Right Seat Captains

Hacker15e said:
Although that's a funny saying -- and rest assured that it is humor/sarcasm, and not reality -- it exists against an important underlying basic competence and skill that the wingman is understood to have (let me know if this sounds familiar to anyone):

- He is completely knowledgeable about, and competent in the operation of, both his machine and the sensors/weapons on board. He is perfectly capable of operating the aircraft across the range of both administrative and tactical stages with no assistance from his flight lead (and/or, in the case of the 2-seat fighter I spent time in, his other crew member).

- He has enough knowledge of tactics and mission requirements that he can step in to lead the mission if needed; if his flight lead dies, or is damaged, or for whatever reason, he can instantly switch hats to execute (even if it is with less proficiency than his flight lead).

In essence, every wingman is also expected to be a flight lead.

Sound familiar?

In my limited experience in the multi-pilot crew environment (only about 25% of my flight time), the CRM skills that single-pilot/single-cockpit pilots use to lead a 2, 3, 4-ship, or larger formation, are precisely the same CRM skills that a Captain/Aircraft Commander uses to command his multi-pilot crew aircraft. By that same accord, the CRM skills that a wingman uses to be effective are the very same ones that a FO/Copilot uses.
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tl;dr: a team effort.
 
jtrain609 said:
I see I'm not the only one that watched Captain Philips on a recent Delta flight.
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There is a gate agent in MSP that looks exactly like the Somali pirate from Captain Phillips, even sounds like him.

I've introduced myself to him as "Irish," with the hope he will say "Here is your paperwork, Irish."

I can only hope that one day he gets into an argument with the Captain during boarding and has to declare "I'm the Captain." It would become the single greatest day of my career.
 
This entire thread has a thick obsequious stench. Shall I walk two steps behind ma capatin' ? Yes massa. I won't fill out the hotel form and grab my key first. I din mean ta offend ya sir.
 
Propilot said:
This entire thread has a thick obsequious stench. Shall I walk two steps behind ma capatin' ? Yes massa. I won't fill out the hotel form and grab my key first. I din mean ta offend ya sir.
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No kidding, I actually had a guy at an unnamed past airline of mine chew me out for checking in before him. "This airline is command order check in!"

Can't make this stuff up.
 
PhilosopherPilot said:
At my airlines the FO was kindof expected to full out the check-in paperwork.
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Yeah, I could see that, but this guy just wanted to make sure that if one of the pilots got a better room, it was him. I have all sorts of stories about this cat, but I'll leave it there.

I'm the guy who lets the FAs check in first, but that's me.
 
PhilosopherPilot said:
At my airlines the FO was kindof expected to full out the check-in paperwork.
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I generally do things like grab crew bags out of the overheads or fill in hotel info because I'm nice.

I had an FA ask if I'd called the hotel yet, because it was my job to do so. I laughed... and waited for someone other than me to call the hotel.

The trip I just finished... CA says he has to FedEx himself home. I ask how he is getting to FedEx. He tells me cab. I offered and ended up taking him to FedEx before continuing my journey home.

Not trying to get any special points... I just notice it is a lot easier to be nice when niceness isn't a demand or a given.
 
dasleben said:
Yeah, I could see that, but this guy just wanted to make sure that if one of the pilots got a better room, it was him. I have all sorts of stories about this cat, but I'll leave it there.

I'm the guy who lets the FAs check in first, but that's me.
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Three cup?
 
dasleben said:
Yeah, I could see that, but this guy just wanted to make sure that if one of the pilots got a better room, it was him. I have all sorts of stories about this cat, but I'll leave it there.

I'm the guy who lets the FAs check in first, but that's me.
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We have an FA who doesn't like to share a wall with her crews. She will physically push you out of the way if you try to "get" that room on the hotel sheet.
 
cencal83406 said:
I generally do things like grab crew bags out of the overheads or fill in hotel info because I'm nice.

I had an FA ask if I'd called the hotel yet, because it was my job to do so. I laughed... and waited for someone other than me to call the hotel.
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Nothing worse than finishing the walk around and seeing the FAs standing in the jet bridge doing nothing then proceeding to ask "did you call the hotel?"
 
dasleben said:
No kidding, I actually had a guy at an unnamed past airline of mine chew me out for checking in before him. "This airline is command order check in!"

Can't make this stuff up.
Click to expand...

Situations like this make it really hard not to break my own policy about not calling people the "R" word.
 
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