Flying with the best pilot!

Ya know, I have noticed a segment of the pilot population that is bitter, surly, unfriendly, and suspicious of anyone, except for George Bush. (go figure that one out!) These types can't listen to anyone, or freely exchange ideas that might differ from theirs, especially if it might make the world a better place. Maybe these pilots who are so quick to make a call about Capt Flanagan are simply jealous of the Captain's happiness and good vibe. Maybe they just don't like Captain Flanagan's suggestion of sharing and spreading a good vibe because they're incapable of it. Maybe they're just the usual miserable, bitter, nasty, negative types that I've encountered on another web site.
 
Or maybe, these pilots are there to do a job and not win a popularity contest. I probably make more PAs then I should and over inform the passengers of what is going on (with the captain's approval of course). But even if I didn't and I had a jumpseater who works for a different company and was getting a free ride on my jumpseat (god, I sound like Velo here!) apologizing to the passengers about something I did, I sure as hell would bounce his ass out of my airplane.

Call me bitter or what ever you want, and I am all for taking care of the passengers, but I have heard several stories (first hand, not from "another website") about this guy and I tend to agree. He views himself as a Jolly Old Saint Flanagan, which is all well and good when he is ON HIS AIRPLANE, but not when he is on somebody else's.
 
Or maybe, these pilots are there to do a job and not win a popularity contest. I probably make more PAs then I should and over inform the passengers of what is going on (with the captain's approval of course). But even if I didn't and I had a jumpseater who works for a different company and was getting a free ride on my jumpseat (god, I sound like Velo here!) apologizing to the passengers about something I did, I sure as hell would bounce his ass out of my airplane.

Call me bitter or what ever you want, and I am all for taking care of the passengers, but I have heard several stories (first hand, not from "another website") about this guy and I tend to agree. He views himself as a Jolly Old Saint Flanagan, which is all well and good when he is ON HIS AIRPLANE, but not when he is on somebody else's.

Ok, well then let me ask you this. If a pilot is "all for taking care of the passengers", then why would he or she care if another fellow pilot was helping him with that task? I'm certainly not a pilot, so I don't understand the relationship dynamics of the cockpit, but in today's world of messy air travel, I would think that one would welcome someone who was helping me out with the task of unhappy passengers. Perhaps egos get in the way? Personally, I would welcome a "Jolly Old Saint Flanagan" on my ship.
 
I'm trying to remember what industry you are in... I can't as there are too many cougars running around here, but I think it is corporate. Picture it this way. You are the CEO of a company and run into some problems. At a meeting of your share holders you get up to talk about what is going wrong and your plans for fixing it. Then, up stands the CEO of VERY successful company in the same industry as you and proceeds to apologize to your share holders about the state of the industry and how you it's too bad you aren't doing enough to make things better. He then hands out cards to everybody and says that if they have problems in the future to give him a call and he'll try to straighten stuff up for them.

I'll let somebody who is actually in the left seat discuss how ego has nothing to do with it.
 
I'm trying to remember what industry you are in... I can't as there are too many cougars running around here, but I think it is corporate. Picture it this way. You are the CEO of a company and run into some problems. At a meeting of your share holders you get up to talk about what is going wrong and your plans for fixing it. Then, up stands the CEO of VERY successful company in the same industry as you and proceeds to apologize to your share holders about the state of the industry and how you it's too bad you aren't doing enough to make things better. He then hands out cards to everybody and says that if they have problems in the future to give him a call and he'll try to straighten stuff up for them.

I'll let somebody who is actually in the left seat discuss how ego has nothing to do with it.

So a captain from a flight that Captain Flanagan was jumpseating on told you that he did this - That he passed out his business cards on that flight?

Yes, I work in corporate America, and I can tell you that a great CEO is very good at delegating, and is not a control freak. A good CEO allows his employees (or crew) to excel at what they do. If they don't produce, you show them the door.
 
