Grumpyaviator

…and at another company the airplane was hit with a belt loader leaving a hole in the side. The walk around had already been done and the rampers didn’t tell us. We ended up stranded at the outstation and when the tapes were played the rampers were fired.

I’ll have to read the actual guidance but I think my technique will be to do it later in the turn.

RJSAviator76

Aw come on you bunch of sissies.... get your steps in and climb some stairs. It'll be good for you. It's a known thing that lardassery leads to heart disease and being out on medical disability. And since the company knows they're gonna have to pony up, they want to lower the rates by requiring us to walk and climb stairs between flights. I need to send a kicktail to whoever came up with this beauty.

three1five

I’d bet this was in response to the FAA pushing hard for a walk around before each leg. Miss enough bird strikes (easy to miss the little ones) and eventually the FAA and your safety department have enough to muscle whoever writes your FOM into adding the requirement.

The little bird strikes will still get missed but at least the involved parties can point to a change they influenced.

You’re lucky though, the push could be for preflight AND post flight walk around on every leg.

e6bpilot

I got called by a Dallas area code one day after work. Did my standard of letting it go to voicemail. It was the CPNOC congratulating me on finding a bird strike that morning and wanting more details for his report. Funny thing is, I didn't find it. The ramp did. And I was the one who terminated the aircraft the night before. We took a 30 min delay waiting for contract maint to come out and wipe a 2 inch blood smear off the bottom of a flap drive canoe. Made it up in the next two legs and gave the aircraft to the PM crew on time.

I elected not to call him back.

Is it really a bird, though? Some moths have feathers.

This requirement is ridiculous but it is what it is. Nothing we can do about it except begrudgingly and safely comply.

I wrote a poem about it:
And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be

Avroman

Endeavor (at least through 2018 when I left) had our same (old) policy. I'd rather have a trained ramper that is looking at 6-7 planes a day 5 days a week, say 30 walks a week, over me getting call it 10 a week since now I seem to get at least one deadhead a week now. I fly the thing but I don't walk around the outside anywhere near as much as a ramper. Who's more likely to notice something unusual? PS I'm still going to punch my grumpies in the terminal not the plane... that takes time, too.

Caveman

I know at ValuJet walk-arounds were common place and that excellence was continued on at AT

hoover

I dont think the issue is walk around every leg, it's that they try to do 30-45 min turns and there already isnt enough time to get food( no catering), take a dump, or be a human. Now they load up the FO with another thing to do. Ground crew are still doing walk around ; so what's the point. They did a good job of it and after everything was pulled away.
if it's about catching bird strikes, give me a break I've hit a handle full in 20 yrs, then train the ground crew to look up once in a while.
It's all about punishing the pilots to wear them out during negotiations.
Vote yes may 1

Mozam

All during contract negotiations while in mediation.

Cyio

agreed. My point is that I am not fit to fly until I have taken care of my physiological needs and won’t be signing off until so.

Take the time you need to get food, hit the bathroom, be human etc and then and only then do the walk around and sign the sheet.

flyguy81

As a soon to be new Capn….this. Do what you need to do and we’ll go when we’re all ready. If we’re late, then we’re late. I’ll take the heat.