face it, captains are nothing now a days except for scapegoats when something goes wrong.
Well, it depends.
In the middle east/Africa areas where I fly (don't fly to the UAE, so can't say about there) the FD crew are waived right on through security, with a 'good evening Sir' (yup, true) and when arriving at the airplane, with pax boarding already in progress, there seem to be very few problems.
Why is this?
It is the Captain who sets the tone, and assigns duties as necessary, to make it all work smoothly.
Example.
Company calls the Captain at hotac and says...boarding in three hours.
Capt says...OK, do ground engineers agree?
Handling agent says, yes. Capt checks by mobile phone to be sure.
Good enough, boarding at your pleasure, CC will be present beforehand.
One half hour prior to scheduled boarding, CC arrive and complete safety checks.
Catering starts.
Pax arrive shortly thereafter.
FD crew arrives shortly after nearly all pax boarded.
Tech log/DD log checked, fuel load checked (Capt has been contacted previously about this, and given an OK), wind up the IRU's (if not already commenced by ground engineers), flight plan into the FMS's, baggage loading now completed, pax loading completed, head count OK, ask for ATC clearance, close doors, ask for start clearance.
Works like clockwork...
provided it is all organized.
Our...are.
Others...I have no idea.
There is a definite reason ours work well.
The answer is...nearly all (except Commanders) are ex- Royal Jordanian.
RJ...one of the best in the business, in the middle east.
True years ago, true now.
'Tis an absolute pleasure to work for these ex-RJ folks...the best in the business.
Find an ex-RJ crew, find happiness.
