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Flight Options Dedicated Crewing

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"You are kidding. Right?"

If he isn't kidding, things are worse at FO than I ever imagined. Don't know whether to laugh or cry!
 
I forgot about the disclaimer: The above doesnt apply if you work for an airline or if you are represented by a union. The rules regarding common sense are different
 
"I forgot about the disclaimer: The above doesnt apply if you work for an airline or if you are represented by a union. The rules regarding common sense are differentThanks for clearing that up!"

I feel all better now knowing that the absense of a union turns unairworthy airplanes into airworthy ones. Why don't you share your maintenance philosophy with your owner/passengers? While you're at it, you might find it helpful to educate your insurance company and the FAA about FO's definition of "common sense". Then again, maybe your post has already accomplished that.
 
Vow Flydog!

Your post was all good untill the poor example. Union or not, that hypothetical airplane better be grounded now. Well, I hope it is just hypothetical. Is it?
 
I have been at Options for almost 3 years and have never come across anything like that.

If it was broke you just wrote it up and it was fixed. If you didn't write it up and flew an aircraft in that condition not only are you risking your career but more importantly the lives of the people on the aircraft.

A guy who would fly an aircraft like that at Options would have been already out the door and would be looking for a company with a union to protect him next time he did something stupid like that.
 
I was being sarcastic in my response to Valve

We all know that TDValve Mr 767 pilot has never flown an airplane with any broken parts in his 14,000 hrs.

I wonder if he would declare an emergency and shut down and engine if his N1 gauge quit working while the N2, oil press and temp were all normal. I know guys that have and they didnt get to keep their job. Part of this job is thinking through problems.

The point of my original post is that minor items that are known by a pilot to be a simple case of a stuck needle and not a major engine malfunction can be deferred.

I wont ground an airplane just because the light bulb on the VSI doesnt work but obviously the rules are different for 121 so the perspective for a 121 pilot is different. Us lower time guys grinding it out in 135 in 25 yr old jets unfortunately dont have the luxury of refusing trips when nonessential items break unless its a threat to safety.

By the way I dont work at FO so dont take my response to mean this is how their SOP dictates handling mx squawks although I am sure most of their pilots use common sense when they find a light bulb burnt out.
 
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Flydog, actually I didn't do my first solo in a 767. And, no, I wouldn't shutdown an engine and declare an emergency for an inop N1 indicator. I would write it up at the completion of the flight. However, if it was inop before takeoff I would either get it fixed or deferred in accordance with our MEL.

You might want to look further if you really think maintenance requirements are strict under 121 and lax under 135. The Part 135 maintenance requirements for transport category aircraft was lifted almost verbatim from Part 121. The biggest difference between 121 and 135 is attitude.
 
I know the 121 and 135 mx rules are similar. The ethical mindset of the employers however are different and if you dont have an MEL it gets even murkier.

Is it legal to fly with a burnt out light bulb on a map light without an MEL? My FSDO says no. Would I be fired if I refused to fly with a map light out? Probably.

What about the good old "Could not Duplicate" mx response. If this same part continues to fail and its not a safety risk do I quit my job in disgust and complain to the FAA or just take it in stride?

So what do I do. Lose my job over a stupid lightbulb and file a lawsuit and make a big stink about it to the Feds? I dont think so.

Dont preach 121 ops because even though the regs are similar in the real world we dont have the luxury and the backup of a Union, a professional standards committee and any of the benefits of flying for a major airline.

Some employers may be more safety oriented and ethical than others. Most 135 operators are interested in making a buck and care about safety second. The whole point of my post is that you cant fight the system and you as the PIC have the final authority for the safety of the flight. This is where the PIC knowing the airplane comes into play.

If you want to become a martyr for the cause come on down to 135 and do a few trips.

I really dont know what your point is. Either you are trying to show that I am a sucky Captain or that no one should fly an airplane unless all the Ts are crossed and Is are dotted. The latter doesnt exist in real life and I wont debate my decision making and job performance with you.
 
"I wont debate my decision making and job performance with you."

Flydog, fine with me. Have a good one.
 
dedicated crewing and other crap!

Gentlemen:

As Aformer Flight Options Captain, actually, one of the first, let me explain the dedicated crewing "concept". It all started because the Hawker and Beechjet crews couldn't keep all the different avionics packages straight. Very simple keep the crews in the same airplane. The problem now is that "uncle Kenn" (I could never figure out the two N's) has tried to manipulate this into a marketing point, the people they sell to are not that stupid, just a bit frugal.
As for the MOOK who made the comment about the oil pressure gauge, it's because of people like you that I no longer fly for FO. I cannot fathom why the mentality of write it up later or "I know we've been up for sixteen hours, but let's fly anyway" still persists. I hate to see you guys learn the hard way.
It's unfortunate that punks try to pass themselves off as professionals.

Don't even think of Flamin' me Kidds

KiddDynomite
 

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