FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
At ExpressJet, we get $150 every June for new uniform items. Anything more than that, you need to pay for out of pocket. They don't require it be from the company supplier, either.
Shined Shoes? Ironed Uniform?
- Thread starter CapnJim
- Start date
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
"I'm anal. I admit it. I like a clean, orderly cockpit"
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
BrianNC
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I guess that is from the "you don't know where the hands of the last person that flew this plane have been" school of thought.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I guess that is from the "you don't know where the hands of the last person that flew this plane have been" school of thought.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
If YOU were management, would you want to pay a group of misfits $200,000 a year to look disheveled in a yellow-stained, wrinkled uniform? I think not.
Personally, I'm starting to understand why management has no respect for pilots. It's because the pilots have no respect for themselves.
[/ QUOTE ]
There ya go!
If YOU were management, would you want to pay a group of misfits $200,000 a year to look disheveled in a yellow-stained, wrinkled uniform? I think not.
Personally, I'm starting to understand why management has no respect for pilots. It's because the pilots have no respect for themselves.
[/ QUOTE ]
There ya go!
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
HA! I flew with my first "by the book" captian the other day. He was anything but, as I suspect all such personalities are. He was also never short of advice to give me on my legs; such-and-such a descent rate, so-and-so on the speed. All were ignored, until I had leveled off/configured/hit 10 and 250 exactly at the fix. Then I would look over and say "Ok, what were you telling me again?"
Further pleasure was realized when I landed the first leg: a bit high in the roundout, and his bony hands were hovering near the yoke to take the plane away. He desisted, and under my control the jet settled smoothly on the runway, upwind main, downwind main, kiss the nosewheel, brakes, reversers, and the first highspeed. And I repeated the performance three times in a row. Admittedly, Christmas came early for me each time, but the beauty of it was that his landings were absolute crap. Planted the mains, ploped the nose, everytime. I never said a word. Didn't have to. He backed off on the last few legs and we both had plenty of breathing room in the cockpit.
Further pleasure was realized when I landed the first leg: a bit high in the roundout, and his bony hands were hovering near the yoke to take the plane away. He desisted, and under my control the jet settled smoothly on the runway, upwind main, downwind main, kiss the nosewheel, brakes, reversers, and the first highspeed. And I repeated the performance three times in a row. Admittedly, Christmas came early for me each time, but the beauty of it was that his landings were absolute crap. Planted the mains, ploped the nose, everytime. I never said a word. Didn't have to. He backed off on the last few legs and we both had plenty of breathing room in the cockpit.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Sheesh!
I look back at my posts and have to grimace at what a well-groomed, slick flying, Hotel Sierra FO I've painted myself out to be. What a compete load of crap! I have, OFTEN, smashed the jet on the runway as though I were going for the third wire, walked through the terminal with a terminally wrinked and/or stained shirt, and grievously and unforgiveably forgotten to dump the FO side trashcan of all my junk.
BUT! I don't make it a habit, like some. I try to keep myself squared away, do my best to fly smooth and efficient, and try to remember to init the FMS for the next crew. I guess it's a balance to be struck, like most other things in life. You don't want to be Gomer Pyle, but you don't want to act like you salute with three fingers and help little old ladies across the street on Saturdays either.
I look back at my posts and have to grimace at what a well-groomed, slick flying, Hotel Sierra FO I've painted myself out to be. What a compete load of crap! I have, OFTEN, smashed the jet on the runway as though I were going for the third wire, walked through the terminal with a terminally wrinked and/or stained shirt, and grievously and unforgiveably forgotten to dump the FO side trashcan of all my junk.
BUT! I don't make it a habit, like some. I try to keep myself squared away, do my best to fly smooth and efficient, and try to remember to init the FMS for the next crew. I guess it's a balance to be struck, like most other things in life. You don't want to be Gomer Pyle, but you don't want to act like you salute with three fingers and help little old ladies across the street on Saturdays either.
