FAA hiring Airspace System Inspection Pilot
08-09-2022, 05:03 PM
#381
New Hire
Joined APC: May 2022
Posts: 9
I figured it's about time to update my post about my experiences being hired as an FAA "Flight Check" pilot.
I officially started on May 8th, and a couple weeks later attended a week-long Part 135 Indoc class, since we operate under Part 135. After that it was a matter of getting the BE-300 type rating. This is done down at CAE in Dallas. I was scheduled for (as far as I know) the next available slot, which was June 14th. In the 5 weeks between hiring and sim training, I received a lot of help from the current pilots - more than one gave me their version of the checkride "gouge", wall posters, a copy of the training manuals that I would get once I got there so I could start studying early, even got to sit in the airplane a few times and learn where everything was. This helped a TON during the sim training as I was well on my way to being prepared before even showing up.
Sim training was like any other type rating at CAE (I had previously gone down there for a CE-500 type rating, and the training was virtually identical) - about a week of ground school then a week of simulator sessions. I could explain more if anybody wants, but it was the same training that anybody else going down there would get. My sim partner was another new Flight Check hire from one of the other office. The night before my checkride the examiner got COVID, which delayed it by about 2.5 weeks, so I came home and then went back down - refresher flight on Saturday, checkride on Sunday. Passed with no problems.
After that, it was 2 weeks before various schedules could align and I (and my same sim partner) could begin "differences" training. The type rating training is done in the King Air 350 (B300), but we actually fly the King Air 300. Overall it's basically the same, with some speeds changed, weights changed, a few different switches and other minor differences. Not a hard transition. Also, we learned our SOPS, checklists, callouts and so on. This was a day of academics and two days of flying in the real aircraft, during which we did your typical aircraft checkout-type of tasks - takeoff and landings, various maneuvers, approaches, etc.
This was followed by what is called "Block 1" training, where we started to learn some of the maneuvers involved in performing the Flight Inspection mission - like VOR orbits, alignment radials, Localizer arcs, glideslope checks, PAPI alignment and coverage checks. This consisted of two days of academics followed by two days of flying where we went to a relatively nearby uncontrolled field with an ILS to practice these maneuvers. This was a lot of low-altitude flying and was pretty exciting - some of the maneuvers are done at just 500 or so feet AGL. 1500 AGL is used for several of them as well. For some, the autopilot can be used, for others it can't, and for some the autopilot didn't fly precisely enough - so it's back to hand-flying in that case.
It was some good, fun flying, and very interesting to see everything that goes into certifying the various NAVAIDS and approaches. And I know I've just barely scratched the surface.
Having completed this (just today actually), I have now been officially released to the line where I will continue my education just in an OJT type of format, on actual flight inspection missions with a fully-qualified pilot.
I officially started on May 8th, and a couple weeks later attended a week-long Part 135 Indoc class, since we operate under Part 135. After that it was a matter of getting the BE-300 type rating. This is done down at CAE in Dallas. I was scheduled for (as far as I know) the next available slot, which was June 14th. In the 5 weeks between hiring and sim training, I received a lot of help from the current pilots - more than one gave me their version of the checkride "gouge", wall posters, a copy of the training manuals that I would get once I got there so I could start studying early, even got to sit in the airplane a few times and learn where everything was. This helped a TON during the sim training as I was well on my way to being prepared before even showing up.
Sim training was like any other type rating at CAE (I had previously gone down there for a CE-500 type rating, and the training was virtually identical) - about a week of ground school then a week of simulator sessions. I could explain more if anybody wants, but it was the same training that anybody else going down there would get. My sim partner was another new Flight Check hire from one of the other office. The night before my checkride the examiner got COVID, which delayed it by about 2.5 weeks, so I came home and then went back down - refresher flight on Saturday, checkride on Sunday. Passed with no problems.
After that, it was 2 weeks before various schedules could align and I (and my same sim partner) could begin "differences" training. The type rating training is done in the King Air 350 (B300), but we actually fly the King Air 300. Overall it's basically the same, with some speeds changed, weights changed, a few different switches and other minor differences. Not a hard transition. Also, we learned our SOPS, checklists, callouts and so on. This was a day of academics and two days of flying in the real aircraft, during which we did your typical aircraft checkout-type of tasks - takeoff and landings, various maneuvers, approaches, etc.
