The pilots couldn't have had more than 15 minutes (at most) to eat before landing. Why would the crew be served so late? At that point why not wait until on the ground in LAX? I'm sure that none of the pilots was flying another leg after the 12+ hour flight from HKG.
Some pilots want to wait until after their break to eat, which would mean the last 45 minutes of the flight. 15 minutes is obviously very tight, but there can be many explanations. The most common one is that the FAs were busy and just didn't get to it. Of course, that close to landing, it's hard to say whether they really had any time to eat, or if they just had a bagel in one hand while they were working.
- How do new hires get placed among the various aircrafts? Is it first come to existing employees but if no one wants, say the open 777 spot, a new hire may luck out and get placed there? Or do they almost always get put on the 737?
There's a very complicated bid process for new openings, generally every month. As a captain retires, that spot opens up, and it trickles down the ranks until there are spots which are unfilled, which then go to new hires.
A 777 spot will never go to a new hire, since it is a desirable position. In fact, it's often filled by A320 or 737 captains coming back to the international operation. Currently our new hires are getting A320 and 737 F/O spots. The 757/767 occasionally goes unfilled, but the company has decided not to place new hires directly into an international position. To fill the spots, they've relaxed the 3 year bid freeze for pilots wanting to go into the 757/767. What this means is that a pilot who's been on the property for 1.5 years will get a 757/767 spot, when they would normally be "frozen" and prevented from bidding another airplane for another 1.5 years. This allows a slightly more experienced pilot to get the spot instead of a new hire.
Quote:
Does it happen (and how frequently) that someone opted for a new aircraft, got trained and started as an FO but then went back to their former aircraft as Captain, because they just couldn't be in an FO position after so long used to be in charge on their former aircraft type?
I'm intrigued by the whole seniority process you have to go through within each aircraft class, so ...
- How do new hires get placed among the various aircrafts? Is it first come to existing employees but if no one wants, say the open 777 spot, a new hire may luck out and get placed there? Or do they almost always get put on the 737?
- Does it happen (and how frequently) that someone opted for a new aircraft, got trained and started as an FO but then went back to their former aircraft as Captain, because they just couldn't be in an FO position after so long used to be in charge on their former aircraft type?
Thanks again for your participation here.
1) New hires get their assignments by height, with the tallest going first. When you first get to new hire class, you all line up in 3 lines, and do a tall tap with the tallest ones moving forward and the shorter ones back. Eventually the shortest one ends up at the very end and is pushed out the door. United doesn't like short pilots.
Now, that was kidding. New hires are aligned by the last 4 of their SSN if I remember right. They get a list of open jet assignments (737 and 320's F/O's) and can bid when their number comes up. The last one who bids is known as the "8-ball", the most junior guy at United.
2) No, you can't bid up to a FO position and then just go back to Captain, you have a freeze for your training. Most freezes are 36 months. So, they could bid FO, not like it and 36 months later bid back to a captain position.
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These views are my own and do not represent the views of United Airlines or the ALPA.
1) New hires get their assignments by height, with the tallest going first. When you first get to new hire class, you all line up in 3 lines, and do a tall tap with the tallest ones moving forward and the shorter ones back. Eventually the shortest one ends up at the very end and is pushed out the door. United doesn't like short pilots.
Now, that was kidding. New hires are aligned by the last 4 of their SSN if I remember right. They get a list of open jet assignments (737 and 320's F/O's) and can bid when their number comes up. The last one who bids is known as the "8-ball", the most junior guy at United.
2) No, you can't bid up to a FO position and then just go back to Captain, you have a freeze for your training. Most freezes are 36 months. So, they could bid FO, not like it and 36 months later bid back to a captain position.
Thanks your #1 makes perfect sense although I think they should go with eye or hair color -- more conformity that way
That height thing must have come from military training - they seem to do the height line ups
First there was Skylab… Now there is more and more junk in space these days and now and then it succumbs to the small amount of drag in its orbit and burns in or malfunctions like the spy sat that is due to re-enter later this week. Also events like the Columbia accident which amazingly did not hinder air traffic.
Have any of you seen any de-orbiting debris? Do you have any thoughts on how NASA and or the USAF can better alert you to a possible hazard? Given the randomness of these events, it is impossible to establish a NOTAM similar to the ones that are issued from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral during a space launch for returning stages etc.
I sincerely appreciate all the pilots, UA and otherwise, who have contributed to this board. As a frequent LAX-MCO flier, I hope to have the opportunity to meet some of the UA pilots and FAs that have achieved rock star status here on FT!
v/r
Rocket
__________________ If Its Not Boeing I'm Not Going
First there was Skylab… Now there is more and more junk in space these days and now and then it succumbs to the small amount of drag in its orbit and burns in or malfunctions like the spy sat that is due to re-enter later this week. Also events like the Columbia accident which amazingly did not hinder air traffic.
Have any of you seen any de-orbiting debris? Do you have any thoughts on how NASA and or the USAF can better alert you to a possible hazard? Given the randomness of these events, it is impossible to establish a NOTAM similar to the ones that are issued from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral during a space launch for returning stages etc.
I sincerely appreciate all the pilots, UA and otherwise, who have contributed to this board. As a frequent LAX-MCO flier, I hope to have the opportunity to meet some of the UA pilots and FAs that have achieved rock star status here on FT!
v/r
Rocket
You might get info from the company if there was a large amount of debris coming in like a big skylab over where we were flying. But, as far as all the debris that comes in all the time, no way to get warning on that. 99.9% of it burns up or is so small it would be the needle in the haystack if it managed to hit you, and then it probably wouldn't do much damage.
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These views are my own and do not represent the views of United Airlines or the ALPA.
99.9% of it burns up or is so small it would be the needle in the haystack if it managed to hit you, and then it probably wouldn't do much damage.
That's what I thought...big sky little airplane type statistics...as for myself, I've never given it a thought while sitting in C wondering whether I'm going to get a second serving of hot nuts or not.
__________________ If Its Not Boeing I'm Not Going
While taxiing out of gate and also towards gate after landing, airbus seems to have circuit breaker tripped a few times. Each time when it happens, audio resets to channel 2. Why is that?
While taxiing out of gate and also towards gate after landing, airbus seems to have circuit breaker tripped a few times. Each time when it happens, audio resets to channel 2. Why is that?
My guess would be it happens during a power change. Taxiing out, probably when they start up the second engine and swap power over. Taxiing in, probably if they shut down #2 taxiing in and swap over power to the #1 generator.
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These views are my own and do not represent the views of United Airlines or the ALPA.
My guess would be it happens during a power change. Taxiing out, probably when they start up the second engine and swap power over. Taxiing in, probably if they shut down #2 taxiing in and swap over power to the #1 generator.
Thank you for your speedy reply. It seems only happen to Airbus, not Boeing. It is so annoying when it happens. I have then to switch channel from 2 to 9 and turn up the volume.
Thank you for leaving Ch 9 on. 12 of 13 segments of my recent flights (both domestic and international) all have Ch 9 on.
I was on a 767 which had an inop APU and the flight crew (thanks, Chan 9) requested permission to start one engine at the gate before push back. I was seated on the right of the aircraft and the huffer cart was on the other side so I couldn't see what they connected up to start the engine. They did have a big fat yellow hose connected to the belly - I assume that was for air conditioning.
So my question is... is the external pneumatic(?) pressure to start the engine fed directly into an inlet on the engine itself or is there a spigot somewhere on the fuselage that is piped to the engines?
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Der Flugmeil'faenger bin ich ja, stets lustig, heissa, hopsasa!
Hard to fake your height right? 
