I don't want to be "that guy" but...

ATN_Pilot said:
Same here. It was a reprieve from the constant onslaught of stories about canned food and ammo collection and the coming race wars. Nice to just look out the window without hearing a guy's manifesto every now and then.
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This never happens in my cockpit. I think my FO's just presume I'm not going to "I know, rieeeeeeeght!" them.

Which is fine.

I'm here to fly jets, stack cheddar and get to the layover to drink a beer and tell some jokes. Leave your "political kink" for the next guy. I don't do daddy daycare.
 
Derg said:
This never happens in my cockpit. I think my FO's just presume I'm not going to "I know, rieeeeeeeght!" them. Which is fine. I'm here to fly jets, stack cheddar and get to the layover to drink a beer and tell some jokes. Leave your "political kink" for the next guy. I don't do daddy daycare.
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I was always happy to talk politics if it was with somebody somewhat rational. But when the common topics were "the tyranny of the fiat currency system," "the new world order," or "the coming race wars," which was all too often with the hicks down this way, I'd rather stare out the window.
 
UPDATE: We're not done yet, so there's still ample opportunity for misery, but so far things have gone well.

He was already in the cockpit when I got there. We said our hellos and got down to business. The first leg was a little tense because he started off with essentially the same crap monologue as last time. Also, it was early morning and he already looked tired. Sure enough at some point in cruise I see his eyes close for a very extended period of time. His head dropped and then he snapped back up. I looked over and said "Are you okay?"

He replied that he had to leave his house early because he lives somewhat far away. Now I'm thinking about what I'm going to say when we land. But he held it together and remarked that he would buy coffee for the crew during the turn. Which he very kindly did. And he was and has been fine with regards to alertness since then.

Mostly speculation, but I think he may be trying harder than normal because I made note of his drowsiness.

The conversations, lame jokes and not-really-discreet religious remarks are tiresome, but I am keeping him turned down the legs are mercifully short on this trip. He operates on a very strange wavelength and I'm quite certain that most of his stories and information sources are outright lies he pathetically attempts to pass off as true nuggets of wisdom that he's collected in his vast experience. But there really is no point in challenging him or engaging him because he simply doesn't communicate like a normal adult.

As has been said before, we make adjustments to deal with a wide variety of personalities in the flight deck. This guy definitely occupies a tiny minority of "extremely challenging to sit next to", but crucially, it's not intolerable. IT'S REALLY CLOSE. But I think I'll survive.
 
scooter2525 said:
What kind of guys did you hire!? I haven't had nearly that amount of conversations.
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You're not at a southern airline, my friend. I didn't hear this stuff in NWA cockpits, either, or when I was flying in DTW or MSP at Pinnacle. But it was rampant at AirTran, and although not quite as bad, there was still quite a bit of it when jumpseating in ATL-based Delta cockpits.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
You're not at a southern airline, my friend. I didn't hear this stuff in NWA cockpits, either, or when I was flying in DTW or MSP at Pinnacle. But it was rampant at AirTran, and although not quite as bad, there was still quite a bit of it when jumpseating in ATL-based Delta cockpits.
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Fortunately, most everyone at my airline doesn't think Obama is going to kill Grandma with a death panel.

(They are conservative though.)
 
ATN_Pilot said:
I was always happy to talk politics if it was with somebody somewhat rational. But when the common topics were "the tyranny of the fiat currency system," "the new world order," or "the coming race wars," which was all too often with the hicks down this way, I'd rather stare out the window.
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I've heard members post similar things about pilots and cockpit conversation, in my long tenure here. It really makes me think, that a lot of pilots are Alex Jones paranoid schizophrenic crazy.
 
Derg said:
I don't do daddy daycare.
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Work work work schedules work work work A-fund work work work systems work work work turbulence....

Seriously bro, I am with you. How many bright white sneaker, JC Penny's cargo short, "Guy Harvey" t-shirt wearing people can be in one pilot population?

I look like a slob on a layover...ON PURPOSE. It's the only way I can distinguish myself from the refugees from suburbia, where their wifey buys their clothes at Marvyns.

SERIOUSLY DUDES....here's a tip. Ask around. Find out where the GOOD men's shops are (hint: NOT Men's Houseforwears or Banks Whatever). May require a trip downtown. Ask the ancient dudes with the tape measures who always inhabit those places for advice. Take it. You'll come out looking like a million bucks, without spending same.

And buy a good suit or two. TAILORED. And get nice shoes. NOT RUNNING SHOES.

