So there you are, flying along from NY to FL doing your thing. All during the trip your dispatcher keeps asking you how the ride is. Some people might think that’s ok. However, if there is one thing a pilot knows how to get is a ride report. In fact all you have to do is listen to the radio for about 1 minute and you can find out all you need to know about the rides at all altitudes.
“I never ask anymore, why clog up the radio” says one airline captain. “Most pilots are going to either ask or tell you anyway and its easy to figure out”
In fact when one pilot hands off an aircraft at the base, they brief each other on how the ride is, so that information is usually pretty available.
So what would be something you would want your dispatcher to tell you? How about a Microburst that closed the airport for an hour causing countless diversions and holding patterns? Yeah, I would like to know that.
Ask any freight pilot and he will tell you that one of the main advantages to flying freight is that boxes do not complain. Along with that is a host of other items that boxes do not do:
They can always find their seat
They do not drink too much
They could care less how much overhead bin space they think they are entitled too
They do not hit on the flight attendants
They don’t trash the lav
They are not needy (most of the time)
They do not complain about the ride
They do not complain about the temperature
They could care less if they are on time or not.
They could care less about their connection.
You can keep them in the dark and its fine
They will never ask for a pillow, blanket, or another snack
You can find these great Freight pilot supplies at Airspeed Junkie.
This is probably the most thorough preflight for a Cesnna 172 that you will ever find. CFI’s could take a lesson from this private pilot! Way to go Royce.
There is nothing that will start a fist fight in the cockpit faster than having one pilot who declares that ALPA sucks while the other being a fan of the union. This has been the banter of pilots since the union began its quest for representing labor in the airline industry. So what is the golden answer? Ask ten different pilots and you may get ten different answers.
It’s dying
Some airline pilot groups are figuring out that they are really not happy with the labor union. Some are even trying to expel the union from their representation and go with an in house union. “I think the concept is ok, its just poorly executed by ALPA” says several upset pilots from a major airline. “We need some sort of interface with airlines management, something that does not allow them to run away with our contracts” But the facts can also be stated that airline management groups eventually end up doing pretty much what they want anyway. The union is more or less an obstacle that gets in the way of growth goals. A lot of management groups have failed to realize that the pilot group can be their greatest advocate. Pilots can have a lot of input on how much fuel you burn on any given flight segment. When you consider that fuel is the biggest expense in the airline industry, it would make sense to have the pilots on your side.
Old school verses new school
It can also be said that the union concept as a whole is an industrial age concept. That was fine when we were in the industrial age, but we have firmly arrived in a global economy. In the competitive landscape such as the airline business, you have to be able to use global resources just to stay alive in the business. So the big question becomes, can ALPA become a globally minded resource? The question would mostly likely lean towards the negative since the major tenant of unionization is built around protecting labor groups. Outsourcing labor groups, using global contracts and trimming expenses by thinking outside the industrial age box is what the global economy is all about. So how do you mix these two hugely different mindsets? I would tend to think that will you not get a massive change of heart in either direction. People groups tend to have entitlement issues that do not mix well with business survival.
So who will evolve?
This basically is were the rubber meets the road. As pilots argue, the fact of evolution does not really come up. Staunch supporters of labor groups defend their needs for representation and pilots who have been abused by the system state their disdain. This could be reworded as “hope” verses scorn. Where as union supporters really love the idea of having someone looking out for them, they hope and pray they are effective in doing so. (hopeful thinking) The scorned are simply the scorned individuals that poor management groups have simply “used” for leverage in some sort of crisis or money issue. Both techniques or characteristics are a poor way of running a business.
Emotional issues
If you go to any aviation forum or airline pilot forum you will easily find heated arguments on these very topics. No doubt most aviators have been involved in them in one way or the other. The problem is these very issues are building up a foundation of uncertainty in pilots minds. This can cause havoc in the long run and perhaps (not always) have an impact later on in a pilots career. There is always some sort of trigger in a crisis that controls behavior. Although this is not an epidemic, it does happen from time to time. By no means are we saying that it is the responsibility of companies or unions to protect pilots mental health, they just need to be aware that there are human factors that can be effected from poor decision making. Sooner or later, something is going to have to evolve into some sort of win/win situation for aviation.
This video has some interesting points for both sides. They could have entertained the idea of having an narrator who could be interesting to listen too.
Here is an article that most pilots cannot stand. It brings up some interesting points from people who have no idea what its like to work for an airline. The main flux of the story is about the merger of American and USAirways.
