Manny

I thinks that's what it was 12 years ago as a second year captain at AMF in the BE-99...My back still hurts from loading all that cargo! My favorite was the "clip on" ladder to get to the cockpit.

WarrenWallace

Loaded that sucker until the nose wheel almost came off the ground LOL. To bad Single Pilot Freight is dying off great way to learn how to fly.

WarrenWallace

Oh the Beech 99 what a work horse for freight. Wish I could have had the pleasure of flying that beast. The back pain from loading, well as our Chief Pilot said, that builds character LOL

N9373M

A Grumman AA5A Cheetah? Cargo? Really? That was a fun plane to fly - loved the "fighter jet" style sliding canopy.

Timbo

My first flying job (1979) was right seat in an AC690, flying cancelled checks all night, M-F, BOS-EWR-DET( the hub) -EWR-BOS. In the winter, our De Ice procedure was, find a DC10 or 747 to taxi behind, then get as close to the wing engine as you could, and push the nose down and hold the brakes, when he spooled it up!

Our "Anti Ice" procedure was to wipe down the rubber leading edge boots with Future floor polish, poured on rags, make them good and slick, so the ice -might- pop off later in the night.

Our hub was DET, where we met up with lots of Shrikes from all over the midwest. Those poor bastards were flying single pilot, no autopilot, unpressurized and not much heat!

We were "Living Large" in the Turbo Commode, we had two pilots (important for loading/unloading!) an autopilot, pressurization up to FL250, oh and best of all...Bleed Air Heat!

Pay was $150/wk. for about 25 hours of flight time per week, which was about $6 per hour! I once asked the Boss for a raise, his answer to me was, and I quote; "I could shake any tree and a hundred azzholes would fall out, who would have your job like THAT! (Finger-snap)"

So...no raise. But lots of good experience. After 4 years and 4,000hrs. of night, I joined the Air Guard, that's when the Boss did offer me a raise to stay! He was willing to go up to...$200/wk.

When I got to the Air Force Pilot Training and they put me in the instrument simulator, I had to teach my IP how to shoot and ILS down to the runway, with the visual turned off. He'd get below 200' and start chasing the needles, which never ended well! When I would tease him about his crash landings, he said, "But You can't GO BELOW MINS!!"

I said, "OK, but now you are going into Boston at 6am, and it's foggy, and the whole east coast is covered in fog, and you're running out of gas...so what are YOU going to do? Where are you going to go? I'm going to find the runway, or go for a swim!"

N9373M

You know how much fuel is on board by how strong the smell of 100LL is in the cabin.

*applies to weepy winged Mooneys as well.

TheFly

+1. . . . . . .

TheFly

If 95% of the pilots at your airline are Captains.

Manny

Maybe it is because this was my first turbo prop that I still smile every time I see a BE-99. At the time, I was just looking for the 1000 hrs turbine PIC. Little did I know, I would learn skills that would safe my life latter on. "Freightdog" should be a title that those of us who did it should wear as a badge of honor.

Earl81

Agreed!!! Freight pilots have been through just about everything. should be a required step