Pilots wearing backpacks??? lets get campy?

[hbrow15]

as 12 pages on this thread has displayed there are many different views on what is professional. I once had a instructor that was a DC-10 CPT for United(ret) he use to say how he didn't like to see guys with a stickers all over thier flightcase as DC-8 reffered to. I dont have stickers on my flight case because to me it looks tacky not even a Marine sticker of which I am very proud to have been a member. Someone i believe Rez O Leshun reference Military officers not wearing backpacks completely untrue. When I was in the Marine Corps we had two an Alice pack and a big ugly green one we called a Sea Bag(Duffle bag for you Army and Air Force types) when we report for Sea Duty on ship we carry our big ugly Sea Bag and guess what we are wearing ? our most identifiable uniform "Dress Blues". Someone also posted about the "kids with shiny jet syndrome" not holding up the bar like the older guys did before, but one major difference the older guys back in the day the bar that needed to be held up was concerning safety not pay, a regulated industry took care of that. Now to expect some 22 year old kid just starting out to hold up a bar during time the industry is going to through times where the older guys are loseing pensions and salaries are slowly getting closer to what the "kids" are making is crazy. None of these "kids" had anything to do with the influx of RJ's most of them were probably still in JR High when this started, so to say the industry is in the state that it's in is because some young buck is wearing a backpack lets get real. Many of these guys and gals simply dont know how to wear a uniform, like some of the guys i was in the crash pad with I gave them some tips I picked up in the Corps. Lets debate something more important than how someone choses how to cary a laptop on a 4 day.

 

[FlyChicaga]

Those airline pilots who went before are rolling over in their graves at this thread. Those who carried their suitcase (without wheels) in one hand, and their leather flight kit in the other. Ever seen the picture of Bob Buck on his first day at TWA in the book, "North Star Over My Shoulder"?

I'm so ashamed.

 

[acaTerry]

DC8 Flyer,

I agree with much of what you said. But the thing I just have to be obstinate on is the age issue. Now I am not just talking about age in years, but age as an aviator (i.e. how long they have been flying).
When I was at ACA, we had mins of 1800 / 300. Most of the FO's I flew with were in their late 20's and had several thousand hours of instructing or flying freight. There were no academies or other fast-track schools. The pilots did a time honored and well proven road to the airlines. And I was always able to count on proactive, mature, well-rounded FO's who were eager to do the job right. And funny enough, we had a lot of fun (can you believe it!).
Now, since the fast track has come along, we (the regional industry) have a bunch of inexperienced, immature whining babies who want to be airline pilots but find it too much to wear the uniform, get a haircut, and follow SOP. They do not want to learn the right way to do the job. They complain if the CA takes the plane after landing, if the CA tells them they need to shave EVERY duty day, etc. This new breed of pilots form the Nintendo generation are so bent on trying to change the world that they do not even try to do it right. They remind me of the kids on my daughters Nickelodeon commercials saying "LISTEN TO ME!". Hey, when you are new, it is better to have bigger ears than mouths.
The "chicks dig me" speeches and such is like high school. I have seen regional pilots playing tag in the terminal like little schoolkids, heard the word "dude" more times than I can stand, and we even have threads asking dating advice in here. To me that shows the indisputable link between age, maturity, and the ability to handle a MAN'S, not a boy's job. (Settle down libs---no sexism here).
Whenever a regional airliner crashes, what is the first thing you hear about in the press? That's right...young, inexperienced pilots are why the plane crashed. A meteor can hit a plane, but that would not be the focus. And so everytime someone has one, the regional industry has to prove itself. And right now, we are losing. The CVR transcripts on the PCL crash shout this much louder than anyone in this forum can.
And until the trend is reversed and the people who take these jobs conduct and present themselves as professionals, you will all have to fight a losing battle.

 

[wmuflyguy]

yea!!! CHIPOTLE burritos!!!!!!
i am addicted to those things, I wish they were in the airport.

truely a gutbomb

They are putting a Q-doba in Concourse C at CVG, it is the same as Chipotle(same size burritos and ingredients) with a little bit larger menu.

 

[Spinplate]

I fly for the guy who owns the Chipolte that is being built in the Vegas terminal!! Should be up in a few months I believe!!

