CRJ-900 pilots...what takes so long?

[Screaming_Emu]

Could be any number on things on the taxi. Checklists, verifying final load data, mx issues that pop up at the last second, FAs still giving their safety briefings. I know I've had to adjust my taxi speed to accomodate all that and probably some other things I'm forgetting.

Yeah, I hate it when guys taxi fast. I have a lot of stuff to do between beginning to taxi and getting to the end of the runway. I'm pretty convinced that something is going to go wrong some day when one of our f/o's is heads down starting an engine while one of our old farts scoots across an active.

 

[Baronman]

Our more senior guys insist that you can only single-engine taxi with Engine 1 and that will take a bit longer.

I'm a newerish capt that goes out on #1 frequently in EWR...if it's not gonna be a quick taxi no-way I'm subjecting people to that pump. After DHing and JSing around over it I swore I wouldn't let other people deal with it. Sure the book says it's "acceptable," but it's total BS, I'd like to see them sit there for 20 minutes with that thing screaming away....rant over.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

It is very loud.

 

[derg]

"Clunk-clunk-clunk-clunk-(shudder)-groan"

More like:

"Hey Skipper, I know you're new on the airplane but you've got a pretty good clip coming up on the gate...."

Jagga Jagga Jagga Jagga Jagga jaggajaggajaggajaggajagga who'whoooooooooo jaggajaggajaggajaggajagga

"This damned mad dog!"

"Naw, it's technique, buddy."

Every airplane taxis different and for different circumstances.

Especially if you're flying an operation where there's a pre-departure drink service going on, if you taxi like NASCAR on the straightaways and try to apex your corners, you're going to have injuries and no legs to stand on during the CPO carpet dance.

 

[nc1982]

Anyone fly the CRJ-900 around here?

I ask because I have the distinct pleasure of waiting around for Mesaba to start taxiing out of the alleyway every morning. I don't mind a 1-2 minute wait after disconnecting the tug, but guys, I've timed it...we're talking 5-6 minutes after tug disconnect to the call for taxi almost every day. What are you guys doing exactly?

Over the wintertime I figured it had something to do with engine temperatures. But, it was 70F this morning in BWI; Southwest and AirTran were pushing and taxiing faster than you guys.

Help a brotha out. No A/C in my bird, and it gets annoying holding my crew hatch open to keep us all cool.

On behalf of all CRJ 900 drivers, I apologize. Specifically, on behalf of us 900 drivers from Mesaba, I apologize. Sorry to slow up YOUR day.

 

[dasleben]

On behalf of all CRJ 900 drivers, I apologize. Specifically, on behalf of us 900 drivers from Mesaba, I apologize. Sorry to slow up YOUR day.

You guys alone add 15-20% to my block time every morning. We don't get paid by block at my company (duty pay), so we try to hustle for the sake of our passengers. We hustle when you're waiting to get in the alleyway when we're taxiing out, too. Professional courtesy.

Easy to get all angry when someone says that you're taking too long, but not all of us have the benefit of A/C packs to keep us all nice and cozy while we sit around not caring that others are waiting.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

You guys alone add 15-20% to my block time every morning. We don't get paid by block at my company (duty pay), so we try to hustle for the sake of our passengers. We hustle when you're waiting to get in the alleyway when we're taxiing out, too. Professional courtesy.

Easy to get all angry when someone says that you're taking too long, but not all of us have the benefit of A/C packs to keep us all nice and cozy while we sit around not caring that others are waiting.

I'd give up now. I don't see any sympathy coming your way. Most of us instructed in the summer time in planes with no a/c, you'll probably live.

 

[LineCheck]

Bankruptcy speed...its the AMR way!

 

[dasleben]

I'd give up now. I don't see any sympathy coming your way. Most of us instructed in the summer time in planes with no a/c, you'll probably live.

So, it's okay for you guys to take an unnecessarily long amount of time while others are waiting? I don't think so.

Look, I have plenty of jet time. It doesn't take 5 minutes to be ready to taxi after push when it's 70 degrees outside. I promise.

 

[BobDDuck]

So, it's okay for you guys to take an unnecessarily long amount of time while others are waiting? I don't think so.

Look, I have plenty of jet time. It doesn't take 5 minutes to be ready to taxi after push when it's 70 degrees outside. I promise.

How do you know it's not necessary?

Do you have jet time in the aircraft type you are complaining about?

I have no idea what Mesaba's procedures are but there are places that won't allow the crew to start an engine until after pushback is complete. Add to that that there are certain locations that require both engines to be started before taxiing. The 900 takes between 45 seconds and 1 minute for an engine start. Throw in an after start checklist (and maybe setting the flaps and checking the V speeds) and you are easily pushing 5 minutes.

I think you are doing a whole lot of complaining with out having any clue as to what is going on.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

So, it's okay for you guys to take an unnecessarily long amount of time while others are waiting? I don't think so.

Look, I have plenty of jet time. It doesn't take 5 minutes to be ready to taxi after push when it's 70 degrees outside. I promise.

