Originally Posted by
strfyr51
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The Engineering/ Test Pilots fly the Double engine Changes Ferry flights with systems out or Degraded and Daignostic Test flights and system check flights into Overhaul. The Line pilots COULD fly the flights and Maintenence wouldn't mind that either Especially If they were GUARANTEED they would GO!! I've had Line Capt's at United Refuse to fly ferry flights for some inane reasons like the Auopilot was Inop or the Stby Horizon was inop. (If everything was all "PEACHY" then I wouldn't NEED a Ferry flight Now would I??) As if they were doing Us a "favor" in flying them. Contrary to popular belief on this board, Line pilots get FIRST refusal for Ferry,Verification or confirmation flights (At United) as I'm required to ask them for first refusal. I couldn't even get a line Capt to give me a few touch and Go's recently the second capt I asked almost started Drooling to do it. It's NOT like they Can't. Most of them did it in the Military. What the heck is different now?? It's my opinion they should be assigned for a week at a time to be available for ferry flights at the LEAST semi-annually.. And if the Can't or Won't then they shouldn't be FLYING at ALL!! We shouldn't even Need Engineering test pilots. Yet we Do.. Why??
When I first got hired we did touch and goes in the airplane in training, so I have done so in the 727 and DC-8. I would love to go up and do some in the Whale, but the fact is that I have not been trained to do so, and we do not have any procedures in our flight manuals on how to do so. Flaps and trim have to be reset, and there would presumably be a minimum runway length.
I have done quite a few ferry and verification flights, including those where passengers were prohibited. I have no problem with an intentional gear down flight in a three or four engine aircraft, under the right conditions (light weight, short distance, day VFR). I would not do so in a two engine aircraft.
What line pilots have to leave to the flight test pros are things like engine inoperative ferry flights, abnormal flight control or flap configuration flights, or inop hydraulic system flights. There are also times when an aircraft has two seemingly unrelated problems, either one of which I would be willing to fly with, but both together would seem to make it unwise.
Joe