Scary food for thought!

[---BTL---]

A line captain with newly minted ATP was removed from the line recently and placed into remedial training after "jumpseater" reports to CP that "Captain" is unsafe. Airman is removed from assigned line and given said training. Management accomodated the public safety by assigning a foreign pilot (w/o type or ATP) to the right seat to "monitor" captain's performance and provide feedback to company; despite the fact that his company ID said in big bold capital letters: NO COCKPIT ACCESS! My question is...how does a VP of Flight Operations justify this action. If, according the VP, all jumpseaters are pax, what would happen if this pilot decided to land zero/zero? Puts the "jumpseater in a pretty awkward spot wouldn't ya' say? Reminds me of an old scottish proverb...hear nowt, say nowt, see nowt. Gives me a warm fuzzy just thinking about it...yeah right. Screw your haead on tighter Stu and get with reality. Out.

 

[PilotoHalcon]

What outfit was this? Let me know and I will withdraw my resume if I have one on file with them.
j

 

[capt_zman]

It's an interesting discussion regarding this topic, as I experienced a similar situation recently (although not reported). I was on a turboprop airliner flight (not going to mention where or whom) out of a very busy airport. I was sitting in the front seat with a clear view of the capt and f/o. Here's a list of things that I question regarding the flight:

1. Upon startup, when engaging the starter for both engines, at the first sign of prop rotation, the condition lever is placed into high idle.
2. Taxiing to the active behind a 757 almost right on the APU exhaust of the 75. I mean no less than 10 feet away for the entire taxi period.
3. On a clear standard day (actually night), the condition levers are left in the high idle position and when the parking brake was released to move forward and continue the taxi, the throttles were quickly jammed to the stops and then beta/reverse and sudden braking was used to slow down before hitting the aforementioned 757.
4. At the hold short line, with another airplane right over the threshold, the captain decides to pull back his headset and answer his cellphone that just rang. He actually continued talking while taxiing onto the active and hung up the phone as he pulled the parking brake to hold. (Don't know whether this is how they communicate with their ops).
5. With the f/o flying, we're climbing to our assigned altitude of 15k. Trying to track the radial, the airplane is in constant wing rocking mode trying to track the needle. As we start the level off at 15k, I see 15,300, then 14,800 pretty much the entire flight.
6. While descending, we enter a small cloud. As soon as we enter IMC, the plane starts to bank to the left (10-15 degrees) or so (this only lasted for 10 secs or so). As soon as we break out, the plane instantaneously corrects to the right. We enter another cloud bank and the same thing happens.
7. Upon flare, I have always been taught (whether it be right or wrong), to carry power until wheel touchdown, then gradually apply reverse and brakes. In this situation, we are a good 20 ft above the runway and the throttles get chopped. I don't know how many fillings came out of my teeth, but that one hurt.
8. The captain shuts down the left engine and before the prop is under 200-300 rpm (really moving quickly), the f/o opens the door. (Don't know if this is company procedure, but I found it odd).
9. We startup and taxi (using the same aforementioned procedures) and make a left turn over water. We go to 1000 feet for the short flight. I don't know about you, but again we're deviating up and down a couple of hundred feet and now I'm scared. We're over pitch black water with very limited horizon and we're deviating in altitude at 1000 feet.
10. We touchdown at the airport, and full reverse and braking is used to make the first taxiway to the terminal.

Again, don't what their company regs and/or procedures state, but I found it odd that the flight was operated in such a manner, especially when the outbound flight earlier that day was flawless.

 

[---BTL---]

Flaps at 10,000 feet please

One prominent operator utilizing large transport category turbine powered airplane that utilize a single pilot crew configuration has pilots that put the flaps out at 10 grand in order to "get set up of r the approach" and to "slow down". I've witnessed this and numerous limitations being exceeded on a single flight and not a hint of awareness of same by the Captain. Here's a good one...a company check airman believes it is less wear and tear on the tires if you land the Metro at flaps full instead of flaps 1/2 (few knots diff. in smash). One more and I gotta go for now...I heard on the frequency one night that a Captain had fumes in the cockpit. He verbally announced on the radio that he was closing the bleed valves. Good enough. What he did next was amazing...believe it or not, after claiming the fumes were dissipating, he announced he was opening them up again because the problem seems to have fixed itself...Hmmmm. Out.