CA Deplorable

SMH!! Obviously you weren't at Kalitta in the DC-8 days and its funny how those same "no skill" guys that were flying approaches all over the globe using PDI's and navigating with Omegas in some of the crappiest 54,61,62, 63 series DC-8s made it and are now Checkairmen on all fleets including the 777! Well you know what they say about opinions!! Fortunately its not your decision, best of luck to all the K2 and K9 guys!

Lockheed

+1.........

Lowlevel

But we have quite a few guys that have only flown King Airs, and small Citations. Next thing ya know, they are in the right seat of 875,000 pounds of Boeing. And....the ones I’ve flown with have done a great job.
I disagree with the thought that our pilots shouldn’t have an attitude of “getter dun”. I’m not saying that anyone should operate in an unsafe manner, but in this type of flying (remote areas, war zones, unscheduled last minute cargo, etc) you sure as heck better have a “getter dun” attitude. When things aren’t going smooth, you need to make things happen, make phone calls, find solutions. You can’t sit there, and say, “Well, that’s not my job. The (flight follower, scheduler, travel, etc) will have to figure that out.”
I believe that a K 1/2 pilot (or any ACMI, nonsched, charter pilot) would be a much better fit, than a regional or scheduled airline pilot would be. You can’t just wait for the paperwork to be delivered, and everything is done for you, and merrily be on your way. That said, it’s all in the individual, not his type of flying. We don’t usually have many choices when getting our first pilot jobs. Again, good pilots are the ones that can adapt. If a guy comes from a scheduled airline, and expects to hang out in the galley eating olives & cheese, while the loadmaster is rolling up 100 straps in the hot cargo deck, maybe he’s not a good fit. But, if he/she has that “getter dun” attitude, he/she just might be down there helping out, working as a team to get the plane outta there.

Lowlevel

AQP experience? Or “KQP” experience. The training here...way different than the FAA AQP program.

jhugz

My background is all 135 before k4. I did the same job as K2 just in turboprops. The 74 was my first jet, K4 was my first 121. Within 1.5 years, I became a 76 CA. If I was able to figure it out, then anyone can. I know what it takes to be a 135 on demand pilot. I also know what it takes to be a 121 CA. The skills do translate. It's really a bummer seeing current and ex-instructors putting down potential applicants.

I hope to see a lot more of you guys in the near future. Always love flying with true freight dogs again.

maxjet

My point is, there is no shortage of qualified applicants applying. Why should we lower the standard of hours and experience and hire charter pilots thus shorting charters. Each pilot that transfers creates 2 training events not one. When I write “getter dun”, it means the difference between dive bombing with gear down and flaps 20, and the LNAV/VNAV transition that we do today. Which do you think is safer?

This is not my first airline. I have seen from both outside and inside what happens when you don’t hire the most qualified pilot. The cowboy days are over. That is not coming from me, as I have no dog in this argument. That is coming from the FAA. I would hate to see the company develop issues because they want to sooth feelings?

CA Deplorable

Your argument has zero merit! The irony is you are surrounded by examples yet you still refute opportunity. There is a former Loadmaster that is now a Checkairman, atleast 3 former Flight Engineers that are now Checkairmen. The newly appointed GM former Director of Safety was a Flight Engineer and many more examples of “no skill” non complex pilots excelling. The Kalitta companies have always been a company of opportunity for those that work hard and had a dream. You were judged on your knowledge and your ability, Those of us that were at the old company appreciate that, The old man has outlasted many of the companies that thumbed their noses at us, we had guys run to Gemini, Emery, Atlas, yet Connie is still around and that was built off the backs of the true Connie that returned in 2004 and rose like a Phoenix! After the world ends there will be rats, roaches, and Kalitta!!!
PERIOD

Aeirum

Supposedly there is a push to modernize the training department.

That means:

1: Better procedures so that pilots don’t have to come up with their own crap like they do now.

2 an actual training program in stead of the current try-to-trip-you-up sim scenarios they call AQP.

3: a different (modern) attitude all together towards CRM.

4: a more professional and less cowboy-esque attitude on the flight deck.

By the feel I get from the line check air men they really are trying to turn this place into a more professional organization. However, as evidenced above there is a strong culture of old school ACMI here.

Newhire caveat emptor

Lockheed

you are so right...max simply has this wrong...his opinion...still wrong

if k2 and k9 want to continue to thrive..i.e. hire pilots...then being able to move to the show will attract and keep people...without that(pilots)...they will simply disappear

and fyi I was a lowly B727 FO when I came here and in new hire was the ginny pig for our first ADP to get checked out...oh and ya I was an FE for 5 years in my 20's

I'm totally unqualified for this

jhugz

Culture is taught by the company. Look at Delta. They don't hire the person with the most amount of zeros in their logbook, they hire people that will fit into their culture. If there's a culture problem it starts from the top down...and just to clarify I don't believe there is one here.

You keep talking about the "cowboy days" yet the 135 guys I've flown with are some of the most safety conscious people here. They strive to learn, fit in, and succeed here. They're hungry...and want to prove people like you wrong.

Maybe we should look inward and realize maybe we can do better as an organization to give people from different backgrounds the ability to succeed here.