Onboard Flight Kits

[nycbusdriver]

After literally two decades of the previous CBA pointing out to the company that keeping the pilots "flight kits" in the airplanes rather than having the pilots carry them everywhere would be a temendous cost savings, the company has finally seen the light. It was recently announced that OFK (Onboard Flight Kits) will be introduced starting with the 757/767 fleet and transitioning to all fleets by the end of December.

What a concept! It finally dawned on the management m***ns (rhymes with Enron) that paying for 750 flight kits and their incessant updates is a lot cheaper than paying for 5600 flight kits and their incessant updates. Whoda' thought? NWA has been doing this for about 30 years with great success (and their pilots probably saved the company millions in sick leave and doctor bills for lower back problems as a result.)

My personal flight bag is so tattered and torn, it should have been retired years ago. It's almost literally being held together with glue and bailing wire. But I refused to get a new one, since the company won't pay for it. Besides, all the stuff inside is company property anyway. If they wanted it in a nice bag, they can issue one to me.

Now that we are going to OFK, I guess my resistance to buying a new bag is "visionary!" LOL!

 

[YVINTERN]

After literally two decades of the previous CBA pointing out to the company that keeping the pilots "flight kits" in the airplanes rather than having the pilots carry them everywhere would be a temendous cost savings, the company has finally seen the light. It was recently announced that OFK (Onboard Flight Kits) will be introduced starting with the 757/767 fleet and transitioning to all fleets by the end of December.

What a concept! It finally dawned on the management m***ns (rhymes with Enron) that paying for 750 flight kits and their incessant updates is a lot cheaper than paying for 5600 flight kits and their incessant updates. Whoda' thought? NWA has been doing this for about 30 years with great success (and their pilots probably saved the company millions in sick leave and doctor bills for lower back problems as a result.)

My personal flight bag is so tattered and torn, it should have been retired years ago. It's almost literally being held together with glue and bailing wire. But I refused to get a new one, since the company won't pay for it. Besides, all the stuff inside is company property anyway. If they wanted it in a nice bag, they can issue one to me.

Now that we are going to OFK, I guess my resistance to buying a new bag is "visionary!" LOL!

I was about to say that the pilots were starting to borrow the MTC and Duck Tape to hold their bags together 😉 tacky cacky!

 

[nycbusdriver]

I was about to say that the pilots were starting to borrow the MTC and Duck Tape to hold their bags together 😉 tacky cacky!

Mine flight kit has been to the repair shop twice for restitching. Now I simply use epoxy cement when needed, and that's starting to get problematical as there is less and less material to glue. It's going to be a race as to whether we get the OFKs or my flight bag falls apart first. If the latter, my new flight case will be a triple white trash bag courtesy of USAirways.

 

[NiceLandingCaptain]

I'll bet all the van drivers will love Cactus crews now - and maybe, just maybe, be there to pick us up on time.........

 

[GolfNovember]

I still think electronic flight bags are the way to go. Why lug binders around in a plane when you can simply use a tablet computer with all your instrument procedures updated every 28 days automatically? Besides, an electronic flight bag weighs a lot less than those big Jeppesen binders full of approach plates! :thumbsup: Makes us look a little more modern too.

Wurd.

 

[EastUS]

Mine flight kit has been to the repair shop twice for restitching. Now I simply use epoxy cement when needed, and that's starting to get problematical as there is less and less material to glue. It's going to be a race as to whether we get the OFKs or my flight bag falls apart first. If the latter, my new flight case will be a triple white trash bag courtesy of USAirways.

Yeah...I've wondered why such an obvious idea of cost cutting and enhanced efficiency wasn't acted on long ago. I'm glad to see it's really on the horizon.....finally. I've gotta' give points in the "Finally doing at least SOMETHING Right" category. Understood as to the repairs...After suffering a "handle-ectomy" recently...and being told "Uhh..there's really not much left to try and stitch this back onto"..I finally stiffled some sniffles, and took "Old Yeller" out and..well.."Blam!" :blink: Seriously; It's good to see this finally being implemented.

