WHAT is the DEAL with...

Boris Badenov

Boris Badenov

Fortis Leader
I heard a well known beech 1900 operator get a cruise clearance to their (presumably day-in-day-out) destination. They didn't know what that was. Now, if you're a 300 hour F/O, okay, cool, you get a Mulligan. But this ATP rated PIC has never heard of a cruise clearance? Don't they teach the Regs/AIM/Pilot/Controller glossary at the puppymills these days? How about in line training?

While we're on the subject, WHAT is the DEAL with ATC and weather these days? The last two early mornings going ATL-MEM there have been fairly solid lines in the area. Most of the controllers are clearly old school, but there were a few who certainly didn't sound like they were "suggesting" a heading around the OMG-Rip-Your-Wings-Off weather that turned out to be heavy precip and a few light bumps. More like mandating. You pretty much have to argue with them to avoid going 300 miles out of your way so as not to get wet. Again, mostly excellent service, but a few bad apples...

What else? WHAT is the DEAL with various regional operators who keep calling up on center frequencies EVERY MORNING where center can't hear them to request a clearance. Figure maybe this one time it will work? You've got a telephone, bub. Use it.

Oh, WHAT is the DEAL with Big Iron guys checking on, not getting a response, and literally three seconds later checking on again sounding irritated? There are other planes in the sky, Sky-Admiral, cool it. God forbid you have to LEVEL OFF. (/seinfeld)

Ok, I'm going to drink a few beers and come up with more things to be curmudgeonly about. Talk amongst yourselves. Remember to call me a big jerk in your responses, it makes me feel warm.
 
Your amongst friends here...let out your real feelings. Think of this as your nest where you can't be harmed. Circle of trust.
 
Boris Badenov said:
What else? WHAT is the DEAL with various regional operators who keep calling up on center frequencies EVERY MORNING where center can't hear them to request a clearance. Figure maybe this one time it will work? You've got a telephone, bub. Use it.
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Different pilots everyday. When its dark outside your radios range is increased, maybe now that we have sprung forward your radio isnt going as further. In Shenandoah if you taxi one way, you cant get center due to a downward hill, if you go the other way you can reach them easy.

The other day in AOO we called a few times, knowing we can normally get them. We took off and called them, they said they were on the back up to the back up radios and that normally we should be able to talk to them on the ground.
 
v1valarob said:
Different pilots everyday. When its dark outside your radios range is increased, maybe now that we have sprung forward your radio isnt going as further. In Shenandoah if you taxi one way, you cant get center due to a downward hill, if you go the other way you can reach them easy.
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OK, fair point. Still and all, it's pretty much a constant at Hunstville. Are there really so many pilots at (insert cl-65 contractor for large southern airline that is owned by another contractor for large southern airline) that NONE of them have ever been there before? I'm happy to relay when I can, but I think it might be a little faster to just call. This isn't really so much a bag on the pilots as it is the company...it sounds like they're sitting out there converting fuel to noise trying to reach an unreachable center in the days of single engine taxi for "cost savings".

But even if we mark that one off, I still have two gripes to which to respond, and I assure you I'm working on more in between swigs. :)
 
Dude leveling off in a jet isn't very easy. I mean you need to let the autopilot capture the altitude and fly the level off for you. In the -145, and if you were a thinking man, you'd roll the climb rate down to 1,000 FPM within the last thousand feet so that you didn't make the level off too harsh so as to spill your coffee...erm...disturb the passengers. Oh and if you don't have auto throttles, you've gotta move those. That completely gets in the way of the USA Today.

I mean come on dude, this is important stuff.
 
Boris Badenov said:
OK, fair point. Still and all, it's pretty much a constant at Hunstville. Are there really so many pilots at (insert cl-65 contractor for large southern airline that is owned by another contractor for large southern airline) that NONE of them have ever been there before? I'm happy to relay when I can, but I think it might be a little faster to just call. This isn't really so much a bag on the pilots as it is the company...it sounds like they're sitting out there converting fuel to noise trying to reach an unreachable center in the days of single engine taxi for "cost savings".

But even if we mark that one off, I still have two gripes to which to respond, and I assure you I'm working on more in between swigs. :)
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I agree with what you have mentioned about calling the center and just to give you an insight at ASA in particular, we have a page designated in Jepp (10-10 - as well as other operators i'm sure) which gives us a run through of everything about the operations of that airport. I have not yet seen the number for the center on that page but would be a good recommendation for an addition to the 10-10. :)
 
Boris Badenov said:
but I think it might be a little faster to just call. This isn't really so much a bag on the pilots as it is the company...it sounds like they're sitting out there converting fuel to noise trying to reach an unreachable center in the days of single engine taxi for "cost savings"
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At my airline we dont get paid to use our cell phones, its probably pennys, but it annoys people to have to do something for an airline when they normally could care less about you.

When we used to fly into Bradford, PA we had the problem of sometimes being able to reach the center, and also not having a signal on ANY cell phone carrier.

I swear some of our planes radios are just stronger than others.
 
wheelsup said:
Did you listen to all of it? Near the end the controller explains, he thinks they have hypoxia, and descends them. They sound fine after starting down.
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Doh. No I skipped a bit because it was like nails on chalkboard. I was convinced it was some kind of elaborate hoax with some guy on the ground with a transceiver. To find out otherwise is...sobering, if you'll pardon the expression. Good work by the controller and the other pilot.
 
v1valarob said:
At my airline we dont get paid to use our cell phones, its probably pennys, but it annoys people to have to do something for an airline when they normally could care less about you.
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Think about it like this. If you don't use your cell phone that means you're using a land phone. Which means the engines aren't turning. How much do you get paid in per diem? Now how much do you get paid while the engines are turning? I make a lot more $$ if I sit in the plane and over block while talking on the phone than I pay in using my allotted cell phone minutes.

It just makes financial sense to use my cell phone.
 
Boris Badenov said:
Doh. No I skipped a bit because it was like nails on chalkboard. I was convinced it was some kind of elaborate hoax with some guy on the ground with a transceiver. To find out otherwise is...sobering, if you'll pardon the expression. Good work by the controller and the other pilot.
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Yeah I agree funny (in a way) and scary to know that it was real.
 
jtrain609 said:
Oh and if you don't have auto throttles, you've gotta move those. That completely gets in the way of the USA Today.

I mean come on dude, this is important stuff.
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This is what happens when you put the thrust levers down in the lap-area so as to put in more big screen tvs and fancy buttons. I never let a level-off interfere with reading "Hop on Pop" or "Hustler".
 
wheelsup said:
Think about it like this. If you don't use your cell phone that means you're using a land phone. Which means the engines aren't turning. How much do you get paid in per diem? Now how much do you get paid while the engines are turning? I make a lot more $$ if I sit in the plane and over block while talking on the phone than I pay in using my allotted cell phone minutes.

It just makes financial sense to use my cell phone.
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The last time we couldnt get a clearance after starting up we just called ops and they got it for us.

I have also gone as far as listening over a VOR, which I thought was crazy, but it worked.
 
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