The downward slide of....... crew meals.

[slam_clicker]

The downward slide of....... crewmeals.

How are the crewmeals at your carrier? My carrier just hit a new low. A captain recently reported the following:

A captain stated that he requested unscheduled crew meals for his crew late Sunday evening, after food vendors had closed. The crew received three bags of potato chips and three cans of Chef Boyardee. There were no can openers (Thanks for keeping us safe TSA!), so "his resourceful first officer used the cockpit crash axe to force open the cans". There was no way to heat the contents, so they ate it cold.

Our industry has forced massive pay cuts, miserable quality of life (upon us and our loved ones), whipsaws, alter-ego scope evading start-ups, and now this.

I was just wondering if this is the next cross we will collectively be asked to bare. After a long day w/ no breaks and a meal like that....I just might be FATIGUED!

How are things where you throw gear?

 

[mamba20]

Well, all I will say is avoid the roast beef. Our crew meals arent bad considering. . . wow canned food. That would have worked great on a World flight after someone makes a cooking fire in one of the isle ways.

 

[Regional4life]

Crew what? Meals? I don't understand what you are talking about.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

I just love those 12 or 14 hr duty days with 45 min in ATL and 30 min at the outstation and 5 legs. I don't give it a second thought about delays. I ask the F/O and F/A when they are ready to eat, we go. Period. In ATL we eat in the crew room, not wolfing it down in the plane with the Depture idiot - I mean, departure coordinator - standing right there staring at us waiting for us to say we are ready to board. If they happen to be there as we are exiting to eat, I tell them we will be back shortly. When they start right in with the attitude, not all of them but some, I just stare at them without saying a word until they leave. My crew will NOT go hungry. I had a passenger ask as she boarded why we had to eat at that particular time, 1430. I just smiled and told her we had reported to duty at 0615 from a hotel which had no breakfast available, flown 3 legs already and had had nothing but a granola bar all day. I then asked if she had had breakfast and lunch. All of the pax that heard the conversation said they were glad we had taken time to eat. They started to board 15 min prior to dep and we still were on time.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

Well, all I will say is avoid the roast beef. Our crew meals arent bad considering. . . wow canned food. That would have worked great on a World flight after someone makes a cooking fire in one of the isle ways.

I belive that was a L-1011 over somewhere in the Middle East. During the Haj.
Landed, could not open the doors because they had not de-pressed and they all just got smoked.

 

[mamba20]

Oh boy, I didnt know what something like that really happened. Smoked meaning. . .please tell me I didnt make a joke of injury or death?

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

True fact.

 

[BlackPilot628]

I just love those 12 or 14 hr duty days with 45 min in ATL and 30 min at the outstation and 5 legs. I don't give it a second thought about delays. I ask the F/O and F/A when they are ready to eat, we go. Period. In ATL we eat in the crew room, not wolfing it down in the plane with the Depture idiot - I mean, departure coordinator - standing right there staring at us waiting for us to say we are ready to board. If they happen to be there as we are exiting to eat, I tell them we will be back shortly. When they start right in with the attitude, not all of them but some, I just stare at them without saying a word until they leave. My crew will NOT go hungry. I had a passenger ask as she boarded why we had to eat at that particular time, 1430. I just smiled and told her we had reported to duty at 0615 from a hotel which had no breakfast available, flown 3 legs already and had had nothing but a granola bar all day. I then asked if she had had breakfast and lunch. All of the pax that heard the conversation said they were glad we had taken time to eat. They started to board 15 min prior to dep and we still were on time.

That is great that you take the time to make sure your crew has eatten. Some Capts do not do that. When I was working at Corpex we did 7 to 9 legs a day with 17 to 20 min turns. We had to make ourselves stop and eat as well.
Good Looking out!

 

[KigAir]

Here's the story:

1980/8/19 - Saudia HZ-AHK (msn 1169)

On August 19, 1980, Saudia HZ-AHK was carrying a total of 301 Muslim pilgrims and crews from on the annual Hadj flights to Mecca, and in this instance, from Karachi with a stopover at Riyadh. Soon after takeoff from Riyadh, bound for Jeddah, fire was discovered in the rear section of the cabin. Mysteriously, the captain did not immediately turn back, and decided to do so when the aircraft was about 79 miles (127km) away from Riyadh although he did not declare an emergency. He reported that there was smoke in the cabin, and finally when the plane was 40 miles (64km) from Riyadh, he reported fire. By the time of approach to land, the fire had melted the control cables for the throttles to the center engines which was then shut down. Still without declaring emergency, instead of evacuating the aircraft immediately after landing, he turned off the runway and started taxiing. Finally coming to a halt on an adjacent taxiway in the opposite direction, the two wing-mounted engines were still kept running, maintaining residual cabin pressure which prevented both the rescue services and cabin crew from opening the doors. The engines were finally shut down six minutes after landing and it took an additional five minutes to open the No2 starboard door. But by the time, there was no sign of life and further entry of air into the cabin allowed the fire to burn through the roof. Subsequent investigation did not reveal the cause as the aircraft was seriously damaged, but the source of the fire appeared to be in the rear cargo hold.

