The month of August was not typical. Carol and I normally spend the summer enjoying our home in Connecticut. But on this particular occasion, we had filled part of the calendar with out of town excursions. One of the excursions was a week on Lake Powell with a handful of airline friends. The other event was our annual trip to Wisconsin for a family fly-in on a farm airstrip. In addition, we included a very brief side visit with some of Carol's family in Minnesota.
Our good fortune in being afforded these opportunities translated into me paying for it when I came back to work. This meant that my schedule was full at the end of the month. I had to make the dreaded transition from play mode to pay mode. The rigors of recreation can take its toll ...
In that regard, when John and I shook hands in JFK Operations, I was still in transition. Fortunately, John helped make it a gradual process.
John had been a DCA-based 737 captain and had transferred to the international division on the 767/757 based in New York. As part of the OE (operating experience), I was the check airman for the domestic portion of his qualification requirements. John had finished his simulator training a week or two prior. We were scheduled to fly a 1555 departure to Los Angeles and return the next day.
This particular OE was different from a couple of aspects. John had more seniority than me. He had been hired four years prior to my employment. In the early '80s, he had experienced an involuntary vacation in the form of a three-year furlough and had been recalled just before my arrival on the property. He was a well-seasoned veteran of the airline world. In addition, John had been a check airman on the 727.
All of the OE pilots I had flown with up to this point had been my junior. Although I was technically in charge, a certain amount of diplomatic protocol was in order.
As my time with John progressed, it became apparent that he had no seniority barriers. He valued my experience and was receptive to recommendations and suggestions. It was obvious that his additional years of professionalism were an asset to his abilities. Translation: John was doing a helluva job. We arrived in Los Angeles as though John had been flying the 767 most of his career.
As we stood on the curb of the infamous LAX red zone awaiting the arrival of the hotel jitney bus, I twisted my earpiece in and began to retrieve messages on my cell phone voice mail. I wouldn't realize it until later, but one message heralded the complete end of what remained of my relaxation mode. Soon, circumstances would require me to rub my belly and pat my head at the same time.
Bill, the copilot I was to fly with on the next trip, had called. The first leg of his OE would begin on a 757 flight to Las Vegas from JFK the day after I returned from Los Angeles. Normally, I'm the one that initiates the call to my next victim in an effort to reduce any check ride anxiety. But Bill was an obvious overachiever. The enthusiastic tone of his message gave me pause to grin.
I returned Bill's call, but got his voice mail. Bill had been a domestic 737 copilot based in Los Angeles. He was 42 years old with an Air Force background flying C-141s and other heavy equipment. He was still active in the Reserves and had an interesting assignment. Bill was teaching Air Force Academy cadets to fly gliders near his home in Colorado Springs. I'm a glider guy, so we immediately had something in common.
The exuberance Bill displayed when we greeted each other in JFK Operations was infectious. His attitude proved conducive to absorbing information like a dry sponge. After a few minutes of light conversation, I showed him some aspects of WSI weather products that would be helpful for his transition to international flying. With the flight plan paperwork in Bill's hands, we straightened our ties, grabbed our bags and walked out of Operations toward the gate.
I had hoped to arrive at the airplane with plenty of time to guide Bill through a walk-around inspection of our 757. Unfortunately, the circumstances of a late arrival did not allow us the opportunity until 45 minutes prior to our scheduled departure. Ordinarily that was plenty of time, but this day would require a little extra because of my instruction. And as I got to know Bill, he was never lacking for questions -- a quality not to be discouraged by a check airman. However, my job can be a difficult balance between providing a learning experience and providing timely transportation to our customers. That being stated, we didn't return to the cockpit until 20 minutes prior to departure.
In the interest of both a prompt departure and training, I often instruct the new pilot to concern himself or herself with preflight duties related to the FMC and the ACARS computer. I perform the basic cockpit preparations. Why?
The nuances of the computer are usually unfamiliar territory. It can be the most time-consuming part of the preflight. A pilot new to the airplane learns more by pushing buttons on their own with a little guidance from me. Professional pilots know how to follow checklists, so I'm never concerned that the new guy or gal will require much supervision in the way of determining whether a switch is in the right position. Besides, their ground school and simulator training provided the background for such things. As comfort level increases, all of the preparation tasks will be accomplished within a normal time frame, usually by the very next leg.
