[LeftBase]

Originally Posted by View Profile

A typical working week in the "worlds favourite" airline.

This is in a base in which you work 5 days on duty, with 4 days off duty. It's a fixed roster so this pattern does not change.

1 Oct 12, Sun Milan 10:05 Z.............12:50 Z Kos
1 Oct 12, Sun Kos 13:15 Z...............16:00 Z Milan
1 Oct 12, Sun Milan 16:25 Z.............18:15 Z Niederrhein
1 Oct 12, Sun Niederrhein 18:40 Z.....20:20 Z Milan

2 Oct 12, Mon Milan 12:20 Z.............13:50 Z Lamezia
2 Oct 12, Mon Lamezia 14:15 Z.........15:45 Z Milan
2 Oct 12, Mon Milan 16:10 Z.............17:45 Z Palermo
2 Oct 12, Mon Palermo 18:10 Z.........19:45 Z Milan

3 Oct 12, Tue Milan 15:55 Z..............18:30 Z Rhodes
3 Oct 12, Tue Rhodes 18:55 Z...........21:40 Z Milan

4 Oct 12, Wed Stand-by 08:30 Z........20:30 Z

5 Oct 12, Thu Milan 14:10 Z............15:45 Z Palermo
5 Oct 12, Thu Palermo 16:10 Z.........17:45 Z Milan
5 Oct 12, Thu Milan 18:10 Z............19:50 Z Beauvais
5 Oct 12, Thu Beauvais 20:15 Z........21:55 Z Milan

And like Priority Right mentioned, the fellow sitting next to you will dictate how good or bad a day you will have.
I have found that certain nationalities are better craic than others on the flight deck.

Cheers and thanks for the replies guys! I was just wondering how much air time there is and if you spent a lot of days with say 2 sectors and home for lunch!

I'm dying to know what nationalities are the best craic now!

[Our man in Havana]

4 Oct 12, Wed Stand-by 08:30 Z........20:30 Z

Hanging around?

[View Profile]

Originally Posted by Our man in Havana

Hanging around?

Yep, it's an unpaid standby shift. Basically you are on call the whole day and need to be within an hour of the airport if they need you.

Leftbase
Cheers and thanks for the replies guys! I was just wondering how much air time there is and if you spent a lot of days with say 2 sectors and home for lunch!

That's a late shift. In FR you generally will alternate between earlies and lates every week. An early shift usually starts about 5am local time and finishes around 2-4pm. Lunch is had in the cruise!

Plowman
Go on?

Ah, while I can't tar every nationality with the same brush there are some pilots that have a reputation within the company.
Dutch pilots for example are often regarded as a pain in the ass, know it all, cocky bunch.
Some Brits are a bit too serious and lack a sense of humour.
The Irish, Italians , Greeks and Germans I have found are a laid back enough bunch.
All depends on the individual and their age though..........mainly.

[Priority Right]

It's a disgrace you don't get paid for standby!!

Yep the Dutch in every airline are the worst!

[Bessarion]

Originally Posted by Priority Right

It's a disgrace you don't get paid for standby!!

Yep the Dutch in every airline are the worst!

Just wanted to highlight that fact....


Strangely I know a Dutch F/O who most crew like working with.............


............the blonde hair, long legs and sultry female accent may play a part in that though!!!!!

[Our man in Havana]

Originally Posted by View Profile

Yep, it's an unpaid standby shift. Basically you are on call the whole day and need to be within an hour of the airport if they need you.

How often would you actually end up getting called in?

[View Profile]

Originally Posted by Our man in Havana

How often would you actually end up getting called in?

Depends on the base but where I am I'd say 10% of standby shifts I get a call.
With the less experienced FOs (i.e. cheaper) they may get more calls.

[LeftBase]

Originally Posted by View Profile

Depends on the base but where I am I'd say 10% of standby shifts I get a call.
With the less experienced FOs (i.e. cheaper) they may get more calls.

Are hours good across the board or is talk of FOs sitting on backsides(on the ground with no sector pay) a fair bit true?

[Darwin]

Hi...I have a weather related question. Last week I was on a flight to Munich and as we came in over the coast of Germany, flight deck comes on to say weather radar shows a widespread storm system ahead and information from flights ahead indicate a rough ride. Cabin crew were instructed to take seats when ready. A minute or two later another annoucement this time from cabin crew to say we are expecting severe turbulence and for all pax to stay seated and belted up.

It got quite dark and we bounced for a bit but happily it turned out to be nothing out of the ordinary (I didn't spill my coffee )

1) Would it be considered abnormal to divert to another airport because a storm system (possibly hundreds of miles from the destination) blocks the way?
2) I've never heard the words 'severe turbulence' announced on a flight before - did someone overreact or did we get
away lightly?

[Priority Right]

Originally Posted by Darwin

1) Would it be considered abnormal to divert to another airport because a storm system (possibly hundreds of miles from the destination) blocks the way?
2) I've never heard the words 'severe turbulence' announced on a flight before - did someone overreact or did we get
away lightly?

Unless you were well into the descent and the thunderstorm was over the airfield on on short approach I can see of no reason to divert to another airfield. If the thunderstorm is anywhere else then you can go around it and try to stay upwind.

Sounds like they thought they had to fly through it but some airlines have different approaches to turbulence. Anytime I fly with Aer Lingus they put on the seatbelt sign the instant they feel anything. Sometimes it is just a shudder and the belts are on for another 5 minutes. If it's very light turbulence then I'll leave the belts off and only put them on as it gets more moderate.

[adlima]

Hey guys, super thread. I was on a flight over the weekend from Dubai to Qatar on a 737. During pushback, one of the Flap Track Fairings on the left hand side(I think that's what they're called) was pouring fuel quite heavily. Is it quite normal for something like this to happen? I've flown so much and have never seen it happen before. I'm fascinated with aviation but my knowledge of the engineering side of things wouldn't be the best. Thanks

[A320]

Originally Posted by adlima

Hey guys, super thread. I was on a flight over the weekend from Dubai to Qatar on a 737. During pushback, one of the Flap Track Fairings on the left hand side(I think that's what they're called) was pouring fuel quite heavily. Is it quite normal for something like this to happen? I've flown so much and have never seen it happen before. I'm fascinated with aviation but my knowledge of the engineering side of things wouldn't be the best. Thanks

That could of just been water,there is a drain hole on them,they can easily gather water,its Unlikely fuel would get in there,

[adlima]

Originally Posted by A320

That could of just been water,there is a drain hole on them,they can easily gather water,its Unlikely fuel would get in there,

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'm mistaken alright but I was convinced that it looked like fuel. The way the liquid changed when it hit the baking hot concrete certainly didn't look like water. And it also left huge stains, as we were sitting for a few mins before we taxied. Is there a possibility fuel could get in there?

[LeftBase]

Originally Posted by adlima

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'm mistaken alright but I was convinced that it looked like fuel. The way the liquid changed when it hit the baking hot concrete certainly didn't look like water. And it also left huge stains, as we were sitting for a few mins before we taxied. Is there a possibility fuel could get in there?

May have been water that was mixed with lubricant on the flap mechanisms?

[A320]

Grease 33 Beautiful