Can I get some general comments please
04-01-2006, 03:42 PM
#81
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Posts: 292
Originally Posted by FL350
Things to ponder.....
Ok let me start with you.
Mr. Packer Backer: *here's a microphone* What would you say it is that you hate about flying for a living and what do you absolutely love about it?
Ok let me start with you.
Mr. Packer Backer: *here's a microphone* What would you say it is that you hate about flying for a living and what do you absolutely love about it?
Hate
Instability
low pay except for the senior Capts
checkrides every six months
trips away from the family
missing holidays/birthdays etc...
continually shifting time zones and body rhythms
getting up at 4 am for a 530am show
missing my commute home by 5 mins and having to sleep in the airport
redeyes
delays
Jr. manning
overbearing Capts/FO's
pushy gate agents
long layovers
Love
not having a boss look over my shoulder (unless I do something wrong)
not taking my work home
more than 2 days off in a row
popping through the clouds at 4000fpm on a smooth morning just as the sun is rising
shooting an approach to mins by hand (esp VOR's or LDA's)
getting paired with a good crew
long layovers (also a hate, but with a good crew/location they are fun)
emergencies (nothing major though, sounds sick, but anything to break the routine and use my brain)
04-01-2006, 08:31 PM
#82
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: A320 capt
Posts: 161
follow yur heart.
Well most of the advice here is good, so i`ll just tell my story which just say is "sheltered life of one airline pilot"--grew up in s.amreica left college at 19, worked in a bank for 1 year and hated it,(always always wanted 2 fly) persuaded my dad 2 loan me 5000 dollars, off 2 miami to flying school (burnside ott) age 20,(may 1966) solo-ed in 7 hrs ,cessna 150, passed all writtens in 1st month and settled down to do what i always wanted- FLY- 6 months later i`m a proud holder of a CPL, with instrument, and multi-engine ratings (#170****) can you believe lol boy i`m old, all of this for 5Gs --head on back home, to fly DC-3s for Guyana Airways, pass through Trinidad+Tobago to get a "performance A" and a type on the DC-3, while i`m there apply to British West Indian Airways (BWIA) they say no, oh well on to S.A. get uniform go on 3 "observation" flights into the rain forest, then a letter from BWIA(they have 3 brand new 727/100s) changed thier mind i can have the job, but will have to pass "british writtens" that takes 3 months, by this time i need a PC (recurrent) and a instrument ck again, now bear in mind that the biggest thing that i have flown so far is a piper aztec, they put me in a 4 engine vickers viscount
to do the ck ride boy that was fun. pass- go on a 727 type rating/course have 2 be flt eng (P3) 1st, pass that, HOPE YOU ARE KEEPING TRACK OF THE EXAMS AND CK RIDES SO FAR, remember i have not been paid yet lol--onto actual plane at last --more training then EFC (enroute flight ck) pphheeww PAY AT LAST (380 dollars its 1967) stand in front of mirror -1 stripe but proud as hell.AIRLINE PILOT. sit sideways for a year --on my 1st leave i`m in UK co calls "get back home you are going to Australia for a 707 P3 course" HUH
OOK go there for 3 months that was great lots more exams and cks -now i`m on 707 panel lol --stay there for 4 years, --more training, more cks promoted 2 F/O on 727 YIPEE, one year later MORE training +cks now a 707 F/O, (around this time 1st marriage failed lol) 2 jealous, 2 many F/A`s heh heh heh, ok back on track, stay in this spot for 5 years ---then the HOLY GRAIL (after you know MORE CKS) capt on a DC9-50, 2 years later more cks, onto an MD-83 (around this time 2nd marriage fails ok ok my fault ,stay on the MD until 1997 , leave BWIA and you guessed it more cks fly a B737 for Air Caribbean for a short time, then phooo more cks and fly for Air Jamaica A320/321 until last year when some fly-by-night organisation the FAA ok ok just kidding, says i have to stop because i`m old ---so you still want to FLY---- as for me i wouldn`t change a single thing i loved every moment of it --still do.
to do the ck ride boy that was fun. pass- go on a 727 type rating/course have 2 be flt eng (P3) 1st, pass that, HOPE YOU ARE KEEPING TRACK OF THE EXAMS AND CK RIDES SO FAR, remember i have not been paid yet lol--onto actual plane at last --more training then EFC (enroute flight ck) pphheeww PAY AT LAST (380 dollars its 1967) stand in front of mirror -1 stripe but proud as hell.AIRLINE PILOT. sit sideways for a year --on my 1st leave i`m in UK co calls "get back home you are going to Australia for a 707 P3 course" HUH OOK go there for 3 months that was great lots more exams and cks -now i`m on 707 panel lol --stay there for 4 years, --more training, more cks promoted 2 F/O on 727 YIPEE, one year later MORE training +cks now a 707 F/O, (around this time 1st marriage failed lol) 2 jealous, 2 many F/A`s heh heh heh, ok back on track, stay in this spot for 5 years ---then the HOLY GRAIL (after you know MORE CKS) capt on a DC9-50, 2 years later more cks, onto an MD-83 (around this time 2nd marriage fails ok ok my fault ,stay on the MD until 1997 , leave BWIA and you guessed it more cks fly a B737 for Air Caribbean for a short time, then phooo more cks and fly for Air Jamaica A320/321 until last year when some fly-by-night organisation the FAA ok ok just kidding, says i have to stop because i`m old ---so you still want to FLY---- as for me i wouldn`t change a single thing i loved every moment of it --still do.
Last edited by Randal; 04-01-2006 at 08:36 PM.
04-01-2006, 09:17 PM
#84
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2005
Position: Telecom Company, President
Posts: 421
"not having a boss look over my shoulder (unless I do something wrong)"
Haaaaa, Think again. If you fly an Airbus product you have an electronic snitch box reporting every switch and control movement to his boss.
Haaaaa, Think again. If you fly an Airbus product you have an electronic snitch box reporting every switch and control movement to his boss.
04-02-2006, 11:09 AM
#85
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Posts: 50
Originally Posted by IronWalt
"not having a boss look over my shoulder (unless I do something wrong)"
Haaaaa, Think again. If you fly an Airbus product you have an electronic snitch box reporting every switch and control movement to his boss.
Haaaaa, Think again. If you fly an Airbus product you have an electronic snitch box reporting every switch and control movement to his boss.
Not video cameras in cockpits though. BTW what is the latest news on that?
04-02-2006, 11:12 AM
#86
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Posts: 50
Originally Posted by Randal
---so you still want to FLY---- as for me i wouldn`t change a single thing i loved every moment of it --still do.
04-02-2006, 11:22 AM
#87
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Posts: 50
Packer Backer
I've always been a good sleeper, maybe that helps with the whole time thing. The popping through the clouds part, that takes away a lot of the hate! SkyHigh also made a comment on everything being routine and pilots are trained to do exactly the same thing talk the same dress the same, react the same. The layovers, I would think of it as.. the bad ones are the price you pay for the good ones.. hehe
I've always been a good sleeper, maybe that helps with the whole time thing. The popping through the clouds part, that takes away a lot of the hate! SkyHigh also made a comment on everything being routine and pilots are trained to do exactly the same thing talk the same dress the same, react the same. The layovers, I would think of it as.. the bad ones are the price you pay for the good ones.. hehe
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