Working every day in the airline environment you get a fair amount of time talking on the radio. One thing I have noticed over the years are what I call radio hogs. These are guys and gals that are just a little bit too much into talking on the radio. There are some sure fire clues that make it a dead giveaway. We will look at them below in a moment, but lets first figure out why this happens.
Do you have tone?
Out there somewhere is the silver tongued airline pilot that has a voice that is the gift for radio. His voice is deep and he has great diction. He is the master of clarity, his voice beckons for you to get to know him. We have all heard him at some point in our careers. He may not even be alive today but chances are good you have heard him too. Probably the best comparison would be the man from the Dos Equis commercials. You know him, he is the worlds most interesting man. Kids love him, old people love him and he is always surrounded by beautiful women. The voice is his secret, we all want that gift. Unfortuntley in aviation its not any different. All pilots want to be that smooth talking respectable guy as well. The big problem is that most people who want to sound that smooth and cool, are not that smooth and cool. No one has had the guts to tell them that. Here are five ways to tell if your a radio hog.
1. They like to hear themselves talk. This radio hog thinks he is charming but really is more of a dork. He wastes a lot of time saying unnecessary things and hogs up the radio with unneccesary chatter. If this is you, please stop.
2. They try to have the cool airline pilot voice….but they are not that cool. This guy just does not have the genes to be smooth. He generally sounds somewhat nasally on the radio. If this is you, embrace the fact that your not captain smooth.
3. Calls the center with just their call sign. These pilots add extra transmissions by not stating what they want on their initial call. They are classic radio hogs and make everyone wait for their request. If this is you, get a flipping clue. Its annoying and adds up over time.
4. Answers the “disregard” call. When ATC begins a command then changes their mind and says “disregard”‘ this pilots answers with “disregarding” If this is you, know that there are many people making fun of your inability to ignore something that someone tells you to ignore.
5. Asks ATC on every sector how the rides are. Really? If you just listen for a few minutes all the other radio hogs will tell you how the rides are. He who listens is wiser than the fool who speaks.
Bonus, radio hogs are often the same pilots that wear their sunglasses when they come out of the cockpit for a bathroom break.
It certainly has been trending lately in the news about flight crews, both pilots and flight attendants, having a melt down and then have to be removed from the flight. How does this happen and why is it happening so much lately? I have been saying quite a lot over the years that working in aviation is really about managing your mental health. It would appear that I may be more right than I ever thought.
Now I am not a psychologist and neither do I have any formal training in this field, but I do believe there is some correlation between expectations, planning and reality. Lets use the pilot example.
A guy decides he wants to become a commercial pilot and sets out on his chosen career path.
He/She goes to college and gets a 4 year degree and become competitive in the marketplace
He/She spends great amounts of time and money in addition to college to get all the flight ratings needed to move on in the career.
After graduating the pilot then enters the job pool, usually at poverty level wages. All the while knowing that the goal is coming together and soon this will turn out with a good paying job and good benefits.
Depending on the landscape of the hiring market, this pilot could spend considerable time (greater than 8 years) building time and applying to major airlines.
This extra time is in addition to the time spent in college and still the goal is not attained.
When they finally do make it, upgrading to Captain is the last stop on the goal sheet. This again could take some time.
Along the way, you may have to choose a different airline and start over in the seniority ranks if the airline chosen struggles in the economy.
The constant threat of high fuel prices, competing airlines, downsizing and corporate foul play are always on your mind. Pay overall has been decreased and soon your career is just about managing a monthly schedule. There are no good layovers and the thrill and glamor of flying is replaced with productivity and the parent company showing a profit at anyone’s expense.
So is this typical? Most of the time it is, life is getting dismal in the airline business. People get divorced over these kinds of things everyday. Working your entire life to attain a goal and then having that goal turn out to be a major disappointment can certainly mess with your mind. The question is how much? That answer I do not know. But I can say this, the disappointment can govern your life if you let it. Some people have different coping mechanisms, some are more emotional than others. Some people flip out, blow the slide, grab some beers and give up there careers. Can you blame them if you were in there situation? Some say yes, some say no. I think the real untrained answer is “I don’t know” People react in different ways to deep emotional issues and the average lay person cannot possibly say they understand it all or pretend to pass judgement on something they have no idea about.
So whats the answer?
Again, I am not sure. It could be to find an avenue of aviation that is fun and passionate. General aviation certainly fits that bill. Military aviation in the beginning I have been told is very fulfilling as well. I think the most important takeaway is this:
Aviation careers are not like they seem on TV, the glamor and glory are gone. Think about it, evaluate yourself constantly throughout your career to maintain your mental health. Its not pleasant to think about, but it is better than watching your story on tv.
May 20th, 2012 
junkie 
