Plane off runway in Buffalo

You do.

If you go higher, you can burn less gas as well.

Good fuel management starts before you even shut the door. You can save a ton of fuel on the ground by simply being conscious of APU usage, single engine taxi and appropriate timing on delayed engine starts.

I've actually ridden the jumpseat, listened to a captain complain about the low fuel numbers on the release, then watched him taxi and takeoff with both engines and the APU operating when there was no operational need.
 
He took off with BOTH engines operating?
Read it again. Taxi and took off with both engines and APU. Most 121 pilots with half a brain would understand the two engines running part refers to the taxi and the take off part to the APU operating.
 
I actually can understand that, if you don't know where your line and diversionary stations are. (I don't LIKE it, but I get it.)

I do wish I had a diversionary airport map up front. Basically, a map of all places ~6000' (or maybe even shorter when everything in the stopping department is working properly) long where I can get a jetbridge, maybe the paramedics if I need them, and Jet A. (I have the Alternates manual and the line stations manual, but I don't have (beyond a knowledge of where I am, and where I've been before at any given time) a map of these places.
Also, can I make a suggestion after seeing some real "CRM-challenged" new captains? Start using "we" in this context, not "I." Trust me on that... :)
 
60+ days in Diego, and you're still sane?

Interesting place. The Merchant Marine club there was a true wretched hive of scum and villany when the crews would come ashore from the harbor ships on the weekend. O'club had a build your own pizza night and mongolian BBQ night. Only fast food restaurant there was a Mean Gene's burgers joint. Apparently had some good deep sea fishing. Some interesting Deep Space Sureveillance site on the opposite side of the isle.
 
Interesting place. The Merchant Marine club there was a true wretched hive of scum and villany when the crews would come ashore from the harbor ships on the weekend. O'club had a build your own pizza night and mongolian BBQ night. Only fast food restaurant there was a Mean Gene's burgers joint. Apparently had some good deep sea fishing. Some interesting Deep Space Sureveillance site on the opposite side of the isle.
My crew and I actually popped our heads into the Merchant Marine club.
 
And you're alive? :)

Was alright there. I didn't do any socializing because......well.....no one wanted anything to do with me. At least no AF types.
 
Interesting place. The Merchant Marine club there was a true wretched hive of scum and villany when the crews would come ashore from the harbor ships on the weekend. O'club had a build your own pizza night and mongolian BBQ night. Only fast food restaurant there was a Mean Gene's burgers joint. Apparently had some good deep sea fishing. Some interesting Deep Space Sureveillance site on the opposite side of the isle.


Few people outside of the military know what a Mean Genes is lol. I havent thought about one of those joints in a decade.
 
You do.

If you go higher, you can burn less gas as well.

Good fuel management starts before you even shut the door. You can save a ton of fuel on the ground by simply being conscious of APU usage, single engine taxi and appropriate timing on delayed engine starts.
My current job has taught me a lot about fuel management. Especially when you go out the chain and have no alternates within two hours.

Sometimes going higher doesnt always work out the best. We sometimes are filed for FL200, but elect to stay at 16k. We may burn a little gas per hour, but we go faster and in the end burn less fuel than predicted by the flight plan at FL200. Now that it is getting warm that climb to get high can take for ever.
 
Some of what I've learning in the past year. If there's any question whatsoever, parking brake set, pick up the telephone and call on the recorded line. We've got our own meteorology department so I'll get them in on the conference too.

Flight control is charged with producing a flight plan and flight following. You're responsible for being the captain and being able to digest the information and making prudent decisions. The idea that someone launched into weather and didn't have a plan B (or C) (or at least sounded like they had one) is heavily concerning.

Especially without a working ACARS, I'm going to laugh at that short turn and be on the telephone with flight control to chat about alternates and weather trends at those alternates because the delayed flight is the true cost of dispatching a jet without that tool.
 
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