Position: Climbing out of KPHX
Altitude: 10,200 feet
Indicated Airspeed: 210 knots (240 mph)
Equipment: A319
Pax-on-Board: 91
Airborne...
Leg number three is underway. The departure controller just cleared us direct to the first fix on the SID (standard instrument departure). The co-pilot, new to Fi-Fi and just back from an extended furlough, timidly selects the correct nav fix from the flight plan, and pushes the 319 version of the enter button to move that fix to the front of her digital brain.
Fi-Fi asks him, Are you sure? You better be... He selects the yes, I'm sure button and Fi-Fi banks right. In the mean time, she is climbing at 4,400 fpm thru busy airspace. I am keeping one eye outside for the nightmarish scenario of a Cessna in our 12 o'clock, and the other is watching the co-pilot who is (mostly) hanging on by his fingernails. Fi-Fi is having her way with him. She is bad about that.
Most of the furloughed youth and several old re-treads are back on the Line. Only a few were lucky enough to find flying jobs during their furlough. This kid told me he was very happy to be re-called. An exact quote: The paychecks are nice and the insurance is wonderful. I have a wife and a one year old. That puts things in perspective.
He also told me that he was rusty and that Fi-Fi was still a mysterious creature to him. I assured him that he would see the Electric Jet light in a few months, but for now, just try to not scare the passengers. The best way for a new co-pilot to learn is from his own mistakes, as long as they are not dangerous to the pax, or cost the company too much money.
For instance, we are out of 10,000 feet, where the indicated airspeed could be accelerating above 250 knots, but he has forgotten to give the speed control to the nav computers by a single button push (or just roll the speed up manually), so instead of accelerating, we are climbing like a homesick angel. In a minute or two, ATC is going to ask him about his indicated airspeed. Does this cost the company money? In the big picture... No. Does this scare the pax? No.
I, captain Dave, used to be (probably) the worst co-pilot that many of those old war horse Captains had ever seen, or even heard of... I think about some of the ignorant stunts I pulled over in the right seat and it brings beads of cold sweat to my forehead.
Here is a prime example... Still in my probation year, my leg climbing out of KLAS in a 737-100-Basic. In the first turn toward the west coast, I forgot to engage the auto-pilot and released the yoke... The Thunder Guppy kept turning, and turning. The Captain came un-glued and asked me what the [deleted] are you doing? He took the aircraft away from me while he chewed on my butt with a steady stream of expletives, some of which I did not know could be used together in the same sentence.
And then there was the time that I figured take-off thrust incorrectly causing another Captain to abort the take-off. Back in the Iron Age, co-pilots figured performance with a hand calculator, pencil, and company charts. Performance Engineering switched from Fahrenheit to Centigrade temperature on all the data, which I was aware of, but promptly forgot the next day.
When the Captain discovered what I had done, he quietly said, "You screw up like that again, I will be getting a new co-pilot. You got it?"
"Yes sir, I've got it and it won't happen again." Yikes! My tail was between my legs for a couple of days.
Oh yeah, let's not forget the time going into KPDX (Portland), at night, my leg, 737-200-Advanced, visual approach, Runway 28 Left. I turned the normal dog-leg final over the river, but failed to positively identify the airport, nevertheless I told the Captain that, "Yep, I got it in sight." I'm not sure to this day what I was looking at, but it sure wasn't the Portland airport.
By the time I called for gear DOWN and flaps to fifteen, KPDX was passing by on our right side and 1,000 feet below. I should have been on short final for 28 Left, fully configured, and about 500 feet over the river descending at 700 feet per minute.
Portland control tower asked, "Where are you guys going?" Oh, Lord, I'll never forget that question as long as I live.
The Captain, generally known to be a calm individual, lost his cool. He had totally relied on my airmanship and I had let him down in a big way. Yes, he should have been more in the loop, but it was the end of a long day and we were both tired. He told me, rather forcefully, to go around and get lined up with the [deleted] runway, and I mean right [deleted] now.
Another butt chewing after we set the brakes at the gate... I deserved it.
And I have never forgotten it.
PPOS... 16,000 feet
My co-pilot is about to set a time-to-climb record for a 319 when the departure controller asks, "What's your airspeed?"
"Two ten knots."
"Uh, can you guys give me more than that?"
