“CEO of the Cockpit” Index

CEO of the Cockpit #61: There's No Trying to Reason With the Terrorist Season - (Aug. 27, 2006)
Do you want to see the captain of your airline flight walk through security in stocking feet with his "air marshal" government-approved gun in a clear plastic bag? AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit just wants to keep his deodorant, thank you very much.

CEO of the Cockpit #60: The Rebel Alliance - (Jul. 29, 2006)
There is a certain rebelious streak among pilots; anti-authoritarian attitudes are admired if not quite encouraged. But among airline pilots? No one, least of all AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit, wants to lose their job ...

CEO of the Cockpit #59: Do It for the Love of the Game - (Jul. 2, 2006)
Passengers crammed into the back of an airliner may think otherwise, but airline pilots do end up working a lot of hours each month. So why would AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit take on an extra flight filled with steroid-enhanced athletes?

CEO of the Cockpit #58: My Night with Mario - (Jun. 4, 2006)
Young pilots may want a layover hotel with an excercise room, but those who've travelled the world know it's more interesting to get out of the hotel and find some authentic nightlife. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit always tries to find a place like Mario's.

CEO of the Cockpit #57: Mentors - (May 7, 2006)
Don't let experienced pilots convince you they got where they are solely through their own efforts. All good pilots had folks who helped them out along the way, including AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit.

CEO of the Cockpit #56: The FAA Is Your Friend - (Apr. 9, 2006)
A necessary evil. A necessary leech. The FAA, according to AVweb's CEO of the cockpit, is all those things and more. And in this month's column, he's even willing to admit some FAA bureaucrats are OK.

CEO of the Cockpit #55: Walk-Around, 5 a.m., LAX - (Mar. 12, 2006)
Even grizzled, old, jaded and chubby captains of wide-body airliners sometimes have to preflight their giant steeds. It may not resemble the preflight a young student would do, and mechanics no longer help out, but the tradition is alive and well for AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit.

CEO of the Cockpit #54: Baggage - (Feb. 12, 2006)
Anybody else notice that right about the time wheeled suitcases started coming onto airplanes, airline profits started dropping? AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit didn't notice, but his Marine buddy did and pines for those earlier, testosterone-filled days.

CEO of the Cockpit #53: Snow Day - (Jan. 15, 2006)
A snow day may be a day off from work or school, but if you're an airline pilot it probably means delays and de-icing. AVweb's Kevin Garrison has had many snow days -- some of them even involved throwing snowballs in Florida.

CEO of the Cockpit #52: There Is No Trying To Reason With The Holiday Season - (Dec. 18, 2005)
You can be upset about working on Christmas, or you can be sanquine and reminisce about the good-old (holi)days of cooking turkey in the galley and layovers with belly dancers. AVweb's fictional CEO of the Cockpit, looking at imminent retirement, is surprisingly cheerful.

CEO of the Cockpit #51: Cockpit of the Apes - (Nov. 20, 2005)
If a free-enterprise economy is Darwinian and if legacy airlines are dinosaurs, what are the little mammals and what are the cockroaches? And which will survive longest? AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit ponders this in the hypoxic cockpit of a 777 in this month's column.

CEO of the Cockpit #50: On Their Shoulders - (Oct. 23, 2005)
There aren't many from the Greatest Generation left -- people and planes -- to remind young folks what flying was like back then ... and what it was like to leave home at a young age to fight halfway around the world. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit sees parallels to his generation of airline captains.

CEO of the Cockpit #49: Coonass Says Goodbye - (Sep. 25, 2005)
These days even retired airline pilots feel the pain of broken airlines. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit tells the story of his southern buddy left behind by an unfeeling, MBA-managed legacy airline.

CEO of the Cockpit #48: If This Is Coffee, Bring Me Tea -- If This Is Tea, Bring Me Coffee - (Aug. 28, 2005)
GA pilots know what it's like to try and survive on vending-machine food. But when you make it to the majors, you can count on first-class meals in flight and in the hotels. Well, maybe if you were a pilot in the 1960s ...

CEO of the Cockpit #47: Pilots Have Never Changed - (Jul. 31, 2005)
Sure, we've heard it all before: What with "cockpit resource management" and deregulation, being an airline pilot today is nothing like it was 50 years ago. Wrong. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit just watched two flying films from the 1950s and he saw himself and his friends in them.

CEO of the Cockpit #46: Sidelined From Summer Sub-Sonic Fun - (Jul. 3, 2005)
For the first time in his flying career, AVweb's CEO of the cockpit has the summer off. It wasn't his choice, but he's enjoying it better now with a little help from his friends.

