VX Pilot in US Cockpit?
 

I was just on US 466 from SFO to CLT. Much to my surprise, there was a pilot wearing a Virgin America ID on his lanyard coming out of the cockpit when I was deplaning. I also overheard the FA asking him who he worked for and him saying VX.

Has anyone ever heard of this before? Does US ever get pilots from other airlines (when they have a shortage?)?

Very curious,
OM

Most likely just commuting crew. It happens quite a bit and many carriers have agreements with each other to allow it.

Maybe the VX pilot was deadheading and riding cockpit jumpseat?

VX Pilot in US Cockpit?
 

Seen it multiple times on AA SFO-ORD, seated both inside and outside of the cockpit. One time the poor guy had a normal seat, but they needed to make room for one more, so he got put in the cockpit jump seat to make room.

Saw it recently from PHX-SFO. They were sitting in back and were asked to stand guard at the cockpit door because a first class passenger was so drunk that he would not follow directions and kept getting out of his seat. We were sitting behind that passenger and when we arrived at the gate, he was arrested.

It is normal across most airlines. The protocol is that the guest (often commuting) pilot makes him/herself known to the host crew. If the cabin is full and a jump seat is available, it's of course the Captain's discretion whether or not to allow the guest to occupy the jump seat.

VX pilot riding jump seat.

As others have said, it was almost undoubtedly a commuting VX pilot riding the jumpseat. A pilot from another airline, even if qualified on the airplane, couldn't legally work a US flight or vice versa. Each airline has it's own training program which is approved by the FAA and no one who hasn't been through that training program can work one of their flights. Except for emergency situations like an incapacitated pilot where the other airline's pilot could assist in the cockpit, but that falls under the exemption from the rules in an emergency.

Jim

I think it would be valuable at this point to add that it was probably a deadheading VX pilot riding the jumpseat.

But has anyone mentioned that it might have been a commuting pilot who was offered the use of the cockpit jumpseat?

Technically, per US lingo, a commuting pilot - probably heading home. A deadheading pilot, who VX had to provide transport for, would have a seat in the back.

So it wasn't a day laborer pilot who was picked up in the parking lot of the San Mateo Home Depot? Cause I could swear I've seen some pilots sitting on overturned shopping carts there looking for flight crews that are short a pilot.

frank abagnale jr. Traveled the world for free doing this pretending to be a Pan Am pilot and flying other airlines. Be sure to rent Catch Me if You Can sometime.

Ya know it's really bad when pilots stand at intersections with hand-written signs saying "Will fly for food."

Jim

I am literally laughing out loud at this one in my hotel room. I saw an Airtran flight crew walk in earlier when I was drinking at the hotel bar with some friends; they're probably the only ones who would understand why I found the responses to this thread so funny.

OM