Seat change - Any tips .. advice etc ?
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: South
What I tell all my Command upgrade students is that the command upgrade is all about people/aircraft management not aircraft handling. A good manager of people/aircraft with average handling skills is always a better aircraft captain than the "Ace of the Base" with poor people/aircraft management skills. A Captain is not just a really good first officer!
Think of possible problems (eg engine failure, sick passenger, uncontained fire, possible ditching etc) and play in your mind how you would manage the problem, not the aircraft handling side but the mangement side. Think about good Captains that you flew with in the past and ask yourself what made them good Captains, and what lessons could I take from them.
Know your Airlines' SOP's, your aircraft FCOM1 backwards, forwards and every way round.
Above all be prepaired to make a decision, and then stick with your decision. When required you can change your decision in light of new information, but make a decision!
All the best.
C100driver
Think of possible problems (eg engine failure, sick passenger, uncontained fire, possible ditching etc) and play in your mind how you would manage the problem, not the aircraft handling side but the mangement side. Think about good Captains that you flew with in the past and ask yourself what made them good Captains, and what lessons could I take from them.
Know your Airlines' SOP's, your aircraft FCOM1 backwards, forwards and every way round.
Above all be prepaired to make a decision, and then stick with your decision. When required you can change your decision in light of new information, but make a decision!
All the best.
C100driver
Last edited by c100driver; 8th February 2007 at 01:53. Reason: Spelling
Joined: Jun 2001
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c100driver is correct. You certainly have to be able to handle the aeroplane well, but the majority of the job is Big Picture stuff - people management is important, as is the ability to spot potential problems before they occur. (The idea is to never have to put your above-average handling skills to the test! 
)
Good luck with it all.
)Good luck with it all.
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Correr es mi destino por no llevar papel
Any tips, hints, advice etc on a command course and changing seats?
Thread Starter
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I've 10,000 hrs and 11 years in the RH seat ... doing a seat change on a LH widebody type ... been paid for flying something for 15yrs ... been flying something for 20yrs ...
Yes I see it more as a management role ... I'm strangley not worried about the big pictures stuff scenarious, its the dotting I's and crossing T's to the nth detail that some branches of our profession require that scares me about the command conversion ...
I remember and old training friend once saying to me 'If I felt I could trust the candidate on a dark wet windy frozen winters night with my mother on board, miles from home to make the right decision ...than I would pass him' ....
Yes I see it more as a management role ... I'm strangley not worried about the big pictures stuff scenarious, its the dotting I's and crossing T's to the nth detail that some branches of our profession require that scares me about the command conversion ...
I remember and old training friend once saying to me 'If I felt I could trust the candidate on a dark wet windy frozen winters night with my mother on board, miles from home to make the right decision ...than I would pass him' ....
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From: Planet Earth
upgrade is all about people/aircraft management not aircraft handling
Good luck, D.L.
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From: South of the border
Well for a start its more than just the seat change.
Maybe its just a figure of speech you are using, I dunno. But the fact that you say it more than once would be a concern to me. What you are entering into is a complete role change, and involves an element of panning back to a degree and considering the bigger picture....
When you have a think about it and actually start signing on the line thereby making YOU the one accountable - I think you will agree its more than just a seat change.
Anyway, you'll work it out in time. Best of luck to you.
Maybe its just a figure of speech you are using, I dunno. But the fact that you say it more than once would be a concern to me. What you are entering into is a complete role change, and involves an element of panning back to a degree and considering the bigger picture....
When you have a think about it and actually start signing on the line thereby making YOU the one accountable - I think you will agree its more than just a seat change.
Anyway, you'll work it out in time. Best of luck to you.
Mach 3
Joined: Aug 1998
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From: Stratosphere
Always amazes me how patronising some 4-stripers can be....actually it doesn't...
As if the only thing someone with 10000 hrs has been doing is sitting staring at the EADI/EHSI for hours on end, unable to see the big picture....
And if they have, that only serves to show what lousy senior colleagues they've been flying with, who for some reason, haven't been able to devolve some of that authority/decision-making/leadership to their junior colleague(s) in order that, when the time comes, the transition is really rather straight-forward.
CRM.
And any FO, who languishing content in the knowledge that because he/she doesn't ultimately sign the paperwork, aren't particularly bothered about the outcome which ensues, ought not to be sitting in that seat.
After all, it might be my mother onboard.
All the best.
