What % of being a PIC actually involves flying?

[Coool Hand Luke]

So I have this (female) F/O that I fly with. She is always saying that she is ready to upgrade to PIC. She has maybe around 1500 TT. So I tell her that in my opinion only about 10% of being a PIC involves the actual flying of the aircraft, but she doesn't get it. So my esteemed colleagues, what's your opinion.

Oh, on a related subject, she recently asked me (sort of jokingly) several times during a sequence if I had preflighted the plane. Now I had noticed a few times that she never uses a flashlight to preflight, which made me wonder. Then a few weeks ago she was flying with another captain and they had to shut one down inflight. Seems the oil filler cap was not properly secured by MX and it was not discovered on the preflight. So I got concerned and decided to show up early and place a few items for her to find on the preflight. Specifically I placed some "shop rags" in the engine inlet and in the nose gear (if your are familar with the EMB-120, I put it right next to where the gear pin is removed). Anyway, the preflight was completed and she didn't find anything. I feel like I am living the Army slogan: I am an army of one.

Anyway, I didn't report this, but I did have a conservation with her about what it really means to be (or to call yourself) a professional.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Unfortunately, in my experience, these are also the people who want you to fly any leg that's out of the ordinary, and the phrase "because I've never done it before," or "I wasn't trained in that" eventually gets used.

Never mind the fact that YOU'VE never done it before, or been trained in it, either.

Fly safe!

David

 

[Waldom]

It seems to me that what is in question here is individual character and not flying experience and minimum flight hour requirements.

If crew assignments were up to me, I would not consider this individual for command if they had ten thousand hours. Based on the information you provided, I would no longer consider her for S.I.C. assignment either. Perhaps one warning and official probation for a given period of time would help her see the light, but I doubt that this pilot's attitude is fixable.

I do find one thing mentioned in your post troubling, though. What difference does it make that this pilot is male or female, and why did you feel you had to mention her gender in your first sentence?

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

Sorry if I came off that way. I am not anti-female pilots at all. Actually it's much worse as I had a hand in her being hired, which now reflects on me.

 

[willNOTfly4free]

I do find one thing mentioned in your post troubling, though. What difference does it make that this pilot is male or female, and why did you feel you had to mention her gender in your first sentence?

Probably for the same reason he mentioned the a/c type. It paints a better picture of the dilemma. I wouldn't look too much into it.

 

[Waldom]

I know the feeling, Coool Hand. I once lobbied hard with a chief pilot and D.O. that I had a lot of respect for to bring a part-timer they didn't care for into a full-time position. We all had to live with the results for the next six years and it wasn't a pleasent experience.

I had the idea that I could help this person smooth out the rough edges in their personality and flying technique after a while. I was wrong. That's why my original post on this thread seems ruthless.

 

[Say Again Over]

Get used to it, in the future FO's aren't going to get any better.

 

[nosehair]

Probably for the same reason he mentioned the a/c type. It paints a better picture of the dilemma. I wouldn't look too much into it.

Yeah, that's the attitude that troubles me out there. "Why did you mention she's a girl?" If that's what Waldon heard - if that's what Waldon focused on, instead of the relative substance of the report, then Waldon is the one looking for a gender issue.

Boys and girls are different. Pipers and Cessnas are different. They are both equal in basic performance and user authority in airspace use, but they are different when describing performance stats just as the use of gender in describing human performance.

 

[Waldom]

Nosehair, I've heard there are differences. As a matter of fact, I'm rather fond of them.

What I don't understand is what the sex of a pilot has to do with flying an airplane or job performance. Are you suggesting lower standards for female pilots? I don't buy that one.

 

[Medivacer]

Maybe when he wanted to use the pronouns She, her etc... instead of typing SNP (said named pilot).

We get it, sex doesn't determine quality of the pilot.

 

[nosehair]

What I don't understand is what the sex of a pilot has to do with flying an airplane or job performance. Are you suggesting lower standards for female pilots? I don't buy that one.

I didn't see anything in the post that alluded to sex having anything to do with her performance. As Medivacer said, and as I had to use a pronoun reference (her) in my comment, it is merely a part of the picture.

 

[DC8 Flyer]

Weeeellll, he did see fit to put female in () (female) and then in the next sentance use "She". The use of she, no big deal, I think it is the (female) that kind of raises a red flag.

 

[nosehair]

I think it is the (female) that kind of raises a red flag.

Weeeellll, ya got me there...if you're lookin' for red flags, I guess that's a good 'un. Yep. Didn't see it, but it does beg the comment.

 

[TWA]

The use of female does not necessarily imply a different set of standards, but a different set of rules in handling the situatin. In todays world of political correctness, you have to be careful how you handle the discipline or guidence of crewmembers of the opposite sex. You tell another guy he f*cked up, he gets the message. You tell a female she f*cked up, it can be sexual harrassment. Since there are still not a whole hell of a lot of females in the cockpit, it can be easily seen as "the good ole boys club".

I'm definitley not saying we need a double standard, but these situations need to handled differently than normal.

 

[Cardinal]

7500

This thread has been hijacked by Feminazis.

Anyway, an inflight shutdown?! That's a major event. I would expect/hope that whoever was delegated preflight duties would at least momentarily quiver in fear over their future employment. That's what carpet dances are for.

 

[Dilligaff]

Specifically I placed some "shop rags" in the engine inlet and in the nose gear (if your are familar with the EMB-120, I put it right next to where the gear pin is removed). Anyway, the preflight was completed and she didn't find anything. I feel like I am living the Army slogan: I am an army of one.

Anyway, I didn't report this, but I did have a conservation with her about what it really means to be (or to call yourself) a professional.

Coool hand,

Personally, I wouldn't let this behavior slide any more. Her laziness has proven to be a safety of flight issue. In a crew environment, we rely on the other person to do their job well and if she doesn't have that attitude now, she needs to have it drilled into her by someone with a higher authority (CP, PSB). Based on what you've said here, she has no idea what it takes to be an FO yet she has tunnel vision on that fourth stripe. I'm not implying that she should be fired, but she definitely needs an attitude adjustment before she thinks about moving to the left seat.

 

[hawk16e]

Original question?

At my company, flying the airplane is about 40% of the job. DC-9 on demand stuff. Logistics/paperwork/supervising make up the rest. Organizing fr8/pax, customs, fuel, deice etc.

A lot of F/O s think they're ready to upgrade when the can keep the greasest side down. Some even tell dispatch how they personally took control of the a/c and saved the company from violations and possibly more.

I would caution against putting anything in the intake. Possibly very expensive. It's too easy to get sidetracked by any body who needs some thing done "right now."

Take care, Hawk

 

[DC8 Flyer]

Weeeellll, ya got me there...if you're lookin' for red flags, I guess that's a good 'un. Yep. Didn't see it, but it does beg the comment.

Just to be clear, I don't think the OP was trying to start sumpin by "playing the female card" just sayin what could have been construed (SP?) as a "sexist" comment.