Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Ramp Stories

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Ramp Stories

    I know some weird sh*t is going to happen...so I will now be starting this thread....let's go all you rampies...


    Chasen, if you have any GOOD stories...you can tell us. We don't want to hear about you having to clean up depends accidents...
    My Flickr Pictures! Click Me!

  • #2
    So it was around 10pm at the FBO last night and it's just me and this other kid running the whole operation. This Piaggio Avanti that came in earlier and swapped crews was hooked up to ground power and the FO was in there doing all of their preflight stuff for the flight to Naples. The phone rings and the other kid picks it up. It's the Air Force "Yeah we can turn over to 121.5." He tunes the radio in the office over and there's an ELT blaring. We went outside to look for anything that's going on and tell the Air Force guys. We get kind of curious and ask the Piaggio guys if it might be them. The captain said something to the effect of "Fuck! Not again!" So after about 10 minutes dicking around and them phoning their company, they figure out it's not them. We never did find out where that damn thing was coming from. For all I know it was still going off at around 11.45 when I left (oh yeah, my shift ends at 7 ) So after the Piaggio is done I wait for the signal and go disconnect ground power while they start the number 2. F*ckin awesome. I hop on the tug to go tow the news choppers into the hangar and notice that the Piaggio's chocks are still in place. Great. So I run up to the cockpit (good thing those props are at the back) and signal the pilot and go to take them out. The little bastards are somehow stuck on there pretty good. Sooo.. I'm over there trying to knock them out from the nosewheel and end up punching myself in the face. And they trust me to go move 2 multi million dollar helicopters into a 15 ft wide space in the hangar
    Then there was the time a few days ago that I left the hose just barely above the little "holster" thing in the avgas truck after fueling a Bonanza. It took me maybe 10 minutes of killing the truck, starting it again, and trying to figure out why flooring it in Drive isn't making it move an inch before I finally got out and put the hose back in.
    Oh and then I caught the tail end of a radio transmission where an aircraft called ground and said they were taxiing to our ramp. It's dark out so I run out there with the light sticks and see a 150 sitting there. I figured they were trying to figure out where to go so I hold my hands out like I would for anybody coming to our ramp. They taxi by and I see it's the 150 that belongs to the flight school next door. Felt like a real dumbass there. haha
    Then there was towing out and jumpstarting an L-39. That was pretty f*cking sweet. It's owned by this guy who has 2 of them in his hangar. He's an older dude that walks with a cane. There's always young hotass women around there and expensive cars. It's like the Villain's hangar out of a Bond movie.
    I bet Dale's got some awesome stories.
    Originally posted by Cam
    Chasen, if you have any GOOD stories...you can tell us. We don't want to hear about you having to clean up depends accidents...
    Actually. Chasen... the Brasilia at SLC story?
    Last edited by JordanD; 2009-01-23, 03:41.

    Comment


    • #3
      Any time in Atlanta that you have to deal with the ramp is a funny story. I understand its a tough job that doesn't pay very well...and there are a few workers who work really hard, but I have never met a group of people with less work ethic.

      Hmm...its really early in the morning so I can only think of a couple, but I'm sure a few more will come to mind later when I get some more coffee in me.

      1) There are pretty exact things that need to be said over the intercom during a pushback. Usually it starts out with the ramper putting the headset on and making sure it works. One time in Memphis the first thing that was said was "what up dude!?!?!?"

      2) Multiple times I've had the marshaller/wing walker/tug driver wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night

      3) Pulling up to our assigned gate and the wing walkers are not in place so we can't pull the rest of the way in. They're there sitting around talking on the tug. We wait 5 mins for them to get up and come guide us in and they don't move. I call operations on the radio requesting someone to park us...you see one of them hold the radio up to their ear like they're listening...then they get up and come park us.

      4) Somewhat related to the last incident, I was flying with a captain who would pull into the gate at exactly the speed the wing walkers walked out to the road (to stop traffic). We're burning a considerable amount of gas waiting to be parked...so when they decide to swagger slowly out to the road its a huge waste of money. So they go slow, we go slow...funny to see the marshaller waving his wands rapidly because its cold and he wants to go inside...

      5) Early Dec. in Flint, MI...the ramp is covered in ice...we're a full flight at like 74,000 lbs...they don't have a real tug and instead push the aircraft back with this tiny baggage cart tug. The ramp is covered in ice and they don't have chains on it. It was quite entertaining...but only if you're in a warm airplane and are paid by the hour.

      I'm sure I'll be able to think of some more.