 

[av8tor02]

whatever

 

[WSurf]

Well we were running late one day, all the stores were closed... My company called ahead and had Pizza Hut delievered to the airport for our crew meals..... Thought that was kinda nice. One of the good stories dealing with crew meals however.

 

[PSAChiefPilots]

Same team!

Slam Clicker and Mambo20,

You work for the same carrier!
It's all on the local, go there to read and vent.

Was there an ops report...Probably not, I haven't seen it!

Most people don't know the contract or side letters concerning crew meals, you'd be shocked at how many people get crew meals that are not supposed to receive them, then stick someone that is supposed to get one with this situation. After hours in CLT are difficult to get meals period, This has since, supposedly been corrected.

PSACPSP

 

[WSurf]

Yes they have corrected it, they are now stocking Extra Crew meals in CLT because of these situations...

 

[Bluto]

What's a "crew meal"?

 

[WSurf]

Well, its Food!!!

Mainly, at PDT and probably PSA... If you are not given or have a 45min. break within 6 Hours of continuous duty time, the company must either give you 45 min. to get something to eat (delaying the flight) or they give you crew meals, which helps each other out. You continue flying while grabbing your food and taking it with you.
Sometimes they are good hot meals, but mostly Hoggies and Sandwhich's Chips, apple, cookies..... etc.
Comes in handle on a day that you working hard and don't really have a time for a break.

 

[PSAChiefPilots]

Well, its Food!!!

Mainly, at PDT and probably PSA... If you are not given or have a 45min. break within 6 Hours of continuous duty time, the company must either give you 45 min. to get something to eat (delaying the flight) or they give you crew meals, which helps each other out. You continue flying while grabbing your food and taking it with you.
Sometimes they are good hot meals, but mostly Hoggies and Sandwhich's Chips, apple, cookies..... etc.
Comes in handle on a day that you working hard and don't really have a time for a break.

Must be 45 minutes at PDT, Here at PSA, It's 1 hour at Hub city and 45 minutes at an out station....There are other stipulations such as minimum 7 hr day, 6.5 hours for first meal break, 6 hours for next. Can't start a day with crew meal first leg, etc. etc. Can be somewhat complicated.

 

[Remington]

Those were hogies? Hummm. There is no better crew meal than in CLT at 8pm when the "hogies" were delivered at 8am. And, why do all the "hogies" have peppercinos on them? Is that a NorthCarolina or Nascar thing?

 

[Kaman]

You have'nt lived until you have had a "crew meal" on an aircraft carrier. We used to call them "Bag nasties", because they came in a brown paper sack. Typcially, the contents were "rainbow ham" (you know the kind) and cheese sandwiches, a couple of generic cans of canker sore producing pineapple juice an apple and if you were lucky some cookies.
It usually worked out better for us on a "pony run" (mail) to the smaller ships in the battle group. Everyone loved to see us bringing mail, and the crew usually hooked us up with sodas and pretty good chow (fried chicken, sliders, etc...). One ship that really stood out was the USS Cowpens and their world famous "Cowpies". These were actually THE best hamburgers in the Pacific Fleet. I don't know if that tradition has been carried on, but it is a fond memory. I also recall on my first deployment dropping off mail and the deck crew gave me a big bag of freshly baked cinnamon rolls.
The best places to eat at airports usually are off the beaten track. When I was based in BKW (Beckley, W.V.) the restaraunt there is outstanding and very reasonably priced. Big airport-wise, I liked to hit Legal Seafoods in the main terminal in Boston if I had the time. Lots of good places for BBQ in CLT nearby the airport, if you like Carolina style BBQ, so hopefully thats where I'll renew my appetite for vinegar BBQ...So, I guess this could be considered a thread hijacking Where do you guys get the best BBQ flying the line these days...

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[ArcticFlier]

What's a "crew meal"?

Plane Cheesies.............


AF

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

WTF is a crew meal?

Quit crying- at least you get something.