I look across the dark cockpit at the co-pilot... He realizes his mistake and immediately turns speed control over to the nav computers. Fi-Fi drops her nose and the airspeed starts increasing.
"Sorry about that."
"Ah, don't worry about it."
The grin on my face hurts as The Electric Jet ascends into the moonless, starry night.
Life on the Line continues...
43 comments:
Sounds like you are a kinder, gentler Captain-Sir! And you lost the opportunity to practice one of those invective loaded sentences from the good-old-days!
Thanks for opening that triple bolted bank-safe door into the cockpit, and giving the GIB a view into Life On The Line.
More, please.
"He realizes his mistake and immediately turns speed control over to the nav computers. Fi-Fi drops her nose and the airspeed starts increasing."
So he simply pushed in the SPD selector knob for "managed" speed, right? I'm gonna get this electric jet in a month...
Great posts, and outstanding mistakes as a co-pilot!
Ryan
Capt. Dave, This is an amazing confessional. I am maintaining my opinion of you. When those co-pilots you've flown with over the years belly up to bar years from now they will speak most highly of you. You will be legendary by then. The pax who fly with them,although they will never know, will enjoy a smoother, safer ride, because you were there. Some day in the future, as you sit on the deck of your beach side home, writing your third best seller, you may look up and see a contrail blaze across the sky. A smile will cross your face as you remember the many names and faces you trained. As the bride of your youth puts her hand on your shoulder and refreshes your drink, you will think, "Yes, it was worth it."
"He took the aircraft away from me while he chewed on my butt with a steady stream of expletives, some of which I did not know could be used together in the same sentence." Sure wasn't a "sterile cockpit"! Haha. Awesome post!
I think you should have given him a butt-chewing.
Hey,
Reader from the UK here - love the blog, really enjoy it, jump straight on as soon as I get a notification you've posted. Keep up the good work :)
To what degree do you have the freedom to control Fi-Fi? There is this idea amongst civilians like myself that fly-by-wire planes almost fly themselves, with the pilots present merely as hot-blooded backups, but this example seems to indicate otherwise.
I'm surprised that Fi-Fi didn't issue a warning indicating that you were going too slowly, did you want to go faster in order maintain safe airspeed, or for efficiency/speed purposes?
- Lorenzo
Thanks for another great post, Captain Dave!
I still remember getting questioned by the fellow in the left seat about appropriate bank in a T-43 while executing a forward slip over the Grand Canyon. "Do you know how much altitude you will lose executing a stall recovery?" 7,000 feet "What is your current altitude"? 5,000 feet above the rim. "And you do NOT want to know how much paperwork dropping below the rim will cause." I dialed out about 10 degrees of bank.
Captain, for all the years I've read your blog, this post is my favorite. It speaks so much of how one grows in their career and learns how to teach and mentor the future generation. Kudos for taking the road less traveled and for gently allowing them to learn rather than dishing out the string of expletives.
Cap'n:
"Don't scare the pax..."
Reminds me of an old mentor of mine who said, "Do whatever you want, but no drilling holes below the waterline."
Put this one in the folder marked "LEADERSHIP".
Regards,
Frank
My favorite FL390 post will always be the one your getting ready to post, but this one sure does come close. With one eye here and the other there I'm surprised you can always see straight!
Mr. Jones' comment is spot on ... You will be legendary by then. You rock.
~DeAnn
Your post leaves me smiling and yet bittersweet. I don't want to say it was better in the bad-old-days, but there is something missing today - that is the journeyman experience. The ability to learn at the feet of a someone who really KNOWS what the heck they are doing whether it be flying or carpentry. Young men today do not know the character growth that occurs when an apprentice humbles himself to learn a skill to an expert level. The miss out on the sweet feeling of pride and accomplishment when some old timer says "Not bad kid!". Wonderful post, just wonderful.
Another gold star sticker! A++ :)
Captain Dave, you're not the only pilot to motor past an airport.
When I was a controller at PHX tower (many moon ago in the old tower)I had a B727 inbound from the west following a business jet for a visual approach to the south side. The biz jet turned base then final but the three-holer just kept motoring east. Since it was a quite night I just let them go to see what was going to happen. When they got about five miles east of the airport I finally asked them where they were going. The answer: "We're following our traffic and we're wondering where he's going." When I told them their traffic was off the runway and on the way to the ramp there was a long, long silence then finally "Damn, that's a bright star out there!"
