caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot lounge?

Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

Back in the day when I actually did lots of flying I always slept in the snooze room. I to got tired of the noise so I started sleeping with my ANR headset on my head and with it turned on.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

anyway, thanks for the backup. i thought it was PERFECTLY reasonable to sleep in a lounge given that

a) i was the only one there

b) blankets were clearly folded and provided on the couch for use

c) it was 0300 and i had been up nearly 22 hours.

so thumbs down to USairports staff at ROC for somehow thinking its funny or lame that i slept on the couch for a bit.

i think when i leave i'll have to leave some negative feedback on airnav for them! thatll teach em!
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I was flying for Airnet and had just been assigned TEB, so I needed a place to crash for a couple weeks until my apartment was available. Although we weren't supposed to "sleep" there, what's one supposed to do on short notice and measly pilot pay, pay for my own motel? Plus the people at the front desk didn't know/didn't care, so it was a great deal. I wouldn't recommend it for just anyone, but the phrase "Any port in a storm" certainly applied, I thought.

Ha, man that's crazy. Sounds like you definitely made it work for you.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

Sorry to ask, but what exactly is a line man? What does it mean when one works the line?
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

Sorry to ask, but what exactly is a line man? What does it mean when one works the line?

Parks/refuels planes on the parking ramp for the FBO, etc.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I would have at least asked him what the issue was. You are the customer.
If the issue seemed stupid ask him his name, write it down, and ask for his supervisors name/number. It seems to help some slightly "nose high" attitudes.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

Some idiots think it is for more than snoozing. Once during a trip to KGON I went to crash in the snooze room there for a few hours. Nice room, but the blanket had some "Male stains" on it. :panic:

Uh yeah...maybe they assumed the blankets weren't for sleeping because obviously we get laughed at when we use them for sleeping. I mean, who does that?? Sleep, pfft. I'm all work and no sleep!:sarcasm:
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I too have spent many hours in a snooze room / crew room. Some places were good and some places had idiots. You have four guys sleeping and a line guy walks in flips on the lights and cranks up the TV vol....Simple consideration for others seems to esacpe a few people in line departments, which is quite frustrating. What is worse is the lack of training some line people have. I am highly skeptical of line personnel until they prove themselves.

Why are line people so afraid to admit they don't know something? If a line guy comes up to me and asks me a question about the aircraft or just to reconfirm something I will take all the time necessary to teach him/her a procedure or show them anything they want. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, ASK seems like such a foreign concept to some.

Some of the things I have seen line service people do or try to do to my aircraft
  • Try to put 100LL in a turbo prop.
  • Try to put Jet A in a C-310
  • Grounding the fuel truck to my brake lines (this is pet peeve of mine). The 727 has big GROUND HERE stickers.
  • Not knowing basic marshalling skills
  • Taxing me over a set of chalks
  • Trying to taxi me into a wall
  • not understanding why we have to overshoot a center line for a turn
  • not knowing the difference between a 400hz GPU and a 28V GPU
  • can't do basic math and putting too much/little fuel on the aircaft.
  • not fueling the tanks in the order as instructed.
  • resting their fingers inside the droopng Krueger flaps.
  • using a red tagged GPU and blowing out my avionics
  • putting so much blue juice in the lav it was running down the aisle
(end rant)
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

  • Try to put 100LL in a turbo prop.
  • Try to put Jet A in a C-310
  • Grounding the fuel truck to my brake lines (this is pet peeve of mine). The 727 has big GROUND HERE stickers.
  • Not knowing basic marshalling skills
  • Taxing me over a set of chalks
  • Trying to taxi me into a wall
  • not understanding why we have to overshoot a center line for a turn
  • not knowing the difference between a 400hz GPU and a 28V GPU
  • can't do basic math and putting too much/little fuel on the aircaft.
  • not fueling the tanks in the order as instructed.
  • resting their fingers inside the droopng Krueger flaps.
  • using a red tagged GPU and blowing out my avionics
  • putting so much blue juice in the lav it was running down the aisle
(end rant)

I'll add to this: Towing an aircraft that required the nose strut to be unlocked prior, then forgetting to re-engage the lock-pin after parking it (caught on preflight) [Sabreliner 40 aircraft]
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

dude, you have it 100% backwards.

USairports bought landmark at ROC.

its all USairports now. in fact, i was sleeping in the 'old landmark' building (hangar 8) and its a real dump compared to hangar 7 (the usairports building as of fall '08)
Sorry! I was just overflying ROC today on my way to IAG, and realized my mistake! :crazy:
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I too have spent many hours in a snooze room / crew room. Some places were good and some places had idiots. You have four guys sleeping and a line guy walks in flips on the lights and cranks up the TV vol....Simple consideration for others seems to esacpe a few people in line departments, which is quite frustrating. What is worse is the lack of training some line people have. I am highly skeptical of line personnel until they prove themselves.

