Pilots' lav use

[Gorilla]

This is more of an observation and a request than a question for the FA's here.

The typical scene - Early morning flight. Pilots are seated 40 minutes before pushback, doing preflight duties. After push, we get a 40+ minutes on the ground for flow control. We launch out, finally get to cruise, and the cruise PA is complete. By now, the FA's up front are deep into their breakfast service. Unfortunately, by now we are getting distinctly uncomfortable.

<ding> "Sorry we need to use the lav!" :erm: 80% of the FA's cheerfully reply "Sure, I'll call when we're ready for you." Unfortunately, the other 20%...

<deep, very audible sigh / tone of disgust> "Geez, we're right in the middle of our service..." As the potty break is in progress, the FA's are obviously VERY irritated.

PLEASE understand that we are hostages to biology. Some guys have medical conditions that require more frequent breaks. It is not a lot of fun to interact with the grumps, and to be made to feel guilty about something we have minimal control over. Thanks for listening, and for the very pleasant 80%, A double thank you. :0

 

[blkav8tor2003]

Gorilla,

I have never flown in an operation where the pilot's had to ask the f/a's to go to the bathroom. Now don't get me wrong but I do understand with some a/c the biffy's are in the back and that might warrant a heads up to the f/a but even then I think most express flights the f/a only hand carries out the beverages during a service. If your on something bigger and the lav is up front with you and you are just being a gentleman and letting the first class f/a('s) know that your coming out is welcomed but if your catch flack for a nature break thats unacceptable. The word "crew" means everyone working together on that airplane in all phases of flight, forgive me for thinking that the pilots are a very important part of the "Crew" and if the "Crew" up front is not at least checked on and watered (sorry for the poor choice of word) when things happen your looking for an example of how to become a statistic. Maybe its because I'm a pilot too and I would expect to looked in on from time to time, thats how we use to do it a few years back at CAL but as a f/a I would include the flight deck in my service rounds if I was working in F/C and I would let the pilots know to call me if they needed something. I don't know maybe it's just me but if your on my play I'm looking in on you at least to make sure things are kool and there is nothing I need to worry about. Good Luck and hopefully it was an isolated occurence and definitely not the norm.

Virg

P.S. Sorry if its long winded but I take being a crew member on either side of the door very seriously and i don't mind trying to express myself. Odd for a man huh...lol just kidding.

Later

 

[Gorilla]

Hi Virg, like I mentioned, the larger majority of FA's are entirely pleasant and professional. But it's more than an isolated incident. Some cockpit don't "ask", they simply state "We're coming out; be ready", but I think that's impolite, so I phrase it as a request. I really appreciate harmony and good manners between crew, and hate crew confrontation, which beats everyone down mentally and is usually over stupid stuff. There's enough confrontation between crew and pax these days.

FA's, I freely acknowledge there are demanding, whiny cockpit crews, and I try very hard not to be one. With that said, all I ask is a bit of understanding over the lav thing. As I mentioned earlier, there are a bunch of medical conditions which simply prohibit much time between breaks. Thanks!

 

[blkav8tor2003]

Gorilla,

I agree and I will also state that I believe when I fly a Happy Flightdeck Crew leads to a Happy Flight Crew Overall. Crew drama inflight could lead to problems when an emergency arises. My front lav door is always available to you guys driving if I'm in the back, no restrictions because a some f/a has a problem with the flight deck.

Virg

 

[WaterSkiette]

At my airline, FA's are required to sit in the cockpit and lock the door while one of the pilots is using the lav. I think it's fun! It's nice to have a little break and see out the front windows every now and then!

In case you're wondering-- Two people are required to be in the cockpit at all times just in case the one pilot becomes incapacitated.

 

[WaterSkiette]

woops. double post! sorry

 

[Gorilla]

At my airline, FA's are required to sit in the cockpit and lock the door while one of the pilots is using the lav. I think it's fun! It's nice to have a little break and see out the front windows every now and then!

In case you're wondering-- Two people are required to be in the cockpit at all times just in case the one pilot becomes incapacitated.

Hi WSette, thanks for your observations! If I may ask, how long have you been a FA? When things were good in this industry, and we were hiring new FA's, it was always fun to have a newby FA come up, because for them it's a bit exciting and different. As everyone gets older, the desire to come up and chat seems to vanish, which is sad.

Pre 9/11, it was a pleasure to have the door pop open with a key, and have a FA come forward and visit, or one of us could simply drop back unnanounced, with only one guy up front. Those days are gone forever.

 

[WaterSkiette]

been flying for about a year and a half!! Lovin' (almost!) every minute of it!!! When I think of putting on a monkey suit and driving to "the office" everyday and working from 8-5, I shudder!!! yayyyyy fun airline job!
I love to sit up front and chat! I love it when pilots show me airplane stuff too... like how the autopilot goes crazy and yells HI STEVE (high speed)... stuff like that!

 

[Easy Mac]

been flying for about a year and a half!! Lovin' (almost!) every minute of it!!! When I think of putting on a monkey suit and driving to "the office" everyday and working from 8-5, I shudder!!! yayyyyy fun airline job!
I love to sit up front and chat! I love it when pilots show me airplane stuff too... like how the autopilot goes crazy and yells HI STEVE (high speed)... stuff like that!

You must work at SHANIQUA!!! Those pilots are exceeding a limitation and BREAKING THE LAW!!! Only CHAPUBLIC AMERICA pilots would pull a stunt like that on purpose!@

 

[WaterSkiette]

Easy Mac-

Nope I don't work at "Chautauqua is Indian for ugly flight attendant!!!"!!!!! Or any of the other Republic Holdings or whatever companies!

sorry!

