Joined Apr 2009
2,617 Posts | 0+
Edgar, WI
The following story was on-line and I thought I would share it with those who want to read it over. For those who don't know it, I am a pilot and I used to fly for the airlines hauling passengers. I gave that up and went to hauling cargo internationally back in late 2007.
Everything in the color red was added by me as many of you know I have an opinion about many things and I am not afraid to share it
35 Secrets Your Pilot Won't Tell You
by Reader's Digest Magazine
We asked 17 pilots from across the country to give us straight answers about maddening safety rules, inexplicable delays, the air and attitudes up there—and what really happens behind the cockpit door. What they told us will change the way you fly.
What You Don't Want to Know
“I’m constantly under pressure to carry less fuel than I’m comfortable with. Airlines are always looking at the bottom line, and you burn fuel carrying fuel. Sometimes if you carry just enough fuel and you hit thunderstorms or delays, then suddenly you’re running out of gas and you have to go to an alternate airport.” -Captain at a major airline
This is poorly worded but actually is true. But your not "suddenly running out of gas", you simply don't have enough to complete the flight to the destination and still have the required minimum reserve fuel when you land. You then have to go to another airport.
“Sometimes the airline wont give us lunch breaks or even time to eat. We have to delay flights just so we can get food.” -First officer on a regional carrier
“We tell passengers what they need to know. We don’t tell them things that are going to scare the pants off them. So you’ll never hear me say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we just had an engine failure,’ even if that’s true.” -Jim Tilmon, retired American Airlines pilot, Phoenix
“The Department of Transportation has put such an emphasis on on-time performance that we pretty much aren’t allowed to delay a flight anymore, even if there are 20 people on a connecting flight that’s coming in just a little late.” -Commercial pilot, Charlotte, North Carolina
“The truth is, we’re exhausted. Our work rules allow us to be on duty 16 hours without a break. That’s many more hours than a truck driver. And unlike a truck driver, who can pull over at the next rest stop, we can’t pull over at the next cloud.” -Captain at a major airline
What We Want You to Know
“Some FAA rules don’t make sense to us either. Like the fact that when we’re at 39,000 feet going 400 miles an hour, in a plane that could hit turbulence at any minute, [flight attendants] can walk around and serve hot coffee and Chateaubriand. But when we’re on the ground on a flat piece of asphalt going five to ten miles an hour, they’ve got to be buckled in like they’re at NASCAR.” -Jack Stephan, US Airways captain based in Annapolis, Maryland, who has been flying since 1984
“The two worst airports for us: Reagan National in Washington, D.C., and John Wayne in Orange County, California. You’re flying by the seat of your pants trying to get in and out of those airports. John Wayne is especially bad because the rich folks who live near the airport don’t like jet noise, so they have this noise abatement procedure where you basically have to turn the plane into a ballistic missile as soon as you’re airborne.” -Pilot, South Carolina
I wouldn't say at all that these are the worst airports. Internationally there are MUCH worse places. And the cry baby making this comment must not like working outside of the box at all. I actually enjoyed my days working out of Reagan National.
“At some airports with really short runways, you’re not going to have a smooth landing no matter how good we are: John Wayne Airport; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Chicago Midway; and Reagan National.” -Joe D’Eon, a pilot at a major airline
“I may be in uniform, but that doesn’t mean I’m the best person to ask for directions in the airport. We’re in so many airports that we usually have no idea.” -Pilot for a regional carrier, Charlotte, North Carolina
I actually had someone ask me for directions once and I told them sorry I don't know. They said to me, "well don't you work here?" Actually no I don't work in the airport, but thank you.
