Who decides who makes the announcements?
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Who decides who makes the announcements?
On some recent flights with a large UK-based airline we got the usual introduction/route/height etc announcements from the FO in both cases. On another airline it was the captain both times, and I've had cases of captain out, FO back and vice versa.
So who decides, and how?
Company procedure?
Rock-paper-scissors/coin toss?
Mutual agreement as to who has the better microphone voice?
Captain pulls rank?
This is intentionally light-hearted but I'd be curious to see how this gets resolved.
So who decides, and how?
Company procedure?
Rock-paper-scissors/coin toss?
Mutual agreement as to who has the better microphone voice?
Captain pulls rank?
This is intentionally light-hearted but I'd be curious to see how this gets resolved.
If it’s my sector I usually ask captain to do the welcome on board PA so I can concentrate on ATC clearance, push back procedures, radio etc. After that I do all the PAs associated with the sector.
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I fly with the ‘world’s favourite’ (that isn’t anymore).
The general way of operating is ‘your sector, your PA’. However, if there’s some unusual delay going on, I’ll ask the Captain to make a PA as I think it’s courteous to passengers. Likewise, if I’m behind with duties, I might ask the Captain to make a quick PA while I’m finishing up.
Generally most Captains and FOs agree that it’s good experience for the FO to make announcements if it’s their sector. It’s another skill to add to the management of flying the aeroplane.
champ.
The general way of operating is ‘your sector, your PA’. However, if there’s some unusual delay going on, I’ll ask the Captain to make a PA as I think it’s courteous to passengers. Likewise, if I’m behind with duties, I might ask the Captain to make a quick PA while I’m finishing up.
Generally most Captains and FOs agree that it’s good experience for the FO to make announcements if it’s their sector. It’s another skill to add to the management of flying the aeroplane.
champ.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
In my old airline, it was always the captain who made the welcome PA, as a matter of courtesy. After that, it was the pilot operating the sector. One strange thing I found with some of the new F.O.s was that while they were happy on the radio, speaking to anyone listening within a hundred miles or more, they were reluctant to do the PA to a few dozen passengers.
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Just a quick aside if I may. Whilst we were in the departure lounge at Houston many years ago there were lots of tannoy announcements asking individual members of the public to pick up the nearest white phone etc. In amongst all the announcements was one for 'Mr Pickle, Mr Dill Pickle please pick up the nearest phone etc'. We listened quite attentively after that to weed out the real ones from the fake ones. Maybe bored staff or someone trying to win bet of some sort!
At my carrier, the Captain makes the welcome on board PA for the flight crew. He’s ultimately in charge and passengers generally like to hear from the Captain. Very occasionally, the Captain May delegate the PA to the FO...often If the FO is quite senior.
Otherwise, all other flight deck PA’s are handled by the pilot flying the sector.
Otherwise, all other flight deck PA’s are handled by the pilot flying the sector.
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Just a quick aside if I may. Whilst we were in the departure lounge at Houston many years ago there were lots of tannoy announcements asking individual members of the public to pick up the nearest white phone etc. In amongst all the announcements was one for 'Mr Pickle, Mr Dill Pickle please pick up the nearest phone etc'. We listened quite attentively after that to weed out the real ones from the fake ones. Maybe bored staff or someone trying to win bet of some sort!
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Not saying that this was the case here, but airport PA announcements may be coded messages for staff. Such as "Mr. Pickles and party please report to Gate 18" can be code for security personnel to get down to Gate 18 to deal with an unruly passenger. Or "Mr. Chutney and party please report to Gate 18" could be code for medical personnel to get to Gate 18. The goal of all this being to avoid alerting the miscreant or alarming other pax. Note that for coded messages to be effective, the name cue (Mr. Pickles or Mr. Chutney) must be both memorable and uncommon. Using Mr. Smith as a code call is not wise.
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Otherwise, all other flight deck PA’s are handled by the pilot flying the sector.
At my airline, the Captain will do the Welcome Aboard PA unless delegated to the FO. The delegation is usually done nearing upgrade time or on the taxi. While in flight, the Pilot Monitoring completes all subsequent regular PA's. This is to avoid having to transfer control of the aircraft to do a PA. It's easier to hand off the radios to the PF and have the PM "go in the back."
Our training department and ops manuals strongly suggest that the Captain complete any abnormal or emergency PA, regardless of their duties for the flight. As an old chief of mine used to say "In the moment, the passengers want to hear the voice of God; not the recently or soon-to-be departed." I always thought that a little extreme a saying, but it kind of got the point across.
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The captain decides just like everything else. At my old airline the captain usually made any welcome aboard or announcement about delays. We usually flew every other leg, and the pilot not flying did the talking both on the radio and the PA.
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