Smoking on the flight-deck
I have recently begun my career as an airline pilot with the big Irish mob and in most respects love my job-- lots of flying, great aircraft and destinations but one thing spoils it for me! About 20% of the Captains smoke on the flight deck -- continuously! And if that isn't bad enough some of them smoke cigars and also invite the cabin crew up to join them for a fag in flight! A few of them ask me if I mind but on the one occasion that I objected it ruined the working day as the guy then gave me a hard time from then on! Rather naively I had assumed that all smoking stopped on aircraft many years ago so this down-side to my new occupation was unexpected. The 737 flightdeck is a tiny office and I go home feeling as if I have chain-smoked a whole packet myself! ( I have never voluntarily smoked a single cigarette in my life!) Is this common with most UK airlines or is Ryanair unusual in this regard.
They put out a Memo to pilots some years ago but no-one seems to take any notice. Talking to some of my other FO friends I am told that they suffer the same problem but our positions as FO's in this rapidly expanding operation are too exposed for us to do anything. Any suggestions???