Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you...

[Cptnchia]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

SELCAL != SAT COMM, yeah?

No.
SATCOM= Satellite Comms.
SELCAL=Selective Call. It uses a unique identifier for every aircraft. Can use VHF, HF, or SATCOM to communicate.

 

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

How does SELCAL integrate with DAL's flight following system? I was under the impression, and it has always been my experience, that SELCAL was a one way street; ATC wants to talk to you, so they send the coded signal and you get the chime and/or light in the cockpit.

Is there more to it in the 121 world?

 

[TheShortOne]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

once upon a time on my first date with Jtrain he muttered "I hope we have landing gear." That freaked me out pretty good! Especially considering it was my first time in a small plane (arrow)!

 

[Cptnchia]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

How does SELCAL integrate with DAL's flight following system? I was under the impression, and it has always been my experience, that SELCAL was a one way street; ATC wants to talk to you, so they send the coded signal and you get the chime and/or light in the cockpit.

Is there more to it in the 121 world?

That's exactly how it works. In 121 world, there is a need to maintain communication with the company, either through a listening watch on a company or AIRINC freq, or SELCAL. THe flight following part is the dispatcher following the progress of the flight, and if they need to get you to respond to them, they SELCAL you. They can also send us stuff and not ring the chime, usually low grade stuff, like reroutes.

 

[dakovich]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

"...listen baby, I know this might sound a little forward but seeing as the turbo-flap-wheel just fell off I feel we just don't have time to waste. We have 2 minutes to live, live like we've got nothing to lose! and to be honest it'll only take me about the first of those minutes to make you regret the last. **insert sound of zipper tie loosening*** lavs open, baby, whatta ya say..."

 

[jtrain609]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

My thoughts exactly. What routes are flown in RJs and far enough offshore to use SELCAL?

All ExpressJet aircraft had SELCAL. Too bad you had to know what frequency to dial in COMM 2 and the company took away the map of what frequencies to use where.

Good move, company.

 

[AngelFuree]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

Whenever I'm deadheading in the back, I seriously just start working on my Sudoku right away and as someone else mentioned, don't make eye contact unless you're really in the mood for chatting. Otherwise, close your eyes, look out the window, etc.

If I'm nonreving, I will NOT wear anything that identifies me as an employee (e.g. ID badge, etc). I haven't gotten bugged ONCE.

To be honest, though, the ONLY time that I felt the need to put on my ID badge was this one time....

I hopped on an early morning flight from DTW to NYC and was STARVING. I was the only one sitting in my row, both sides of the plane included. I figured, you know what..., I'm just gonna buy one of those stupid $5 snack boxes (Northwest). However, I thought, maybe if I wear my ID badge, she might give me a break and give it to me for free since I'm a crewmember? Then I also thought, well...if my idea is lame and doesn't work out, I'll be happy to pay the $5 since I'm just starving.

Anyway, the FA is passing by so I decided to slip my ID badge before she comes and I make sure that it displays "CREW" quite visibly. I then ask her if she has snack boxes for purchase and I have my only $20 bill in hand ready to pay for it. She then says, "ah, I'm gonna have to find some change and come....oh wait, I didn't realize you were a crewmember...shhh, we'll figure it out later," and decides not to take my money. lol
So I guessed it worked! haha.

She was a really nice FA, though, and I haven't really tried this again since I'm afraid it'll backfire on me, and I really hate paying $5 for a box of tuna and chips.

...but other than that one instance, I don't like wearing my ID badge when I nonrev. I'm just a regular pax so people won't bug me w/ questions.

 

[jtrain609]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

Red Tail FA?

I'll tell you what man, Red Tail TAKES CARE OF their non revs! I sat up in first more often with Northwest than any other company. I didn't ride them horribly often, but they were usually my backup (EWR-MSP-SLC), and I'd ride them almost all the time I had to go to Detroit from Newark. Their FA's were some of the best I've ever come across, especially considering how much crap they've gone through in the last few years.

Now when I pay for a ticket on Northwest, I get treated like garbage...

 

[Alchemy]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

My favorite deadheads are the ones at the end of a 5-6 leg day with 10+ hours of duty and a 4 AM wakeup. I'm sure the poor passengers next to me don't like it, as I probably end up with my head on their shoulder and drooling on them as I go unconscious in the economy class middle seat.

 

[AngelFuree]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

Red Tail FA?

I'll tell you what man, Red Tail TAKES CARE OF their non revs! I sat up in first more often with Northwest than any other company. I didn't ride them horribly often, but they were usually my backup (EWR-MSP-SLC), and I'd ride them almost all the time I had to go to Detroit from Newark. Their FA's were some of the best I've ever come across, especially considering how much crap they've gone through in the last few years.

Now when I pay for a ticket on Northwest, I get treated like garbage...

Yeah, it was mainline NWA. I've only gotten first class a couple of times. The gate agent(s) was really nice and just handwrote a 1st class seat number. (they charge us for 1st class, otherwise, if it's entered into the system)

The FAs have never gone out of their way to seat me in first even when it was empty and I was in uniform. I don't expect it, either, and don't really care as the service in domestic first class is laughable. However, I wish they'd be nice to reseat me in those times when I'm stuck in between two huge people in a middle seat. (my last deadhead)

 

[Regularjoe]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

Anyone else say or do something that freaked another passenger out?

Years ago coming out of SFO one afternoon with some major T-storms in the area the DC-8 was doing it's usual wing flapping. I looked at the guy next to me and said, "How far do you think those things will bend before they snap."

