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Command Upgrade

Old 11th May 2013, 23:45
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Command Upgrade

Can anyone suggest some good titles for preparation for a jet command upgrade. I've heard of a few over the years but cannot locate them on the net.

Cheers

cruzer
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Old 12th May 2013, 00:11
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AIP/Jepps/CARs/CAOs

Company Ops manual

Aircraft Operating Manual

QRH

Knowledge/Information/Stories from the current Capts you fly with.

No need to read the "how to be" books, it's important you develop your own style rather than try to be like one from a book.

Last edited by GAFA; 12th May 2013 at 02:03.
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Old 12th May 2013, 00:56
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Totally agree GAFA.

Not a lot of room these days for too much independent thought. Not in checks at least. Nail the SOP's and Regs, and the system will love you.

Having said that, I found Tony Kern's Redefining Airmanship an invaluable reminder of what the many facets of command are all about. Especially once out in the left seat on a day to day basis.

Best of luck
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Old 12th May 2013, 00:59
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Ditto to GAFA's post.

I think that the best information will come within the context of the airline that you are looking to receive an upgrade from. These guys will always have the stories about the human factors issues and technical issues that you are most likely to come across.

Operating within Oz, a lot of the books from the US market are of limited use as things are never going to be quite the same.

Some very good first officers were I work, nevertheless, working out how you will best integrate yourself as a leader of your team and how to get the best from him or her not to mention your cabin crew, ops, crewing support and maintenance is always where the learning curve is going to come from.

Enjoy the process too, hard work but a lot of fun.
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Old 12th May 2013, 02:08
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If you know your stuff it all comes down to attitude.

I know of a fellow who developed the right attitude by watching many episodes of The Sopranos back to back.
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Old 12th May 2013, 02:10
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Lightbulb

If you're only starting to read now that the command upgrade is nigh then you're kind of missing the point. A command upgrade isn't something you 'do' when the time comes, it's a continuum that you work on from the very first day on the job. If you haven't been thinking about it for years in advance- from not long after you check out as an F/O really- then you've been neglectful in your own personal development- as have the Captains flying with you if they haven't been discussing it along the way.

I acknowledge the above may read as being harsh or cruel. That's not my intent. It's supposed to be blunt and to the point. If it feels harsh it's probably more because it's hit home and you realise the error.

Of course, perhaps that's what you're after and it is a fair while before your upgrade starts. In that case:

Any Tony Kern book
Fate is the Hunter- seriously. I learned a lot from reading that years ago.
Every decent book on leadership, emotional intelligence and effective communication skills you can lay your hands on.

Last edited by Keg; 12th May 2013 at 02:12.
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Old 12th May 2013, 02:39
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Any James Reason book is a worthwhile read.

Human Error
Managing the risks of Organisational Accidents

Two books I've read that give you a lot to think about. Good for when you need a break from the company/reg stuff but still want to be learning.

Last edited by The The; 12th May 2013 at 02:40.
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Old 12th May 2013, 03:23
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Having done a lot of Command Training it is apparent on day one when the trainee turns up whether he is up to the challenge.

Look towards the Captains you now fly with and take away the best and the worst of what they do.
The worst attributes are just as valuable as the best as you should be firmly planting in your mind that " I am never going to act like this dill'.

Ask questions of you current Captains but only after you have an answer in your own mind of what you would do in a certain situation.

Challenge what is going on and more importantly why it happens this way.

A lot of candidates concentrate heavily on the 'scenarios' of multiple failures and unlikely situations to the detriment of knowing how to safely manage the day to day operation.

Learn to time manage as the WHOLE operation looks towards you as to when and how it unfolds.

Many a time I have sat watching a Command trainee relaxing between flights having not bothered to check weathers, Cabin crew, aircraft eta, loads, gate number and all the rest because they have been led around by their Captain. It gets mighty interesting when it dawns on them that they have 25 minutes to get to the gate and get a flight out on time. Mighty interesting when a weather problem and a maintenance problem coupled with a crewing dilemma all occur at the same time and he/she is trying to do their normal pre flight duties.

All these third party reference books may be interesting and valuable to some degree but the posters above have hit the nail on the head.

Know your company documents and Aip's etc it is your bread and butter.

You got your answer on the very first reply!
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Old 12th May 2013, 04:02
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You won't be able to know everything in those books and you'll burn yourself out by trying. Have a thorough working knowledge of the manuals and know where to find the information. So when an FO comes to you and asks a question you either know it, or you have a damn good idea where to find it. Also helps you to manage your day to day operations and any curve balls that may come your way. The hardest part is once you have your command, trying to keep your head in the books then! Good luck
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Old 12th May 2013, 04:22
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Don't argue with the Checkie.
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Old 12th May 2013, 04:24
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There is no book to give you all the answers...as long as you have a good working knowledge of company and regulatory procedures, systems knowledge in your aircraft type, treat people (crew, ground staff etc) how you would like to be treated yourself, keep the "big picture" going all the time, don't focus on minor details......this will cover about 98% of what you have to do, the following years of your command will fill in any gaps...and remember, enjoy it and have fun, you can be a competent professional without being a "Hitler" on the flight deck..
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Old 12th May 2013, 04:45
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Wow Zlin77, I was reading the posts above thinking, "how can I simplify the basic issues", & you nailed what I wanted to say. Sounds like you'd be fun to fly with.

