I don't suck up... what to do

Damn straight. Sorry I wouldnt want to be someone's little beotch and get them fresh coffee. If they needed it, hire a FA.
 
meritflyer said:
Damn straight. Sorry I wouldnt want to be someone's little beotch and get them fresh coffee. If they needed it, hire a FA.
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Some people have a lot more trouble than you deciding which type of aviation is for them. You have obviously decided that there is no charter, fractional, or corporate work in your future, eh?

:D
 
SteveC said:
Some people have a lot more trouble than you deciding which type of aviation is for them. You have obviously decided that there is no charter, fractional, or corporate work in your future, eh?

:D
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Well, ya know...
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meritflyer said:
Ha! What does that have to do with a pilot wiping someones a$$ for them?
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Well, usually when someone has a job that makes them work hard (usually done in high school) they find out that working hard isn't a bad thing and there's actually a source of satisfaction that comes from a job well done. As was mentioned by someone above, if I paid $3,000 an hour to rent a private plane, I would expect there to be hot coffee on board too. Making coffee is hardly "wiping someone's ass".

BTW, you didn't answer my question.
 
To answer your question, I have had and still have a labor operation. I own a commercial carpet cleaning company that operates 4 vans. I used to pull 1000' of hose through a 250,000 sq. ft. building all night long for years to feed my family. Anyone who's ever done this type of work knows exactly what I am talking about. Talk about labor my friend.
 
meritflyer said:
To answer your question, I have had and still have a labor operation. I own a commercial carpet cleaning company that operates 4 vans. I used to pull 1000' of hose through a 250,000 sq. ft. building all night long for years to feed my family. Anyone who's ever done this type of work knows exactly what I am talking about. Talk about labor my friend.
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ok, was just wondering. Most people mature with those kinds of jobs...just wondering what the deal was.
 
meritflyer said:
Damn straight. Sorry I wouldnt want to be someone's little beotch and get them fresh coffee. If they needed it, hire a FA.
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I think there are a lot of misconceptions like this. You can fly Corporate/Charter and not be someones 'bitch'. But, due to the nature of the job, you have quite a few more duties than the average airline pilot.

You will probably have to do all your own flight planning to include required customs paperwork/notifications if going international. You will have to make sure the aircraft is clean. You will need to get coffee, ice, papers and catering ready before the flight. When the passengers arrive, you will help them carry any bags to the aircraft if they need help. You will load the bags. If the passengers need anything in flight, you will try to see they get it. (this does not include serving them coffee, etc. But, if I get up to get some for myself, I will ask if anyone wants any. This is just being polite.) Enroute, we will usually call to make sure any requested transportation is waiting at the destination. After we land, we unload the bags and then clean the aircraft, so we will be ready for the next leg.

It is not as bad as it sounds. Usually when we fly from home, I have to call our FBO and tell them to pull out the plane. When I get to the airport I fire up the coffee pot and go out to do a walk around and pull the gear pins. Then I give the line guys the fuel order. I will usually check to make sure the back of the plane is clean. Usually the only thing I might have to do here is wipe off the tray tables. After the fuel is on, I will go and get the coffee and a bag of ice. The line guys always bring an assortment of papers and any catering. 30 minutes before we are supposed to leave, we fire up the APU and get the airplane ready to go, including getting clearance and programming the FMS, etc.

It is not uncommon if it is a multi leg flight with the same passengers, than they will ask for certain food, wine, beer, etc. for the next leg. We then have to call catering, or drive to a store after we land to go find what they want.

It is not that big of a deal. I have only been at my current job for about 6 months and have only had one asshat for a passenger. Most people have been great.

In general, when I hear these 'I am not going to be someones bitch' comments, I think they are childish. Who else is going to load the bags and make the coffee? The pilots have many other additional duties, because they are the only people present to make sure the task is completed. But, even though I have more to do, I also have more control over everything that happens. It is my job to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, but I also have the authority to do what ever it takes to get things done.

If you do want to fly Corporate/Charter, you just have to realize that you cannot lock yourself behind your armored door and expect someone else to take care of all the little things. And you cannot have the attitude that you are a pilot and making coffee is beneath you. The same goes for dumping the crapper. I have only had to do it once, but if it needs done and there is no one else, I will do it.

As someone else said, if the passengers are paying $3,000 an hour, your job is to give them as perfect a traveling experience as possible.
 
ananoman said:
I think there are a lot of misconceptions like this. You can fly Corporate/Charter and not be someones 'bitch'. But, due to the nature of the job, you have quite a few more duties than the average airline pilot.

You will probably have to do all your own flight planning to include required customs paperwork/notifications if going international. You will have to make sure the aircraft is clean. You will need to get coffee, ice, papers and catering ready before the flight. When the passengers arrive, you will help them carry any bags to the aircraft if they need help. You will load the bags. If the passengers need anything in flight, you will try to see they get it. (this does not include serving them coffee, etc. But, if I get up to get some for myself, I will ask if anyone wants any. This is just being polite.) Enroute, we will usually call to make sure any requested transportation is waiting at the destination. After we land, we unload the bags and then clean the aircraft, so we will be ready for the next leg.

