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US Airways pilots took out an ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer that pretty much says it all from their point of view:
8 senior pilots with US Airways have filed a complaint with the FAA saying the carrier is “making them fly with less fuel than they feel is safe”. The FAA requires that pilots carry 45 minutes worth of “extra” fuel above what’s required for a normal flight (in case of delays or weather problems) but these 8 pilots asked for another 10 minutes or so, and then claimed their airline retaliated against them by forcing them to take “fuel conservation training.” The pilots say, that’s intimidation. Keep reading. |
Intimidation? Absolutely not, says US Airways. They point out that because fuel weighs about 7 pounds per gallon, even a little extra fuel makes planes heavier…and burn even more fuel.
But the pilot is supposed to have the last word on all things flying, and these US Airways veterans say, the airline is undermining their authority.
Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters jumped into the fray, with this:
“If a pilot doesn’t feel that a plane has enough fuel in it for the trip that he or she is about to make, then they have the discretion of not flying that flight.” — Mary Peters, DOT
That doesn’t strike me as especially helpful, not when airlines are axing hundreds and hundreds of pilots these days.
Additionally an industry insider has noted this is just a “ill conceived ploy” by the activists in the “old” US Airways Pilot Union (USAPA)…
Both sides say safety is their number one concern. Good place to start. But who’s right?
If the FAA didnt feel 45 minutes of extra fuel was safe, then why wouldnt they require more? Isnt the FAA regulated 45 minutes, plus the additional 10-15 minutes of fuel enough?
Comment by Papa Rinaldi — July 17, 2008 @ 10:27 am
Interesting timing, I just got this from my flight instructor (back in college when I wasn’t married and could afford to fly)..
Comment by Gregg Marshall — July 17, 2008 @ 11:08 am
Sorry but I have to disagree with both of you. First of all, we don’t know what the circumstances were. What was the weather, was the destination an air traffic congested airport, what was the departure airports traffic congestion for departure delays, etc. The FAA 45 minute rule is a paper rule. These are the big leagues for flying. No Captain in his/her right mind is going to consider that 45 minutes fully available ie keep flying until the tanks are empty. Most Captains will plan to be on the ground with no less than 30 minutes flying time left which means that the 45 minutes offers up about 15 minutes buffer in real conditions.
These Captains have years of experience and have been caught short of fuel enough times in their careers to make them cautious. That’s why the public depends on them. Management has little understanding to the realities of real operations. The pilots are licensed, the managers are not. And the FAA gives a Captain full authority to add fuel should they deem it necessary.
Comment by Steve Filson — July 17, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
I would like to know who is the idiot that would even think of such a ridiculous plan. We have enough worries on being blown out of the sky or being flown into a high rise, now we have to worry about not having enough fuel ?
So now my life hangs in the hands of a CEO, that is sitting at home, sipping on Cognac, while my pilot is stressed and wondering if he has enough fuel to land his airplane, that is carrying three hundred passengers.
petes2cents.com
Comment by Petes2cents — July 17, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
“The FAA 45 minute rule is a paper rule” ~ Yup. & it’s been that way as long as I can remember — 38 years licensed.
The rest of the rule says, essentially, that there be sufficient fuel for ALL expected operations to destination, PLUS the reserve to an alternate destination. And that’s how the folks back in the flight-ops office do things.
Having seen the interviews with the ‘lead Sr. captain’, it was revealed that they are ordering additional fuel for as much as 110 minutes reserve. Seemingly only the 8 captains in question. And only US Air.
What’s wrong with that picture?
/.
Comment by CaveatEmpty — July 23, 2008 @ 11:14 pm
Fuel consumption is impacted by distance, wind direction and velocity, other weather issues as well as landing locations and possible congestion. The pilots have to check weather services and maps, etc before flying so they should have the last say…if any airline wants to sell me a ticket.
Comment by mary — July 24, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
I haven’t been on US since leaving CLT almost ten years ago and I have no intention of doing so now. It is an inept airline and these eight idiots are one of the reasons. Why is it that the integration of HP is STILL not complete? The ballistic tactics of the US unions, that’s why! My friend is on a trip in F and still had to pay a baggage fee because they said her bag was 2 inches oversize. Any other airline wouldn’t have worried about so small a difference (and measuring bags can be subjective unless you pack in a cardboard box). I’m sure other airlines would love to have the revenue from her trip across the Atlantic.
Comment by Jim — July 24, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
Last Sunday, my flight from DTW to Boston on NWA was placed on a ground hold in DTW due to weather on the east coast. Our plane taxied out to a hold area and then engines were shut down and we were held in au un-airconditioned stiffling hot plane for about an hour before we returned to an open gate, de-planed and waited a short time to reboard. My impression at the time was that they shut down the engines/AC to conserve on fuel. Our total delay was 3+ hours, not the end of the world, but my feeling at the time was they had to shut down the engines for fear of falling below their minimum fuel threshold. I only think we returned to the gate because there was an elderly first-class passenger that a woman across the aisle was fanning with a magazine and that the cabin crew feared an “incident” that would end up in the headlines. I admit lots of speculation on my part, but it felt like fuel conservation was a major concern as I watched the situation play out.
Comment by love2travel — July 25, 2008 @ 9:55 am
A few disgruntled, yet highly experienced employees have decided to carry more additional fuel more often than their coworkers in the same circumstances. That said, nothing UNSAFE has been done by these pilots - and the travelling public needs to be made aware that all Commercial and Airline pilots do care about safety as priority one.
In the end ticket prices, delays, fees for drinks and lost bags don’t matter. What really matters is your safety. An Airline Captain making a SAFER decision should never be chastised for doing so - its in the flying public’s best interest that these highly experienced flyers remain comfortable in making the safest decision every single time.
Comment by JR — August 2, 2008 @ 2:43 am