Air Traffic Controllers Jumpseating at your airline?
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: isz
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Well I've been on a few jump seat rides in the uk lately...they are so beneficial....especially if its a good crew....
Just been on a flight from MAN-TOR and asked to go up front....a real big NON came from that airline...such a shame coz I enjoy the jump seat rides!
Just been on a flight from MAN-TOR and asked to go up front....a real big NON came from that airline...such a shame coz I enjoy the jump seat rides!
Join Date: Jul 2005
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CDN ATC
Highly difficult to get fam flights within Canada. I have a good friend who is a B767 captain with Air Canada. He arranged with Air Canada a fam flight for me on a trip he was flying. NAV Canada gave permission, my ID was accepted and Air Canada were happy....then at the last minute Transport Canada stepped in and said no it was unacceptable!
I found this quite unbelievable especially as the airline had said it was fine AND I was being personally vouched for by the captain and had a genuine interest in being in the jumpseat as I work at YYZ. You'd think Transport Canada would be the last ones who would have a problem given the level of security clearance I had!
It really is beneficial for both parties, and I have learned a lot on the lucky times (in the UK) I was in the cockpit.
Highly difficult to get fam flights within Canada. I have a good friend who is a B767 captain with Air Canada. He arranged with Air Canada a fam flight for me on a trip he was flying. NAV Canada gave permission, my ID was accepted and Air Canada were happy....then at the last minute Transport Canada stepped in and said no it was unacceptable!
I found this quite unbelievable especially as the airline had said it was fine AND I was being personally vouched for by the captain and had a genuine interest in being in the jumpseat as I work at YYZ. You'd think Transport Canada would be the last ones who would have a problem given the level of security clearance I had!
It really is beneficial for both parties, and I have learned a lot on the lucky times (in the UK) I was in the cockpit.
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Stationair8...
That's a good one...I can go one better...in Mackay tower there was an old controller, seemed he had been there for centuries, and he was about to go on 8 weeks leave....the 2 Ops Managers had arrived for a visit, and were leaving back to Brisbane on a TAA 737.
The controller decided to pay a little joke, so he told the Captain of the aeroplane that there would be 2 trainee controllers on board his flight, and were suipposed to be doing famils on the jumpseat. Under no circumstances were they to sit anywere else as they had to run the famil course on an airliner, and they were crafty trainees, as previously had spun stories of being managers and other stuff to get out of famil flights.
The captain duly accepted the challenge "Don't you worry, I know how to get trainees, they will sit up front with me and I will look after them from takeoff onwards"....
Anyway, excitement in the tower is palpable, as the 737 taxies to ramp, holds a long time with no other traffic in the circuit, then takes off....the aeroplane changes frequency to centre and about 5 minutes later, we get a call back from the aeroplane, with the following phrase....... "Rocky (the name of the controller)..... your leave is cancelled"........
That's a good one...I can go one better...in Mackay tower there was an old controller, seemed he had been there for centuries, and he was about to go on 8 weeks leave....the 2 Ops Managers had arrived for a visit, and were leaving back to Brisbane on a TAA 737.
The controller decided to pay a little joke, so he told the Captain of the aeroplane that there would be 2 trainee controllers on board his flight, and were suipposed to be doing famils on the jumpseat. Under no circumstances were they to sit anywere else as they had to run the famil course on an airliner, and they were crafty trainees, as previously had spun stories of being managers and other stuff to get out of famil flights.
The captain duly accepted the challenge "Don't you worry, I know how to get trainees, they will sit up front with me and I will look after them from takeoff onwards"....
Anyway, excitement in the tower is palpable, as the 737 taxies to ramp, holds a long time with no other traffic in the circuit, then takes off....the aeroplane changes frequency to centre and about 5 minutes later, we get a call back from the aeroplane, with the following phrase....... "Rocky (the name of the controller)..... your leave is cancelled"........
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Before 9/11 I never had any trouble getting a jump seat ride when I was a paying punter. Just showed my ID to the FA and 5 minutes later I was strapped in at the pointy end. As many have said before me, benefits all round. Since then, I have not even bothered asking. We do however have a structured famil program here in OZ, (too much paperwork) but the way things are at the moment, the changes of a spare shift to allow it to happen are Zero.
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Pakeha-Boy,
In the past 5 yrs, we've also had a Melbourne controller on an organised famil flight get bumped by the captain coz he didn't want to take anyone in the jumpseat.
Bit of a mad scramble from the graound crew and onto the next flight.
Don't get me wrong, absolutely his perogitive, but it does happen.
These days in OZ, no way of getting up front with the majors without weeks of notice and paperwork. So short staffed that training days have ceased to exist for a long time.
In the past 5 yrs, we've also had a Melbourne controller on an organised famil flight get bumped by the captain coz he didn't want to take anyone in the jumpseat.

Don't get me wrong, absolutely his perogitive, but it does happen.
These days in OZ, no way of getting up front with the majors without weeks of notice and paperwork. So short staffed that training days have ceased to exist for a long time.
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[quote[CDN ATC
Highly difficult to get fam flights within Canada. I have a good friend who is a B767 captain with Air Canada. He arranged with Air Canada a fam flight for me on a trip he was flying. NAV Canada gave permission, my ID was accepted and Air Canada were happy....then at the last minute Transport Canada stepped in and said no it was unacceptable!
I found this quite unbelievable especially as the airline had said it was fine AND I was being personally vouched for by the captain and had a genuine interest in being in the jumpseat as I work at YYZ. You'd think Transport Canada would be the last ones who would have a problem given the level of security clearance I had![/quote]
I'm more interested in how TC even heard about it? Unless they just happened to be doing a checks at that particular time and with that particular flight! You say NavCanada gave you permission, do you work for NavCan? Even if you did it's none of their business.
Highly difficult to get fam flights within Canada. I have a good friend who is a B767 captain with Air Canada. He arranged with Air Canada a fam flight for me on a trip he was flying. NAV Canada gave permission, my ID was accepted and Air Canada were happy....then at the last minute Transport Canada stepped in and said no it was unacceptable!
I found this quite unbelievable especially as the airline had said it was fine AND I was being personally vouched for by the captain and had a genuine interest in being in the jumpseat as I work at YYZ. You'd think Transport Canada would be the last ones who would have a problem given the level of security clearance I had![/quote]
I'm more interested in how TC even heard about it? Unless they just happened to be doing a checks at that particular time and with that particular flight! You say NavCanada gave you permission, do you work for NavCan? Even if you did it's none of their business.