So a captain from a flight that Captain Flanagan was jumpseating on told you that he did this - That he passed out his business cards on that flight?

Yes, and it wasn't even in the United system. He said the guy told the PAX that he "knew people" at this airline and would try to get the problems addressed.

Yes, I work in corporate America, and I can tell you that a great CEO is very good at delegating, and is not a control freak. A good CEO allows his employees (or crew) to excel at what they do. If they don't produce, you show them the door.

That's fine. Delegate (ie ASK!) but to have somebody from another company invite themselves to step in is crossing the line.
 
Yes, and it wasn't even in the United system. He said the guy told the PAX that he "knew people" at this airline and would try to get the problems addressed.

Well since you know and trust this person who told you this, then I guess I'll have to take your word for it. The Denny Flanagan that I met, did not seem at all like a man who would take over another captain's flight.
 
I am a control freak with a HUGE ego. I am the king of my domain and no nice guy kiss a$$ captains like Mr United are allowed on my airplane. If this captain started yapping at my passengers or passing out business cards, I would toss him into the jetway myself.

Flying with the best pilot? Seriously now?

Someone said he was prior Navy? Probably helicopters, P3s or Coast Guard. Certainly too nice to have been a fighter pilot.

On a scale of one to ten I would give him a 3.2 and that's being generous!
 
Someone said he was prior Navy? Probably helicopters, P3s or Coast Guard. Certainly too nice to have been a fighter pilot.

What the heck is THAT supposed to mean!!??

(Like how I extracted the one little piece of info from this thread that applied to me and me alone and made an issue out of it? ;))
 
Flying with the best pilot? Seriously now?

Someone said he was prior Navy? Probably helicopters, P3s or Coast Guard. Certainly too nice to have been a fighter pilot.

On a scale of one to ten I would give him a 3.2 and that's being generous!

What the heck is THAT supposed to mean!!??

(Like how I extracted the one little piece of info from this thread that applied to me and me alone and made an issue out of it? ;))


Ian, don't mind Mr. Top Gun. We all know that K wouldn't settle for less than a helicopter studmuffin. :D ;)
 
I am a control freak with a HUGE ego. I am the king of my domain and no nice guy kiss a$$ captains like Mr United are allowed on my airplane. If this captain started yapping at my passengers or passing out business cards, I would toss him into the jetway myself.

Flying with the best pilot? Seriously now?

Someone said he was prior Navy? Probably helicopters, P3s or Coast Guard. Certainly too nice to have been a fighter pilot.

On a scale of one to ten I would give him a 3.2 and that's being generous!

Are you being sarcastic here? I honestly can't tell...
 
Awwww, thanks! ;)
So, cougars dig ya, eh? :p You hear that SkyCougar? :D

Whadcha say??? Speak up Missy, the ole cougar's hearing is going! ;)

After the Friday night sailboat races, I had a young buck crew member ask me if I was a cougar. I asked him why did he want to know. He said he dug cougars. The captain of the boat warned me about those young crew members! I steered him over to the yacht club bar where the young lassies were waiting to meet the young bucks and told him to go practice his knots over there. :D

(the above comment was in no way intended for Mr. Cruise) :)
 
I am a control freak with a HUGE ego. I am the king of my domain

Don't worry Calcapt, we all know that you are really the best pilot! ;)

And that's funny, you never mentioned having to ask for a second seat for your ego! :sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:
 
I don't want to be rude or anything, but actually how receptive is the crew to jumpseaters making gentle suggestions about what/when/how to say over the PA or how to deal with passengers?
 
I would say not at all. Our airplane... we will run it how we see fit.

As a jumpseater (even when I am traveling in my own company aircraft and I know the crew) I keep my mouth shut about operation stuff unless it is a safety issue. I've spoken up before to prevent a crew from landing at the wrong airport and once said something when a newbie FO was about to let an engine hot start and the captain was busy taxiing.
 
Yes, as a jumpseater, keep your mouth shut. Except for eggregious 'safety of flight' issues.
 
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