Programs: UA 1K, Squalor Gold, Rent-a-wreck Admiral Club
Posts: 59
And now the fringe questions come out....have you seen anything while flying that looks "strange", i.e. odd lights, Cohiba-shaped objects, Pauly Shore's fame, or anything else that defies explanation?
If true, that is hysterical! UA Job Openings: Executive Food Taster, Requirements: Must be able to ingest poison and survive to save someone who is not worthy!
I've had a few board members, they didn't eat, I teased one about it. He was the only board member to ever come up and introduce himself and ask if we had any questions. Thought he was classy, don't think he's on the board any longer. GT didn't take anything but coffee (IIRC) and it doesn't hurt me one bit if they don't eat, more for me!
Back to topic now...crew meals for pilots, do they really eat every hour? Just about!
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The opinions expressed here are MINE and not those of UAL or any of its subsidiaries, etc., etc.
I think the flight attendants have fantastic stories. If we're all sitting around the bar (I'll buy the third and fifth rounds if you fly with me ), I usually start off by asking them if they've had any flights with "famous" people on board lately. That usually gets the conversation going quite nicely hearing about how "nice" some celebrities aren't.
I was at the bar with a couple of flight attendants a few months back who were flying with Pete McDonald (sp?), one of our illustrious Executive VP's. They told me that apparently, he won't take a drink or food from the galley unless it is sealed (i.e. soda can not opened, seals not broken on the meals). Obviously, I don't know if they were just pulling my leg or something, but they seemed serious to me. Kind of says something about the climate we operate in here at UAL, huh?
And when I say "at the bar," I mean on a LAYOVER that allows me to legally sit at a bar, not in-between flights!
LOL to your post!
I'm going to have to agree that I think it's fantastic that you are taking the time to answer all of these questions. It's great to see that you really care about the passengers and your crew as well.
I can say as a F/A that many of my great layovers have been been with the WHOLE crew, meaning the pilots as well. Unfortunately, we don't get enough of these, since we are often separated. I am based in NY, and I am so excited when we actually have NY based pilots. It's such a small base and these people will honestly do almost anything for you.
On another note, the F/A's were not kidding when they told you that the "higher up's" will not eat or drink anything. This is quite true. Unless they see you make it, they aren't going to take it. LOL! Would you?
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The opinions expressed here are MINE and not those of UAL or any of its subsidiaries, etc., etc.
<<Pilots, with PBS, can't you "bid around" guys you don't really like to fly with? I am waiting for that one with the f/a PBS system! >>>
Yes, that is an option. But unless you're pretty senior, it really doesn't matter. There are so many pilots, I really don't worry about bidding around a certain pilot. Chances are I won't see them again.
Here's one I haven't seen: have UA (or if any other drivers care to chime in) really embraced the FFDO program? Does it do anything for your mindset to have a weapon in the cockpit? Is it more trouble than it's worth?
And another echo to those pilots taking the time....I'm not a UA flyer, stumbled on the thread, thanks very much.
From what I can see, the airlines really don't care much for the FFDO program. They don't do anything to help the pilots get trained. Just so everyone knows, it takes a 7 day trip to NM at the pilot's expense to get trained as an FFDO. Then you are required to do recurrent training every 6 months, again at your own time and cost. I don't want to get into how many pilots are FFDO's, but it would be more if they would make it easier for us to attend.
It is nice if one of the pilots is an FFDO, but I really don't lose any sleep over it. The cockpit door being fortified is the big safety issue.
What is Threat Level 2? How often is it invoked? If no FAMs are aboard, does SOP include informing select passengers and enlisting their assistance?
I really can't go into what constitutes a threat level. Certain situations result in a certain threat level being attained. Once a threat level is attained, we perform certain actions in the cockpit, from alerting authorities to alerting ATC. Using passengers to help in a situation is definitely a factor, even in something as small as an unruly passenger. Don't really want to talk about FAMs if you know what I mean.
Back to topic now...crew meals for pilots, do they really eat every hour? Just about!
OK, I'll bite - what DO pilots get fed on UA - Do you get solid food on flights where passengers don't. Do you get first pick of F meals, or do you get special meals for pilots only?
Do you guys have the (off 16) left turn around the hill and back to the NDB to hold and climb? I did that once in the sim off of a V1 cut and it was quite interesting. It was easier than I expect to fly but the visuals were really something and the TAWS was screaming the whole time. I think we were only about 1000' above the field as we came back across it going toward the NDB.