Why are line people so afraid to admit they don't know something? If a line guy comes up to me and asks me a question about the aircraft or just to reconfirm something I will take all the time necessary to teach him/her a procedure or show them anything they want. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, ASK seems like such a foreign concept to some.


Some of the things I have seen line service people do or try to do to my aircraft
  • Try to put 100LL in a turbo prop.
  • Try to put Jet A in a C-310
  • Grounding the fuel truck to my brake lines (this is pet peeve of mine). The 727 has big GROUND HERE stickers.
  • Not knowing basic marshalling skills
  • Taxing me over a set of chalks
  • Trying to taxi me into a wall
  • not understanding why we have to overshoot a center line for a turn
  • not knowing the difference between a 400hz GPU and a 28V GPU
  • can't do basic math and putting too much/little fuel on the aircaft.
  • not fueling the tanks in the order as instructed.
  • resting their fingers inside the droopng Krueger flaps.
  • using a red tagged GPU and blowing out my avionics
  • putting so much blue juice in the lav it was running down the aisle
(end rant)

I'll add to this: Towing an aircraft that required the nose strut to be unlocked prior, then forgetting to re-engage the lock-pin after parking it (caught on preflight) [Sabreliner 40 aircraft]

I dislike the wondering marshaler. Instead standing still and facing where they want me to park, they try to walk me into a spot. It totally screws me up everytime.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I dislike the wondering marshaler. Instead standing still and facing where they want me to park, they try to walk me into a spot. It totally screws me up everytime.
:yeahthat: or how about the marshaler that just stands there with no signals...
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I used to sleep in the snooze room when I worked overnights at an FBO!
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

:yeahthat: or how about the marshaler that just stands there with no signals...

yes, yes, YESSSSSS

If you are going to marshal aircraft DO IT PROPERLY. Learn the signals, if you want me in a tight place, you better have someone on each wing or I ain't moving.


btw, KROC sucks for service.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I am currently a lineman AND proud of it! I love meeting new people, general aviation, and being able to learn more about airplanes! Does this mean I'm holier than thou?? I'm just working my way through my ratings and will someday be a "professional pilot."

It sounds like you're the exception.

I don't categorically hate line workers, I've just found the majority of them don't take their jobs that seriously and/or haven't been very well trained or educated. As a whole, they don't seem to understand they're dealing with very important, very expensive pieces of equipment. It's like turning over your baby to the average McDonalds worker at a lot of FBOs.

I've had so many simple requests screwed up by line workers before it's not even funny. I've dealt with workers who:

Don't know what kind of fuel I use.

Don't know how to tow a tailwheel aircraft.

Don't know how to tow a tailwheel aircraft and try to figure it out on their own, rather than ask me.

Don't know how to clean a windshield without scratching the heck out of it and leaving big swirl marks.

Don't understand there is an important difference between "I'll take 5 gallons/side" and "Top off both tanks."

Don't tie my 900 pound plane down in 25+ knot winds even after I specifically asked them to do so 2 hours prior.

Marshal business jets in to the parking area with the jet's tail facing my tail...thus blasting my control surfaces with 50+ knots of jet blast from behind.

And the list could go on. I've gotten to the point of almost tipping them $5 to leave me alone and handle everything myself.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

So, a night lineman made some crack to one of his buddies, and that is you "catching flak"?
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

So, a night lineman made some crack to one of his buddies, and that is you "catching flak"?

well i didnt lose any sleep over it, more of i thought it was a demonstration of this guy's total ignorance of the notion that some of us do work long hours doing what we do.

just thought it was a tacky comment to be making. ya know? especially when im a customer trying to utilize the facility i am paying to use...
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I used to work the line at a major chain FBO and we were not even allowed to go into the snooze room! I never went in there so I wouldn't know what goes on. Only the janitorial staff was permitted in there to clean it, aside from customers of course.

They were probably afraid that we line workers would go in there and snooze during slow times. especially the night crew (we were 24hrs). We weren't even supposed to read the newspaper or do crosswords during off-times. Luckily it was usually pretty busy during my shift so there was work to be done, plus management left for the day about 3 hours into it.

I too have encountered snobby line people as a pilot. What can I say, aviation just seems to attract more than its share of a-holes for some reason.

There are a few FBO's out there that really go out of their way to make you feel welcome (the old regal at DAL, raytheon at SAT, millionair at ADS), and when you find one like that you stick with it.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

Many of those linemen likely want to have the same job we do.

Every lineman I worked with was trying to get himself a flying gig of some sort.
 
Re: caught flak for sleeping in a.... snoozeroom/pilot loung

I had a guy taxi into a wall despite my giving the "FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP" sign. ;)
 
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