“This happens all the time: We’ll be in Pittsburgh going to Philly, and there will be a weather delay. The weather in Pittsburgh is beautiful. Then I’ll hear passengers saying, ‘You know, I just called my friend in Philly, and it’s beautiful there too,’ like there’s some kind of conspiracy or something. But in the airspace between Pittsburgh and Philly there’s a huge thunderstorm.” -Jack Stephan
Oh my God this is SOOOOO true
“You may go to an airline website and buy a ticket, pull up to its desk at the curb, and get onto an airplane that has a similar name painted on it, but half the time, you’re really on a regional airline. The regionals aren’t held to the same safety standards as the majors: Their pilots aren’t required to have as much training and experience, and the public doesn’t know that.” -Captain at a major airline
This was said by a total moron and simply isn't the case. Sure SOME folks flying at the regionals have low flight time. In fact some barely have any flight time. But all pilots get the same kind of training, and all U.S. carriers have to follow the same rules. Back when I first started at a regional I was hired with a fair amount of time which isn't the case now a days. But there are pilots at the regionals with tens of thousands of hours. They simply chose not to leave that job, or never got hired elsewhere when they wanted to leave. Some guys at the major airlines have forgotten where they started and how they got to where they are today. Also companies apply pressure to their workers by saying they will divert more flying to partner airlines if the workers don't take pay cuts and what not. That then causes a riff between the workers at those airlines.
“Most of the time, how you land is a good indicator of a pilot’s skill. So if you want to say something nice to a pilot as you’re getting off the plane, say ‘Nice landing.’ We do appreciate that.” -Joe D’Eon
This guy just is beggin for a pat on the back. How "good" the landing is has nothing to do with your pilot skills. In fact a smooth landing is not what you always want and in some cases is actually dangerous. A big heavy plane landing on a short runway needs to be set firmly onto the ground and get those tires/brakes and wing spoilers working to get the plane slowed down. That said, crews do appreciate being appreciated.
“Cabin air is not as dirty as people think. A portion of the air is recirculated because that helps to reduce humidity. But it’s run through hospital-quality HEPA filters, and it’s actually cleaner than the air found in most public buildings.” -Patrick Smith, commercial pilot
Folks still shouldn't fly when they are sick. I hate sitting next to a guy hackin up a lung the whole time.
“No, it’s not your imagination: Airlines really have adjusted their flight arrival times so they can have a better record of on-time arrivals. So they might say a flight takes two hours when it really takes an hour and 45 minutes.” -AirTran Airways captain, Atlanta
Flight schedules are created on an average over time. The days with major delays due to weather cause those averages to shift. Most flights therefore have a buffer built into them and won't take that long to complete.
When to Worry
“It’s one thing if the pilot puts the seat belt sign on for the passengers. But if he tells the flight attendants to sit down, you’d better listen. That means there’s some serious turbulence ahead.” -John Greaves, airline accident lawyer and former airline captain, Los Angeles
“There’s no such thing as a water landing. It’s called crashing into the ocean.” -Pilot, South Carolina
The US Airways flight into the Hudson proves this wrong. But it is funny
“A plane flies into a massive updraft, which you can’t see on the radar, and it’s like hitting a giant speed bump at 500 miles an hour. It throws everything up in the air and then down very violently. That’s not the same as turbulence, which bounces everyone around for a while.” -John Nance, aviation safety analyst and retired airline captain, Seattle
This is where my bucks Updraft and Downdraft got their names.
“Is traveling with a baby in your lap safe? No. It’s extremely dangerous. If there’s any impact or deceleration, there’s a good chance you’re going to lose hold of your kid, and he becomes a projectile. But the government’s logic is that if we made you buy an expensive seat for your baby, you’d just drive, and you’re more likely to be injured driving than flying.” -Patrick Smith
I worked at one place where we crew members referred to lap children as "meat missiles." I know that seems sad to say, but what I find sadder is that folks are too cheap to take better care of their kids than that. I used to know but I have forgotten now the pounds and the speed at which the item being held in a persons arms will fly out of their arms uncontrollably when in a crash. But it isn't much. A person will not be able to hold the average baby during a crash. In fact the safest thing to do with the kid if you know there is a crash coming is to put it under the seat or in an overhead bin with jackets or blankets. But it is rare that everyone knows a crash is coming. Just buy a ticket and use a child seat please.
