Initiations........Are they still practised?

Nigel H-J · Post by **Nigel H-J** » 13 Oct 2006, 10:33

By the way Nigel - I heard the sickbag story about thirty odd years ago - except the way I heard it - it was a BUA Superfreightner and it Cream of Mushrooom
soup.

That must have been about the most favourite intitiation ceremony in aviation 30 years ago then Leif. My sister had told me of other ceremonies carried out but came no-where near as funny (or should I say as nasty) as that one!!

Just wonder if these ceremonies are still practised today with airline crews or could it be management have finally pulled the curtains down on it!!

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 13 Oct 2006, 11:26

Nope Nigel

Our flight attendants get some really unpleasent surprises as well
one of the popular ones is putting FAs in overhead bins a favorite
initation these days - known locally as -----wait for it---- Flight
Attendant stuffing

Leif

Nigel H-J · Post by **Nigel H-J** » 13 Oct 2006, 11:54

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 13 Oct 2006, 21:03

A variation on Leif's overhead locker was for one of the guys to hide in a locker (when they were shelves like on 707s and VC10s) and then the new girl would be asked to go through and open the lockers ready for boarding.....

Another favourite was to substitute a live life-jacket for the dummy one and wait for them to inflate it during the demo. The punters loved that one.

A really horrid one was the tradition of holding the room party in the newbie's room. It would stink of smoke and stale beer and you usually had a sad old drunk asleep on the bed at four a.m.

My favourite was a VC10 room party in Dar (es-Salaam) and a stewardess on her first trip. "I don't suppose they taught you anything useful in training?" asked the Captain. "Like muff diving," says the FO to raucous laughter. When we quietened down she said "What's muff diving?" The skipper was quick as a flash. "They didn't teach you muff diving? This is outrageous - it's the most important skill a stewardess can have." "Oh dear, what's it used for?" She was getting a bit upset. The skipper promised her that it wasn't her fault but that she was lucky to have such an experienced crew who could complete her education without her having to be retrained.

We told her that the necessary equipment was kept under the EO's table and we would introduce her to it on tomorrow night's flight to Rome via Entebbe. She did insist on knowing in what circumstance it might be used and as we would be flying over Lake Victoria someone said it was to do with ditching in an inland sea.

Nothing more was said until the next night when we took off from Entebbe with half a dozen punters and we kept the lights out as there was no service. At top of climb, the EO rang down and asked me to send her up the front. After about ten minutes I got another call from a hysterical EO who told us to go into the cabin and see what was happening. I went up to the first class divider curtain just as she came through wearing a huge fire-fighting oxygen helmet and pack that the EO would use for fighting fires in the electrical bay. It was pitch dark and she could barely see and was groping blindly along the seats. I went up to her and she said "mmnnggnmmmng mnhhhnmmgg mmmh?" And myself and the other hostie had to run back to the galley before we either choked or screamed with laughter. The poor girl had to find her own way back to the cockpit and nobody mentioned it again for the rest of the trip. But she was happy because the Captain had said that she had performed admirably and nothing further would be said about her incomplete training.

My next trip was to Barbados, by which time I'd forgotten all about this. When we came on chocks and I opened the back door for the steps, she was with the crew waiting on the tarmac to relieve us. I gave her a cheery little wave and in return she shook her fist and called me a f***ing bastard in a most unladylike manner.

I guess she'd let slip in a conversation at home that she'd become a fully qualified muff diver on her first trip!

Ian

simtrac · Post by **simtrac** » 18 Oct 2006, 22:04

OK, here we go, way back from my days as an RN Officer Under Training:

Wily old salty Master-At-Arms to young Midshipman aboard his first ship:

"Good morning Sir. Just to reassure me that you know your way around, could you please make a mark in your task book by the end of the week indicating that you've found the Ship's Snooker Table? Ask around, there's plenty of matelots who'll help ..."

(before anyone asks, that Mid wasn't me!)

Chris Trott · Post by **Chris Trott** » 18 Oct 2006, 22:43

The one that gets practiced ramp-side most often is the old "Plane Keys" one, but it's lead to some interesting results on occasion. My run-in with it was when a new mechanic at FedEx told me one day to go up in one of the A300s on the ramp to get the keys. Exact words were -

"Hey Chris, the pilot forgot to put the key in the logbook. Could you go up and get it? Be sure to lock the door on the way out too."

Acting dumb, I said "Sure!" and headed out the door. Sadly, the mechanic forgot that the Airbuses have an "aircraft key" that is actually the key to lock the flight deck door on a snap attached to the inside of the flight deck door. So, I went up the stairs, opened the flight deck door, pulled the key off the snap, locked the flight deck door, went back out, locked the R1 door (which uses the same key), and walked back into the office with key in hand. I handed it to the mechanic and said, "Here you are sir." The look on his face was classic. Drained of all color, he rushed back out the door to make sure he could unlock it because no one ever uses the locks, and he was afraid it might have jammed. (I had checked to be sure they'd be able to unlock the doors before I closed them). The rest of the mechanics (who knew me better), just sat there laughing their heads off as this guy thought that I'd just caused him to loose his job.

We've done things like stuff handlers into the lower holds and send them to other airports (favorite at Denver was to send them to Aspen for the day via the lower hold of one of the BAC-146s although we sent one guy to Nashville in a CRJ baggage compartment) while frowned upon by management, we were usually "forgiven" because we'd call ahead to the other station and tell them they had "extra help" coming for the day and they'd work at the out station before riding home in a real seat that evening.

I think the most "dangerous" prank I've seen was a new mechanic was told by the crew that an engine on an MD-80 was doing something wierd when operating in idle and would he look at it after they started it after pushback. Well, the mechanic walked back under the engine and when advised by the tug operator, the pilot selected reverse and blew over the mechanic. Was funny, but with the exhaust being a bit warm (about 150 degrees Ferenheit) it was a bit risky becuase he could have gotten some mild burns.

Post by **Garry Russell** » 18 Oct 2006, 22:53

A quite common one was in the days of non pressurised airlines that were of course piston powered.

A new stewardess would be sent to ask the pilots what sort of boiled sweets they wanted so they could be got ready.

So on asking the crew they would ask for some "Mag Drops" and the poor girl would go frantic trying to find them and not let herself down on her first flight!

Another one was asking a new mechanics to go look for a can of "Prop Pitch"

My dad on his first days as an apprentice cabinate maker was sent for to get a new bubble for the spirit level.

Garry

Chris Trott · Post by **Chris Trott** » 18 Oct 2006, 23:00

We did have a 16oz can of "Prop Wash" in the Ground Service parts room (was just an empty paint can). Was fun to play that one one people. Put it in the truck and then when a pilot walks up and ask what's in the can, you say "Oh, I just got a can of Prop Wash for that puddle jumper over there." Half of them will respond (especially if prop pilots), "Where can I get some?".

Sometimes getting people is a bit too easy....