:yup:
Stew reassigned my seat because I kept screwing with the guy and he was freaking out.

 

[Bandit_Driver]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

Red Tail FA?

I'll tell you what man, Red Tail TAKES CARE OF their non revs! I sat up in first more often with Northwest than any other company. I didn't ride them horribly often, but they were usually my backup (EWR-MSP-SLC), and I'd ride them almost all the time I had to go to Detroit from Newark. Their FA's were some of the best I've ever come across, especially considering how much crap they've gone through in the last few years.

Now when I pay for a ticket on Northwest, I get treated like garbage...

I have had great experiences on NWA & AirTran. If there is a first class seats open they start moving pilots up front.

I hate to derail the thread but.... SELCAL test? There's a SELCAL test in CRJs?

Yup, Pinnacle and/or Messaba have them.

 

[flyboywbl]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

I've had to bring my flight bag on the airlines with me numerous times for work or pleasure, never had a problem. Sounds like you encountered some of TSA's finest.

The TSA at KGTF are terrible. They take their job so seriously. It's funny. I can get though security at KMSP on a holiday faster than i takes to get though the security at Great Falls. In MSP you have hundreds of flights and in GTF the line for security is for ONE flight.

This happened when my flight got canceled out of GTF and i had to fly standby on Horizon the next morning to go to KSEA layover and then go to KMSP. The plane was full so i was told to go out of the secure area to talk with the agent downstairs at the desk. There was no one in the airport and i told the TSA guy i'll be right back. He said ok. I got sent back and forth three times and each time the TSA guy acted like he did not recognize me each time and not only did he look through my bag every time he did the explosive screening where they rub the cloth on the bag and put it into their machine.

Flying out of KBZN once there was this young Muslim couple and the TSA guy walked up to them and said, "Excuse me guys but you have been randomly selected for additional screening." I just had to laugh.

 

[popaviator]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

The TSA at KGTF are terrible. They take their job so seriously. It's funny. I can get though security at KMSP on a holiday faster than i takes to get though the security at Great Falls. In MSP you have hundreds of flights and in GTF the line for security is for ONE flight.

This happened when my flight got canceled out of GTF and i had to fly standby on Horizon the next morning to go to KSEA layover and then go to KMSP. The plane was full so i was told to go out of the secure area to talk with the agent downstairs at the desk. There was no one in the airport and i told the TSA guy i'll be right back. He said ok. I got sent back and forth three times and each time the TSA guy acted like he did not recognize me each time and not only did he look through my bag every time he did the explosive screening where they rub the cloth on the bag and put it into their machine.

Flying out of KBZN once there was this young Muslim couple and the TSA guy walked up to them and said, "Excuse me guys but you have been randomly selected for additional screening." I just had to laugh.

Have you ever had to go into that glas box that pats you down with air. I don't even know what the hell its called. I remember when I got "randomly selected"...the tsa agent was actually smokin hot :bandit: so I though I'd be a smart ass when she asked me to step aside and said "I could tell you wanted to strip search me when we made eye contact a minute ago" ...she laughed and then told me to get into the box...what a rip off

 

[AngelFuree]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

The TSA at KGTF are terrible. They take their job so seriously. It's funny. I can get though security at KMSP on a holiday faster than i takes to get though the security at Great Falls. In MSP you have hundreds of flights and in GTF the line for security is for ONE flight.

This happened when my flight got canceled out of GTF and i had to fly standby on Horizon the next morning to go to KSEA layover and then go to KMSP. The plane was full so i was told to go out of the secure area to talk with the agent downstairs at the desk. There was no one in the airport and i told the TSA guy i'll be right back. He said ok. I got sent back and forth three times and each time the TSA guy acted like he did not recognize me each time and not only did he look through my bag every time he did the explosive screening where they rub the cloth on the bag and put it into their machine.

Flying out of KBZN once there was this young Muslim couple and the TSA guy walked up to them and said, "Excuse me guys but you have been randomly selected for additional screening." I just had to laugh.

Terrible. I hate those fools. I can relate to having experienced extensive screening at the tiny airports (one time in GFK). I almost missed a flight once because these fools took a long ass time spending 5 minutes for each individual passing through security for the ONE only flight. I was jumpseating and they gave me a hard time for not having a boarding pass. They opened my bag and went through all of my stuff, testing my contact lens solution, etc...

Some of those fools are a joke. I'm glad DTW has the SIDA thing so I don't have to go through security each single time.

 

[S.T.Aviator]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

In fact your FA is asking if there is a pilot on board, I would assume two shot dead pilots upfront, and she is just giving the terrorists a clue who to shoot next. You should not identify yourself as a Pilot, period.


Things not to say to fellow travellers:

• "Looks like we are leaking fuel."
• Point at the turban fuzzy sitting a few rows ahead while taxiing and playing with his cellphone. (Everytime he presses a button you say "Flaps up!" "Flaps Down!" "Navigation Systems Off!" "Target, Set")
• (Special Sounds, Bangs...) Wisper: "Holy Crap, something must have fallen off!"
• Tell the passengers how much the two guys upfront are being paid. (It really scares pax if you do that!)
• React to power changes with any sort of comments, concerned looks or twitching.
• React to pitch changes with wondering if the guys upfront are on steroids.
• Tell them: "I'm really scared right now, but thats normal, I'm a pilot"

Best is to avoid airline travel at any price anyways.

Hey you just reminded me of this movie.:laff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKuUMY6URXQ

 

[tonyw]

Re: Things not to say to the passenger sitting next to you..

How about this?

[YT]YEIB4baOSd8[/YT]