CirrusMonkey
No Real Usefulness
Sully would be pissed....
Sully would be pissed....
I open my DV window and summon him over.
I yell down "Why can't I go?"
"Captain, you didn't start #2"
"I know", I yell, "I have gauges that tell me that!! I still want to taxi out!!"
He finally gives me the salute, and off I go....
ASpilot2be said:Interesting. My manager seems to frequent the ramp quite often. Of course our entire operation hinges on one airlines contract. So he wants to make sure things go smoothly.
How difficult is it to walk under a wingtip and quickly wave your hands around if you think it's about to hit something?
Well, since that block time was lost by the mainline crew affecting their retirements, I guess us youngin's will just work 'till we're 70.
You know, paying it forward and what not. :crazy:
For the dense:
Wow... those Mainline guys are STILL bitter about MDA.
How difficult is it to walk under a wingtip and quickly wave your hands around if you think it's about to hit something?
In all my days, I don't think this marshalling episode will be topped. I've seen about all of it on the ramp, but this is king.
We were flying for UAX out of IAD in the G-gates right after ACA and UAL split. They hired the absolute best help they could for $6/hr in the DC metro area, and it showed. However, I can't fault this guy for trying.
It was int'l rush hour, and I'm number last. We push back, going to IAH, so I'm loaded with people, bags and gas. Long line so I want to single engine taxi.
We're disconnected, I've got #1 spinning. I give the marshaller the taxi light flash. He stands there with the big red X.
I flash him again. He holds the X and shakes it (you've all seen it when you're about 500' from the top of the T). We look around, no planes or equipment to be seen. We call ramp, no one inbound, outbound or behind us.
I flash him again. He starts pointing at the jet and dancing like he's been standing on a mound of fire ants.
I open my DV window and summon him over.
I yell down "Why can't I go?"
"Captain, you didn't start #2"
"I know", I yell, "I have gauges that tell me that!! I still want to taxi out!!"
He finally gives me the salute, and off I go....
Priceless.
Ironically it's normally the mainline ground crews that are marshalling me in while either looking at the ground, the sky, the hot girl in the terminal window, etc.
I dont know about other places, but where I work we walk the wings to the stopping point. Then the right wing walker becomes the marshaller and the left wing walker disconnects the tug from the aircraft.How many WING walkers actually walk all the way out. Guess you get what you pay for. We cut the pay of our rampers, crews etc. You get this stuff going on.