What is your greatest piece of advice

Remember what it was like being an FO. You ain't special just because you made it to the left seat, you just got hired first. Know when to let it swing and when to let it ride.
 
We typically use “threat-based” briefings...

I'd normally start a trip with, the “biggest threat is me: I've been here too long, and I’m too stupid to leave...”

Anyway, fixed that.

Enjoy - it's the best job in the world!
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
Question for those who have gone from CA on one plane to CA onto another plane with 0 time as FO on that new plane (eg, an Airbus CA to Boeing CA, having never flown a Boeing).

How long do you brief your FO about your new-ness? In this case on the airframe you have 0 time and they have more. You'd brief the 100 hrs and high minimum requirements which is an obvious heads up, but once that's over and all your legality stuff is completed, is there any general consensus as to how long or at what point you stop briefing your new-ness on that airframe to FOs? I've never worked at a multiple fleet carrier until now so I haven't seen this case (to be able to compare from a previous experience).
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One full year until I’ve seen all the seasons. What’s the harm in saying, “Hey I’ve been on this thing less than a year... I don’t know everything.”?
 
The best advice I think I can offer is to unequivocally say to get in touch with an Envoy recruiter and do everything you can to get hired. A full career at American is at the top of the list as far as legacy airline jobs go. Envoy is the only carrier that offers a true no interview/no medical flow to AA. You are hired to AA standards at Envoy. The reason is they are hiring AA pilots and you are AA the day you set foot on property for your Envoy indoc class. AA just announced hiring 300 through the end of 21 and double that for 22 if not more. Things are turning around big time and AA made all the right moves over the past year in how they allocated capacity and fleet decisions. Now, they are light years ahead of the other 2 legacies and far better positioned to start banging out profits as the year moves along.
 
Dacuj said:
The best advice I think I can offer is to unequivocally say to get in touch with an Envoy recruiter and do everything you can to get hired. A full career at American is at the top of the list as far as legacy airline jobs go. Envoy is the only carrier that offers a true no interview/no medical flow to AA. You are hired to AA standards at Envoy. The reason is they are hiring AA pilots and you are AA the day you set foot on property for your Envoy indoc class. AA just announced hiring 300 through the end of 21 and double that for 22 if not more. Things are turning around big time and AA made all the right moves over the past year in how they allocated capacity and fleet decisions. Now, they are light years ahead of the other 2 legacies and far better positioned to start banging out profits as the year moves along.
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That wasn’t even remotely the question. The topic is advice for new upgrades to Captain.


JDean3204 said:
Those that have some 121 PIC experience, what is some advice you’d give to someone now upgrading? Something you wish you’d have been more prepared for or someone would have told you before sliding into the left seat?

I bet this will get drifted but a few serious nuggets here and there would be nice :)
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Dacuj said:
The best advice I think I can offer is to unequivocally say to get in touch with an Envoy recruiter and do everything you can to get hired. A full career at American is at the top of the list as far as legacy airline jobs go. Envoy is the only carrier that offers a true no interview/no medical flow to AA. You are hired to AA standards at Envoy. The reason is they are hiring AA pilots and you are AA the day you set foot on property for your Envoy indoc class. AA just announced hiring 300 through the end of 21 and double that for 22 if not more. Things are turning around big time and AA made all the right moves over the past year in how they allocated capacity and fleet decisions. Now, they are light years ahead of the other 2 legacies and far better positioned to start banging out profits as the year moves along.
Click to expand...

You’re a tool dude. You sound like that greasy POS trying to sell me a Kia and won’t stop calling because I said I would sleep on it. You’re making AA and Envoy look bad on this public forum for all to see, especially to those considering envoy who may make the decision to not go entirely because of the way you spout about the company and your beloved cadets. The culture you describe is the exact opposite of the culture I want, a bunch of whiny cadets who used mommy and daddy’s money to fast track to the big leagues. Keep that away from me boss. So if your intent was to drive people away from AA by trolling, congrats, it’s probably working.

Edit**. Before I get burned for saying the above about cadets, I know some actually worked for it and aren’t entitled brats. It was the comparison between cadets and mil rotor guys that has made me want to lean into this chump or genius troll. Mil rotor guys may lack some 121 experience, but we all lack experience until we get that experience. I’ve ran across many rotor guys and they’re humble, great pilots still learning the craft from a totally different dynamic than they’re used to. It’s similar to pure civilian airline people bagging on fighter pilots trying to learn the ropes. Yes some have an ego problem, that needs to be addressed, but strap a cadet into a fighter and tell them to go warp speed to intercept a target and they’d soil their pants.
 
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Dacuj said:
The best advice I think I can offer is to unequivocally say to get in touch with an Envoy recruiter and do everything you can to get hired. A full career at American is at the top of the list as far as legacy airline jobs go. Envoy is the only carrier that offers a true no interview/no medical flow to AA. You are hired to AA standards at Envoy. The reason is they are hiring AA pilots and you are AA the day you set foot on property for your Envoy indoc class. AA just announced hiring 300 through the end of 21 and double that for 22 if not more. Things are turning around big time and AA made all the right moves over the past year in how they allocated capacity and fleet decisions. Now, they are light years ahead of the other 2 legacies and far better positioned to start banging out profits as the year moves along.
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AA took more debt than any other airline to get through Covid. Light years ahead? Yes, terms of debt obligation and repayments in the future. Very far ahead than the rest of the pack.

Do you really get an AA pilot seniority number the day you start at Envoy, flying Envoy planes?

No medical? I thought AA had done away with a medical for several years now (just the standard drug test).
 
Dacuj said:
Honestly I just wanted to share the best advice overall I thought I could give.
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To get this back on subject after... that:

Here's some good advice for new captains... make sure you understand what is being discussed or happening before you start voicing your opinion or making decisions. Remember that your position carriers power, not you, and any abuses or misuses of that power will undermine it for both yourself, and everybody else in the future. The best captains I have flown with are proactive in solving issues before they become problems, but refrain from responding to anything until they have a clear picture (or as clear a picture as they can get in the moment) of what is going on.
 
BobDDuck said:
To get this back on subject after... that:

Here's some good advice for new captains... make sure you understand what is being discussed or happening before you start voicing your opinion or making decisions. Remember that your position carriers power, not you, and any abuses or misuses of that power will undermine it for both yourself, and everybody else in the future. The best captains I have flown with are proactive in solving issues before they become problems, but refrain from responding to anything until they have a clear picture (or as clear a picture as they can get in the moment) of what is going on.
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Are you upgrading?
 
ozziecat35 said:
Yeah it’s a thing at every shop. Add on to being downgraded for a year, dealing with other peoples BS gets old fast.
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It is nice to be an FO again. It would also be nice to be a Captain again, although I do not look forward to doing the reserve thing for any duration of time. I certainly see why people bypass the upgrade here...I do not, however, at the RJ level, mostly because upgrading is the only way to make a comfortable living (and even then you're gettin' screwed on the regular). I remember going..."That's it?" after my first day of FO IOE here, compared to the slings-and-arrows of outrageous RJ-land.

I remember I once flew with the most junior 145 Captain at the Beagle, and I saw him about two weeks later busted back to the right seat. Not a happy camper in short. (Same week I got displaced to NFE from DFE. "Gee, I don't understand why you left," he said, cross-eyed.)

I'm still bummed on your behalf for your displacement back to the right seat, is what I'm trying to convey. :)
 
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