Piece of Cake

FLYING Staff

Friday, June 19, 2009 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

New First Officer Linda Wackerman successfully completed her initial operating experience (OE) on the 757/767, demonstrating strong piloting skills despite being new to the aircraft.
Her training flights were significantly hampered by a series of frustrating ground operations issues, including late aircraft arrivals, absent ground crews, APU malfunctions, faulty engine start equipment, and delays in ramp access.
These numerous challenges, which caused substantial delays and required the flight crew to navigate equipment failures and communication breakdowns, highlighted systemic operational problems within the airline's ground support.

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Newark is not my favorite airport. The drive from my home in Connecticut is long and can be fraught with the horrors of standstill traffic. The scenery on the New Jersey turnpike has all the appeal of a trip to the local landfill. The airport itself is famous for its “blue sky” departure and arrival delays.

I was pleasantly surprised that morning when Carol and I pulled up to the curb at the terminal unscathed and ahead of schedule. Carol was flying out to visit her family in Minnesota. I was flying out later that afternoon to begin a turnaround to Miami. I would be the check airman for Linda Wackerman on her first operating experience (OE) trip.