Ok,
Here's the deal. I am at 1350 TT, with only 50 multi. 120 instrument, 300 night, 400 x/c, 800 as a CFI.
I have my Commercial Multi with a CFI-I. I have my 1st class medical.
But, there's a catch.
6 years ago I was burned 85% in a Baron crash. Got trapped in freezing rain, stalled while we tried to make a circling approach after shooting a VOR approach. We couldn't make the first attempt because the ice build up on the window was too thick, the alchohol had zero effect.
Legally, I was a non-flying pilot, just observing. But beleive me I was helping anyway I could.
My left hand is fine, my right hand, eh, not so much.
I had my entire pinky, and all my other fingers on that right hand, amputated all the way down to the first knuckle. Basicly it makes my right hand a creepy pincher. But it works.
I'm back CFI'ing in all kinds of airplanes, and even have been flying in an few multi's and the occasional turbine from the right seat. When I'm flying an aircraft with a thick yoke that I can't pinch with my right hand, I cup it from behind pretty tight. I wear a custom made batting glove that gives me extra grip.
I used to think the airlines were nothing but a wet dream since the accident. But now that I've been flying more and more, I got the bug big time. And then, I had to go read about this guy:
http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com/articles/archive/an~149/
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/...05-Matthew.cfm
Then I read about a female with her right arm amputed who flies cargo in a C-208. I quickly realized, what the hell am I hiding behind. If they can do it, so can I.
I'm curious, from you out there in the regional world, what kind of chance in hell do I have.
I can still turn knobs and switches just fine with my right hand. Throttles usually take 10 minutes for me to adapt to, and once I know how to do it, it's never an issue.
The ONLY thing I'm fretting about is thrust reversers. I guess there's a switch to hit to unlock them first before pulling back. That may pose a problem. MY only way to adapt if I can't hit with my right hand would be to swap hands on landing briefly.
Now, I've spoken to several regional pilots already and they generally agree that I have a shot. But these people are long time friends and want to see me succeed after they've seen go through what I went through.
I have a chief pilot of a corporate flight department that flies a Falcon 50 who has written me a letter of recomendation.
Now, after seeing these pictures below, what would you think?
Also, if you want know more about me:
www.myspace.com/phoenixflood
My right hand, palm up:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2316/dsc06363ug3.jpg
My right hand, palm inward:
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3504/dsc06364jj8.jpg
My right hand, grabbing my flight sim yoke:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/9451/dsc06365cm2.jpg
Me getting checked out in a Cirrus SR22 GTS, shooting an ILS:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fusea...deoid=13990050
Me posing with the guy who saved my life after giving him a ride in my Grumman Yankee:
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4910/dscf0138hg0.jpg
UPDATE!!!
This is now a non-issue. Just sat down in a Challenger 601 and all I need to do is bring my right hand underneath the TR levers from the right side and simply lift up. Once the triggers have been pressed in and the TR's lifted up, I bring my right hand back on top and pull them back with ease.
Like I said, I was worried about nothing.
Thanks for the tips everyone.