SWA tactics on the ramp and taxiways

[SWAdude]

SWAdude,

You might be a little off the mark by saying to file a complaint with the FAA. As a former employee of that "fine" organization, a Hotline complaint comes down and it's priority. Everything stops until the complaint is investigated, LOIs sent out and everybody's day is ruined. It's a powerful tool that tends to make everybody's life miserable and should be used as a last resort. A call between respective carriers professional standards groups yeilds greater results and better harmony than to involve the FED. If that doesn't work, by all means call the Hotline.

I'm not suggesting to call the hotline. There is an air traffic complaint form we have and its not formal but more informative. I don't intend on being vague, I just don't have it with me. I don't go to work for the next couple of weeks but I will get the form and give better information about the program.

Maybe going to your own professional standards is a way to go. I didn't know and think that maybe there is communication between the airlines in this fashion. I have not heard that with ours but will check into this.

After reading my prior posts I did say to file a complaint. Very bad wording and not what I intended. Thanks for bringing that to my attention JB Bus Drvr.

 

[SWA/FO]

SWA rules.

Just get out of our way

Now, Ty please delete this thread. You have the power.

Lets talk about something else? Like SWA having 4500 flights a day, 5 years from now.

 

[Wingsweep]

Great Ideas

For all you guys who call the FAA and professional standards departments everytime you get irritated....well, I say again; waaaaaaaaaaa! Or perhaps you can use the story at your next interview. Let's see. There was this time I didn't get to launch in the sequence I thought was fair so I called the FAA and filed a complaint. Then I called the other airline's professional standards department. One thing's for sure, I always want to taxi and takeoff when I think it's right. Any more questions for me? Oh, yea, I'm a little bit of a cry baby....

 

[atafan]

Just to throw my two cents in.

I have operated shoulder to shoulder with SWA crews in the busiest square mile in aviation, MDW, as well as many other airports for years. Years ago when SWA was a much smaller scrappier company SWA pilots seemed to taxi and fly their airplanes faster than most other airlines. They were never rude to me or others that I witnessed, we just laughed and commented "them boys aren't paid by the hour".

SWA pilots always seemed to be at the top of their game and now we all see that they were operating their equipment efficiently as well. These days, I see more flight crews operating more like SWA crews and less like the legacy airlines of the past.

ATC might cut them some slack because they know that SWA crews will get on their way and do what they say they will do. MDW tower clears you to take-off when another airplane is on short final, they expect you to roll NOW. Tower controllers have told me that SWA and ATA crews know the score and might get that clearance before brand X only because they know that these crews will roll quickly, not because they are just giving them preference.

Let's be honest. I remember days when I worked for one of the large extinct legacy airlines and we might have drag our feet a little because of pay, work slow downs or contract flight duty issues.

That culture is failed culture.

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

Thanks . . . unfortunately, it seems to have unleashed an outburst of jealousy ...

Upgrading at a busch league airline does not unleash jealousy.

 

[737tanker]

ATC does treat SWA differently at times because they expect us to move quicker, but not unsafely. A few years ago I was cleared to land on 22 at HOU. Tower then cleared a Delta 737 for takeoff. Delta dii it slowly causing us to go around. No big deal it happens. What wasn't normal was the tower controller saying that he was sorry that he forgot that Delta doesn't fly like SWA. As for taxi speeds our FOM (which was approved by the FAA) has the max taxi speed of 20 Kts on strait taxiways, all other times it is 15

 

[Mugs]

Upgrading at a busch league airline does not unleash jealousy.

A few years back you guys used to whine on this forum about legacy pilots making comments like these about SWA. You talked about how unprofessional it was, how arrogant we were and so on. Now you guys demonstrate on a daily basis that ya'll are no better. The big dog just can't resist a fire hydrant.

Jose. That is the first post I have ever seen you write without using douche bag, your favorite term. Don't forget to reply now to fill your quotta. Then go play with one!

 

[SWA/FO]

The shoe is on the other foot and it looks as if some people don't like it now.

 

[apdsm]

As for taxi speeds our FOM (which was approved by the FAA) has the max taxi speed of 20 Kts on strait taxiways, all other times it is 15

Normal is 20 or less. Max is 30 on straight taxiways.

 

[AFcitrus]

Thanks IVAUIR. That's the first professional response to my post that I've seen on this thread. You are obviously one of the many professional aviators at LUV.


Have a great day

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

A few years back you guys used to whine on this forum about legacy pilots making comments like these about SWA. You talked about how unprofessional it was, how arrogant we were and so on. Now you guys demonstrate on a daily basis that ya'll are no better. The big dog just can't resist a fire hydrant.

Jose. That is the first post I have ever seen you write without using douche bag, your favorite term. Don't forget to reply now to fill your quotta. Then go play with one!

My rediculous statement was meant to mirror the reduculousness of Ty's original post.

Almost forgot... DOUCHE BAG!!!

 

[Mugs]

They really need to do something about the public schools south of the Red River.

 

[Huck]

Speaking of SWA in the old days, allow me a short "there I was..." story.

In the early nineties I was flying a King Aire out of BHM. Coming back in one summer night, the whole southeast seemed to explode into cumulo-nimbus nymphos (F---ing thunderstorms) .

Who knows how these things develop, but the end result was there was one little bowling lane into the airport, and we were shooting down it and running out of options. SWA had just landed and rolled to the end (9000'), and in those days they had to back taxi about 3000' to the ramp.

Long story short - we had to land, like right then. And the tower guy (a part time charter pilot) knew it. He asked SWA if they would mind sitting at the far end while we landed. They graciously said yes.

We made the world's shortest landing in a -200 (the PIC put flats on all four mains) and turned off at about 2000'.

Thinking back from my current perspective, those guys could have objected and probably should have. And they could have raised a stink at the FSDO. But they didn't, and for that those SWA dudes are all right in my book!

 

[Wingsweep]

More on Cry Babies

Too many people in this buisiness get irritated at the most minor offenses, and then lavishly praise the most minor courtesies. Gee, ten years ago this SWA guy cut me off! Wow, this SWA guy gave me a ride home one day in a rainstorm! Grow some skin ya cry babies... and live by the Golden Rule!

 

[RVR300]

In OAK? I guess you're talking about taking runway 29 at uniform. Sometimes when we're light we'll ask if uniform is available. If if is we'll launch.

Sorry Lear guy if that makes you mad. Just because you may have taxied out ahead of someone doesn't mean you are or will be ready when you get there, which is why we'll usually let the tower know we'll be ready at the end or ready in sequence.

In MHT, perhaps the guy with the beef about not getting to go first should have taken the diagonal when he taxied. For what its worth I've been up there and followed a CRJ that looked like he was practicing for a slowdown. It was probably that guy doing all the complaining.

Sounds like he just has a beef against SW in general. And of course its easy to jump on the band wagon and feed the urban myth... gotta keep that going after all.