Do you or have you worked for an airline?

Question

I am curious, what happens if the pilot oversleeps or is really late for work? Is that what causes flights to be delayed or is another pilot called in?

Answer 1

delays are usually because of the following reasongs (by most occurances):
1.weather
2.technical malfunction (no the plane won't crash, it's mostly changing a light or more air for the tires"
3.too much air traffic, not enough gates and runways. happens too often in Mexico City International
4.late priority passengers
5.human mishaps (like pilot tardiness)

Regarding cabin crew tardiness, most airlines have a policy of NO TARDIES, NO EXCUSES, NO EXEPTIONS. you would be either suspended without pay untile the board decides what to do with you or you end up fired and with a blotchy stain in your aviation curriculum. If they are late they always have flight attendants and pilots in reserve ready to get the call and most of the reserves are in the airport so the delay would be minimal.

Answer 2

Ye sI have worked for an airline, and many of my friends and family still do. If a pilot is late for a flight then that could be one reason among many for a delay. Other pilots are on call however they have 2hrs or something like that to get to the airport so it could be awhile before the plane gets off the ground. Usually though there are wake up calls at all the hotels and the whole crew stays at the same hotel so they'd make sure He was with them before they all left for the airport

Answer 3

Depends entirely where the pilot is at the time of the tardiness. If at home base about to begin his trip, a reserve (on-call) pilot will replace him. If he/she is on a layover and is late, well airplanes can't fly themselves without 2 people in the cockpit so yes a DELAY will more than likely occur.

Once in Des Moines, my crew and I were traveling in the hotel van from the hotel to the airport. En route my Captain had a heart attack. We pulled over on the side of the road, called 911 and he was taken to the hospital while we continued to the airport. We were delayed almost 4 hours until the company got a another pilot to Des Moines from St. Louis (base city) to work the trip with us.

Depends entirely on where the pilot is when a tardiness occurs.

Answer 4

Most Airlines will assign a "Stand By!" pilot to be on call. If the assigned pilot cannot make his pre-check the airline would activate the Stand By and he would take the flight. Sometimes this causes problems and we sit in the airport waiting for a full flight crew.

Answer 5

Nope- if a pilot or a flight attendant is even one minute late to check in (usaully an hour before the flight leaves) he/she is immediatly replaced with a group of reserves that are sitting at the airport "on call" If he/she calls out sick same deal. These resreves are the junior crew with low senority who have to spend much of their "flying time" sitting at the airport for such occurances. Sometimes it sucks- sometimes you get lucky. Most of my international flights I got only because someone was late to check in. I was already at the airport so I got called to go. There is usaully 9 of 10 of us sitting around doing nothing and then- bam! One of us is going to Rome and the person next to you is flying to Zurich! You go into "airport reserve" and have no clue where you will lay your head later that night.
Most flights are not delayed because of that unless you are in a remote city like Boise where crews don't sit in the airport.

Answer 6

I know the second one. If the pilot calls in sick or something, the airline will call for a reserve pilot, these pilots come to work whenever they are called, so they can come to work at any unexpected time.

I'm not sure of this, If the pilots late for work... I'm think there's another pilot in the jumpseat to take care of that, but that late pilot will be in troube.

Answer 7

dont know but email me and there is this movie called Snake On Plane it is a great movie but tooooo much snakes it will make u itch

Answer 8

It's only if he's too drunk to fly.

Answer 9

No I never have.