Looking4Lower
New Member
Now that I'm doing 135 pax, I'm particularly tuned into keeping the uniform sharp. I think it's probably a bit more important for this type of work than for 121 pax operations. Joe Schmoe just wants to pay for his $190 tickets and get from point A to point B - if he sees a sloppy uniform here and there it probably won't effect his travel habits.
But for the folks who are paying $2000- $3000 per flight hour in a chartered jet, I think that it's important for the pilots to maintain a high standard for their image. The pilots must interface much more closely with these passengers - they get a meet-and-greet, they get their bags personally handled, and they get served food/bevs in the cabin; the uniform is right in front of them all the time. They expect (and pay for) exclusive treatment and a sharp image is a part of that service.
But for the folks who are paying $2000- $3000 per flight hour in a chartered jet, I think that it's important for the pilots to maintain a high standard for their image. The pilots must interface much more closely with these passengers - they get a meet-and-greet, they get their bags personally handled, and they get served food/bevs in the cabin; the uniform is right in front of them all the time. They expect (and pay for) exclusive treatment and a sharp image is a part of that service.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
You're right, but I think it goes for 121 pax as well. Yeah, joe shmoe with his FunFare dosen't care what the guy up front looks like, but if we're all not careful were going to wind up looking like cruiseship staff, with pastel waistcoats and lime green hats. The way some guys act, they are practically INVITING management to think thats a reall good idea. I can hear the suits now... "Well, since you all don't care what you look like anyway, here's your new uniform...:
FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
[ QUOTE ]
"I'm anal. I admit it. I like a clean, orderly cockpit"
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I fold the release back and forth across the perforations so I can tug on the top and the thing flips open. I also separate it from the small tree we get with weather printed on it for 1/4 of the USA, so when I open up to see what fuel flow should be over ANYWR intersection I don't fill the cockpit up with paper. It takes about 10 seconds to fold, and I can grab it, look at it quickly, and put it back while handflying. Yeah, bad.
Santi-wipes? I use them to clean my hands once in a while, or maybe wipe down the 02 mask if I'm going to take a small hit before landing at night (improves night vision, for real!). Other than that, nope! I do clean greasy fingerprints and dust off the EFIS screens though. Nothing like turning and only seeing dust and fingerprints instead of speed and altitude.
I actually had a business passenger once sitting in the second row watching us get the airplane ready tell the F/A, "Can you send him over to my house? He looks like he could whip it into shape!"
"I'm anal. I admit it. I like a clean, orderly cockpit"
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I fold the release back and forth across the perforations so I can tug on the top and the thing flips open. I also separate it from the small tree we get with weather printed on it for 1/4 of the USA, so when I open up to see what fuel flow should be over ANYWR intersection I don't fill the cockpit up with paper. It takes about 10 seconds to fold, and I can grab it, look at it quickly, and put it back while handflying. Yeah, bad.
Santi-wipes? I use them to clean my hands once in a while, or maybe wipe down the 02 mask if I'm going to take a small hit before landing at night (improves night vision, for real!). Other than that, nope! I do clean greasy fingerprints and dust off the EFIS screens though. Nothing like turning and only seeing dust and fingerprints instead of speed and altitude.
I actually had a business passenger once sitting in the second row watching us get the airplane ready tell the F/A, "Can you send him over to my house? He looks like he could whip it into shape!"
FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
[ QUOTE ]
First leg: Captain: "I do everything by the book!"
Second leg: FO: "Which book is that again?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Priceless!
First leg: Captain: "I do everything by the book!"
Second leg: FO: "Which book is that again?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Priceless!
Mr_Creepy
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"I'm anal. I admit it. I like a clean, orderly cockpit"
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I fold the release back and forth across the perforations so I can tug on the top and the thing flips open. I also separate it from the small tree we get with weather printed on it for 1/4 of the USA, so when I open up to see what fuel flow should be over ANYWR intersection I don't fill the cockpit up with paper. It takes about 10 seconds to fold, and I can grab it, look at it quickly, and put it back while handflying. Yeah, bad.