I really enjoy each of your postings and look forward to the next one. Thanks for posting.
Captain, your posts sure make me "homesick" for my flying days while I pay the bills driving a truck. Man, the attitude difference between almost all pilots and all but a few truck drivers are so different. Professional pilots typically try to impress each other with how small of a detail they can anticipate and preempt to achieve perfection. In trucking it's "you drive your truck and I'll drive mine."
In flying, nobody comes to the industry "knowing everything" so everybody is ready to learn. In trucking everybody has been driving since they were 16 so "you can't teach me squat." If I mildly suggest to another driver you could do X easier, faster, safer, and with much more safety and less effort by just wiggling a little finger at the right moment, I may get agreement but nothing else.
It's almost routine for the US airline industry to go all year with zero fatalities, while in driving everybody just assumes a 40K body count. Almost all accidents involving trucks are caused by stupid car drivers doing the same 3 things, but the truck drivers do little more than coach other drivers by saying "with that much experience you should know XYZ." Nobody actually teaches XYZ to new drivers.
Sorry for the rant. You're my sanity retreat Captain Dave.
"Everything I ever needed to know I learned in flight school.
Embry-Riddle '91
"Thunder Guppy," heh, heh.
I don't know if we had a nickname for 737s when I was at ZJX (Jacksonville ARTCC—'68-'73), but when I got to ORD ('73) I learned that we called them guppies. It must be a tower thing. Anyone who actually looks at one (particularly the early, cigar-tube-engine ones, knows exactly why we called them guppies.
When I got out to the Center (ZAU) I carried on calling them guppies, but no one—I mean zero—called them guppies. They called them FLUFs—too cute by half. I continued calling them guppies until I retired. I'm stubborn that way.
LRod
ZJX, ORD, ZAU retired
One of my favourite posts ever Captain Dave. Some very nice lessons in leadership were contained therein. Thanks! I check your blog every day and always appreciate the time and thought you put into your posts.
CT
Don't scare the passengers. Loved it. :-)
Fantastic Dave! You keep those of us "flying desks", (who long to be in the flight deck even though we went to some school for it) wanting more. Some day, I say...some day. Until then, keep writing.
I appreciate your candor with your 'new' F/O. We all screw up some minor detail from time to time. The way you deal with it is something many could learn from.
I've been enjoying your blog for the last year and a half, Dave. Just wanted to say great post and thanks for sharing these experiences with us.
Thunder Guppy?
Only time I've ever heard that was in reference to a T-2 Buckeye. NTPS Pax River Maryland. A buddy of mine, who is a civilian flight test engineer, participated in and completed the program at PAX and spoke of the mighty Thunder Guppy.
He is working on the avionics and some FBW stuff in the new variant of the UH-60 these days.
Told me a story about running the test equipment in a fuselage mock up with a giant radar horn pointed at him. Wished he wrapped his testicles snugly in aluminum foil after the fact. It was funnier coming from him, I can assure you.
Super smart guy, much like you. It's why I come here. Learn something every time I tickle yer URL.
Blue skies and smooth air, from a true fan.
Andy
www.smokingtoaster.com
Hi Captain,
I finally want to write you how much I love your postings. As someone who is studying for a cockpit career right now your stories give me more insight in cockpit life than any other part of my training. And I personally think that I am actually learning something here.
Keep on the fantastic work, I sure will keep on reading :)
I find it amazing that the aircraft Captain Dave pretty much learnt his trade on was a real man's 'plane; the original 737. How I miss the sound of those JT8D turbofans! There will come a time when our Captains never knew such delights or flew F-4 Phantoms in a former life and will hence have lesser stories and experience to pass down to the new generation.
I would be interested to know Captain Dave, when you last flew an original 737 and would you leap at the chance for another "go" of one?
All the best
Stu
I'm sitting here in my hotel room (NYC), laughing out loud. We have pilots in the family (my oldest sister's former and current husbands were both Navy pilots, and the former one flew for PSA and Alaska Airline as well), and I suspect they have their own collection of stories. Keep up the great writing and the great flying.
I found the wrong airport once. I was VFR, just flying by dead reckoning and my destination had gone IFR. I picked out a diversion airport that was near the edge of the chart, not realizing that there was another airport very close to it, on the next chart over. I spotted an airport, made the appropriate calls, but as I was passing overhead to check the windsock I saw a different name pained down the taxiway in huge letters. It looked like a nice airport so I looked it up, changed frequencies and landed there instead.
