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NWA 747-200 FE Workload...

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clippyrip

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Posts
727
What are the duties of the SO in the 74-200? Is the training tough? It looks as though I will get the FE position at NWA and I'm curious what the job will be like. I'm from ANC so the base part is no surprise but any thing else would be appreciated.
 
Can you work a coffee machine? ;-)

No, the FEs do more than that. They also wake you up for descent!
 
The FE on the -200 is a pretty busy guy until you get in the air. A good FE makes the flight easy. A bad one makes the flight like pulling teeth. I've flown with mostly professional FE's with A&P licenses and most know their job, aircraft systems, and the QRH inside and out.

Best job in the world? . . . an FO on the 747. Not much to do except fly half the legs and answer some checklists.
 
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Like Draginass said, you're pretty busy from the time you show up at the airplane until the flaps are retracted. "Deadheading between preflights." is a pretty apt description.

One a more serious note, the FE is the onboard systems expert, and is expected to know which checklist to run if the $hit hits the fan. Whenever a caution light illuminates or something doesn't work right, the two guys up front will turn around and look at you.

That's when you earn your pay!
 
It is your job to eat all the crew meals, along with the above mentioned duties.

Make sure you take the best part of all the crew meals and make yourself a Gourmet offering.

Preflighting and subsequent re-disbursal of crew meal items is paramount.

Make sure you get ALL the shrimp or steak, for example.

Let the rest of them eat chicken....YOU, after all, are the guy standing in the rain doing a preflight in Guangzhao, or in the snow in Detroit.

Right?

YKW
 
Heyas,

Back in the day, it used to be called "dozing for dollars". Now post-BQ, it's just dozing.

Nu
 
Clippyrip,

The B747-200 FE training is not difficult. 15 years ago it was busy since they used to perform the Captain's, First Officer's and their own preflight check, everyones pay sheet, and the fuel score. But now computerized flight planning is so accurate that the fuel score is no longer needed, the Litten INSs are very accurate and you only do your own preflight. The course is rather long for a North American carrier (and short for an Asian one) and I would suggest paying close attention to the International operations portions. Intl' Ground School at NWA is lacking in quality, depth and ICAO phraseology discipline and it shows overseas. They assume everyone has experience in Intl' ops and the instructors who teach it, have little or no time outside of the U.S. I got more from reading on my own, than from the NWA schoolhouse. I would suggest Global Navigation for Pilots by De Remer/McLean. It will give you a better "big picture" perspective.

Flows, Systems and SOP's are not difficult to figure out. NWA instructors are mostly patient people and will help you in any way they can to get you through the program.

If ANC is your home, you will love it. ANC base has nice trips and once you get the routine down, it will actually get a bit boring. FE's do prepare the meals in the 1960's ovens. They turn them on during preflight and the food is ready to eat by cruise (2hrs later). Whine Lover is correct when he said you get to pick the best parts of the crew meal since you are preparing them. You will also preflight any HAZMAT in the cargo area with a special sheet that displays segregations of various dangerous items (that training isn't half bad). Some of the cargo that NWA carries can get interesting too.

Good luck and have a great time seeing the world.
 
A couple more questions...

What do the trips look like? Length?
Is an ANC commute to the lower 48 realistic as a NWA new hire FE?

Thanks.
 
Big mix.

Most fall in the 4-7 day range...but there are a lot over 6-days long.

There is one goofy 6-day trip that lays-over in KIX for 108-hours. ("Hello? Suicide hot line?")

There are a number of 4-day trips with long ORD layovers (48-52 hours).

Reserve is a tough commute, but NWA is "commuter friendly" (comes from 80% of us being commuters), so there is an abundance of commuter gouge.

Commuting to Block in ANC is fairly easy from SEA, but gets harder the farther you get from there.
 
For those NWA new-hire in class now, what is the class break-down? how is that ANC FE position assigned? What if nobody in the whole class wants it, will the junior guy in class be assigned that slot?
 
Your busier than a seven holed whore in jail till you get tank to engine then you can drool all over yourself till top of descent.
 
