Talking with the PAX at a Frac.

[gordon24]

all i've ever seen is the rampers get tips from the pax.

You know what i'm talking about. You load and unload the plane the ramper shuts the trunk lid and he gets the 100.

Go figure.

That, my friend, is the reason I quit tipping the rampers. That happens every darn time.

 

[NJAFracPilot]

There are no F16s at NJA, so my husband works w/1108 for his challenge.

NJW

So flying our little airplanes isn't challenging enough for Lieutenant Colonel Fighter Pilot so he has to work for the Teamsters to compensate. Attitudes like that show up as cause factors in NTSB Accident Reports. Sheesh!

 

[netjetwife]

Two of you are totally missing what I'm saying. My husband enjoys the flying and the challenge/variety at NJ. I thought it was fairly common knowledge that AF pilots are always assigned additional duties, as well. His work with 1108 fills that job challenge for him. The pilot I had responded to was pointing out that he was still doing the same type of flying that he'd done in the AF. My counter point was that it was impossible for my husband to do that. I don't think it even matters. Maybe he saw it as an experience issue?

Seaspray, in no way did I tell him how to do his job. Our discussion was one limited to his opinion on pilots being tipped, and the question of whether or not it was an acceptable practice. In the type of flying he had done, and was doing, he would not be one of the pilots to receive a tip. That doesn't mean that FOs on planes without FAs are in the same category. They perform personal services for their pax that make them eligible for tips. It is a fact that some pax recognize that and show their appreciation accordingly. I want frac pilots to know that they are completely within the bounds of society's rules when they accept the tips they have earned. It should be up to the pax, not the pilot.

 

[Guitar Guy]

So flying our little airplanes isn't challenging enough for Lieutenant Colonel Fighter Pilot so he has to work for the Teamsters to compensate. Attitudes like that show up as cause factors in NTSB Accident Reports. Sheesh!

NJW's husband doesn't have a cavelier attitude towards our collection of jets or towards their safe operation. And I think you would voice some appreciation for what he's done for our union if you knew who he is. He's put in a lot of hours helping to implement the new contract in a way that helps to benefit all of us.

 

[G100driver]

My boss used to throw us $100 everytime we landed. Drove me crazy. Sure I like money but I thought he paid us pretty well. I finally had to ask the CFO to get him to stop. It since has changed to, "you guys be sure and eat well tonight!"

I guess that mean's Morton's for the crew!! Never heard a complaint on the ol expense account! Much better!

 

[netjetwife]

I can see how in your situation that was a better way to be shown the boss's appreciation. The point is, he was doing it. Many frac pilots bust their butts and see little appreciation. I think most of them would rather have too much, rather than not enough. I'm pleased to hear that everything worked out well for you, G100driver. I'm a firm believer in speaking up and being proactive in solving problems.

 

[GVFlyer]

At our company, UT, the acceptance of gratuities is prohibited as well. I bet that those companies, like ours, were corporate flight departments.

Yep.

GV

 

[GVFlyer]

GV,

Your posts are usually an accurate and sane voice of reason on this board but this time (I can't believe I'm typing this) DO-82 is correct. Years ago, or so the story goes, we had a greybeard with your mindset on tips. He was offered a tip from an appreciative client and repeatedly refused the tip in such a disdainful and rude fashion that the offended owner went right up the chain of command. It wasn't long thereafter that the letter to which DO-82 refers went out.

My policy, and the policy of most of our flight crews is to graciously decline the first offer of a tip and then politely accept when offered again (which they invariably do). Although tips are rare in our operations, they do occur and usually from the same, well-known clients. Any tips are always shared amongst the entire crew although some pilots insist the flight attendant take the entire gratuity.

I consider myself a white-collar professional and will perform my duties to the best of my abilities regardless of the possibility of a gratuity. Some of our clients are happy to show their appreciation to the flight crews and I am not about to insult them or their gesture.

Thanks for the compliment and for sharing the NJI lore. I also have found times that I couldn't graciously refuse a tip, particularly at Gulfstream Aerospace where you certainly didn't want to antagonize someone to whom you were trying to sell a $47 million jet. In those cases I did as you suggested, I gave the tip to the flight attendant. She or he is my direct interface with my passengers and works for only a fraction of what the flight deck crew earns. When this situation occurred on a trip to Saint Maartens, one particularly classy FA used the tip money to take me, the FO and the FE to the Q club at the Maho Beach for drinks. Nice touch.








~

GV

 

[G100driver]

Thanks for the compliment and for sharing the NJI lore. I also have found times that I couldn't graciously refuse a tip, particularly at Gulfstream Aerospace where you certainly didn't want to antagonize someone to whom you were trying to sell a $47 million jet. In those cases I did as you suggested, I gave the tip to the flight attendant. She or he is my direct interface with my passengers and works for only a fraction of what the flight deck crew earns. When this situation occurred on a trip to Saint Maartens, one particularly classy FA used the tip money to take me, the FO and the FE to the Q club at the Maho Beach for drinks. Nice touch.
GV

I thought that was what the sales force was for?

Who is the FE at GA?

 

[GVFlyer]

I thought that was what the sales force was for?

At Gulfstream each of us was a part of the sales force and played a specific role in the sales effort. The sales exec is generally more interested in taking the principal for drinks and dinner, but that often becomes a command performance for the crew. On some trips there is no salesman on board. This was such a trip where we were only taking an Argentinian automaker on vacation.

Who is the FE at GA?

He or she is either a technician from Corporate Maintenance or a Field Rep. Field Reps generally remain with the aircraft after delivery and beyond the hand holding period during which the buyer has a Gulfstream factory pilot for crew training.

At Andrews AFB, the FE was generally a senior maintenance sergeant. There, the crew on the Gulfstream sometimes outnumbered the passengers. We flew with an AC, a second pilot, an FE, two stewards and sometimes a communications technician.

GV