Remember good communication is not only passing info on, but making sure it is correctly received/understood.

Have fun
 
Old 12th May 2013, 05:32
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Be a conscientious FO, take an interest and don't just sit there thumb in bum mind in neutral. Take all the good things you've seen in Captains and forget all the bad......

Then move 3 feet left.
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Old 12th May 2013, 07:14
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The tech and company manuals need to be known, but you should have a working knowledge of these as an FO anyway. The books that contain "management" techniques, the soft skill stuff I wouldn't look at until 6-12 months after your upgrade. You already have the skills to be a commander, this morning you decided which socks to wear, what to eat for breakfast and you had a time limit to decide. This is the same as a commander, recognise its about choices, gathering informational and deciding with consultation on an action and then observing its affect. The worst thing in my opinion you can do is read a management book and try and apply someone else's style. You do not have to have all the answers, most Commanders don't, they just realise where to start looking for them. Enjoy the course.

Last edited by Flying Spag Monster; 12th May 2013 at 07:16.
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Old 12th May 2013, 07:21
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Do ALL of the above.
Reading a book is good but, won't normally change your behaviours.
If you actually do all the above mentioned behaviours as part of your every day life, you'll get there. But if you're only starting to think about it now just before the command upgrade, well, "better late than never" comes to mind.
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Old 12th May 2013, 07:52
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Its aways a good idea to concentrate on flying the aircraft.
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Old 12th May 2013, 08:57
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It should be obvious that the Company SOP, aircraft systems etc is required reading, though hopefully by now most of that is burned into your brain.
A working, practical application of the regulations should be enough. Do not make the mistake that so many make of knowing the regulations in detail to the point where you constantly see 'reds under the bed' or you won't be able to make rational decisions. You will end up being frightened of your own shadow. And decision-making is what sets Captains apart from First Officers. The flying bit should already be second nature (if it is not, you have a problem....).
Think about all the simulator scenarios you have seen, or heard about; all the incident and accident reports you have read and work through as many 'what if?' situations as your imagination allows. Likely scenarios, that is - not far-fetched to the point of being ridiculous, because, just like knowing the regulations too intimately, if you get too bogged down in minutiae, you probably won't see the wood for the trees.
If you are asked questions to which you do not know the answer, do not bullsh!t. A lot of stuff does not have to be committed to memory (and in fact is probably safer if not), so rather than get it wrong, just tell the Checkie where you will find the information, look it up and answer it that way. In particular, have an understanding of why a certain QRH procedure is so, but don't get too clever and try to memorise non-memory drills or you will come horribly unstuck.
As F/O you will have flown with some Captains who were weak, others lazy and a few who were unrelenting fckukwits. You will have also flown with some who were decisive when necessary, consulted their crew when it was appropriate, showed leadership, could fly the aeroplane well and generally earned everyone's respect.

Imitate the latter to the best of your ability.

Last edited by Mach E Avelli; 12th May 2013 at 09:55.
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Old 12th May 2013, 11:26
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A Captain has to be able to say 3 things:

1. Fill 'er up
2. F*ck off (be able to say No)
3. Sh*t happens (if you find yourself off the centreline, get back on asap)

and he/she has to be able to do 3 things:

1. don't separate the paint from the aluminium
2. piss off the least number of people on your way from A to B
3. understand the job is easier than your last position.

Last edited by Motorola; 12th May 2013 at 11:28.
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Old 12th May 2013, 12:40
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Reading all that advice made my head reel. And I thought of all those RAF wartime pilots flying Lancasters aand other heavy bombers single pilot with most less than 700 flying hours in their log books.

Then there was a British 737 operator where the chief pilot promoted one of his first officers after three years of service with the airline. The first officer was a former RAF Victor pilot. The check flights were over three days of around four sectors each day into European and Middle Eastern holiday resorts.

Asked about command training in the lead up to the check flights, the chief pilot, a former Royal Navy pilot, said that if after three years of flying with this particular first officer he still didn't know if he was suitable for a command, then he shouldn't be holding the job of chief pilot.

In any case, (he said) the only handling he needed was how to fly from the left seat and operate the nosewheel steering from that seat. I thought that was a pragmatic and quite refreshing attitiude to up-grading.

Last edited by Centaurus; 12th May 2013 at 12:43.
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Old 12th May 2013, 20:05
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Bob Taits BAK Theory
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