So you seriously think these guys are pushing back, then saying "how bout we just sit here for another 4 minutes?"

 

[nc1982]

So you seriously think these guys are pushing back, then saying "how bout we just sit here for another 4 minutes?"

Sure sounds like thats what he's thinking. You know what, I take that apology back, even though it was made with sarcasm. If you don't get paid block or better, be mad at your management, or your union reps for not having it in the contract, not us. What happened to the days of pilots complaining about management, ATC, and passengers. Now we got pilots complaining about other pilots. Next time I see you waiting in the alleyway, I'll be sure and tell the captain to hold off on asking for the after start checklist and start taxiing out, cause the guys over there in that other plane is not getting paid block or better so we need to hurry up.

 

[dasleben]

How do you know it's not necessary?

Do you have jet time in the aircraft type you are complaining about?

I have no idea what Mesaba's procedures are but there are places that won't allow the crew to start an engine until after pushback is complete. Add to that that there are certain locations that require both engines to be started before taxiing. The 900 takes between 45 seconds and 1 minute for an engine start. Throw in an after start checklist (and maybe setting the flaps and checking the V speeds) and you are easily pushing 5 minutes.

I think you are doing a whole lot of complaining with out having any clue as to what is going on.

I'm going off of the other CRJ pilots in this thread also commenting that Mesaba takes too long. :dunno:

So you seriously think these guys are pushing back, then saying "how bout we just sit here for another 4 minutes?"

Who knows! All I know is that it takes a SWA 737 or AirTran 717 about half the time to do the same thing. Please, if it seriously takes that long for a CRJ-900 to get ready when everyone else does it in much less time, let me know.

Sure sounds like thats what he's thinking. You know what, I take that apology back, even though it was made with sarcasm. If you don't get paid block or better, be mad at your management, or your union reps for not having it in the contract, not us. What happened to the days of pilots complaining about management, ATC, and passengers. Now we got pilots complaining about other pilots. Next time I see you waiting in the alleyway, I'll be sure and tell the captain to hold off on asking for the after start checklist and start taxiing out, cause the guys over there in that other plane is not getting paid block or better so we need to hurry up.

Please do. If it'll make you happy and help you more easily make your rent, go for it. I'm paid from show to release. Duty pay. We hustle for customer service reasons, not pay reasons.

 

[kellwolf]

I'm going off of the other CRJ pilots in this thread also commenting that Mesaba takes too long. :dunno:

Different companies have different procedures even for the same aircraft. A 9E -900 might get rolling faster, but it may be because of different checklists and procedures. I can't say since I don't even know my own company's -900 procedures let alone those of all the other -900 operators. I HIGHLY doubt all of XJ's pilots are snickering as they push back thinking "Watch this. We're gonna screw the guys that don't get paid block." Hell, *I* don't get paid block or better, and you don't see me complaining.

 

[nc1982]

I hustle too. But I hustle for the customers on my airplane, not some other companys planes, cause the passengers on my plane pay for my salary. Don't get me wrong, if there's anything I can do to help a fellow plane out, I will. But when you come on here and assume our company is slowing things down and it's not making you happy, kinda irkes me. I can assure you we are not doing it on purpose. Only if it's a Freedumb plane do we purposely slow things down. I'm kidding.

 

[Polar742]

It's funny, it might be a tug issue. There were certain stations where we went in the Embraers where the tug couldn't push the jet if one, let alone both, engines were at idle thrust.

Might not even be a pilot issue at all.

Or, they might have that at enough stations, that, just to be consistent, they choose to wait until the push is complete.

Just like the taxiing deal, if there's no bent metal or violation, I don't see the problem.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

If you get paid for duty time, wouldn't you get paid for the time you're sitting there waiting? After all the later you block in the later you go off duty.

 

[jynxyjoe]

Sigh.

Dasleben, I don't care where all this is coming from. Get laid, move on with your day. We'll get there when we effing get there.

 

[Boris Badenov]

As usual it's not a black or white issue. I know to a certainty that there are guys who taxi ridiculously slowly to rack up the time because they brag about it. I've also seen (and, eh, worked for) guys who taxi way faster than is sane because they're always in a hurry and those extra 30 seconds are life and death.

Even in my little baby jet, it's necessary to taxi slower than I would have in any piston or turboprop I've flown because of the nature of the brakes...not a heat issue, but they're grabby as heck and you're simply not going to stop "smoothly" from 20kts on a taxiway. Certainly it would be different if there were just boxes in the back, but there aren't, and it's not.

Like so many things, I think the solution is "use some common sense and try to be courteous in recognizing that other people have to use the airport too".

 

[dasleben]

You know, the funny thing about this thread is that it started out as not even very serious. Then one guy took it the wrong way, and every RJ jockey came out of the wood works to come at me. Fine.

Just realize that it's professional courtesy to get your airplane moving as quickly as possible when others need the alleyway. Hell, I hand-pushed my plane back with the help of a couple rampers when we were blocking the gate an XJT plane needed. I could have sat there and been a dick about it ("not my customers!"), but you do what you have to to make things work for everyone. Cheers.