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nwaredtail said:
they just announced they are parking another freighter, so don't be surprised if you don't get the ANC bid. JFYI
Click to expand...

Do they have any plans to get newer ones or are they shrinking the freight side? I thought the cargo flying was expanding with additional flights into China and all...
 
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propdog said:
Do they have any plans to get newer ones or are they shrinking the freight side? I thought the cargo flying was expanding with additional flights into China and all...
Click to expand...


"There's no money in freight"....

- Illustriuous NWA Executive

Nu
 
After 8 months, you'll contemplate suicide from the boredom. After a year, you'll be grizzled.

After two years, you'll be as pissed off at the business as the rest of us... ;)

Seriously, I'd do it simply because it's becoming something of a rarity. You'll have street cred...in a sick sort of way. TC
 
Being an FE is absolutely the worst "flying job" out there. Not only do you bow down to the Captain (as normal), but there is a cocky FO who also wants special treatment. A three man crew FO is the laziest pilot on the planet. (and probably the best "flying job" you can get) Expect to be degraded and over worked, but if it is the only way to get the job at a Legacy, then I would do it (again--I was a 727FE for 6 months and hated every single minute of it---the 747 panel is probably a bit more advanced, but it also is a lot larger and probably more to do). Have fun.


Bye Bye--General Lee
 
DashTrash400 said:
Translation: if the FO is anything like the General you'll hate it.
Click to expand...

Wow, you're cool..... And you are again? You'll be a NWA FO in how many years? You might not be the most popular group with these NWA guys, since you are Compass, right? They could be your Captains on the E175 if they park a lot of DC9s at NWA. Be nice to them.

Bye Bye--General Lee
 
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NuGuy said:
"There's no money in freight"....

- Illustriuous NWA Executive

Nu
Click to expand...

THat was uttered in 1995 by the spectacularly inept Bill Slattery...then a VP.

Since then we bought 3 more freighters and ARMAR'd the rest.

Our BOD member reports a lot of discussion on a/c options. Since a lot of our route authority is "cargo specific", there is no discussion of abandoning freight.
 
General Lee said:
Being an FE is absolutely the worst "flying job" out there. Not only do you bow down to the Captain (as normal), but there is a cocky FO who also wants special treatment. A three man crew FO is the laziest pilot on the planet. (and probably the best "flying job" you can get) Expect to be degraded and over worked, but if it is the only way to get the job at a Legacy, then I would do it (again--I was a 727FE for 6 months and hated every single minute of it---the 747 panel is probably a bit more advanced, but it also is a lot larger and probably more to do). Have fun.


Bye Bye--General Lee
Click to expand...

You're a class act.
 
FmrFreightDog said:
You're a class act.
Click to expand...

Sorry, just telling it like it is. I did it, and it was one of the worst jobs I have ever had. A window seat is ten time better. But, if it will get you to where you want to be eventually, you should probably do it. If you are stuck on that seat for a long time, plan to be miserable. The truth hurts. If I had the choice between 747SO and Diesel-9 FO, I would pick the DC-9.

Bye Bye--General Lee
 
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General Lee said:
Being an FE is absolutely the worst "flying job" out there. Not only do you bow down to the Captain (as normal), but there is a cocky FO who also wants special treatment. A three man crew FO is the laziest pilot on the planet. (and probably the best "flying job" you can get) Expect to be degraded and over worked, but if it is the only way to get the job at a Legacy, then I would do it (again--I was a 727FE for 6 months and hated every single minute of it---the 747 panel is probably a bit more advanced, but it also is a lot larger and probably more to do). Have fun.


Bye Bye--General Lee
Click to expand...

window heat
pitot heat
what's to eat?
 
Little U Big U!
Protect Essential!

I did 8 months on the panel of a 727, definitely a thankless job but it did have interesting moments. When it starts to get stressful, just look at it this way. Captain Kirk may have commanded the Enterprise, but it wouldn't go anywhere without Scotty RUNNING it.
 

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