Everything in the color red was added by me as many of you know I have an opinion about many things and I am not afraid to share it
35 Secrets Your Pilot Won't Tell You
by Reader's Digest Magazine
We asked 17 pilots from across the country to give us straight answers about maddening safety rules, inexplicable delays, the air and attitudes up there—and what really happens behind the cockpit door. What they told us will change the way you fly.
What You Don't Want to Know
“I’m constantly under pressure to carry less fuel than I’m comfortable with. Airlines are always looking at the bottom line, and you burn fuel carrying fuel. Sometimes if you carry just enough fuel and you hit thunderstorms or delays, then suddenly you’re running out of gas and you have to go to an alternate airport.” -Captain at a major airline
This is poorly worded but actually is true. But your not "suddenly running out of gas", you simply don't have enough to complete the flight to the destination and still have the required minimum reserve fuel when you land. You then have to go to another airport.
“Sometimes the airline wont give us lunch breaks or even time to eat. We have to delay flights just so we can get food.” -First officer on a regional carrier
“We tell passengers what they need to know. We don’t tell them things that are going to scare the pants off them. So you’ll never hear me say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we just had an engine failure,’ even if that’s true.” -Jim Tilmon, retired American Airlines pilot, Phoenix
“The Department of Transportation has put such an emphasis on on-time performance that we pretty much aren’t allowed to delay a flight anymore, even if there are 20 people on a connecting flight that’s coming in just a little late.” -Commercial pilot, Charlotte, North Carolina
“The truth is, we’re exhausted. Our work rules allow us to be on duty 16 hours without a break. That’s many more hours than a truck driver. And unlike a truck driver, who can pull over at the next rest stop, we can’t pull over at the next cloud.” -Captain at a major airline
What We Want You to Know
“Some FAA rules don’t make sense to us either. Like the fact that when we’re at 39,000 feet going 400 miles an hour, in a plane that could hit turbulence at any minute, [flight attendants] can walk around and serve hot coffee and Chateaubriand. But when we’re on the ground on a flat piece of asphalt going five to ten miles an hour, they’ve got to be buckled in like they’re at NASCAR.” -Jack Stephan, US Airways captain based in Annapolis, Maryland, who has been flying since 1984
“The two worst airports for us: Reagan National in Washington, D.C., and John Wayne in Orange County, California. You’re flying by the seat of your pants trying to get in and out of those airports. John Wayne is especially bad because the rich folks who live near the airport don’t like jet noise, so they have this noise abatement procedure where you basically have to turn the plane into a ballistic missile as soon as you’re airborne.” -Pilot, South Carolina
I wouldn't say at all that these are the worst airports. Internationally there are MUCH worse places. And the cry baby making this comment must not like working outside of the box at all. I actually enjoyed my days working out of Reagan National.
“At some airports with really short runways, you’re not going to have a smooth landing no matter how good we are: John Wayne Airport; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Chicago Midway; and Reagan National.” -Joe D’Eon, a pilot at a major airline
“I may be in uniform, but that doesn’t mean I’m the best person to ask for directions in the airport. We’re in so many airports that we usually have no idea.” -Pilot for a regional carrier, Charlotte, North Carolina
I actually had someone ask me for directions once and I told them sorry I don't know. They said to me, "well don't you work here?" Actually no I don't work in the airport, but thank you.