Santi-wipes? I use them to clean my hands once in a while, or maybe wipe down the 02 mask if I'm going to take a small hit before landing at night (improves night vision, for real!). Other than that, nope! I do clean greasy fingerprints and dust off the EFIS screens though. Nothing like turning and only seeing dust and fingerprints instead of speed and altitude.
I actually had a business passenger once sitting in the second row watching us get the airplane ready tell the F/A, "Can you send him over to my house? He looks like he could whip it into shape!"
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL Don and Matt, you crack me up.
I AM a release folderer! (is that a word?) I like to keep the tri-folds in the paper so I can flip through it quickly.
I ALSO am a CLEAN FREAK when it comes to knobs in the cockpit. You KNOW those cockpits are NEVER CLEANED!
I also freak out at fingerprints on the VDUs. "Keep your damned fingers off the glass! Why do you have to touch it? Can't you just point???"
One trip Rob (who is my favorite liberal FO) and I grabbed some face towels (the ones they use for hot towels) and literally attacked every CRJ cockpit we were in for the whole five day trip. Those towels started clean and ended up FILTHY. It was disgusting how dirty those cockpits are.
... and I wondered why I was always getting sick!
Note - wearing a starched shirt, a clip-on tie and a hat do not make you a clean person!
I'm glad your organized Matt, so was I. My bag was organized - both of them. I set things out the night before on overnights so I could get up and jump right in.
I think these are unrelated to the uniform nazi attitude though, one thing is being clean and organized - the other is about trying to impress people with your uniform. Not necessarily a bad thing as long as it is kept in perspective, but don't ever come up to me and tell me I'm not wearing my shirt correctly!
[ QUOTE ]
"I'm anal. I admit it. I like a clean, orderly cockpit"
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I fold the release back and forth across the perforations so I can tug on the top and the thing flips open. I also separate it from the small tree we get with weather printed on it for 1/4 of the USA, so when I open up to see what fuel flow should be over ANYWR intersection I don't fill the cockpit up with paper. It takes about 10 seconds to fold, and I can grab it, look at it quickly, and put it back while handflying. Yeah, bad.
Santi-wipes? I use them to clean my hands once in a while, or maybe wipe down the 02 mask if I'm going to take a small hit before landing at night (improves night vision, for real!). Other than that, nope! I do clean greasy fingerprints and dust off the EFIS screens though. Nothing like turning and only seeing dust and fingerprints instead of speed and altitude.
I actually had a business passenger once sitting in the second row watching us get the airplane ready tell the F/A, "Can you send him over to my house? He looks like he could whip it into shape!"
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL Don and Matt, you crack me up.
I AM a release folderer! (is that a word?) I like to keep the tri-folds in the paper so I can flip through it quickly.
I ALSO am a CLEAN FREAK when it comes to knobs in the cockpit. You KNOW those cockpits are NEVER CLEANED!
I also freak out at fingerprints on the VDUs. "Keep your damned fingers off the glass! Why do you have to touch it? Can't you just point???"
One trip Rob (who is my favorite liberal FO) and I grabbed some face towels (the ones they use for hot towels) and literally attacked every CRJ cockpit we were in for the whole five day trip. Those towels started clean and ended up FILTHY. It was disgusting how dirty those cockpits are.
... and I wondered why I was always getting sick!
Note - wearing a starched shirt, a clip-on tie and a hat do not make you a clean person!
I'm glad your organized Matt, so was I. My bag was organized - both of them. I set things out the night before on overnights so I could get up and jump right in.
