Delays flight for Pilot Passenager!
 

DL 1143 ATL-TPA today (4 Jun 01) was delayed from leaving the gate by 30 minutes, because a DL Pilot that was a “Passenger” was late in arriving at Gate B1. Captain announced this fact on the intercom. When was the last time DL held a flight for anyone on this board? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by Jib (edited 06-04-2001).]

Sounds like a deadheading pilot. That means the pilot is needed to fly a flight from your destination to somewhere else (as opposed to a pilot who lives there or is there on layover).

Space will be made available, or a flight delayed, no matter what, because the other flight will be cancelled if the deadheading pilot doesn't get there!

The name "deadhead" comes from the railroad, where a extra locomotive is added to a train, not to pull that train (the engine's off, or dead), but to pull another train at the destination, which apparently needs a locomotive.

And now, we know the "Rest of the Story".

Thanks for the original post. I am sure many would immediately translate this into a DL taking care of their own vs. the passengers. There may have been some poor planning in the background that we are unaware or, or just maybe, the pilot in Tampa became very ill, or had too many hours (bad storms on Sunday) and they had to call in someone that lives at Lake Lanier to take that flight. It happens. And as you said, the flight in Tampa would have been hours later if this pilot did not get there.

Are you sure that the pilot did not relate this fact. I cannot imagine that the pilot would have announced that the flight was waiting for the pilot unless he explained the reason as well. DL pilots are normally pretty good at this.