As if the only thing someone with 10000 hrs has been doing is sitting staring at the EADI/EHSI for hours on end, unable to see the big picture....
And if they have, that only serves to show what lousy senior colleagues they've been flying with, who for some reason, haven't been able to devolve some of that authority/decision-making/leadership to their junior colleague(s) in order that, when the time comes, the transition is really rather straight-forward.
CRM.
And any FO, who languishing content in the knowledge that because he/she doesn't ultimately sign the paperwork, aren't particularly bothered about the outcome which ensues, ought not to be sitting in that seat.
After all, it might be my mother onboard.
All the best.
Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Wor Yerm
When doing your Sim. course, don't look for dragons that don't exist - the sim costs too much to proove that the instructor can make the aircraft impossible to fly. What is being taught and examined is how well you deal with the problems, big and little, that you actually are given.
Best of Luck!
PM
Best of Luck!
PM
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Planet Claire
Make the hosties a cup of char on the turnrounds and be nice to your crew.
Stick up for your them when required.
Best bit is setting the tone for the day. Be happy. Be friendly. Involve everyone. Have a great day out.
Stick up for your them when required.
Best bit is setting the tone for the day. Be happy. Be friendly. Involve everyone. Have a great day out.
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Australia
I'm strangley not worried about the big pictures stuff scenarious, its the dotting I's and crossing T's to the nth detail that some branches of our profession require that scares me about the command conversion ...
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 308
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From: Australia.
When I was told by someone close to the training dept that they had seen my name penciled in a left seat conversion vacancy, I started asking the captiains I respected the same question.
On of them said to me: "Remember that Captain the needs the First Officer more than the First Officer needs the Captain!"
It is so true.
On of them said to me: "Remember that Captain the needs the First Officer more than the First Officer needs the Captain!"
It is so true.
Last edited by Blip; 27th February 2007 at 07:05. Reason: Minor gramatical error.
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From: Eire
Two things I can think of...
A wise old Captain once told me that there is no such thing as a Management Vacuum. (Anyone who knows who I'm talking about, don't laugh! He was right!)
What he meant was that if you as Captain don't make a decision, the decision will not be laft unmade, somone else will make it for you. That goes for everything from emergencies to passenger release at the gate.
The only other thing I found interesting was that as an FO all my attention was focused on the flight itself. My stress levels went up at liftoff and came down again on landing. As a Captain it is the complete opposite. When I get airborne I feel like a weight has been lifted of my shoulders (that is until something goes wrong!). Most of the stress and decisions are on the ground before you depart.
A wise old Captain once told me that there is no such thing as a Management Vacuum. (Anyone who knows who I'm talking about, don't laugh! He was right!)
What he meant was that if you as Captain don't make a decision, the decision will not be laft unmade, somone else will make it for you. That goes for everything from emergencies to passenger release at the gate.
The only other thing I found interesting was that as an FO all my attention was focused on the flight itself. My stress levels went up at liftoff and came down again on landing. As a Captain it is the complete opposite. When I get airborne I feel like a weight has been lifted of my shoulders (that is until something goes wrong!). Most of the stress and decisions are on the ground before you depart.
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Brighton
I agree with the tenor of the previous posts. Many things can be encapsulated in two points:
1. Fly in accordance with the ops manual;
2. Make things happen rather than let them happen.
Best wishes - I hope you enjoy it!
1. Fly in accordance with the ops manual;
2. Make things happen rather than let them happen.
Best wishes - I hope you enjoy it!
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: UK
I'm hopefully looking at a promotion myself, and one tip I have been given for actually handling the a/c is get a bit of practice with the left hand on the control column (obviously not at the same time you need it on the thrust levers!). It helps the brain to get used to what each hand should be doing.
Will probably be of great use to me, as the first time I drove a left-hand drive car, I tried to change gear with the door handle. I don't intend to do similar in the sim!
Will probably be of great use to me, as the first time I drove a left-hand drive car, I tried to change gear with the door handle. I don't intend to do similar in the sim!
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From: australia
This is a very useful thread for me. The posts so far have made me think of a couple of things that previously I hadn't. I would like to bring it back to the top in the hope that some of you captains out there might drop a few more pearls. Maybe a few mistakes that you made in decision-making in the early days of your command? Thanks in advance.
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From: Planet Earth
As a new captain years ago I was ready to make decisions on a moments notice (right, wrong, or otherwise) as you spend time in the seat you will learn to share the responsibility in decision making with others and obtain more input before making them.