SkyHigh

Those of you who are contemplating this career should read this article in the Miami Herald.

http://www.miami.com/multimedia/miam...ess/index.html

SkyHigh

legalpilot

Very good reading...

SkyHigh

I wish every new commercial pilot had to read it.

SkyHigh

surreal1221

Very good read indeed. It's part of the reason why I plan to stay as far away from part 135 if possible.

desertdog71

We all know the press does a great job and never exagerates or sensasionalizes anything.

surreal1221

We all know the FAA never really does any work what-so-ever, so we should believe what they say and do every time.

Please.

GauleyPilot

There are some exceptional part 135 air carriers out there. They take safety and maintenance very seriously. That was quite a slap in the face to people who fly 135 and play by the rules.

That said, pilots should read this article, and know the cold hard facts about the dangers of this profession. They should not kid themselves.

surreal1221

My post wasn't meant as a slap in the face of the "good" 135 operators.

A few bad apples ruin it for everyone. Perhaps the "good" 135 operators need to press the FAA for much MORE oversight in the 135 environment, instead of letting their competition go down killing more people.

GauleyPilot

You have redeemed yourself. What you say is so true. Part 135 air carriers that try all they can to do the right thing sometimes seem to get raked over the coals for a small paperwork problem. At the same time,there are what we call "Part 134.5 operators" out there flying charter WITH NO CERTIFICATE AT ALL!! Believe it or not, the problem is rather widespread, yet nothing seems to be done about it most of the time.

SkyHigh

Moreover there is a danger culture that can invade aviation. Young men are seduced by the allure of aggressive flying. I have seen it many times and lost many friends to it. The joys and lust for flying can lead some to take increasing risks until the breaking point. It is amazing fun to fly lower and lower approaches, to brave worse and worse icing conditions. Guys get high off of achieving aviation feats that others fear to attempt. Almost every accident was pilot error. No one pressured them to take on more flying and if they did it is up to the pilot to say no. A book was written called "Into The Wild" addresses the very same phenomenon in regards to men who take wilderness risks. Cargo flying is especially susceptible since there are no PAX to risk and no First Officers to blow the whistle. Additionally no one cares for these same reasons. In the end it isn't the company or maintenance failures, mostly the pilots are the cause of their own undoing. My advise is to be aware of the phenomenon and attempt to steer yourself away.

SkyHigh