And learn how to tie a tie, fer cripes sake. Look here: http://www.artofmanliness.com/

Clothes make the man. Not to toot my own horn, but when the Grumpy Dragon takes the time to clean up, he's bangin'. If they can make me look good, no one is beyond help.

Richman
 
ATN_Pilot said:
You're not at a southern airline, my friend. I didn't hear this stuff in NWA cockpits, either, or when I was flying in DTW or MSP at Pinnacle. But it was rampant at AirTran, and although not quite as bad, there was still quite a bit of it when jumpseating in ATL-based Delta cockpits.
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Not to agree with ATN, but agree that the survivalist thing was a rarity at Northernjets.

I did however listen to a great deal about the relative merits of Edina verus Eden Prairie, who went to what high school, what kid was playing on whoevers hockey team, how wonderful "the cities" were (and why would anyone live anywhere else) and some rather spectacular claims about how "the U" was the absolute pinnacle of the educational universe.

Contrary to a rumor spread by an impish internet forum guru, I did NOT pick up any good recipes for tater tot hotdish, so stop asking.

Driving along in a DC-9, where both the Captain and Lead FA were MSP locals, you were in your little "outlander" bubble for 1 to 5 days (DC-9 FAs/Pilots stayed together for the whole trip). Didn't rise to the level of irksome, but not really all that amusing, either.

Richman
 
@Cal Goat re-read your first post and then re-read post 65. You went from a fairly alarmed perspective to one that might be characterized as "the guy isn't anywhere near as bad as I thought he was."

Did you learn anything about yourself?

Are you going to call the CP and admit that maybe you mischaracterized the captain's CRM, because you ought to.
 
Cal Goat said:
tomorrow I'm supposed to start a trip with a fairly senior captain who has been known to randomly nod-off during flight. And not just cruise flight. I think it might be sleep apnea related because he's heavy, but I honestly don't know.

I've traditionally bid-avoided him because the one time I flew with him, he came across as insane and/or just really obtuse; but now we're so short staffed that I can't drop the trip or trade.

I called my CP and explained the situation (not the sleep thing because I personally haven't witnessed it) and he suggested that I just try to have a personal discussion with him prior to starting the trip to see if we can communicate better. I'm willing to try, but I feel like if he passes out on me, I can't continue the trip.

This is because of a personal standard where I don't want to tolerate idiots who I wouldn't let my family fly with.

My question to the group here is: How do I address the issue with the company if he falls asleep on me?

The other guys I know that said they've seen him pass out have not called pro-standards. I don't want to be the narc and I don't want to be known as a guy that messed up another guy's career, BUT we have to draw a line somewhere. Don't we?

Am I just being a whiny bitch?
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If you work for SouthernJets and your Captain is Doug Taylor, somebody may kick you square in the nuts for stuff like this.
 
Derg said:
This never happens in my cockpit. I think my FO's just presume I'm not going to "I know, rieeeeeeeght!" them.

Which is fine.

I'm here to fly jets, stack cheddar and get to the layover to drink a beer and tell some jokes. Leave your "political kink" for the next guy. I don't do daddy daycare.
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"My" cockpit. "My" FOs.

You sure Uncle @Derg isn't "That guy"? ;)
 
Richman said:
Work work work schedules work work work A-fund work work work systems work work work turbulence....

Seriously bro, I am with you. How many bright white sneaker, JC Penny's cargo short, "Guy Harvey" t-shirt wearing people can be in one pilot population?

I look like a slob on a layover...ON PURPOSE. It's the only way I can distinguish myself from the refugees from suburbia, where their wifey buys their clothes at Marvyns.

SERIOUSLY DUDES....here's a tip. Ask around. Find out where the GOOD men's shops are (hint: NOT Men's Houseforwears or Banks Whatever). May require a trip downtown. Ask the ancient dudes with the tape measures who always inhabit those places for advice. Take it. You'll come out looking like a million bucks, without spending same.

And buy a good suit or two. TAILORED. And get nice shoes. NOT RUNNING SHOES.

And learn how to tie a tie, fer cripes sake. Look here: http://www.artofmanliness.com/

Clothes make the man. Not to toot my own horn, but when the Grumpy Dragon takes the time to clean up, he's bangin'. If they can make me look good, no one is beyond help.

Richman
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I look more or less like an overgrown computer geek on layover. On duty, on the other hand, I try to stay looking sharp.
 
And yet another thread has devolved into a "my layover outfit is less piloty than yours" contest. My wife and her girlfriends spend less time talking about clothes than you guys do.
 
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