Despite the fact that our airline is parking older and less efficient airplanes, senior co-pilots have been upgrading to captain at a pretty good clip. I thought the recent events would have put a stop to all that, but I was ecstatic to learn that I had finally reached the seniority needed to fly the MD-80 as a captain. This was due to the wave of pilot retirements we saw last fall. So as I reached my 20th year of flying as a co-pilot, I figured I might be able to offer some unsolicited advice for any new co-pilots coming into this job. There are plenty of tips on how to get a flying job, but very little talk about what to do when you finally arrive at a major airline. I didn't always embrace the following recommendations, and I've marked those needing further explanation with an asterisk. Often the best advice comes from the mistakes of others. 10. Don't fall in love with a co-worker. * You might not have to worry too much about this one. It seems flight attendants are taught during their initial training that all pilots are evil and should be avoided like the H1N1 virus. Dating a flight attendant can be extremely convenient - think of the layover possibilities - but any nasty break-ups reverberate through the company, which could be awkward. Working with your ex-girlfriend's best friend, for example, might not be very pleasant. * Technically, I was married to a flight attendant, but not in the traditional fashion. My wife and I were married for a couple of years before she went to work for a different airline. My siblings have both dated within their respective airlines with varied results. 9. Collect all the good techniques you find in the captains you fly with. And take note of the worst. Do you like how a captain flies? Appreciate his professionalism and demeanor? Emulate it when you're a captain. Think of the top five captains you've flown with. What do they share in common? Chances are, everyone else likes flying with them too, and a cockpit that's less stressful is a safer cockpit. On the other hand, you know that captain that shows up in the cockpit five minutes before departure? You didn't like it when you were his co-pilot, so hopefully you'll go out of your way to avoid that kind of behavior when you upgrade. Think of the five worst captains you flew with and do your best not to operate like they do.Continue reading Cockpit Chronicles: Ten tips for the new co-pilotCockpit Chronicles: Ten tips for the new co-pilot originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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