 

[EMB170Pilot]

Regarding Chautauqua (Republic Airways Holdings)

The answer is because the person responsible for hiring F.A. at Chq is a woman and didn't want pretty FA around because her husband is a pilot for Chq.................. that's what I was told folks!!

They needs to stop hiring the ones where their width exceeds the width of the cabin walkway

 

[Chicken Taco]

Regarding Chautauqua (Republic Airways Holdings)

The answer is because the person responsible for hiring F.A. at Chq is a woman and didn't want pretty FA around because her husband is a pilot for Chq.................. that's what I was told folks!!

They needs to stop hiring the ones where their width exceeds the width of the cabin walkway

True That! Life was so much better back when Barry was doing the hiring, not that anybody below #150 would remember that..

..CT

 

[BizAvFA]

Me thinks my old boss somwewhere else is now in charge of FA's at Chatauqua (or whatever its called)
Does she have blond hair and is about 40?

 

[Midnight Flyer]

This is more of an observation and a request than a question for the FA's here.

The typical scene - Early morning flight. Pilots are seated 40 minutes before pushback, doing preflight duties. After push, we get a 40+ minutes on the ground for flow control. We launch out, finally get to cruise, and the cruise PA is complete. By now, the FA's up front are deep into their breakfast service. Unfortunately, by now we are getting distinctly uncomfortable.

<ding> "Sorry we need to use the lav!" :erm: 80% of the FA's cheerfully reply "Sure, I'll call when we're ready for you." Unfortunately, the other 20%...

<deep, very audible sigh / tone of disgust> "Geez, we're right in the middle of our service..." As the potty break is in progress, the FA's are obviously VERY irritated.

PLEASE understand that we are hostages to biology. Some guys have medical conditions that require more frequent breaks. It is not a lot of fun to interact with the grumps, and to be made to feel guilty about something we have minimal control over. Thanks for listening, and for the very pleasant 80%, A double thank you. :0

I fly cargo, so we have the freedom to do pirouette's in the galley if we so choose.
So with pax flying, is it just a post 9/11 thing which requires pilots to contact the f/a's to let them "be ready" for you to come out?
Or like Gorilla said, he calls back and states "we're coming out, be ready"...
Be ready for what?

 

[EMB170Pilot]

Me thinks my old boss somwewhere else is now in charge of FA's at Chatauqua (or whatever its called)
Does she have blond hair and is about 40?

I was told A.C. did it

and also was told life was good by many capt when barry was doing the hiring.

 

[FL420]

At my airline, FA's are required to sit in the cockpit and lock the door while one of the pilots is using the lav. I think it's fun! It's nice to have a little break and see out the front windows every now and then!

In case you're wondering-- Two people are required to be in the cockpit at all times just in case the one pilot becomes incapacitated.

Same thing in my last airline. One pet peeve I had was the company was not training the FA's on how to use cockpit oxygen and communications equipment. In case of a rapid decompression while one of the pilots was in the lav, a FA unfamiliar with the equipment and its operation would become a liability instead of an asset.

I ended up doing OJT for many of our FA's(which I was happy to do) on material that should have been covered in their initial and recurrent training.

I have a few questions:
1. Are any of you asked to babysit a pilot in the cockpit without being trained on how to use the oxygen equipment?
2. How about use of the cockpit intercom to communicate with the pilot or the FA stations in the back?
3. With a handheld microphone or using the microphone in the O2 mask?
4. How about tuning a radio to the emergency frequency and communicating with ATC?
5. Have you been trained how to use the keypad to gain entry to the cockpit and place a mask on a pilot who is unconscious?
6. Have you been trained how to restrain a pilot at the controls who has suffered a seizure so he/she doesn't interfere with the controls?

Locked and hardened cockpit doors since 9/11 have made it imperative that both FA's and pilots be trained in and be prepared to use some different procedures re: incapacitated pilots and pressurization emergencies while one of the pilots is out of the cockpit.

 

[Gorilla]

I fly cargo, so we have the freedom to do pirouette's in the galley if we so choose.
So with pax flying, is it just a post 9/11 thing which requires pilots to contact the f/a's to let them "be ready" for you to come out?
Or like Gorilla said, he calls back and states "we're coming out, be ready"...
Be ready for what?

Good ol days: Just like you, one guy says "Gotta use the litterbox, be right back", drops back, is gone for 3 to 20 minutes, and reappears.

Post 9/11: Without being too specific, it requires adequate forward manning and coordination with the FA's, whose service comes to a grinding halt while the break is in progress.

Traffic forward and back through the CP door is VERY limited now. Most guys, myself included, do a pre-emptive bathroom break 5 minutes before pushback. Then there are guys with kidneys of iron, who drink 4 or 6 large coffees on a 5 hour flight and never once have to go. One's manliness is no longer related to 'size', it's now 'duration' :laugh:

 

[Draginass]

At my airline, FA's are required to sit in the cockpit and lock the door while one of the pilots is using the lav. I think it's fun! It's nice to have a little break and see out the front windows every now and then!

In case you're wondering-- Two people are required to be in the cockpit at all times just in case the one pilot becomes incapacitated.

Well, actually no. Since 9/11 the FAs have to play doorman and let the other pilot back in. No more just using your key to get back in.

 

[Midnight Flyer]

If you're just not able to leave the cockpit, you could always use the "little John" and for the female pilots out there, the "lady "j" adapter" haha. uke:

Guess it wouldn't work in the smaller cockpits like the rj's, dc-9's, etc..

http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?DID=19&CATID=178&Product_ID=297&count=3&Pcount=6&DETAIL=1

 

[dingo222]

haha, the lady J. AKA the honey bucket, hehe. I showed one to my wife once and it took her an hour to figure it out! I pissed on myself just laughing