CEO of the Cockpit #45: Dead Dinosaurs - (Jun. 1, 2005)
We're all flying with dead dinosaurs -- well, all of us powered pilots anyway. Airlines love to blame their bankruptcies on the price of fuel, but they won't raise fares to cover it. So AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit and some other pilots discuss other ways to use less go-juice.

CEO of the Cockpit #44: Raise The Nina! - (May 8, 2005)
For modern airline pilots like AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit -- who spend all day in an FMS-guided autopilot-flown aviation wonder -- the appeal of flying old, low and slow during their days off (or in retirement) is understandable. But why would someone spend millions to rescue something that would be cheaper to build from scratch?

CEO of the Cockpit #43: Summit Talks on Aviation - (Apr. 10, 2005)
A informal meeting of the minds (such as they are) takes place each year where folks from many walks of life -- but connected by aviation -- discuss the state of the industry and relations among pilots, mechanics, and more. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit tells the tale.

CEO of the Cockpit #42: BUFFs and Buggy Whips - (Mar. 13, 2005)
AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit lost a buddy this month -- not to death but to retirement. Distance and personality type usually mean pilots don't see each other once the goodbye party is over. But at that party, everybody wants to outdo each other with stories of "... When I was a junior co-pilot ..."

CEO of the Cockpit #41: Risky Business - (Jan. 16, 2005)
Safety is an indistinct concept -- in airplanes and in more terrestrial vehicles. You can be the safest person, attentive and defensive; but when a car (or plane) just misses you, luck seems to be much more involved. AVweb's CEO had a close encounter that kept him wondering how safe we are.

CEO of the Cockpit #40: Dear Santa - (Dec. 19, 2004)
Finding himself a swimming-pool-bound prisoner of a three-day re-route, the CEO takes a little time off from his enforced Fort Lauderdale layover to jot down a few ideas for the bearded fat man.

CEO of the Cockpit #39: What Does the Future Hold? - (Nov. 21, 2004)
Aviation is only 100 years old. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit feels like he is pretty close to that age, too, as he ponders the future of airline flying and bores your kids with his thoughts.

CEO of the Cockpit #38: Pioneers - (Oct. 24, 2004)
Celebrating 100 years of flight can be done at a museum, but AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit is a little disappointed with the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. The planes are just too clean, and it doesn't have the people and artifacts that he finds important to aviation history.

CEO of the Cockpit #37: Pilot Lounge and Politics - (Sep. 26, 2004)
It's the final push to the election, and politics have entered the sacrosanct world of the airline cockpit, and the not-so-sacrosanct pilot lounge. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit reports on the latest gossip.

CEO of the Cockpit #36: Happier Times? - (Aug. 29, 2004)
A meeting with a bunch of retired pilots inspires AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit to remember days gone by, and some of the great pilots he flew with. It doesn't make for very "P.C." stories, but they had some great times back in the jet-set days.

CEO of the Cockpit #35: If I Were The King Of The Forest ... - (Aug. 1, 2004)
Is it the job of an airline to provide a 'great flight,' or just to move people from point A to point B and along the way try to separate more money from those people? AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit has a few more ideas for re-organizing his airline; he's willing to take a pay cut, but only if he can roll a few management heads.

CEO of the Cockpit #34: Ground Control to Captain Tom - (July 4, 2004)
Say what you want about whether unionizing pilots is good or bad for aviation, it is an established tradition at many airlines. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit wonders if that tradition should be established for the newest private "space" pilot.

CEO of the Cockpit #33: Dog Is My Co-Pilot - (June 6, 2004)
Even a hard-nosed old captain like AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit has a soft spot for some people and even some animals. Especially ones that are willing to go flying on those dark and stormy nights. This is a dog story, but it's a pilot's dog story.

CEO of the Cockpit #32: Great Expectations - (May 9, 2004)
We all assumed technology would make life easier and safer; and save time and paper. Nice try. Welcome to the hurry-up-and-wait world with bugs in the software, reams of computer printouts, and people who couldn't calculate a weight-and-balance to save their life (and wouldn't have pencil and paper to do it anyway). AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit wants his slide rule back.

CEO of the Cockpit #31: Goodbye, B727 - (Apr. 11, 2004)
Boeing's ancient three-hole jet is still around, although you're more likely to see it hauling cargo and mail than actual passengers, at least in North America. But AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit spent many a noisy hour in the front end of the 727, and has some advice for any pilots jumping into that seat.

