SteamgaugeSweetie
Member
Kitty Hawk's DO really pissed me off 20 years ago. The job was ground instructor. I got the phone call. Yes, yes I will go the interview! This was back when CASS hadn't even been thought of yet. I had my FEX "ticket" and a crew leasing badge. It was a hokey badge but it was a badge. I found a UAL Captain willing to help me out so off to HOU I went. Got to the interview, the DO was doing the interview and the Chief Pilot was sitting in. Then the DO paused and said "I can't seem to find your Type Rating on your resume." RUFKM? I mean is there anybody on the planet that would "forget" to put their ATP and 727 Type on their resume? Really? (He wanted me to do flight training as well. If he hadn't had his head up and locked and taken a moment to think, I could have done the flight training for the Engineers.) I tried to maintain my composure but it had to be written all over my face even though I was biting my tongue so hard it was bleeding. Realizing his faux pas, he heard Maintenance was hiring. So he sends the Chief Pilot to drag the DM in the room. However, the position was for Inspector, of which I had no experience. There is no way the DM was going to put his ass and the Operating Certificate on the line. And I sure as hell wasn't going to let him because I would be putting my ass and A&P on the line. So this guy wipes the egg off of his face and smears it all over the DM's face. Gee, isn't that special?
But wait! There's more!! Back to HOU to go home to DEN. Due to weather, Continental's entire operation was gridlocked. Every jumpseat had a line at least 5 deep. As a New Yorker would say "We got jumpseaters from Jersey looking for a ride!" And then there's the out of work chick with and Engineer's License and a hokey crew leasing badge. As time went on, the backlog was beginning to clear out. One Captain asked me how long I had been trying for a seat. I told him 6 hours. He said the seat he had went to a Company jumpseater but he heard of a flight being added to take care of the last DB's and for positioning. He took me to Flight Ops to find out the particulars. He was also looking for the Captain to encourage him to give me a ride. They hadn't assigned a crew at that point. It was due to depart in 2 hours and the gate had been assigned.
2 hours later....The newly added flight is being boarded. I go to the Flight Deck to ask for a ride. Unbeknownst to me the Pilot's contract had expired. Y'all know where this is going. The Captain told me he'd welcome me on his flight deck anytime if it weren't for that. He was afraid of losing his job. I got it. I told him don't worry I was never there
I'd get home eventually. I start to exit the aircraft when he hollers for me to wait. He offered me a seat in the back if I said nothing to nobody. I asked him "Are you sure?" I was okay with spending the night in Houston if he was gonna get canned. He insisted. He must have been a guardian angel disguised at a Continental Captain. To this day he'd be on my Christmas Card list if I knew who he was. And we all lived happily ever after.
But wait! There's more!! Back to HOU to go home to DEN. Due to weather, Continental's entire operation was gridlocked. Every jumpseat had a line at least 5 deep. As a New Yorker would say "We got jumpseaters from Jersey looking for a ride!" And then there's the out of work chick with and Engineer's License and a hokey crew leasing badge. As time went on, the backlog was beginning to clear out. One Captain asked me how long I had been trying for a seat. I told him 6 hours. He said the seat he had went to a Company jumpseater but he heard of a flight being added to take care of the last DB's and for positioning. He took me to Flight Ops to find out the particulars. He was also looking for the Captain to encourage him to give me a ride. They hadn't assigned a crew at that point. It was due to depart in 2 hours and the gate had been assigned.
2 hours later....The newly added flight is being boarded. I go to the Flight Deck to ask for a ride. Unbeknownst to me the Pilot's contract had expired. Y'all know where this is going. The Captain told me he'd welcome me on his flight deck anytime if it weren't for that. He was afraid of losing his job. I got it. I told him don't worry I was never there
I'd get home eventually. I start to exit the aircraft when he hollers for me to wait. He offered me a seat in the back if I said nothing to nobody. I asked him "Are you sure?" I was okay with spending the night in Houston if he was gonna get canned. He insisted. He must have been a guardian angel disguised at a Continental Captain. To this day he'd be on my Christmas Card list if I knew who he was. And we all lived happily ever after.