It is not as bad as it sounds. Usually when we fly from home, I have to call our FBO and tell them to pull out the plane. When I get to the airport I fire up the coffee pot and go out to do a walk around and pull the gear pins. Then I give the line guys the fuel order. I will usually check to make sure the back of the plane is clean. Usually the only thing I might have to do here is wipe off the tray tables. After the fuel is on, I will go and get the coffee and a bag of ice. The line guys always bring an assortment of papers and any catering. 30 minutes before we are supposed to leave, we fire up the APU and get the airplane ready to go, including getting clearance and programming the FMS, etc.

It is not uncommon if it is a multi leg flight with the same passengers, than they will ask for certain food, wine, beer, etc. for the next leg. We then have to call catering, or drive to a store after we land to go find what they want.

It is not that big of a deal. I have only been at my current job for about 6 months and have only had one asshat for a passenger. Most people have been great.

In general, when I hear these 'I am not going to be someones bitch' comments, I think they are childish. Who else is going to load the bags and make the coffee? The pilots have many other additional duties, because they are the only people present to make sure the task is completed. But, even though I have more to do, I also have more control over everything that happens. It is my job to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, but I also have the authority to do what ever it takes to get things done.

If you do want to fly Corporate/Charter, you just have to realize that you cannot lock yourself behind your armored door and expect someone else to take care of all the little things. And you cannot have the attitude that you are a pilot and making coffee is beneath you. The same goes for dumping the crapper. I have only had to do it once, but if it needs done and there is no one else, I will do it.

As someone else said, if the passengers are paying $3,000 an hour, your job is to give them as perfect a traveling experience as possible.
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That is great advice and a great perspective. Thanks.

Heres a link in the Corp forum about "getting the ice"

http://jetcareers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28274
 
This thread has ended up with some really good perspectives on the duties of some corporate & charter pilots. It's been good to read.

You know...even as a major airline pilot...when the caterers haven't been to the airplane and it's 15 minutes or so before pushback time...I typically get a call from the lead flight attendant and then it's my job to find out where catering is and to get them to the airplane before we leave. Even as pilots...we're still in the job of customer service. Although, too often we forget about that.

There might be 150 people in the back of the airplane...but as part of my job...I try to ensure they leave with a positive flying experience. It doesn't happen 100% of the time...but hopefully more often than not.
 
Guess who makes the coffee and cooks the meals on a freighter? While the Capt often does it, most F/O's or S/O's take it on as expected of them to take care of that stuff.
 
I've got a buddy who flies corporate for a Fortune 100 company here in the DC area. Stocking the galley and making sure the caterers get the food there is part of his job.

If you think that's below you, then you better hope you go direct to an airline where you don't ever have to leave the cockpit. If such an airline exists and from the comments of the folks here who work for them, it doesn't sound like one does.

It seems like people expect to have jobs where they don't have to deal with any crap. Folks, those jobs don't exist. Hell, man, the President of the United States is the most powerful man on the face of the earth and look at all the crappy rubber chicken dinners he's got to go to in order to raise money for his party.
 
I'll put away catering some times if we are swapping FAs and they are running late. I'll cross belts with the best of them. Am I demeaning my self? I don't think so. There is of course the risk that the FA will see me doing their job and decide to go take a smoke break, but I've been burned on that once and pay more attention now. Last week we didn't get water bottles on the plane and catering was parked 4 gates over. With 5 minutes to push there was little old me hauling ass across the ramp to go grab a case of water and drag it back to our plane. How many times have (regional mostly) guys here had to go grab bags out of the bin because a ramper forgot a carry on or something? Anybody ever help a old lady down the stairs under power or in a straight back because the gate agent was about half their weight/height?

As "professional" as pilot may appear to be there is a whole lot of flexability required. Merit, I assume some of that was a joke, but if you feel like you couldn't "lower" yourself to passenger service standards then you may want to rethink the professional flying thing all together.
 
Good point Duck. merit, mayhaps you're not the people-flying type. That's ok, though, there's lots of other types of flying.

I've helped tons of people with tons of stuff, and the key thing that made me decide who got helped and who didn't was attitude. I'd make a beeline across the terminal to help a little old lady who's looking around, looking at her ticket, looking around, looking at her ticket... you know the look. Hell, I'll walk her to the gate and carry her knitting, and feel good about doing it. But the guy in Armani who storms up to me and ndignantly demands directions to the President's Club gets a cocked eyebrow and an indifferent "Follow the signs over your head, sir."

You're going to have to deal with people no matter what you do, so it's all in how you do it. If you can't deal with the obnoxious and the snotty without resorting to threats or profanity, then please, stay the hell away from people till you figure it out!
 
I agree with some things people have said. I thnk that if you are going to be in a people industry you will be much more successful if you atleast pretend to be nice. I dont mean you should bend over and spread but just be polite. Then go home and curse everything about everyone,slipping in to a big bitter shell of a man.
 
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