OK... prove that you are in fact Fleet Service!
My Dearest Mister Roabilly!
I honestly thought you might ask that question, and thus, I was wondering how I might answer that question while avoiding midnight card checks at home from some disgruntled union brothers. So I pondered,
weak and weary over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore... oh, sorry wrong blog... how might I demonstrate proof? So I thought that the best way would be using examples for which only a ramp agent would know (okay, maybe a mechanic, but I don't think that's the issue) from their own experiences and observations.
With this in mind, and without much forethought, I offer the following:
"Joe Dirt was here" has signed in one of the East A-320 (maybe it was an A-321) forward bin on the right side near the door... maybe it is homage to our own board poster or his own
nom de plume, but I found an almost kinship working the bin and seeing someone I "know" from this board.
When pushing back the East pilots are real adament about verifying "breaks released" before push back, the West pilots are more relaxed about the protocol. Like playing "Simon Says" with the East guys.
The lavs on the Airbus are much easier to service. Just one access panel in the tail with just one fill port. Boeing have a minimum of two access panels with multiple fill ports on some of them. I swear in the years I have worked on B757, I could probably name, at least, five different configerations of lav panels... tail, further back on tail, between the main landing gear, just behind the nose gear, up high on the left side between the forward bin door and the wing, and I thought there were others.... the last one being a real pain when the air hose has been rolled-out and now sits in the way of the lav truck or even bags being loaded on the other side.
A321 aft bin nets are a pain in the ass because they don't attached straight across from the wall to the bin netting near the door. They jut-out about a foot and so if you don't leave enough room when stacking the bags near the fuel tank, you will either be fighting to lift up the bags on the bottom of the pile or "forget" to secure that snap on the floor.
When pushing out an aircraft, it is highly advisable to keep the nose gear straight before attempting to disconnect the tow bar because the "hook" binds-up on the bar making it difficult to disengage the push tug from the aircraft. If this does happen, then it might be necessary to remove the tow bar from the push tug, thus relieving pressure from one side of the tow bar and allowing the tow bar to be removed from the nose gear.
After completing a push and the pilot has set the break, the tug driver should place the tug into neutral, thus removing additional pressure from the tow bar when it is being disconnected from the nose gear. Personally, I hate when I see rampers beating and kicking the tow bar to get it off the nose gear.
On the B737 removing the bypass pin requires that one get almost inside the nose gear bay... I really try to avoid that... I have found the pressing down gently on the part that holds the pin firmly to remove the pressure and gets the pin to slide out easily.
Here's something obscure... the bypass pins on the Airbus (319, 320 and 321), B737, and B757 are different in size from each other. The B737 has the most narrow pin almost the size of a cocktail slipping straw, Airbus about the diameter of a soda drinking straw, and the B757 about the width of a milk shake straw.
On the ground power plug, there are six holes in a 2 x 3 configuration with four of the holes being smaller than the other two larger holes. The male plug needs to match the larger holes and the small holes, otherwise the plug won't fit.
When conducting a push back, especially one in which the jet bridge is attached to the second door (as when on a B757) be sure to clear the nose from the jet bridge before making another hard turns especially attempting to push the tail to driver's left. Otherwise it is possible to have the nose strike the jet bridge.
When I have instructed newbies on a push back, I tell them some simple advice... "Turn in the direction you want to go and watch the nose gear to avoid jack knifing the tug and push bar... don't allow the push bar to get too close towards the red lines on the side of the plane."
Also on a push back, the longer the wheel base of the plane, the less "squirrely" the plane handles. The B737 are a pain as they can turn on a dime (whether that's is the intent or not), and because they are low to the ground, it isn't possible to see what is directly behind the plane. Big advantage to the Airbus or B757 because they are higher off the ground.
So Mr. Roabilly, I hope this may put to rest your false ideas about me being part of management... I doubt Doug Parker was scrounging around the bins tonight looking for "Joe Dirt was here" and forget Scott Kirby... he might get his golf shirt dirty.
So Proffers Jester.
