Captain's last flight

[ChatterBox33]

I've seen a couple of documentaries on Youtube recently where an airline captain on the last flight of their career always seems to be accompanied by another Captain as opposed to a First Officer.

Is this done for safety reasons?

[enicalyth]

If it is the last flight.... omigosh I'd catch the next flight. Any moment now the guy is going to cack it.

[wiggy]

I'm not sure what companies were featured in the documentaries you saw but that's certainly not done where I work....it's a normal flight.

[DavidWoodward]

I watched one about an AA 757 Captain from Paris into Washington if I recall correctly. Is this the one you watched?

[ChatterBox33]

Saw the photos of Don Grange (of ITVV fame) and his last flight. The "FO" was actually another Captain.

This was also the case for the captain of a LH A340 I saw in a German documentary on Youtube.

[finncapt]

My last flight, before retiring from a/the major British airline, I had a bulk standard two ring first officer.

The saddest part was no one from management turned up to say thanks after 31½ years.

It was early morning although not a Saturday or a Sunday!!!

[Notso Fantastic]

I think that's quite an expectation, even for >30 year careers, to expect someone to rouse themselves at 4 am or so to come and shake your hand on your last arrival! Especially when they have a family, full office job to do as well as trips. You will be making one or two more visits back to the office to hand back ID, uniform, manuals etc, pick up pension details (hopefully), staff travel (if a decent airline), letter of service blah blah. Isn't it more effective to pop around and see people in their offices in the working day and say to all associates 'bye bye, and thanks for all the fish!'? Just seems to me a far more effective way of doing things when some airlines these days have in excess of 3000 pilots with one or more retiring many days a week!

As for Captains in the right hand seat on last flights in videos, I used to be surprised at the US crews flying the Atlantic with always 3 pilots, 2 or all being Captains. I used to fly transatlantic in a B747 as far as Miami, Chicago or Bombay, Delhi, Nairobi with just a 2 ringer. My very last flight was Bangkok-LHR with 2 2-ringers. I think it was just US union rules for Atlantic flights as standard with 2 captains.

[CelticRambler]

an airline captain on the last flight of their career always seems to be accompanied by another Captain as opposed to a First Officer.

The FO has just been promoted to Captain in anticipation of an imminent vacancy, perhaps?

[Notso Fantastic]

Promotions aren't done like that.

[cyflyer]

I can think of nothing sadder than a captain taking his last flight. What must be going through their minds. I mean, its not like just giving up the desk at the office is it ? I suppose its the same as a sea captain would feel upon taking his last passenger liner out.

[wiggy]

I can think of nothing sadder than a captain taking his last flight.

Oh I dunno, how about a P2F'er paying for his/her first????

I'll get my coat.............

[TowerDog]

I think it was just US union rules for Atlantic flights as standard with 2 captains.

Nah, not with the unions I have been a member of. Even flights requireing 4 pilots and over 12 hours need only 1 Captain and 3 F/Os.
That being said, the FAA wants the F/Os to be Captain Qualified so we do part of the check ride in the left seat.

Other Airlines or Unions may have different rules.

As for the Captain's Last Flight: have done a few of those whenever my prior rides have gone bust. Then just dust of the log bokk and start sending out resumes or CVs again and start over. Even some of the Captains who hit 60 or 65 or whatever the age limit of the day is/was, have come back as F/Es to boost their pensions and/or keep humping that girlfriend down South.:sad:

[blind pew]

Finncapt
No prizes as who you worked for...
My last company gave you a choice of trips and crew...
Plus either a welcoming committee or a party at the end of the last trip..
True we only had 1000 plus pilots but we only had one mason...and he had never flown the iron duck.

[99jolegg]

Saw the photos of Don Grange (of ITVV fame) and his last flight. The "FO" was actually another Captain

His last flight was to Innsbruck; special training is required and it's not uncommon to have a fellow INN trained captain (who is also checked to operate from the right hand seat) as the FO on those trips since experienced captains are often right hand seat checked too.

[finncapt]

Blind pew.

Like it.

I was asked to join once, by a relation with nothing to do with aviation (ex army, local government manager aka. chief dustman), but declined the offer.

It may be coincidence that it happened the day after I was interviewed for a training position which I wasn't offered.

Standing by for flak.

[The African Dude]

celticrambler, classic...
:D

[Discorde]

My last flight was on a Friday the 13th so my emotions included fear of calamity. Passing MID inbound to STN my F/O (who had kindly let me fly both outbound & inbound sectors) pointed to the chrono, which read 1313. We watched intently, breathing a sigh of relief when it clicked to 1314.

A manager kindly set up the water cannon reception - I had no idea it had been planned. A nice touch, much appreciated. (And the rumour that the fire trucks were called out in case I buggered up my last landing was completely untrue.)

http://steemrok.com/Water arch sm

[blind pew]

Finncapt
Funny that I had a phone call a few weeks after I wrote a letter about our training to be included in the evidence for the papa india inquiry.
Came from a friend of my fathers whom I had last met four years before after I had fibreglassed the gutters on his factory.
Easy to decline as my opinion of those in management was along the lines of a bunch of t******s at the time which I have since amended....:mad:

[FANS]

Discorde - great photo and congratulations on reaching retirement. I could well imagine the 13:13 causing a tense moment.....

Has retirement sunk in yet??

[Doors to Automatic]

I have never given it much thought but it must be one heck of a culture shock to go from the rank of Captain, with its responsibility and status, not to mention the enjoyment of flying, to nothing within the space of a day!

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

Doors to Automatic, by the time I set the park brake on Stand 21 at Gatwick for that final time, I felt I'd done QUITE ENOUGH thank you. Job done, here's the uniform back, now where's my pension?

It was fun, mostly, but for the last few years it felt like 80% aggro/20% enjoyment of the flying. I retired in April 2000, before the security ramifications of 9/11, which would've pushed the aggro to 90% in my book. Far from going from something to nothing, it was the other way round. I regained control of my life and went and did something else with what's left of it.

That's not to say that I don't pop back here occasionally, and put in my tuppenceworth. Oh and I didn't actually ever do my last rostered flight ...

:)