Both airports were uncontrolled and the main place that most people would be coming to or from was within the are of poor weather, so fortunately I didn't interfere with anyone.
Nothing could have been more appropriate to end this post, 'The grin on my face hurts as The Electric Jet ascends into the moonless, starry night.'
I bet you are a pleasure to fly with.
There's KVUO and KTTD in sight of the approach path to KPDX (in the cockpit's line of sight, anyway).
My thought was - particularly given the vintage of your error - that you could give thanks for not being these guys.
Wow! Almost every post just takes my breath away! It is a true joy to read about your very sound observations and the way you put them into words.. All pilot's have made mistakes, lots of them, anyone who says different is lying but the way those mistakes are handled by instructors/captains and the individual pilot makes all the difference. To have you in the left seat must be very reassuring for any co-pilot! I'd give anything to learn from someone like you - keep up the good work!
"Where are you guys going?" Laughed until I cried.
I've had a few instructors over the years during my part 61 climb to the professional skies, and i have to say - the most effective lessons have come when i realize i've made a mistake and the left seat is not ringing with expletives, but instead very very silent...
Dear Captain Dave.
Thanks again for your blog. I´m a virtual pilot (a FiFi one), flying around Europe and based in Lisbon. Inspired by your blog and your work im flying around your Empire, making the same approaches that you sir describe so well and catches the attention of all your followers. Flying on-line on Flight simulator is well look a like flying a real FiFi, I remember when I start flying the ATC pulling my nerves up to the estratosphere or when I coudn´t catch the ILS, it was always bad because we don´t want to look bad!
I just want to say how lucky your first officer have on having you on the left seet. Great post has usual and always looking from hear from your great Life on the line...
awesome blogs Love this blogs ! :)
Now I have another beautiful visual to line up with my collection in my mind - that of Captain Dave quietly grinning in his seat after such an incident, or simply because of his delight in flying.
Gee Dave, wish you were my check pilot is all I can say. An FAA designated examiner and I had a bad day one time that it didn't end well. The DE was old enough to have a license signed by Orville and was as crusty as they come.
I agree with several of the previous comments that this is my favorite post. I noticed that many of those who commented are pilots (like myself) who appreciate learning from the mistakes of others, especially from pilots like yourself that we have come to respect. Thanks for sharing!
Your grin is a far cry from the treatment you went thru as a green pilot. I still think to this day about your post regarding "Zeus in a 737 ".
My first landing as a young and green co-pilot candidate was a disaster. The 737-100 Steam Jet bounced ten feet before falling back to the concrete with a thud. The training Captain looked at me across the dark cockpit and asked, [B]"You have a pilot's license, correct?"[/B] Total humiliation!
Wow! no PC here Captain just an admission of a leaning humanity, in a very technical and unforgiving environment. I admire you for your candour. Fly me anywhere, anytime and please as the wonderful English would say stay keeping calm and carry on!
Captain Dave I meant a learning not a leaning..many thanks!
Yet another excellent post. These should be in a book format for all the newbies!
My own YIKES! was at the *wrong* airport, and even had the right CTAF dialed in, but I was making position reports using the airport name that the locals didn't! I had heard the other traffic the *entire* time I was making my approach, and fortunately my right seater spotted him at 10 o'clock as we were both on short final to crossing runways.
Turns out they were doing touch and goes and the runway I was using (more aligned with the wind) wasn't used for T&Gs...
Gotta make sure you don't empty that bag of luck before you fill up the bag of experience!
Capt. Dave, great post. I do recall back in the early to mid
80's a Delta 727 mistakenly landed on MacDill AFB RWY04 instead of Tampa I'ntl's 36L - a big oops!!!. Is that enough to revoke a crew's license?
Thanks for your view into Life on the Line
First time poster but long time reader (all of them when I found them).
For a co pilot about to upgrade to a larger type this is very encouraging given the mistakes I too made as a new co pilot. I have always enjoyed your posts and this is my favourite so far.
Keep up the great work!
Dash 8 FO from Down Under.
Happy Birthday, Chuck Yeager! Born 13 Feb 1923!
You're the kind of captain that every pilot enjoys to fly with. Thanks for the post.
Dear Captain Dave,
That was a hilarious post. One of the best.
Best regards,
MK2
Montrouge, France
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