Maintaining professionalism at 11 pm...

kiloalpha

Well-Known Member
I was speaking with a former co-worker of mine who flies the same route Monday through Friday. He flies into BMI, Bloomington, IL around 11pm, picks up his cargo then goes and flies to Ohio.

The problem he has been facing is with a certain no-frills, low fare airline also going into that airport at the same time.

Airline X usually does not make radio calls, won't cancel his IFR until parked at the gate, and thinks that because they fly a big jet, smaller airplanes must yield to him.

He landed runway 2 shortly before Airline X landed 29 (they do intersect,) which is when Airline X got on the radio to chew him out. But since my friend didn't know what runway he was using, couldn't tell what he was doing and so when ahead and landed 2.

My plea is this... maintain a degree of professionalism from the first flight of the day to the last flight. Even if you are flying into the middle of nowhere, use the radio, you don't know who's out there. And when dealing with other airlines or operators, realize we all have a job to do, will it hurt you to cancel when you have the airport in sight?

[/rant]
 
I was speaking with a former co-worker of mine who flies the same route Monday through Friday. He flies into BMI, Bloomington, IL around 11pm, picks up his cargo then goes and flies to Ohio.

The problem he has been facing is with a certain no-frills, low fare airline also going into that airport at the same time.

Airline X usually does not make radio calls, won't cancel his IFR until parked at the gate, and thinks that because they fly a big jet, smaller airplanes must yield to him.

He landed runway 2 shortly before Airline X landed 29 (they do intersect,) which is when Airline X got on the radio to chew him out. But since my friend didn't know what runway he was using, couldn't tell what he was doing and so when ahead and landed 2.

My plea is this... maintain a degree of professionalism from the first flight of the day to the last flight. Even if you are flying into the middle of nowhere, use the radio, you don't know who's out there. And when dealing with other airlines or operators, realize we all have a job to do, will it hurt you to cancel when you have the airport in sight?

[/rant]

Do their OPSEC's allow them to cancel in the air? How long is the other runway?
 
Why does him being IFR bother you? What if he goes missed?

When it's CAVU out, I think going missed a low priority...

Do their OPSEC's allow them to cancel in the air? How long is the other runway?

Not sure what their OPSEC's say but I'm sure rolling out on the runway would be better than parking at the gate.

My biggest irk is not with canceling IFR. My friend does that when he sees the runway and goes right in. My irk is with not talking on the radio and thinking no one else is out there but you.
 
When it's CAVU out, I think going missed a low priority...



Not sure what their OPSEC's say but I'm sure rolling out on the runway would be better than parking at the gate.

My biggest irk is not with canceling IFR. My friend does that when he sees the runway and goes right in. My irk is with not talking on the radio and thinking no one else is out there but you.

Is your friend talking on the radio also?
 
Is your friend talking on the radio also?
When he got chewed out by Airline X, he said he would like to pull the tape (if there were any from the closed tower) and see who was making the calls... so yes, he was making calls.
 
My biggest irk is not with canceling IFR. My friend does that when he sees the runway and goes right in. My irk is with not talking on the radio and thinking no one else is out there but you.

I think there might be two sides to this story.
I have never hear Airtran pilots not make calls going in to airports without a open tower(MLI, BMI, FNT). I also don't cancel my IFR until I am at the gate in the winter and on my why to the gate the rest of the year.
 
I was speaking with a former co-worker of mine who flies the same route Monday through Friday. He flies into BMI, Bloomington, IL around 11pm, picks up his cargo then goes and flies to Ohio.

The problem he has been facing is with a certain no-frills, low fare airline also going into that airport at the same time.

Airline X usually does not make radio calls, won't cancel his IFR until parked at the gate, and thinks that because they fly a big jet, smaller airplanes must yield to him.

He landed runway 2 shortly before Airline X landed 29 (they do intersect,) which is when Airline X got on the radio to chew him out. But since my friend didn't know what runway he was using, couldn't tell what he was doing and so when ahead and landed 2.

My plea is this... maintain a degree of professionalism from the first flight of the day to the last flight. Even if you are flying into the middle of nowhere, use the radio, you don't know who's out there. And when dealing with other airlines or operators, realize we all have a job to do, will it hurt you to cancel when you have the airport in sight?

[/rant]
I had something similar happen to me. I was in the pattern the other night to maintain my night currency after class D eff. hours (class G) and some bag of tools in a learjet comes zooming in without any kind of position report. He was lucky I saw his landing light out on the long final.....
 
Professionalism.

If you're flying into a non-towered airport, it's your responsibility to make position reports. Even if you're in radar contact on arrival.

When I was on the 727, flying into many small southern airports, it's just what you did.

I think we've all gotten a little lazy since we haven't had a major midair in a few years.

Whether you're in a LSA or a freakin' 747-400, make position reports so you don't kill someone.
 
I think there might be two sides to this story.
I have never heard Airtran pilots not make calls going in to airports without a open tower(MLI, BMI, FNT). I also don't cancel my IFR until I am at the gate in the winter and on my way to the gate the rest of the year.

Why not cancel while you're taxiing so you can save someone time and fuel? ;)
 
I think there might be two sides to this story.
I have never hear Airtran pilots not make calls going in to airports without a open tower(MLI, BMI, FNT). I also don't cancel my IFR until I am at the gate in the winter and on my why to the gate the rest of the year.

Does your company manual preclude you from cancel once off the runway????? I'd have choice verbs for ya too!
 
Maybe it's because I'm a lowly 91/135 guy, but I can think of no reason to keep an IFR open past reaching taxi speed on the runway. Can someone enlighten me?
 
Why does him being IFR bother you? What if he goes missed?

It's not too devastating to go around the pattern once in VFR with no IFR service. And I seriously doubt anyone minds others going IFR. It's when someone refuses to offer the same courtesy that they would themselves expect that they become annoying.
 
Why not cancel while you're taxiing so you can save someone time and fuel? ;)

Does your company manual preclude you from cancel once off the runway????? I'd have choice verbs for ya too!

Maybe it's because I'm a lowly 91/135 guy, but I can think of no reason to keep an IFR open past reaching taxi speed on the runway. Can someone enlighten me?

Thanks for making other people hold in the air while you're sitting on the ground.

So if you hit a patch of ice, snow bank, etc. on the runway or taxiway and then go veering off to the side, into a ball of fire, they will find you in a few minutes on fire rather and evacuating rather than the next morning burnt to a crisp.
 
So if you hit a patch of ice, snow bank, etc. on the runway or taxiway and then go veering off to the side, into a ball of fire, they will find you in a few minutes on fire rather and evacuating rather than the next morning burnt to a crisp.

Asking seriously: Is this a joke or the reasoning you use?
 
So if you hit a patch of ice, snow bank, etc. on the runway or taxiway and then go veering off to the side, into a ball of fire, they will find you in a few minutes on fire rather and evacuating rather than the next morning burnt to a crisp.


Because that happens all the time when its 90 degrees outside and CAVU.

Im not askin anyone to be take any undue risks, just use some common sense and exercise a lil professional courtesy.
 
So if you hit a patch of ice, snow bank, etc. on the runway or taxiway and then go veering off to the side, into a ball of fire, they will find you in a few minutes on fire rather and evacuating rather than the next morning burnt to a crisp.

Those foot pedal things work on the ground too... ;)
 
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