 

[nycbusdriver]

I still think electronic flight bags are the way to go. Why lug binders around in a plane when you can simply use a tablet computer with all your instrument procedures updated every 28 days automatically? Besides, an electronic flight bag weighs a lot less than those big Jeppesen binders full of approach plates! :thumbsup: Makes us look a little more modern too.

Wurd.

No question. The electronic flight bag is the far superior choice, and over time would probably more than make up the up front cost of the system.

They have been talking about getting the electronic flight kits for at least 10 years now (since we took delivery of our first A319.) Almost without fail, when attending a ground school event some training department MFWIC pilot would come into class and tell us they were just about to do it, but that they decided to hold off since there's a better one in development. (Clueless as they are, they don't seem to realize that there is ALWAYS a better one of any electronic gizmo in development.)

But, this is USAirways we are talking about. No need to jump headlong into the 1990's before we are ready.

 

[ableoneable]

Believe it when you leave your bag at home the first time. Not before.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Believe it when you leave your bag at home the first time. Not before.

I'll keep you posted. The CBS message (aka, crew shout mail) has been put out there saying it is happening, and this after several check airmen said it was developed, approved and a done deal. If they plan on getting all fleets completed by the end of December, the first fleet (757/767...my fleet) should be happening in October.

 

[boeingtamer]

No question. The electronic flight bag is the far superior choice, and over time would probably more than make up the up front cost of the system.

I think this may be a done deal. The following LA Times article from three days ago:

FAA to help airlines install crash-avoidance equipment

explains:

The FAA will provide $600,000 each to Skywest Airlines, US Airways and Southwest Airlines to help pay for cockpit systems that show pilots their precise locations at airports and provide them with information about the runways they are entering, crossing or departing from.

and goes on to say:

FAA officials say the so-called "electronic flight bags," which include a map display and an alerting system, will be particularly useful to pilots at night, during poor weather or when flight crews are not familiar with the layout of an airport.

I think this may be coming to a cockpit near you sooner rather than later.

 

[wopr21]

I was about to say that the pilots were starting to borrow the MTC and Duck Tape to hold their bags together 😉 tacky cacky!

Just so you know that duck tape is available in black now. Yippie

wopr21

 

[GolfNovember]

Just so you know that duck tape is available in black now. Yippie

wopr21

Well, at least it'll match now. 😛h34r:

 

[ableoneable]

Duck Tape?

Really?

 

[YVINTERN]

Duck Tape?

Really?

Yah

 

[jetjok1]

After literally two decades of the previous CBA pointing out to the company that keeping the pilots "flight kits" in the airplanes rather than having the pilots carry them everywhere would be a temendous cost savings, the company has finally seen the light. It was recently announced that OFK (Onboard Flight Kits) will be introduced starting with the 757/767 fleet and transitioning to all fleets by the end of December.

What a concept! It finally dawned on the management m***ns (rhymes with Enron) that paying for 750 flight kits and their incessant updates is a lot cheaper than paying for 5600 flight kits and their incessant updates. Whoda' thought? NWA has been doing this for about 30 years with great success (and their pilots probably saved the company millions in sick leave and doctor bills for lower back problems as a result.)

My personal flight bag is so tattered and torn, it should have been retired years ago. It's almost literally being held together with glue and bailing wire. But I refused to get a new one, since the company won't pay for it. Besides, all the stuff inside is company property anyway. If they wanted it in a nice bag, they can issue one to me.

Now that we are going to OFK, I guess my resistance to buying a new bag is "visionary!" LOL!

Well Busdriver, I've been off since May (returning in Nov-ugh!!) with rotator cuff surgery. although I can't prove it, my team figured it was probably pulling flights kits, bags, for 25 years with just my left side. So, to say the least, it's about F.....g time!!