saskew

Flying back to LHR from Calgary earlier this week on an overnight flight in Club World one of the pilots came into the cabin while the CC we're starting their rounds, had a quick chat with a passenger, then went and laid down in a front row seat and went to sleep. He woke up as CC were serving breakfast, put his shoes and tie back on and returned to the cockpit just in time to land the plane. I think he got more sleep than I did!

skba1

It's really nice when the captain has time to come through the cabin. I had a captain coming out to chat for a few mins on HEL-LHR a few weeks ago.

It is a shame BA no longer allow passengers in jump seat... A few other european airlines still occasionally do if asking the captain nicely

Howard Long

I think it depends on each individual's circumstances. Taking a month off for an intensive PPL course will not leave any time for anything else, family or otherwise. Indeed, will you still have a job to come back to?

It also assumes your head is malleable enough to be able to gain the motor skills required to get to the skill test with only 45 hours in the plane. Unless you're pretty young, completing the practical training in 45 hours would be unusual.

I found it a bit like learning to play a musical instrument. When I was in my teens, it was easy, but doing the same in middle age is a different kettle of fish. My PPL took 75 hours completed over five months in the UK during the spring and summer. About 1 in 4 days weren't flyable due to weather at that time of year. (Unlike the past couple of months when 6 out of 7 days have been pretty much unflyable for VFR!)

Back on thread, it's not at all unusual in my experience to have a chat with the Captain or FO on longhaul during the cruise. Much less so on shorthaul, except when deplaning when there's often one of them at the door.

FWIW on AA, on the 777 intercontinentals with 16F, relief flight crew sit in 1A during the cruise.

LondonElite

I hear what you're saying, don't necessarily disagree. I wasn't suggesting a specific timeframe, just pointing out that it is much cheaper, easier, and more pleasant in southern Florida.

Oh, and it helps if you run your own business where you can set your own hours, or indeed where your work involves so much travel that working on the road is the norm.

LondonElite

Why can't they just build in a better crew rest above and behind the flight deck?

Howard Long

AIUI it's a union thing. Being AA, no surprise there then.

Howard Long

I found that as well as owning your own business , it also helps being semi-retired when dictating hours! I pretty religiously did it four lessons each week on weekdays.

LondonElite

Damned unionists!

LondonElite

^

Snoopy

Was on a BA flight to ATL recently and was watching a movie with an empty glass in front of me. Crew member stopped to ask if I wanted a refill. I looked up and realized it was the FO. I asked him, tongue in cheek, whether he was feeling bored! We had a really nice conversation and he explained that during the Gulf War I (IIRC), BA had been reducing the number of pilots and offered them cabin crew positions and that is what he had done for two years, so he was just keeping his hand in! Really nice chap.

PETER01

A flight to NRT in Oct 2012 I was on in F had a 2 hour delay due to fog as well as waiting on misconnecting and delayed passengers. IIRC Heathrow was at a standstill that particular morning/afternoon.

Including myself there were only about 5 F passengers and the Captain took the time to come out and speak to all the F passengers for a few minutes although I had his attention for about 10!

He had explained the delay reasons on the PA system prior to this and he was very apologetic but as he quite rightly said you can't stop the weather.

A very nice genuine chap and as he spoke to me and all the other passengers he crouched down and spoke to all the passengers at eye level which I thought was a nice touch.

I had told him it was my first time in F on the 300 and after he had worked out how enthusiastic I was about this and Aviation etc. we had a nice little chat and him kindly answering all my (geeky) questions.

IncidentalTourist

On a flight back from JFK-LHR in December I asked a FA if we were taking a more southerly route as I'd noticed from the synoptic charts that the (surface winds at least) would be stronger easterly with a southern route (I'm a sailor, so I do these things).

Midflight the Captain came and talked me through the route that we were flying, he left me with the predicted jetstream map printout that they get just before take-off. We weren't on a notably southerly route, so the winds at 30,000 plus play to a different tune. We had a nice chat.

I was in F so perhaps that had something to do with the visit. I was expecting no more than a yes/no from the FA.