Southwest pilot on hot mic trashing California

[y_p_w]

You may be right.

So, without the inadvertent “hot mic”, we wouldn’t know that pilots talk that way...

That’s why I don’t allow R/S/P on the flight deck, whether the FO and I agree or not. It’s distracting. It’s unprofessional. It’s detrimental.

Yeah. I guess some are wondering what are the chances that his first officer reports him for something like that. You know - the whole issue with snitching? I've even heard some suggestions that his FO might have turned on transmit because he didn't like him, as a joke, or was tired of hearing it. However, does the transmit only work for the individual headset or does it broadcast from both seats? Also it's not clear what could have been done if it was just the word of the FO vs the captain.

 

[Astro14]

RADIO:

If the FO keyed the mic, then the FO would be closer to that microphone, that was hot, and therefore louder. I can’t tell from the audio how close the speaker is to the microphone.

There are two hand mics, with a transmit switch on each. When pressed, that mic is the one connected to the radio panel, which then directs it to the radio.

There are also two boom mics, worn by the pilots, with a couple of transmit switches, which follow the same path to transmit.

So, four mics in the cockpit. My money is on the pedestal mic inadvertently being bumped by a knee, but other possibilities exist.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS:

If a pilot has an interpersonal issue with another pilot, there are company pathways to resolve that. There is an administrative oversight structure, usually with another pilot, known as a “Chief Pilot” at the head of that structure.

ALPA also has interpersonal conflict experts, a group of pilots trained in mediation and conflict resolution. ALPA would be my first call if I were to ever have a problem with another pilot.

In 23 years of airline flying, I haven’t needed to leverage those resources, but they’re well established and exist for just such a hypothetical conflict.

Companies have invested substantial resources in their flight crews. Far better to resolve conflict, or to rehabilitate a pilot with a problem, than to terminate. There are a lot of resources, in both the Union and company, that exist solely to enable pilots with a wide variety of personal issues to successfully resolve those issues and then return to the cockpit.

 

[y_p_w]

Qlqlkk poll

Companies have invested substantial resources in their flight crews. Far better to resolve conflict, or to rehabilitate a pilot with a problem, than to terminate. There are a lot of resources, in both the Union and company, that exist solely to enable pilots with a wide variety of personal issues to successfully resolve those issues and then return to the cockpit.

Right now Southwest is dealing with a PR headache, but so far this is just a nameless, faceless invidiual. Right now all they're saying is that they'll handle it, and I'm not sure there's any way that anyone can find out unless it has to be reported to the FAA.

 

[Cujet]

In my travels up and down the Florida East coast, I regularly hear a jump plane pilot (a wonderfully goofy one) who has a wide array of verbal antics regarding the status of parachute jumpers. A one minute warning, a notice that they have jumped and from what altitude, that they are difficult to see without parachutes open and so on. I really can't find fault with what's said. as 100% of it is succinct, accurate, informative and necessary. Only that it's VERY interesting and probably serves to keep people's attention.

LOOK OUT BELOW!!!!

 

[y_p_w]

I guess it could have been worse. Maybe like this guy.

Southwest pilot accused of indecent exposure during flight

A former Southwest Airlines pilot is being accused of indecent exposure during a flight last year from Philadelphia to Orlando, Florida.

apnews.com

 

[Job]

I almost think it was sarcasm and parody from the pilot. Unless he says otherwise. Too ridiculous to be true. No one is quite that out of touch with reality, I don't think. Didn't he see the Tesly factory as he was coming into SFO?

 

[y_p_w]

I almost think it was sarcasm and parody from the pilot. Unless he says otherwise. Too ridiculous to be true. No one is quite that out of touch with reality, I don't think. Didn't he see the Tesly factory as he was coming into SFO?

Wasn't even SFO. It was SJC. But maybe even Teslas would be ridiculed.

 

[TMoto]

This is going OT but I'm curious. Is the Captain often paired with the same FO or is it random based on some other criteria?

 

[E365]

This is going OT but I'm curious. Is the Captain often paired with the same FO or is it random based on some other criteria?

It’s essentially random.

Each pilot puts in a monthly “bid” for their schedule, based on seniority, and you just end up with whoever happens to have bid for (or ended up with) the same trip/schedule.

*Each airline has their own systems though - lots of different methods. Some you end up paired for a whole month. Some it’s by “trip”. (a 3-day trip, a 5-day trip, etc). Others you can bid to “avoid” people you don’t like.

 

[y_p_w]

It’s essentially random.

Each pilot puts in a monthly “bid” for their schedule, based on seniority, and you just end up with whoever happens to have bid for (or ended up with) the same trip/schedule.

*Each airline has their own systems though - lots of different methods. Some you end up paired for a whole month. Some it’s by “trip”. (a 3-day trip, a 5-day trip, etc). Others you can bid to “avoid” people you don’t like.

There was that TV program Pan-Am that showed a crew that always seemed to work together from the Captain, First Officer, and Flight Engineer, down to the same flight attendant crew. They were all going around the world and always seemed to be together except when someone got suspended or they made up some excuse for why someone wasn't there.

Of course it was about the realities of series television.

 

[javacontour]

If you're the one with the stuck mic, you can't hear anything. Reception is blocked while you're transmitting.

This is true, radio transmission or just general dialog. If you are in transmit mode, it's difficult to impossible to hear others.