WJ Pilot Training Video?

[aerobod]

Look guys ( Non WJ employees ) we get it. It's embarrassing to groom in front of guests, it makes a mockery of our profession and it looks terrible when those pilots who either don't care or don't realize that being bent over with ur ass in the air, garbage bag in hand, and saying goodbye to the guests while ur nose is deep in a seat cushion. Those guys that don't see that are (IMO) also the most likely to run through the airport , not polish their shoes, or not iron a shirt because no all honesty they just don't care what the travelling public thinks of them.

However , when hired, we knew the deal going in. So to say now "no I won't help" shows one to be either a liar in the interview or worse... So ..

In uniform , I try to mitigate the embarrassment. I don't groom in front of guests, because that gives me time to do proper duties like review paperwork which is a legitimate and acceptable reason to not be involved at that particular moment. Not letting guests see u wearing gloves or holding a trash bag also helps maintain some level of professionalism for my industry I believe.

That said, once paperwork is complete, and guests are off, I would groom all day long, because that is what was asked of me initially and I agreed to it.

I totally agree with your approach. The way I have seen grooming work most efficiently is when non-crew employees start as soon as possible, cabin crew start when they have finished giving any guest assistance (while one member covers the front door to say goodbye to guests) and Capt and F.O. in the flight deck finishing up or saying goodbye to guests until the last has left. At that point half the aircraft is normally groomed, then everyone chips in to finish. On some flights with a lot of non-crew employees, grooming is occasionally complete right as the last guest leaves.

[Buckfifty]

when hired, we knew the deal going in. So to say now "no I won't help" shows one to be either a liar in the interview or worse... So .. .

I was never asked that in my interview nor did I specifically sign any paperwork saying I will groom.

[North of You]

when hired, we knew the deal going in. So to say now "no I won't help" shows one to be either a liar in the interview or worse... So .. .

I was never asked that in my interview nor did I specifically sign any paperwork saying I will groom.

What a selfish response.



Who do you think has to pick up the slack when you refuse to groom?

[Ex DC10 Driver]

I groom. I too wait for all guests to get off. If it is my leg once we arrive and the guests are deplanning I perform the walk around then come back and say good bye to all remaining guests then I groom. I don't 'go upstream' and I try to be professional. I enjoy grooming....after sitting for a leg I like stretching my legs and talking with the others who are grooming and connecting with the entire crew. I came to WestJet knowing this was part of my job. Am I sometimes surprised by the mess that is left or what I find....of course...but if not me someone else would have to do it. When I flew at Pacific Coastal and other 703 /704 operations I loaded bags, refuelled my own aircraft, de-iced and brushed the snow off of my aircraft and loaded containers and containers of mushrooms. It was part of the job...and sometimes fun. It is not what I did it was more times who I did it with that made it enjoyable or not. Yes I am a pilot but I am also part of a team and I am not ashamed to be...actually I am proud. Some people who think this is 'beneath them' I believe need to get over themselves.
Steve.

[Blue42]

when hired, we knew the deal going in. So to say now "no I won't help" shows one to be either a liar in the interview or worse... So .. .

I was never asked that in my interview nor did I specifically sign any paperwork saying I will groom.

Yet you had no problem taking the job knowing that grooming was part of the job!!!! Did you also not know we did layovers??? That must've come as a shock too....

[mantogasrsrwy]

Buckfifty sounds more like a lawyer than a pilot. If he didn't know enough about the company to know employees clean the plane he probably shouldn't be at WJ. Two posts pretty much make him troll joiner though.

[NewCommercialPilot]

I like this ex DC10 driver guy, and the others who recognize that we are all in this together. I too remember all the jobs on the way to this one in which I did many tasks not strictly related to operating the plane safely. I'm sure everyone else did too. I wonder when, at what point, does the attitude change so that some tasks are beneath us?

Your humble observer.

[JBI]

Buckfifty sounds more like a lawyer than a pilot. If he didn't know enough about the company to know employees clean the plane he probably shouldn't be at WJ. Two posts pretty much make him troll joiner though.

Hey, be nice to the lawyers! Prior to being hired, lawyers would do their research and know that, currently, all flight crew including pilots are required to help groom the aircraft between turns.

Should it change? Perhaps - that's something that can get negotiated with a new CBA. If it's that important to someone, lobbying the new ALPA MEC / negotiating committee is the way to go. If you simply refuse to groom even when you have no other duties you are disrespecting your fellow employees. Nobody forced you to work at WestJet. I'm not saying grooming is a good thing, but advocate for change through the proper channels.

[Buckfifty]

when hired, we knew the deal going in. So to say now "no I won't help" shows one to be either a liar in the interview or worse... So .. .

I was never asked that in my interview nor did I specifically sign any paperwork saying I will groom.

What a selfish response.



Who do you think has to pick up the slack when you refuse to groom?

Did I say I don't groom? No. I do groom, once all guests are off, minus some remaining wheel chairs perhaps.

