Pilots fight `by the book'

[ClueByFour]

I had a guy driving the 330 the other day over the pond who had a taxi speed similar to that at which AARP members make love.

This will get Tempe's attention. Bravo to the pilots.

 

[a320av8r]

I had a guy driving the 330 the other day over the pond who had a taxi speed similar to that at which AARP members make love.

This will get Tempe's attention. Bravo to the pilots.

FOM says Maximum taxi speed is 30kts straight and never over 10 kts in a turn. Adjust for conditions.

 

[boeingf/a]

Actually the procedure in the East f/a Manual for a dup. seat is for the f/a to notify the pilots to radio for an agent.

 

[2BorNot2B]

FOM says Maximum taxi speed is 30kts straight and never over 10 kts in a turn. Adjust for conditions.

Hmmmm! 30 kts!! How does that relate to Ground Speed?? Not ever qualified in an Airbus product, nor a "Heavy", I am aware that there are taxi speed readouts. Are the readouts truly in Knots, like Airspeed!

2B

 

[sharktooth]

Actually the procedure in the East f/a Manual for a dup. seat is for the f/a to notify the pilots to radio for an agent.

Really.

and just how would that happen? say, if the guy manning ops was also to be manning the gate?

Is that a procedure that the pilots union agreed to, so that is contractual?

or, does your manual state that as an "option" for a quandry that is really not of your making? Putting management ineptitude on an employee group. and the group accepts the responsibility with little or no authority to accomplish anything?

Were I your pilot, I would tell you to wait until the agent arrives at the door.

Look, you gave up the "extra" FA as a "give" to concessionary contracts to offset further paycuts for FAs. Now the company wants other employee groups to pick up the slack in order to satisfy the inevitable consequences of such a FA "give". As a pilot, since that likely was never discussed as a "give" for the pilots, I refuse, sorry. Nothing personal. Won't happen if not in my contract. (Probably will not happen even if.......sorry......finicky radios, you know -- hey, I relayed the message thru Speedbird 483, sorry, no agent yet? can't imagine why -- better yet, how about a phone patch through HF? -- phone patch direct to the gate, .....that should be fairly costly -- about as much as an extra FA, just thinkin').

Oh, Jerry. Happy Birthday!

 

[nycbusdriver]

Hmmmm! 30 kts!! How does that relate to Ground Speed?? Not ever qualified in an Airbus product, nor a "Heavy", I am aware that there are taxi speed readouts. Are the readouts truly in Knots, like Airspeed!

2B

30 knot taxi speed is really fast...it's almost-but-not-quite SWA fast. The entire fleet has inertial navigation, which means all cockits have a digital ground speed readout in knots. 30 knots is about 34 miles per hour. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it is much faster than most pilots taxi even on the straightaways.

It's interesting that the F/A manual has instructions for the pilots (to call on the radio for an agent,) yet the pilots don't (to my knowledge) have this instruction in any of their own manuals.

Really, the only way to get managements attention is to have the passengers ($$$) do it as our proxy using their feet. I know it is extremely difficult to reattract a customer once he/she has gone to a competitor, but the right management (with the all-essential RIGHT ATTITUDE) can do it. Look at the Gordon Bethune led turnaround at Continental.

So, when there's a dupe and the pilots refuse to call anybody due to the paperwork, checklist, flow, ATC, etc. load in the cockpit, the F/A should explain that federal law prohibits the F/A from leaving the aircraft for even a moment. Then simply tell the customer that he/she will have to wait for an agent, or go back to the check-in podium to rectify the error themselves.

IOW, let management's own system work its unique magic.

 

[ClueByFour]

FOM says Maximum taxi speed is 30kts straight and never over 10 kts in a turn. Adjust for conditions.

I'd guesstimate 10kts on the straight and a slow walk in the turns.

I don't mind, but it was clearly noticeable. First time in a long time the guys up front had the taxi speed so slow that I noticed (outside of waiting for departure at PHL or another situation with plenty of traffic).

 

[2BorNot2B]

Awwww ....You Guys are bringing back such great memories!! A nice ,slow taxi .. listening to those engines "spooling up" as you gently nudge those "fist sized" throttles!

Better'n Sex ... any day of the week!

2B

 

[2BorNot2B]

30 knot taxi speed is really fast...it's almost-but-not-quite SWA fast. The entire fleet has inertial navigation, which means all cockits have a digital ground speed readout in knots. 30 knots is about 34 miles per hour.

Thank You! Had to chuckle a bit over the SWA reference! Never forget my first flights into PHX "way back when". Those SWA guys were, like .. racing all over the place! I had never seen anything like it in my Life!! I'm referring not only to Taxiing, but Approach and Landing Operations!

But they do make the $$$$!

2B

 

[Phoenix]

Thank You! Had to chuckle a bit over the SWA reference! Never forget my first flights into PHX "way back when". Those SWA guys were, like .. racing all over the place! I had never seen anything like it in my Life!! I'm referring not only to Taxiing, but Approach and Landing Operations!

But they do make the $$$$!

2B

Yeah they fly and taxi like they got a small bladder and no lav on board. 😀 Don't get caught behind USAir...

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Yeah they fly and taxi like they got a small bladder and no lav on board. 😀 Don't get caught behind USAir...

I flew WN from SJC-LAS back in 1994. When we landed in LAS, they landed so hard that I thought the landing gear would collapse. My brother who used to fly in the Navy was with me at the time and He said that was harder than any landing he was on with the navy. It was so hard the FA came on the intercom and said "Ladies and Gentleman, we Just Hit Las Vegas". Of all the flying that I have done that still is the worst on list. My brother says the same.

 

[CV580ETOPS]

That radio call is NOT my job. It is the agents job to be in the jetway. This is not a slam against the agent- it is a clarification of my job duties. It is not the flight attendants job fix dupe seats or leave the aircraft.
Stop taking it personally...

You'd be hard pressed to find a "Cactus" <_< F/A out there who doesn't take these things personally.Talk about a bunch of enablers.

 

[ClueByFour]

My brother who used to fly in the Navy was with me at the time and He said that was harder than any landing he was on with the navy.

He had to have flown P-3s.

 

[Nebucanezzar]

Good luck guys.

I hope PSA has a sack that can measure up. We have some of the most incompetent ruthless management in the business.