I think these are unrelated to the uniform nazi attitude though, one thing is being clean and organized - the other is about trying to impress people with your uniform. Not necessarily a bad thing as long as it is kept in perspective, but don't ever come up to me and tell me I'm not wearing my shirt correctly!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"I'm anal. I admit it. I like a clean, orderly cockpit"
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I fold the release back and forth across the perforations so I can tug on the top and the thing flips open. I also separate it from the small tree we get with weather printed on it for 1/4 of the USA, so when I open up to see what fuel flow should be over ANYWR intersection I don't fill the cockpit up with paper. It takes about 10 seconds to fold, and I can grab it, look at it quickly, and put it back while handflying. Yeah, bad.
Santi-wipes? I use them to clean my hands once in a while, or maybe wipe down the 02 mask if I'm going to take a small hit before landing at night (improves night vision, for real!). Other than that, nope! I do clean greasy fingerprints and dust off the EFIS screens though. Nothing like turning and only seeing dust and fingerprints instead of speed and altitude.
I actually had a business passenger once sitting in the second row watching us get the airplane ready tell the F/A, "Can you send him over to my house? He looks like he could whip it into shape!"
[/ QUOTE ]
Hehe. For the overly anal ones about cockpit paperwork and clean cockpit parts.....I'd hate to see them sitting alert 10 and have to launch. The fighters would never get off the ground in time..
[ QUOTE ]
"I'm anal. I admit it. I like a clean, orderly cockpit"
Do you fold the flight release a certain way? That's how I define overly anal. I once flew with a Capt that wanted the flight release folded just a certain way. I rolled my eyes and let him be the keeper of the flight release. I don't think I touched it.
How about this. Do you sanitze the cockpit area with one of those wipey thingys during your cockpit setup? About half the Capts I fly with do that. I mean they wipe down everything they might possibly touch. I've got no problem with the oxygen mask, I even do that, but the altimeter knobs?
[/ QUOTE ]
I fold the release back and forth across the perforations so I can tug on the top and the thing flips open. I also separate it from the small tree we get with weather printed on it for 1/4 of the USA, so when I open up to see what fuel flow should be over ANYWR intersection I don't fill the cockpit up with paper. It takes about 10 seconds to fold, and I can grab it, look at it quickly, and put it back while handflying. Yeah, bad.
Santi-wipes? I use them to clean my hands once in a while, or maybe wipe down the 02 mask if I'm going to take a small hit before landing at night (improves night vision, for real!). Other than that, nope! I do clean greasy fingerprints and dust off the EFIS screens though. Nothing like turning and only seeing dust and fingerprints instead of speed and altitude.
I actually had a business passenger once sitting in the second row watching us get the airplane ready tell the F/A, "Can you send him over to my house? He looks like he could whip it into shape!"
[/ QUOTE ]
Hehe. For the overly anal ones about cockpit paperwork and clean cockpit parts.....I'd hate to see them sitting alert 10 and have to launch. The fighters would never get off the ground in time..
Alaskaairlines
New Member
I'm a fan of a sharp/ironed/clean uniform. Also, I try to clean up the cockpit before/after my flights.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Speaking of cleaning the screens-
The ERJ is all glass, so if dust and fingerprints accumulate, the screens are damn near unreadable if you get the sun in from either side. The lens wipes are nice, but you have to wait till some of the alcohol evaporates before you use them or you just wind up with streaky screens. What I do is use them to wipe down the 'community headets' and O2 mask, and whatever else I can think of till they're nearly dry, then clean the screns. Works like a charm!
I'm not much of a release folder; the captain usually does that anyway. I do keep TCAS and NAV/APRTs up on the MFD though. And since we're confessing the dorky carp we do in the cockpit-- I keep my spare uniform in a plastic bag in my rollaboard so it dosen't get jacked up on overnights.
It's been said before, but bears repeating-- WE'RE A BUNCH OF DORKS!!!!!
The ERJ is all glass, so if dust and fingerprints accumulate, the screens are damn near unreadable if you get the sun in from either side. The lens wipes are nice, but you have to wait till some of the alcohol evaporates before you use them or you just wind up with streaky screens. What I do is use them to wipe down the 'community headets' and O2 mask, and whatever else I can think of till they're nearly dry, then clean the screns. Works like a charm!