“This happens all the time: We’ll be in Pittsburgh going to Philly, and there will be a weather delay. The weather in Pittsburgh is beautiful. Then I’ll hear passengers saying, ‘You know, I just called my friend in Philly, and it’s beautiful there too,’ like there’s some kind of conspiracy or something. But in the airspace between Pittsburgh and Philly there’s a huge thunderstorm.” -Jack Stephan
Oh my God this is SOOOOO true
“You may go to an airline website and buy a ticket, pull up to its desk at the curb, and get onto an airplane that has a similar name painted on it, but half the time, you’re really on a regional airline. The regionals aren’t held to the same safety standards as the majors: Their pilots aren’t required to have as much training and experience, and the public doesn’t know that.” -Captain at a major airline
This was said by a total moron and simply isn't the case. Sure SOME folks flying at the regionals have low flight time. In fact some barely have any flight time. But all pilots get the same kind of training, and all U.S. carriers have to follow the same rules. Back when I first started at a regional I was hired with a fair amount of time which isn't the case now a days. But there are pilots at the regionals with tens of thousands of hours. They simply chose not to leave that job, or never got hired elsewhere when they wanted to leave. Some guys at the major airlines have forgotten where they started and how they got to where they are today. Also companies apply pressure to their workers by saying they will divert more flying to partner airlines if the workers don't take pay cuts and what not. That then causes a riff between the workers at those airlines.
“Most of the time, how you land is a good indicator of a pilot’s skill. So if you want to say something nice to a pilot as you’re getting off the plane, say ‘Nice landing.’ We do appreciate that.” -Joe D’Eon
This guy just is beggin for a pat on the back. How "good" the landing is has nothing to do with your pilot skills. In fact a smooth landing is not what you always want and in some cases is actually dangerous. A big heavy plane landing on a short runway needs to be set firmly onto the ground and get those tires/brakes and wing spoilers working to get the plane slowed down. That said, crews do appreciate being appreciated.
“Cabin air is not as dirty as people think. A portion of the air is recirculated because that helps to reduce humidity. But it’s run through hospital-quality HEPA filters, and it’s actually cleaner than the air found in most public buildings.” -Patrick Smith, commercial pilot
Folks still shouldn't fly when they are sick. I hate sitting next to a guy hackin up a lung the whole time.
“No, it’s not your imagination: Airlines really have adjusted their flight arrival times so they can have a better record of on-time arrivals. So they might say a flight takes two hours when it really takes an hour and 45 minutes.” -AirTran Airways captain, Atlanta
Flight schedules are created on an average over time. The days with major delays due to weather cause those averages to shift. Most flights therefore have a buffer built into them and won't take that long to complete.
When to Worry
“It’s one thing if the pilot puts the seat belt sign on for the passengers. But if he tells the flight attendants to sit down, you’d better listen. That means there’s some serious turbulence ahead.” -John Greaves, airline accident lawyer and former airline captain, Los Angeles
“There’s no such thing as a water landing. It’s called crashing into the ocean.” -Pilot, South Carolina
The US Airways flight into the Hudson proves this wrong. But it is funny
“A plane flies into a massive updraft, which you can’t see on the radar, and it’s like hitting a giant speed bump at 500 miles an hour. It throws everything up in the air and then down very violently. That’s not the same as turbulence, which bounces everyone around for a while.” -John Nance, aviation safety analyst and retired airline captain, Seattle
This is where my bucks Updraft and Downdraft got their names.
“Is traveling with a baby in your lap safe? No. It’s extremely dangerous. If there’s any impact or deceleration, there’s a good chance you’re going to lose hold of your kid, and he becomes a projectile. But the government’s logic is that if we made you buy an expensive seat for your baby, you’d just drive, and you’re more likely to be injured driving than flying.” -Patrick Smith
I worked at one place where we crew members referred to lap children as "meat missiles." I know that seems sad to say, but what I find sadder is that folks are too cheap to take better care of their kids than that. I used to know but I have forgotten now the pounds and the speed at which the item being held in a persons arms will fly out of their arms uncontrollably when in a crash. But it isn't much. A person will not be able to hold the average baby during a crash. In fact the safest thing to do with the kid if you know there is a crash coming is to put it under the seat or in an overhead bin with jackets or blankets. But it is rare that everyone knows a crash is coming. Just buy a ticket and use a child seat please.