Since I'm on the 777 now, we don't have normal chart coverage for RNO (we'd have to _really_ be on fire to want to land there). So I went down to the garage and found my old charts for the Airbus (does having my old Airbus charts make me an aviation geek?)
They actually simplified it somewhat recently. If the engine fails under 6,000 MSL (~1,600' AFE), you turn left at 3.O DME off the IRNO localizer back direct to the NO NDB on the field. From there, it's a 010 heading to intercept the FMG 350 radial outbound, with a climb to 10,000.
Above 6,000' MSL, you continue the climb to 8,000', or 16.0 DME, then a left turn direct to FMG, to track outbound on the FMG 350 radial.
The old procedure was a bit more complicated, and depended on whether you had reached 1.9 DME or not. I agree it's easier to fly than you might think in the simulator (we did it a number of times in the 737 and A320), but it's certainly more of a pain to set up and brief than a 27L departure from ORD!
What do you do differently (if anything), when you hear "Caution, wake turbulence"? Is there a different procedure (landing or "position and hold")? Do you watch certain instruments more closely?
We generally don't do anything differently. We're aware that we might encounter wake turbulence, and you might fly slightly high on the glideslope to avoid it, but that's about it.
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Same question for "Wind shear alert"?
That's a bit different - a wind shear alert will be followed by what is expected, i.e. "Windshear alert, expect a 15 knot loss on a 3 mile final". We take all kinds of precautions for windshear, including adding airspeed, changing flap settings, and electing not to conduct an approach. If a microburst alert is issued for a runway, we will not land or takeoff (a go around will occur if inside the final approach fix). Also, if an airplane reports more than a 20 knot change in airspeed, we generally will not land or takeoff.
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(OT, liveatc.net for KSFO has been fascinating for the past couple of days, like the 70 knot gusts, 20 knot drop wind shear and the 300ft RVR, thankfully, the worst that has happened has been some missed approaches and delays)
I'm based at SFO and live in the city. It's been quite a storm, with trees down and streets closed around my neighborhood - easily the worst storm I've seen in over 10 years in California. I guess it's good I wasn't working!
Pilots, with PBS, can't you "bid around" guys you don't really like to fly with? I am waiting for that one with the f/a PBS system!
Yes, we can, but there really isn't anybody I don't like flying with enough to give up a nice Maui layover or Christmas off. And that's what it comes down to, you would get the schedule you want, but because Captain &&* is flying the trip, you get something else if you preference to avoid them.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I like PBS. But then I usually have weird desires and days off requests, and it helps me to get them.
Programs: UA - 1K, AA - PLT, NW - PLT lite, Marriott PLT, HHonors GLD
Posts: 3,127
Great thread, thanks guys
1) I once got a signed card from the pilot on a flight to or from HNL. I was in F. I thought it was really cool, especially because I was only PremExec. Do you do that often? Is there only time on 5+ hour flights, or is it ever done on shorter flights?
2) On a recent (Dec 30) flight from Chicago, the pilot came out when we were parked at the gate, after gate de-icing, and looked closely at each wing/engine (stuck his head right against the window). It was snowing. What might he have been looking at? It was a 767.
3) On the same flight, I sat next to an Airbus pilot. I was in coach. Flights were packed. I should have asked her, but she looked very tired and didn't seem like she wanted to chat. I didn't want to bother her. But on de-planing I asked if she was going home or flying that night (~8:30 arrival in LAX). She said neither, but she was flying the next day. is it unusual for a pilot to fly on Coach and/or to stay overnight for a morning flight? Seemed strange, though X-mas can be a crazy time and the flight was packed.
My question is if there is a lot of turbulence or other factors that would make you want to change altitudes, speed or routes, how do you do that safely?
On the 777, we have a datalink system where we can essentially send a text message to ATC. We may talk to other flights on our track and (politely) ask them to climb so we can get higher, but otherwise all our communications are done via datalink. The 767/757 makes their requests via HF radio and a radio operator. We don't normally change routes except to deviate a few miles left or right for thunderstorms, but altitude changes are quite common.
), I usually start off by asking them if they've had any flights with "famous" people on board lately. That usually gets the conversation going quite nicely hearing about how "nice" some celebrities aren't.
&* is flying the trip, you get something else if you preference to avoid them. 
