Good Captains

ZapBrannigan said:
I could never hate you. [emoji8]

And yes, I agree that my bedside manner was uncharacteristically rough. His usage of the term "ready to pounce" rubbed me the wrong way.

Any of you fellas that think your fellow pilots can kill you quick in a jet would wet yourself if you saw how quickly things can go sour in a Jetstream, a Metro, a Beech 1900 ... or really any other turboprop without an autopilot.
Click to expand...

Look Gramps ..... only newb's fly props (which are for boats btw) and since real pilots fly real jets (wing slung engines *mmmmm*) this stuff is, like, hella relevant.
 
CatchyScreenName said:
Last captain I rode with that was all jittery nervous shadowing giving me answers to tell ATC like the "say mach number" example in a previous post... I very patiently strictly observe sterile till 10k and then just out of the blue ask them how many engine failures they have had. I've found the overly nervous, over controlling guys have usually never faced any real adversity. When they finally get around to asking me the same "get to know you how many have you had" I'll then tell them about my two helicopter engine failures. As others have said, just because someone is in the right seat doesn't mean they know squat. Unfortunately the Capn's that need to read this thread never will.
Click to expand...
That's how I approach it. 10k, straps off, whip them out, find a tape measure and we're having a contest because I think you're a weak captain.
 
Been enjoying this thread, and it has caused me to think about some issues I've had. Zero 121 experience, the mix of people definitely provides a different experience from 91.
I've got tons of time dual given, not just in Skyhawks (the bugsmasher version) but in king airs and high performance pistons twins. So I probably come into the cockpit of a multi crew jet with some annoying attributes.
I never hover over anything. I always ask the pilot flying what he thinks before i key the mike, and I always dig for criticism over a beer after our leg for the day. (Tough day if it's two legs)
With a fully qualled FO, we swap legs short of circumstances that would prevent it, and I've gotten shock with confidence building legs downs to mins that I was informed other captains would have never allowed.
That being said, I've received criticism from other (young inexperienced) FO's that I'm teaching or "quizzing". My perception on the "quizzing" would be me asking what would they would do or the occasional curiosity about his level knowledge of something. I view teaching from the left seat as part of my job. In the corporate world, in my experience, FO is a temporary position while everyone figures out you're ok to be a co-captain.
So I see the same animosity in some of the responses in this thread that I've perceived from a couple (millennial) young fellas flying next to me, and I'd like to improve as a captain, but I'd also like to know why you don't think the guy with the grey hair next to you shouldn't be giving you some guidance and mentoring.
It's difficult for me to find a balance between doing my job and letting them do their job and also trying to bring them along in the industry. (They can fly the airplane and I'm not talking about corrections of something wrong or dangerous. I'm talking about developing young guys/gals into captains.)
I hope i get some good responses and I hope this question helps out some other relatively inexperienced captains thinking similar things...
 
bucksmith said:
Been enjoying this thread, and it has caused me to think about some issues I've had. Zero 121 experience, the mix of people definitely provides a different experience from 91.
I've got tons of time dual given, not just in Skyhawks (the bugsmasher version) but in king airs and high performance pistons twins. So I probably come into the cockpit of a multi crew jet with some annoying attributes.
I never hover over anything. I always ask the pilot flying what he thinks before i key the mike, and I always dig for criticism over a beer after our leg for the day. (Tough day if it's two legs)
With a fully qualled FO, we swap legs short of circumstances that would prevent it, and I've gotten shock with confidence building legs downs to mins that I was informed other captains would have never allowed.
That being said, I've received criticism from other (young inexperienced) FO's that I'm teaching or "quizzing". My perception on the "quizzing" would be me asking what would they would do or the occasional curiosity about his level knowledge of something. I view teaching from the left seat as part of my job. In the corporate world, in my experience, FO is a temporary position while everyone figures out you're ok to be a co-captain.
So I see the same animosity in some of the responses in this thread that I've perceived from a couple (millennial) young fellas flying next to me, and I'd like to improve as a captain, but I'd also like to know why you don't think the guy with the grey hair next to you shouldn't be giving you some guidance and mentoring.
It's difficult for me to find a balance between doing my job and letting them do their job and also trying to bring them along in the industry. (They can fly the airplane and I'm not talking about corrections of something wrong or dangerous. I'm talking about developing young guys/gals into captains.)
I hope i get some good responses and I hope this question helps out some other relatively inexperienced captains thinking similar things...
Click to expand...