 

[Photoflight]

I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe people would find it appropriate to wear a backpack in uniform. I step right up and say I'm not a regional pilot nor do I want to be. I believe however that my granddad would slap the piss outta me if I complained about having to wear a hat and not being able wear a backpack. Get a haircut, iron your shirt, and take pride in your job. It may not pay the greatest right now but its your job and you knew the pay coming in(this is not to say you shouldn't fight for more).

 

[PCL_128]

acaTerry, I'm not so sure that the pilot factories are the problem. Many of the guys at Pinnacle that wear the backpack or don't iron their shirt or don't shave etc... are not that young and didn't go to one of the "academies." I think the problem is more with the management. Our CP used to wear white tennis shoes and carried a black trash bag for his overnight bag when he flew the line. He certainly doesn't enforce any sort of uniform policy, so the pilots are allowed to run wild. Some of us have enough professionalism to care about it ourselves, but many guys need the oversight of management to keep their appearance in check. Without a professional attitude and appearance from the top, things won't get any better.

 

[BenderGonzales]

ACATerry,

You're 100% dead on! Ernie Gann didn't complain about wearing a proper uniform. He was delighted to have the opportunity. That was back in the day when the Captain might not even let you touch the controls -- but Ernie dressed like a pro. You dress and act like a professional, and people treat you like one.

Pete Fusco didn't complain about wearing a uniform. He was flying shrunken heads and monkeys out of corosion corner in Miami -- passengers never even SAW the guy, but he wore his uniform with pride.

And I didn't complain about wearing the uniform the way it was supposed to be worn. 10 legs a day in a Metroliner in the Northeast, spinning the props after every leg.

What changed? Why do the young people who have started out in the industry post-09/11 not have the same pride? Why are they more interested in how their hair looks than in wearing the uniform (hat and all)?

When I started at the commuters, the minimums were 1500 TT, 500 ME. I was immature. I had no clue what I was doing. I probably had a big mouth and a bigger ego. But I was quickly whipped into shape by the old timers. I was PROUD to fly that little 19 seat piece of crap. I wore that uniform with pride and did my very best to show our customers that despite their feelings about the Metro -- the guys in front were professional airline pilots.

I sure wish I could figure out what changed? But it was sad. Today these kids do 30 second walkarounds. Their feet are off the rudder pedals before they hit 1500 feet. Their seatbacks are reclined so far that they look like some punk driving a golf-cart. Some wear sneakers with their uniforms. What are they thinking?

I'm in my late thirtys too. I left the airline industry for a bunch of reasons -- none of which were related to the newhire's appearance.

What's interesting is that I NEVER NOTICED these things while I was working at the airlines!!!

It wasn't until I started traveling more and more as a CUSTOMER that I began to take notice of the appearance of the F/Os on the regional jets. And i'll tell you that i'm not the only one. I've heard other passengers remark. Sure, their remarks were made jokingly. But do you think they hide some anxiety? Do you think that the people who are entrusting you with their LIVES might like to believe that if you take pride in your APPEARANCE you might also take pride in your craft?

I agree with ACATerry. I somehow doubt that the extra 500-1000 hours of flying single pilot, night freight would make that much of a difference. This is a generational change -- for the worse.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

ACATerry,It wasn't until I started traveling more and more as a CUSTOMER that I began to take notice of the appearance of the F/Os on the regional jets. And i'll tell you that i'm not the only one. I've heard other passengers remark. Sure, their remarks were made jokingly. But do you think they hide some anxiety?

While I agree with pretty much everything in your post, I must ask...are these people making "remarks" about the pilot's uniform appearance or the fact that they just look young? I hear the latter at least 5 times a day on average, and I wear my uniform properly and carry myself with pride. I look 18, and there really isn't much that I can do about it (although I am 24). I think that unless the flying public see's two guys that are obviously over 30 as their pilots, they are going to make some remarks about it...regardless of their uniform appearance.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

How is this thread connected to the Tipping the Van Driver Thread?

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=58712

The backpacks are representative of the larger issue: attitude.

5 pages on the topic of backpacks!! You guys are awsome! Ok...only tools wear backpacks but come on.....5 pages! Just listen to Paradoxus, although the regional pukes things is a bit harsh! 5 Pages, get a life losers!!

-Drama; im out!

CaptnVegetto is no longer an Air Line Pilot. No longer a player in the same game. (still a good pilot, I'm sure...) So I am wondering what his adamantcy is really all about?

Attitude

It seems the possibility of connecting the two (backpacks and no tipping) to an attitude.....