Turbosina

18 years left, actually. I really need to get my tuckus in gear. Problem is figuring out how to upgrade for that crucial TPIC time while still working 50-60 hrs/week at my non-aviation job. But after the last couple trips I just did, during which I got to listen to a couple of 28 year old CAs with 1/5 my total flying time tell me how they just got hired at mainline with maybe 200 hrs PIC, I'm starting to realize that this train is leaving the station (the train of legacy hiring) and I'd better get on it unless I want to end my flying days driving a -200 into RDD three times a day...

Turbosina

Nah, he said he'd have jumped out the window if it had been real money. Plus we were only on the second floor of the hotel

I know what you mean, there are oddballs at every airline. I just happened to get stuck with this particular CA multiple times recently, and believe me, the crypto story was actually one of the more normal conversations I think we had (aside from SOP stuff) in the last few trips. It got weirder from there.

Turbosina

It was fortunately oh dark thirty and I had my mask on (van rules) so I think my expression of incredulity was safely hidden.

It gets weirder with this one CA, a lot weirder, but if I post those stories, 1) nobody who doesn't work at my base/shop will believe me (I wouldn't, if I read it on here), and 2) everyone who does work at my shop/base will know exactly who I'm talking about, so I think in this case discretion is advised. The crypto craze seems to be widespread enough that I'm not really providing enough information to suggest a particular individual...

at6d

I’ve been in two precarious situations in hotel vans. Once in Indy headed to the hotel. It’s late night, temps near 20 degrees, and it starts to rain and snow. Our van driver is very new to driving outside of Nigeria (not a joke). We enter the highway at a pretty quick pace and immediately I notice three fuel tanker trucks sliding sideways towards the median, obviously on ice. I’m in the front right seat and just as I am about to point it out we are way out of control. We do at least two full rotations of 360 degrees and end up pointing forward grinding the median concrete. It’s a long van ride after that, mostly spent watching epic slow motion 1mph car crashes and tractor-trailers float by with all wheels locked up.

The second one was late night SMF. We are stopped at a light a short distance from the hotel. A car jumps the median behind us and obliterates the rear end of the car next to us. Both vehicles end up in the middle of the intersection in silence. Everyone in the van is stunned. Van driver gets out to see about help and everyone is fumbling with their phones to get a 911 call going when suddenly both cars are spinning tires and tear out of the area chasing each other down the block. They disappear, and we go to the hotel. Weird stuff.

I wear the belt. Ive also heard the unsubstantiated rumor that insurance won’t pay if you don’t have the belts on...don’t know and don’t want to find out.

captjns

Could have been worse….a bloody Bible Thumper!!!

freezingflyboy

Also, you're not immune from the laws of physics just because you're an airline pilot utilizing company provided transportation.