Cross Cockpit Authority Gradient
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 45 yards from a tropical beach
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POWER GRADIENT ABDICATION
Our P3 Orion Squadron Commander, Wg Cdr "Bunter," one of the best pilots and QFIs I have ever flown with (in a previous incarnation he converted me to the Neptune) was preparing for a night tactical training flight. The Wg Cdr was very conscious that he did not fly as much as the rest of his pilots and that we would be flying overwater on a dark, moonless night, and manoeuvering below 500 feet.
Wg Cdr in left hand seat and me, Squadron QFI, in RHS. Having completed our pre-flight checks and waiting for the rear crew to complete their lengthy checks, the Boss turned to our Flight Sergeant Flight Engineer and said:
"Pedro, what is your job?"
"Well Sir, I am your Flight Engineer and I have planned the fuel, prepared the 'Howgozit,' will monitor the aircraft systems, set the power and advise on any malfunctions or emergencies."
"No Pedro, tonight your job is to keep my ar*e out of the water!"
Wg Cdr in left hand seat and me, Squadron QFI, in RHS. Having completed our pre-flight checks and waiting for the rear crew to complete their lengthy checks, the Boss turned to our Flight Sergeant Flight Engineer and said:
"Pedro, what is your job?"
"Well Sir, I am your Flight Engineer and I have planned the fuel, prepared the 'Howgozit,' will monitor the aircraft systems, set the power and advise on any malfunctions or emergencies."
"No Pedro, tonight your job is to keep my ar*e out of the water!"
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Manchester, UK
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+1 to two's-in's "mates flying with mates". Slight, or zero authority gradient often ends badly. Such a case bent some expensive metal for my own employer with two experienced ex-military pilots only one of whom was an experienced airline pilot.
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Flight Engineers
I have the greatest respect for Flt Engs and their innate sense of self preservation. On a C130 flight deck all blacked up for NVG flying, the occasional "Attitude" or "Rate of descent" call to the pilots on goggs was reassuring. When visiting a Special USAF unit in Germany we were bimbling down a valley in Bavaria when the Eng D****e J*****n spoke up and said "You probably can't see it but there is a huge f*** off Cb at the end of this valley range about ten miles". "O.K." said the Captain "Nav, take me five miles clear of it and put us back on time." "Riiight, give us your topo Co"
The observing USAF major who came with us said at the debrief. "We would never accept the word of an enlisted crew member and act on it without corroborating it."
Not wishing to upset the spirit of friendship of the detachment the Captain said through slightly clenched teeth that all our arses were in the same sling and as far as he recalled there was no discernible rank structure between them.
The observing USAF major who came with us said at the debrief. "We would never accept the word of an enlisted crew member and act on it without corroborating it."
Not wishing to upset the spirit of friendship of the detachment the Captain said through slightly clenched teeth that all our arses were in the same sling and as far as he recalled there was no discernible rank structure between them.