      Comment


      • #4
        Here's a true story from WN.

        20 or so years ago on a rainy day at HOU, there was a rookie ramper. He was told to get his rain gear on and go outside because he needed to marshall in "Herb's Helicopter." Herb was inbound and was to arrive shortly. The airport was on a ground stop due to the severe downpour and low visibility, but never the less, the rookie spent about an hour out there looking into the sky and waving his glowing wands around in the rain. Obviously, Herb's helicopter never landed.

        The most common initiation trick is to have a rookie ramper search the airport for a "bin stretcher" or a "spool of flight line."
        Follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/flyingphotog

        Comment


        • #5
          .

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by FlyingPhotog View Post
            The most common initiation trick is to have a rookie ramper search the airport for a "bin stretcher" or a "spool of flight line."
            What about the bucket of jet wash?

            Comment


            • #7
              only 7 months into my aviation carrer , but heres a few recent good laughs

              - Watching one of our DC-10 captians doin his walkaround while having a smoke

              - A pilot asking us if its worth the delay to take a de-ice ( you had to see his bird)

              - A pilot asking us if we could sweep some snow of his wings, we told him we could do the L/E's from on top of our van, but cant walk the wings. Pilot asked for a broom, proudly give it to him, and watched

              - Same pilot asked why his airplane was covered in so much snow and ice and why that one over there isnt it, because that one was is the hangar for the past 24 hours.

              Comment


              • #8
                Worked my first full 737-700 rear hold. 90 something bags off and then on. I sore as a MOFO and want ULD holds and movable floors like there is no tomorrow...(I love you A320's and 767's)
                My Flickr Pictures! Click Me!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Well, heres one.

                  A Brasilia lands in SLC. Onboard a passanger insisted he needed to take a dump, the flight attendant told him to wait until the plane has landed. He didn't. He grabbed an air sickness bag and shatted all over the place, including on the terrified lady next to him. They landed and pulled off onto a taxiway where the First Officer had to go back and clean it all up, as flight attendants can't touch that stuff legally since they handle food.

                  Then there was the time an irrate passangers bag got caught on the belt and popped open, spilling porn EVERYWHERE. Since he was such a dick, his stuff was all thrown into a plastic bag, see thru of course, with the porn fanned out on top, and his name was slapped on it. I wonder what people thought at the baggage claim.

                  Also there was a time a UM stole an F/As purse onboard a CRJ, and the FBI rushed to the aircraft and detained him. It was a federal crime since the cabin door was closed. His father just said "Throw the idiot in Jail for the night". But the flight attendant showed sympathy and refused to press charges.

                  Probably the funniest thing I've seen was when all sorts of law enforcement met an aircraft because some nut case was cracked up and took off his pants walking up and down the aisle trying to sell people drugs through the whole flight. I think he took a crap in the aisle or something too. Tho I was the only one who found all this funny. That seems to happen a lot.
                  sigpic
                  http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=170

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    .

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      A more recent one.

                      A charter airline that flies 737's and is based in S. Florida their crew walks in to the FBO at 2am. Everyone blaring "coffee!", "where's the coffee!", "put the coffee on!". Kinda ignored it, because, hey, I just don't give a rat's arse. Trying to get the fax machine to work and get their faxes in, and I notice they are screwing around with the water machine (little box that makes hot and cold water). I went in the back and started to brew the coffee so they would shut up, but didn't tell them that. I walk by and the F/O and F/A are still scratching their heads at this box and pushing buttons. I hear the lady say to another F/A she's making coffee. So finally a few mins later I walk over and say "hey, I'm brewing the coffee in the back". She said "OH, you are?, so what is this then?" I said....'water'. Her and the F/O seemed to come up with the idea that if you push the hot button and cold button at the same time, coffee would come out. Scary...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Smart cookies, dem pilots...
                        My Flickr Pictures! Click Me!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          It was a horrible day on the ramp. Porter came in and I wasn't working it.

                          I was disappointed and cried when it taxied to the deicing pad.
                          My Flickr Pictures! Click Me!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            .

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              So Finnair comes in for its regular tech stop (crew change, food, cleaning). Me and another guy go back to do the lavs. Well the rear one is frozen, so he unhooks the hose and gets the "shit pick" and starts to poke up the tube to get it loose.

                              Well, that doesn't work so we close the flap and get a heater truck to put some heat on it. Well, the heater truck works and the contents of the lav ended up on the ramp. We pushed the plane through the poop on push-back and cleaned it up.

                              Fun stuff.
                              My Flickr Pictures! Click Me!

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X