CEO of the Cockpit #30: Spring Cleaning - (Mar. 14, 2004)
After an absence due to a medical condition, AVweb's Ceo of the Cockpit returns to the flight line and finds himself a bit behind in his approach plate updates. This reminds him to go back and clean out the mental cobwebs around all key pre-flight procedures.

CEO of the Cockpit #29: My Talk with the Tent People - (Feb. 15, 2004)
How can you give a talk to pilots who know a lot more about flying than you do? One way is not to talk. But when confronted with a receptive audience, AVweb's CEO talked about what he knows: flying airliners and being a good airline captain.

CEO of the Cockpit #28: A Different Airline World - (Jan. 18, 2004)
AVweb's CEO of the cockpit is back in recurrent training, trying to remember everything he forgot about 767s and 757s since the last time he was here a year ago. The security training session, however, prompted him to consider ways to really cut down on security problems. His airline might not like it, though ...

CEO of the Cockpit#27:
Be It Further Resolved ... - (Dec. 21, 2003)

Even grumpy old airline pilots know that change is necessary, and sometimes change begins at home. There are a few things AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit wants to be different in the new year, and he's even going to try and change some things about himself.

CEO of the Cockpit#26:
The Most Complicated Airline Procedure -- Bidding For Christmas - (Nov. 23, 2003)

AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit has flown his share of Christmas trips. This year he is off for the day but has no shortage of advice to more junior pilots on how to spend the Yuletide at home.

CEO of the Cockpit#25:
Centennial - (Oct. 26, 2003)

It's a cliche to say the world of 1903 was very different than 2003. But it is instructive to look back at that year and see what kind of world powered flight entered; to see what it meant to the Wright Brothers and to the rest of humanity at the time. AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit takes us back to those days of innocence when the world was much bigger.

CEO of the Cockpit#24:
Air TV - (Sept 28, 2003)

Picture it: An airliner dodging thunderheads, with the pilots jamming to rock music in their headphones. It's the opening sequence of a new TV sitcom about airline pilots. Think it can't happen -- that real pilots doing real flying isn't funny to the public? Neither does AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit.

CEO of the Cockpit #23:
Flight Bag -- Early Retirement - (Aug 31, 2003)

AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit still has a few good years left in the cockpit, but his bag has run out of time. This bag has seen it all -- from the first indoc training with the airline up through two major wars, and all the people and places in between.

CEO of the Cockpit#22:
Gate Delay - (Aug 2, 2003)

Lots of things conspire to delay an airliner's departure from the gate. For AVweb's fictional CEO of the Cockpit, recent gate delays were merely the end of a string of challenges served up by Sin City.

CEO of the Cockpit#21:
Let's Fix This Airline - (Articles - July 6, 2003)

Once again, AVweb's fictional CEO of the Cockpit holds court in a high-flying bull session with fellow pilots and comes up with can't-fail fixes for his fictional airline's finances.

CEO of the Cockpit#20:
Don't Sweat the SEPs - (Articles - June 8, 2003)

That's Someone Else's Problems. Why get steamed over flyspeck mechanical glitches or boneheaded airline management when there's nothing you can do about either? AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit advises you kick back, grab some perspective and consider renting a sailboat in San Diego.

CEO of the Cockpit#19:
What Makes A Great Captain? - (Articles - May 11, 2003)

The road to captainhood is long and tortured, but the primary qualification isn't your skills or your attitude -- it's your seniority. But AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit still thinks it is worth the effort to be a great captain.

CEO of the Cockpit#18:
Early Learning - (Articles - Apr 13, 2003)

Even grizzled old airline captains have habits they learned when they first started flying, and AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit is no exception.

CEO of the Cockpit#17:
A Day In The Life - (Articles - Mar 16, 2003)

Most people, or perhaps more accurately, most non-pilots, still think flight crews lead the glamorous life. We know better. And just to remind us, AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit will take us through a most ordinary day in the ordinary life of an airline pilot.

CEO of the Cockpit#16:
And Now, Something Completely Different ... Stupid (Airline) Pilot Tricks! - (Articles - Feb 16, 2003)

The cockpit of a modern airliner: An efficient, smooth-running front office where professionals work hard and treat each other with respect (maybe rant a little bit, but only above 10,000 feet). Not! AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit tells of some wacky events that have happened in his office.

CEO of the Cockpit#15:
School House Blues - (Articles - Jan 19 2003)

It's always a challenge to learn to fly a new aircraft, and AVweb's CEO ofthe Cockpit is not adverse to that, especially because it may be his lastupgrade while at the airline. But talk of a looming war makes for goodprocrastination material when you're tired of studying.