This was followed by what is called "Block 1" training, where we started to learn some of the maneuvers involved in performing the Flight Inspection mission - like VOR orbits, alignment radials, Localizer arcs, glideslope checks, PAPI alignment and coverage checks. This consisted of two days of academics followed by two days of flying where we went to a relatively nearby uncontrolled field with an ILS to practice these maneuvers. This was a lot of low-altitude flying and was pretty exciting - some of the maneuvers are done at just 500 or so feet AGL. 1500 AGL is used for several of them as well. For some, the autopilot can be used, for others it can't, and for some the autopilot didn't fly precisely enough - so it's back to hand-flying in that case.
It was some good, fun flying, and very interesting to see everything that goes into certifying the various NAVAIDS and approaches. And I know I've just barely scratched the surface.
Having completed this (just today actually), I have now been officially released to the line where I will continue my education just in an OJT type of format, on actual flight inspection missions with a fully-qualified pilot.
08-16-2022, 02:27 PM
#383
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2011
Posts: 517
Sorry to derail a little bit here, but are the Citation Excels a separate operation from the Flight Inspection fleet? If so, do they ever hire off the street for those or is that filled from within the FAA flight department?
08-23-2022, 04:21 PM
#384
On Reserve
Joined APC: Feb 2015
Posts: 23
Originally Posted by kaputt
Sorry to derail a little bit here, but are the Citation Excels a separate operation from the Flight Inspection fleet? If so, do they ever hire off the street for those or is that filled from within the FAA flight department?
Hangar 6 falls under Flight Program Operations, the same as Flight Inspection Services (Flight Check) does.
After October the only aircraft hangar 6 will have is a C680+
09-09-2022, 09:18 AM
#385
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
A new article in the September/October 2022 issue of the FAA Safety Briefing Magazine. Article title:
Flight Check — Please Keep Your Distance!
Who We Are, What We Do, and How It Matters to You
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-saf...efing-magazine
https://medium.com/faa/flight-check-...e-7f4c2cfc02d2
Flight Check — Please Keep Your Distance!
Who We Are, What We Do, and How It Matters to You
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-saf...efing-magazine
https://medium.com/faa/flight-check-...e-7f4c2cfc02d2
12-05-2022, 11:55 AM
#386
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
As an addendum to the post above..........
This link should lead you to the same article mentioned in my post above, plus additional articles detailing many different flight programs which use to be scattered around the FAA and have now been consolidated into a single Flight Program Operations.
FAA Safety Briefing - September October 2022
This link should lead you to the same article mentioned in my post above, plus additional articles detailing many different flight programs which use to be scattered around the FAA and have now been consolidated into a single Flight Program Operations.
FAA Safety Briefing - September October 2022
04-13-2023, 02:25 AM
#387
New Hire
Joined APC: Mar 2022
Posts: 3
Part 135?
RussR mentioned y'all operate under part 135....I'm assuming you don't have a certificate/opspecs and just operate under those regulations? I interviewed for an ASI position recently, but someone in the Flight Program Operations office reached out to me when they got a hold of my resume. I'm supposed to get a phone call shortly. I know the ASI gig is about 99% paperwork and 1% flying, but I'm retired Marine Corps (reserves) and was going to buy back my active duty time to add some extra years to FERS. I figured leaving the cockpit now to secure another retirement (FERS and Reserve) was worth giving up wiggling the sticks. If I could continue flying with Flight Program Operations that would be a dream come true! Is there any other type of flying done by Flight Program Operations other than flight inspection? Test flights? Aircraft certifications?
07-19-2023, 06:25 PM
#390
New Hire
Joined APC: May 2022
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by frogger
RussR mentioned y'all operate under part 135....I'm assuming you don't have a certificate/opspecs and just operate under those regulations? I interviewed for an ASI position recently, but someone in the Flight Program Operations office reached out to me when they got a hold of my resume. I'm supposed to get a phone call shortly. I know the ASI gig is about 99% paperwork and 1% flying, but I'm retired Marine Corps (reserves) and was going to buy back my active duty time to add some extra years to FERS. I figured leaving the cockpit now to secure another retirement (FERS and Reserve) was worth giving up wiggling the sticks. If I could continue flying with Flight Program Operations that would be a dream come true! Is there any other type of flying done by Flight Program Operations other than flight inspection? Test flights? Aircraft certifications?
Personally, I can't imagine being a FSDO inspector. Seems like a miserable job. Sorry to those who are one, if they enjoy it.
Yes, Flight Program Operations has some other functions. Test and evaluation, NTSB transport, I believe some research and development work as well. But Flight Inspection is the majority of the work and pilots.
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