It all really depends. I consider myself a young FO, but in my mid-pushing-late 30s I understand that I have lots to learn (better than I did in my 20s) so, given the opportunity, I might be asking questions.
"Quizzing" like you called it.
It will be more of a "what's your reasoning in handling the situation a certain way" and inquiring about the peculiarities of a certain airframe/engine just due to the fact that the captain has seen that piece of equipment for more hours than I have.
It won't be about the book knowledge of systems - I probably paid more attention reading it than the captain did.
It won't be about the avionics - unless old and quirky - having designed and built instrument panels and having IT and interface design background I'm more likely to suggest a less cumbersome way to achieve a goal due to very solid understanding of the logic behind the magic box.
I love hangar flying though - and I believe I learn a lot from it. It's a very important and complex process of hearing a story, asking relevant questions, getting answers, sorting out the good from the bad, giving your applicable story, getting good questions and answering them while possibly thinking about certain aspect of it at an angle I didn't see before.

With that said, different strokes for different folks.
 
I2lw9ci.jpg


Just saw this and thought it applied perfectly to this thread!
 
Dr. Sprite said:
That's how I approach it. 10k, straps off, whip them out, find a tape measure and we're having a contest because I think you're a weak captain.
Click to expand...
Heh, I try my best not for it to come off as a measuring contest. More of a "I'm no ace but I can handle my business when needed" or a "why you trippin fool?"
 
NovemberEcho said:
If you need reminders from enlisted personnel to lower the gear you are not tier 1.
Click to expand...

Used to hear this all the time flying into Ft Walton Beach, (Eglin AFB.) when the tower would give us the "Check gear down," I'd always respond, "We're a civilian airliner, we know how to fly!" Was better when there were some Eagles in the pattern.

Got quite a few chuckles from the controllers. And a few, "Sorry, we gotta say it."
 
Cptnchia said:
Used to hear this all the time flying into Ft Walton Beach, (Eglin AFB.) when the tower would give us the "Check gear down," I'd always respond, "We're a civilian airliner, we know how to fly!" Was better when there were some Eagles in the pattern.

Got quite a few chuckles from the controllers. And a few, "Sorry, we gotta say it."
Click to expand...


At NAS Whidbey, in the flying club aircraft it was "Gear checked, Down and Welded"
 
Cptnchia said:
Used to hear this all the time flying into Ft Walton Beach, (Eglin AFB.) when the tower would give us the "Check gear down," I'd always respond, "We're a civilian airliner, we know how to fly!" Was better when there were some Eagles in the pattern.

Got quite a few chuckles from the controllers. And a few, "Sorry, we gotta say it."
Click to expand...

The worst was doing PAR's on B06's and having to tell them check wheels down. "Locked and welded" was usually the response
 
Cptnchia said:
Used to hear this all the time flying into Ft Walton Beach, (Eglin AFB.) when the tower would give us the "Check gear down," I'd always respond, "We're a civilian airliner, we know how to fly!" Was better when there were some Eagles in the pattern.

Got quite a few chuckles from the controllers. And a few, "Sorry, we gotta say it."
Click to expand...

I used to get that in a 152.

"they better be!"
 
NovemberEcho said:
Hey now, as ATC I like the seeYA guys.
Click to expand...
Get with the times! Yesterday there was a Denver controller giving sign-offs with: "Seeya man, Take care bro, seeya dude". It made for a good chuckle. Maybe the Great Mistakes verbiage was wearing off on him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top