Yak Driver

Hi there. Yak Driver checking in. I was getting extremely fed up of another pplace which I won't mention, largely due to all the griping and green-eyed monster syndrome from folks who aren't lucky enough to do what we do and won't let it rest. This looks much more like my sort of place.

Anyway, I'm UK based, in my early thirties, civilian trained with 7500 hours, mostly on heavy jets. I've flown the 737-200, -300, -400 , -500, A319, A320 and the 777 (best of them all by far). I left the Triple just over a year ago to get my upgrade back on the 737 and I'm hoping to get back on the 777 as a Captain in the next four or five years.

My handle and my avatar give a clue to my fun flying (formation and aeros trained).

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USMCFLYR

Welcome Yak

Tell me why you left the 777 for the 737 upgrade.
I don't know that much about the ariline bisiness - but it sounds like you sare saying that you had to leave the 777 as a FO to get an upgrade to CAPT in the 737. Do you have to do that to eventually make CAPT on the 777 or could you have stayed in the 777 and eventually made CAPT?
That is impressive time and number of aircraft flown too. Tell me - you said that you liked the 777 best of all; but overall how do you compare the Airbus to Boeing products?

USMCFLYR

Yak Driver

I just typed a monster reply but it disappeared somewhere into the ether!

In short, I needed a new challenge having done five years on the 777. I could have waited another five or six years and changed seats but it would have meant eleven years in the same seat. I'm also flying with some brand new co-pilots, straight out of flight school with a couple of hundred hours and it's great to be able to bring those guys along and let them learn from my mistakes.

As to the Boeing/Airbus debate, I'm a Boeing guy through and through. The A319/320 does what it's designed to do very well (quiet, efficient, quick) but it is far from being a pilot's aeroplane. Airbus tried to answer a question that nobody had asked and in my opinion came up with some solutions simply to distinguish themselves from Boeing.

I consider the Airbus philosophy to be that "the aircraft knows best". For example, a bank angle limit of 40 degrees (can't remember the actual limit) could not be exceeded without failing a couple of flight control computers, requiring you to press a few buttons. Fair enough, unless you need 41 degrees of bank to miss the guy coming the other way. The 777, which is comparable technology (FBW, etc), makes it unmistakably clear that you've reached a limit but will allow you to exceed it if necessary. That means I'm in control.

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USMCFLYR

Yak -

Sorry to hear that

Thanks for the insight. I understand the new challenges concept, just hard to imagine for a guy like me who would love to find himself in the cockpit of a 777 that someone left there; unless a change of aircraft for a quicker upgrade got you into the right seat of a 777 faster.

I understand the flying with new guys too. I LOVE instructing. It is great to see the light come on isn't it

The A319/320 don't have the sidestick controller does it? I've heard about the 'computers controlling the airplane " process before and I definitely like the other philosophy better also. I want to have the ability to do it; but be told that I shouldn't

Well...thanks for the post. Enjoy the new seat!

USMCFLYR

Yak Driver

Thanks. I was five years out of (pro) flight school when I got onto the 777. I was lucky that I joined my company at the start of a recruitment bulge. My seniority went up by about 1500 (out of 3200) in nine years. It's just hit the buffers because of changes to retirement age but I prefer being stuck in the left seat than the right.

All the best.

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dannolars

Amazing, so many hours and still in your thirties. I have to say I am jealous. I am also in my thirties, but only around 3400 hours. Good to have you here, welcome! Nice airplane BTW. I am starting on the 737 in a month. Are you upgrading to the 737NG or back to the 300/500?

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Yak Driver

Back on the (very second-hand) -300 to -500. My company is now a large Airbus customer for shorthaul and isn't planning to acquire any more 737s. Our last -400s should be around for about five years then we'll be all Airbus for shorthaul.

They work us rather hard. That's effectively a 750 hour per year average for ten years work. On the 777, I was doing well over 800.

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