But that does not take away from the fact that I still believe grooming is the most embarrassing thing we do when it's done in front of guests. I don't think grooming is below me, but the people who paid hundreds of dollars to fly across the country in 5 hours do. To most people, specially the educated business clientele whom we are trying to target at this time, grooming should be done by grooming staff. *Most* people understand that employees in different roles have different duties: pilots fly, mechanics fix, cleaning staff clean, flight attendants provide the level of safety and care that they should, so on and so forth. The moment we start doing these unconventional tasks in the name of teamwork and profit sharing, is when we start looking like an organization that WE ARE NOT. Just like the rest of you, I have stakes at Westjet and want to see us not only make profit but also be a professional airline in the eyes of the consumer and to set an example in the airline world. When Joe Blow is deplaning and witnessing the captain on his knees rubbing gum off the armrest, he's gonna probably think we are cutting corners when it comes to other aspects of our operation that is safety related. And I know that we don't, so let's not put an image that displays otherwise.

And no, it didn't come as a shock to me that we do overnights. That is to be expected no matter what airline or what part of the world you work at. Funny how you think I'm a troll when my posts (and I know it's only been 3 including this one) is a reflection of what most of the flying public think.

[Rowdy]

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[.80@410]

I like this ex DC10 driver guy, and the others who recognize that we are all in this together.
Your humble observer.

Are you not the same pilot who wrote he would willingly cross picket lines and called himself WJs #1 scab?

[brooks]

I forgot to groom once on a standby ticket. Got written up.

['97 Tercel]

[brooks]

.

Tell me you don't groom on the dash...

[Rowdy]

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Tell me you don't groom on the dash...

I had made a comment over captain awesome and his 'humble observer' remark and then thought the best of it. I know his antics and attitude are not indicative of the rest of the professionals at WJ.

We don't have to groom. We are not told to groom. We don't get written up on a DH or standby travel if we don't. We also don't have some terrible video of our leader trying to shove it down our throats.

Will I occasionally of my own good nature and when time permits at an outstation go back and help a frazzled FA cross some seat belts after we have offloaded pax ? Of course. Do i Have to? Nope.

That's the difference.

[Black_Tusk]

I heard the other day that a WJ crew member asked a Jazz pilot who was commuting if they could help groom. It was second hand so I am unsure if there is truth to it but if it is......

[ahramin]

I heard the other day that a WJ crew member asked a Jazz pilot who was commuting if they could help groom. It was second hand so I am unsure if there is truth to it but if it is......

If it is, just refer them to Greggy's video.

[Sharklasers]

I was commuting in my AC uniform once and was stopped at the door, scolded by the FA, handed a pair of latex glove and told to go groom.

[PostmasterGeneral]

Did you groom? Or promptly tell her to pound sand since you paid for your seat?

[pianokeys]

Hundred bucks says aerobod is Greg Saretsky.

Number one, stop getting pilots and FAs to groom and selling it as "were all in this together" and team building, its so phony. Almost as phony as calling passengers "guests"

Pilots and FAs are flight crew. Not ground crew. Stop being so cheap aerobod and hire proper ground staff.

[plhought]

I was travelling YYC-YVR-YYC in my previous employer's maintenance work shirt pretty frequently last year. Usually would have lanyard/RAIC tucked in the front of shirt underneath the collar.

Got handed the plastic Subway-gloves twice. First time I was too surprised to actually react so I just kinda made an "ahh thank you" face and actually cleaned my row to not make a scene or make others uncomfortable. Those sucka's got me! Made for good bar story after.

Second time I was actually "Gold" status (ooOo) by then so was quite surprised the girl didn't actually go through the manifest before handing gloves out. I was overall more grumpy about the flying back-and-forth situation by then so I just stuffed the gloves in the seat pocket. Probably should have let the FA know on way out to double check her manifest perhaps next time.

Thinking back on it now, if they mind-f***Ed me into cleaning my row even on a paid ticket, I'm surprised they dont do the same with all fare-paying passengers!

[atphat]

I was commuting in my AC uniform once and was stopped at the door, scolded by the FA, handed a pair of latex glove and told to go groom.

Pathetic. And you aren't allowed to help anyways because you are not "trained in emergency procedures" on that aircraft or whatever WJ calls it. If it happens again just go tell the pilots and I'm assuming if they have some balls left they would educate the FA on th proper procedures.

[aerobod]

Hundred bucks says aerobod is Greg Saretsky.

Well, I'll take you seriously on that bet. If you look at my Avatar, many people at the WestJet Campus know my fun car, as do the chaps in the tower who tell me they can hear the echo clearly through the taxiway tunnel when I take it to the redline on the way into work. Gregg isn't a car guy. One thing people have to be careful of is not getting me going on the details of the R400, before you know it I'll be posting the changes I've been making to the engine maps (if you thought I was boring so far, you ain't seen anything yet!). Anyway, now your part of the bargain, I don't need the $100, but please donate it to the Ronald McDonald House Charity and post a copy of your donation receipt here!

There are no apologies for employees at WestJet having to groom, it is part of all of our jobs and is based on sound operational needs. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, as they don't have to do it or like it.