What are your company traditions?

Mike Wise

Mike Wise

#NewSchool
So last week I was at a two day orientation for B6 newhires. Everyone from corporate to A/o (me), and pilots/inflight attended. It was a great time learning about the company, and having the CEO and a few other key people speak to us as well. During the orientation, the oldest pilot had to carry a <edited>, and the youngest pilot had to carry a <edited>. I thought it was funny, so what traditions does your company have?

edited per OP request
 
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My next company maintained the ancient and revered tradition of "FUD": Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
Not to be confused with those companies who employ a tradition of "FOD": Finesse, Obsequiousness, and Doubt.
Mike Wise said:
So last week I was at a two day orientation for B6 newhires. Everyone from corporate to A/o (me), and pilots/inflight attended. It was a great time learning about the company, and having the CEO and a few other key people speak to us as well. During the orientation, the oldest pilot had to carry a <edited>, and the youngest pilot had to carry a <edited>. I thought it was funny, so what traditions does your company have?
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First employer was "Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash"

My next company maintained the ancient and revered tradition of "FUD": Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
Not to be confused with those companies who employ a tradition of "FOD": Finesse, Obsequiousness, and Doubt.
 
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Mike Wise said:
So last week I was at a two day orientation for B6 newhires. Everyone from corporate to A/o (me), and pilots/inflight attended. It was a great time learning about the company, and having the CEO and a few other key people speak to us as well. During the orientation, the oldest pilot had to carry a <edited>, and the youngest pilot had to carry a <edited>. I thought it was funny, so what traditions does your company have?
Click to expand...

Poor form posting this publicly dude!

Any chance we can have this "moderated" to keep the surprise alive for new guys??
 
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Here's a recent post from over at APC talking about United's youngest-newhire tradition:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ual-cal-merger/77493-8-ball-ceremony-den-tonight-5.html
The tradition of the eight ball is supposed to have been started by Bill “Deacon” Yantiss and Dave Ringwalt. Several years ago (early 90's I believe), the junior man in the class was given the classic (child's fortune telling toy) "8ball" to protect with his/her life. You see....the 8ball had all the answers.... (indoc exams etc) although no manager ever really *knew* that. The 8ball ceremony was used as an ice breaker of sorts and to get the class to relax a bit during the torturous weeks ahead as new hires. The 8ball had to go everywhere with the junior man and was occasionally taken for ransom (ransom paid was usually form of a pizza party). In most cases, it was easier to let it get stolen, pay the ransom, than trying to keep it in your sight the entire time. As legend goes, a US Marine who was the ball thought it not fitting that at the world’s largest airline he had to carry such a small kid’s toy. It was this Marine who started the bowling ball. This group took it very seriously though and even bought a bowling bag (to house the answers). The original 8ball lives in the Doubletree Hotel across from TK. The current ball was procured by a 2/00 LUAL guy to make sure the tradition continued in the merged company. Both balls were brought out this week to celebrate the return of the ceremony to Denver.
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There's a reference in the thread to DL's tradition being "the plug" -- anyone here able to expound on this? Google shows me lots of reference to the junior guy on a particular type of equipment or at a particular base being colloquially referred to as the plug, but nothing about some particular object he must carry (or whatever the tradition is).

As a military and fighter guy, I've had a career of these types of traditions and rites-of-passage. Although some folks think they're cheesy or stupid frat-boy games, I love 'em. I'm happy to hear that the airline world has some of the same culture.
 
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I edited per request, but since it was in GT, and plenty of time has elapsed, the Google bots have probably already indexed it anyway.
 
Hacker15e said:
Here's a recent post from over at APC talking about United's youngest-newhire tradition:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ual-cal-merger/77493-8-ball-ceremony-den-tonight-5.html


There's a reference in the thread to DL's tradition being "the plug" -- anyone here able to expound on this? Google shows me lots of reference to the junior guy on a particular type of equipment or at a particular base being colloquially referred to as the plug, but nothing about some particular object he must carry (or whatever the tradition is).

As a military and fighter guy, I've had a career of these types of traditions and rites-of-passage. Although some folks think they're cheesy or stupid frat-boy games, I love 'em. I'm happy to hear that the airline world has some of the same culture.
Click to expand...


That's awesome.
 
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