I'm not much of a release folder; the captain usually does that anyway. I do keep TCAS and NAV/APRTs up on the MFD though. And since we're confessing the dorky carp we do in the cockpit-- I keep my spare uniform in a plastic bag in my rollaboard so it dosen't get jacked up on overnights.
It's been said before, but bears repeating-- WE'RE A BUNCH OF DORKS!!!!!
FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
If you rode with me, you'd see some of the goofy "routine" things I do in flight. Like TCAS above until TOC, then normal, then below at TOD. WX radar on all the time in flight (this is something I picked up, I can explain if you really want to know). Oh and cleaning the screens, this works great for me:
Use the wet wipe to actually clean the screen, removing the grease and dust. Then, hold the wipe over the gasper vent under the COM panel. Let it dry out. Then go over the screens again, getting the smudges out. This actually cleans the grease and guck off the screens, then makes them more clear after cleaned. Do it this way, and compare when the sun is just right. You'll notice a big difference in instrument clarity.
Yeah, maybe it's OCD! But, I figure those are our flight instruments, so best to have them clean and very readable!
I just figure if I have a "routine" which is very thourough and maybe a bit complusive, when I miss something, I'll sit there with that feeling like "what am I missing?" I can't see anything wrong with major attention to detail. I don't get all worked up if the guy or gal I'm flying with isn't the same way. I flew with one captain who was by far one of the coolest guys I know at this company, but also one of the most knowledgeable and thourough. Proof that you can be the cool kid on the block and still be really good at this job. Some seem to think that the less you show you care about things, the cooler it makes you.
Use the wet wipe to actually clean the screen, removing the grease and dust. Then, hold the wipe over the gasper vent under the COM panel. Let it dry out. Then go over the screens again, getting the smudges out. This actually cleans the grease and guck off the screens, then makes them more clear after cleaned. Do it this way, and compare when the sun is just right. You'll notice a big difference in instrument clarity.
Yeah, maybe it's OCD! But, I figure those are our flight instruments, so best to have them clean and very readable!
I just figure if I have a "routine" which is very thourough and maybe a bit complusive, when I miss something, I'll sit there with that feeling like "what am I missing?" I can't see anything wrong with major attention to detail. I don't get all worked up if the guy or gal I'm flying with isn't the same way. I flew with one captain who was by far one of the coolest guys I know at this company, but also one of the most knowledgeable and thourough. Proof that you can be the cool kid on the block and still be really good at this job. Some seem to think that the less you show you care about things, the cooler it makes you.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
No kidding! It's like they think "Oh look at that guy- his uniform looks nice, he keeps an organized cockpit-- Company man! Kool-aid drinker!!" It's a lot of nonsense, and they only hurt themselves. If you conduct yourselsf with dignity and bearing, and hold managment to the contract with an iron grip, you're doing your part to improve the lot of all of us. And we all need it. Your message becomes: "I'm a professional. I deserve to be treated like one. And I won't tolerate corporate guff from any puke in a suit."
As far as the OCD stuff, I think that's just SURVIVAL. Iv'e had screens so bad they were UNREADABLE. How are are you going to fly a jet if you can't read your instruments? You can't!
As far as the OCD stuff, I think that's just SURVIVAL. Iv'e had screens so bad they were UNREADABLE. How are are you going to fly a jet if you can't read your instruments? You can't!
Captain_Bob
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
...And since we're confessing the dorky carp we do in the cockpit--
[/ QUOTE ]
Dude... you do carp in the cockpit??? That gives entirely new meaning to "Sleeping with the fishes..." and what's up with your kink for the dorky ones??
eww... just plain... eww!
...And since we're confessing the dorky carp we do in the cockpit--
[/ QUOTE ]
Dude... you do carp in the cockpit??? That gives entirely new meaning to "Sleeping with the fishes..." and what's up with your kink for the dorky ones??
eww... just plain... eww!