CEO of the Cockpit#14:
The New Year - (Articles - Dec 20 2002)

It's been a tough year at the airline, and next year is looking even worse.But AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit knows that one way to break the cycle of gloom isto make resolutions about your own life and let the airline take care of itself.

CEO of the Cockpit#13:
Professional Courtesy - (Articles - Nov 23 2002)

It's gonna be an extra-long layover for AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit thisholiday season. Lots of time to contemplate what it takes to be a professional- and you can bet it ain't necessarily what "management" thinks ittakes.

CEO of the Cockpit#12:
Jumpseat Rider - (Articles - Oct 25 2002)

One advantage of being an airline pilot is the use of the cockpit jumpseat,even when flying on personal business. And there are rules, including notspeaking until spoken to. Of course, once you get the CEOof the Cockpitstarted ... .

CEO of the Cockpit#11:
Career Day - (Articles - Sep 28 2002)

Do you think it'd be a good idea to invite AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit tospeak to students about airline careers? One thing's for sure, he'll tell themwhat they really should be studying in order to succeed in the front office.

CEO of the Cockpit#10:
Re-Regulation or the Golden Rule? - (Articles - Sep 1 2002)

This month, AVweb's CEO of the Cockpit fixes the industry and insultspassengers nationwide in another mind-expanding column on the state of theairlines.

CEO of the Cockpit#9:
Reroutes and Rethinking - (Articles - Aug 1 2002)

After a rather intrusive security check, AVweb's CEOof the Cockpitfinds that, sometimes, waiting for the weather to change can actually get youhome sooner than you expected. And sometimes it gives you time to think aboutwhether a CEO ought to pack heat in that cockpit office of yours.

CEO of the Cockpit#8:
CEO of the Flight Line - (Articles - Jul 5 2002)

Could there be a better job than being an airline pilot? Actually, the CEOofthe Cockpit once had an even better job in aviation: He was a lineboy, the CEOofthe Flight Line. Free flight time, free fuel, free cigarettes, few cares, andfewer cynics.

CEO of the Cockpit#7:
Grumpy Old Captains - (Articles - Jun 9 2002)

It's been a bad day. Scratch that, it's been a bad week. AVweb's KevinGarrison has had it up to his epaulets with cute comments from airlinepassengers, and he's decided it's time to let us know what passengers say thatmakes airline pilots rant.

CEO of the Cockpit#6:
CEO Squared - (Articles - May 15 2002)

The Dow is rebounding and tech stocks are on the rise, but the major aircarriers' shares are in the doldrums. Who's really at the controls here? TheReal CEO makes a cameo appearance in the latest "CEO of the Cockpit."

CEO of the Cockpit#5:
Bring Lawyers, Guns, and Money - (Articles - Apr 12 2002)

Ahhhh, it's tax time for all of us and for the CEO of the Cockpit as well.Airline captains are accustomed to calling the shots when hundreds of lives areat stake. Who better to consult where the issue is merely whether or not apost-flight beer is deductible? Take it for what it's worth - the CEO has anopinion.

CEO of the Cockpit#4:
On Laying Over Well - (Articles - Mar 15 2002)

If you fly for a living there will always be layovers and time to think -time to think about how things used to be and what they will become. The CEO ofthe Cockpit is on layover and he's been thinking.

CEO of the Cockpit#3:
Retirement - (Articles - Feb 15 2002)

There's another side to the Age 60 Rule. Long before you've served sixdecades on spaceship Earth and are required to step aside to make room for theup-and-coming, it claims your closest friends and flying companions. Ride alongwith AVweb's Kevin Garrison as the CEO Of The Cockpit takes his final flightwith an old buddy.

CEO of the Cockpit#2:
Training Day - (Articles - Jan 12 2002)

You're aboard a commercial flight and the weather at your destination airportis ... let's say challenging. As your thoughts drift to the flight crew seatedahead of the newly installed security door, what crosses your mind first:"How are their communications skills holding out?" or "Can theyget us down?" The CEO Of The Cockpit has his own views and AVweb's KevinGarrison shares them with us in his latest column.

CEO of the Cockpit#1:
Feeling Secure - (Articles - Dec 15 2001)

Still not feeling secure about air travel even though the airlines have addedreinforcing to cockpit doors and removed all fingernail clippers from the flightcrew's duty bags? Well, the feelings aren't entirely warm and fuzzy inside thecockpit either. AVweb's newest columnist Kevin Garrison takes an inside-out lookat the issue from the irreverent perspective of the CEO Of The Cockpit.