-OK. In other words, if that form gets submitted without a REALLY good explanation, or if one of the numbered pages in the form book is unaccounted for, well let's just say the FAA will be hiring soon. It is for this reason that feds won't abritrarily hitch a free ride or get a free vacation out of their 110A because it isn't permitted (although I'm sure one does occasionally fall through the cracks).

The regulation cited above is not iron-clad either, and the feds know and accept this (at least most of them do). If there is a safety of flight issue (like the JS oxy mask being inop), or if there are weight and balance restrictions, the captain is well within rights to deny the JS to a fed. The fed will shrug, say "ok captain, have a safe flight," and head over to Starbucks for some caffeinated rocket fuel. An inspector is also not allowed to interfere with air commerece, which means they can't make you late for no good reason (but this applies more to a ramp check than an enroute).

I know this is a deviation from the original topic and for that I apologise, but I just thought I'd throw in a couple centavos.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Prince - good point. I've seen the Feds turned away and be very polite about it. They understand IF the PIC makes a calm rational explanation of why this flight isn't a good opportunity.

Word to the wise - if you deny the Fed a J/S for a mechanical / MEL - make sure the defect is properly written up. My former carrier had a Fed follow up to see if the J/S was deferred for the low O2. When he learned that the O2 was neither written up, serviced, or deferred he was not a happy Fed.

And yes, they will J/S around the system when they are not performing a check. I've had the FAA going to meetings, and NTSB investigators up front.

 

[Princedietrich]

Prince - good point. I've seen the Feds turned away and be very polite about it. They understand IF the PIC makes a calm rational explanation of why this flight isn't a good opportunity.

Word to the wise - if you deny the Fed a J/S for a mechanical / MEL - make sure the defect is properly written up. My former carrier had a Fed follow up to see if the J/S was deferred for the low O2. When he learned that the O2 was neither written up, serviced, or deferred he was not a happy Fed.

And yes, they will J/S around the system when they are not performing a check. I've had the FAA going to meetings, and NTSB investigators up front.

Oh yeah, they do indeed hitch a ride on occasions when performing "official duty" such as going to a training course or going to some location where they have a work assignment. But seeing one enrouting to HNL with a set of golf clubs in tow........ well, that's grounds for suspicion.

For those who are flying for carriers that go through OKC, you've probably been forwarned that FAA HQ is located there and that hordes of inspectors are going to be clogging your jumpseats and watching your every move if you go through there. The reality is quite the opposite in that inspectors are highly discouraged from enrouting to OKC and should instead go as paying passengers on a regular ticket. This is designed to give the pilots going through OKC some relief from being constantly bombarded by enroutes.

 

[JPAustin]

Pookie set up the guy because he was Skywest. Pookie as a chip on his shoulder and an axe to grind, hence the set-up. When the JS decided he couldn't keep his damned mouth shut about it, he fell into Pookie's trap and now Pookie had a reasonable explanation (as far as he was concerned) to deny the JS.

Pookie, good luck describing that one to your JS committee if Skywest gets rather upset at this one. And if you continue to do this, shame on you, and you will risk your own pilot group's ability to JS on Skywest.

If you have any of the "untouchables" requesting a JS on your flight and you have a reciprocal agreement with them (or at least in CASS and you are feeling charitable), then you give them the damned JS, unless of course they do something stupid that pushes you to deny said JS. But don't set the guy up just because you don't like him. I don't particularly like the Go's, but if one of them wants a ride and he doesn't do something stupid, I won't deny. May not talk too much, but I won't deny it either.

 

[dpneedham]

I am not an airline pilot, and maybe never will be, but I would like to add my 2 cents worth here.

Unions killed the American auto industry, making it impossible to create a good car that produced a profit for the company. Unions have had their purpose in this country, but have also been abused.

Their purpose was to stop the 10-14 hour working days in poorly lit and poorly ventilated working conditions, in the factories of yester-year.

They are overly abused today, with no real purpose, and have become political machines as well.

Ask any teacher who is not a Democrat if they wish they had a choice about paying teacher union dues.

If I were an airline FO, realizing this was my last ride home, this jerk would get a punch in the face, AND my view about unions after I knocked him through the windshield, and he came to on the ground.

What a jerk. I know he wouldn't dare talk to me one on one, face to face, without his macho Captain shirt on, in a neutral atmosphere like a coffee shop.

People have a choice, and mine would be to vote against the union, and this guy is one reason why.

 

[PCL_128]

Pookie, good luck describing that one to your JS committee if Skywest gets rather upset at this one

This comment always cracks me up. Just what do you think that his jumpseat committee can do about it? Give him a stern talking to? Yeah, I'm sure Pookie would be scared. Jumpseat committees have no authority to tell Captains what to do with their jumpseats.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

dpneedham = Management's Wet Dream.

If you ever become an airline pilot, you'll understand the need for a union. Until then, keep "knocking 'em through the windshields".

 

[PCL_128]

I am not an airline pilot, and maybe never will be

I certainly hope not. The last thing we need is another pilot with his tongue up management ass.

 

[dpneedham]

P.S.

If your unions are worth a crap, then fight for the little guy!

One of the most important rules of business is PAY THE PEOPLE WHO DO THE WORK!

Any airline that doesn't pay the people who do the work, is only here for today, and won't be around tomorrow.

I am sitting here realizing that my dream might not ever materialize because of the greed of the management of the regional airlines, and it pisses me off. But those who are senior Captains and FO's also must realize that they not only have to fight for themselves, but the newest guy on the block.

As a newbie, or a newbie wanna-be, my view is that the unions OBVIOUSLY can't be worth a crap. All I have to do is look at the pay scale, where I would start, and that says it all.

A new FO can't even make a living if he get's his parent's permission to live at home, and decides to not marry his girlfriend, or have any kids.

It is just sick, sick, sick.

If I flew at the airlines, I would be tired, and behind on payments on all my bills, nearly all the time. Can you say a perfect case for stress? And as some have said in other strings, "the PAX have no clue."

Well, this PAX has a clue. I think I'll walk, thank you very much.

You all need to walk the picket line, starting yesterday. But I really don't think your union is the answer. They haven't delivered you a damn thing.