Meeting a Crew Scheduler

This week I had the opportunity to listen to a guest speaker in my Intro to Aerospace class- a crew scheduler supervisor and MTSU alumnus. What a crew scheduler is I had no idea. She went by the name of J.Q. and worked for Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. I have honestly never given much thought into the complexities of operating an airline and all that is required to get a plane from point A to point B. Having listened to J.Q.’s discussion on the role of the crew scheduler, I certainly have a better appreciation for those behind the scene and not in the cockpit. J.Q.’s job is essentially to schedule pilots on a day-to-day basis. Unsurprisingly, as J.Q. explained, this causes a tension between pilots and crew schedulers. As a professional pilot student, it was very interesting to see the perspective of someone who works with pilots daily- or against as most pilots see it. Seeing all that J.Q. must deal with day in and day out was eye-opening. Being a crew scheduler, and especially a supervisor crew scheduler comes with lots of responsibilities. J.Q. works in an O.C.C. (operation control center), which is essentially a mission control for an airline. Along with coordinating scheduling with pilots, J.Q. enforces the company’s contracts with pilots and enforces safety standards. J.Q. also discussed the difficulties of working during I.R.O.P. (Irregular Operations), which usually involves cancellations due to weather.

           

Later, I was also able to hear from another MTSU alumnus and a current Endeavor Air pilot. After class, he shared with me and a few other classmates how he became a pilot for Endeavor Air and his journey from MTSU to flying right seat for an airline. This was the highlight of the week. Being able to hear from not only a pilot but also a crew scheduler for Endeavor Air along with that fact that both are MTSU alumni was a unique and rewarding experience.