Low Time Regionals
10-03-2007 | 06:24 PM
#61
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 623
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From: Flight Instructor
I know what you mean. I wish more people would do it, and be good at it, not just to build time.
Sure, I did it to build time, but I put my heart and soul into it for the two years I did it. After I sent 9 students to their checkrides (all passed), I decided I had done my duty, and moved on.
Sure, I did it to build time, but I put my heart and soul into it for the two years I did it. After I sent 9 students to their checkrides (all passed), I decided I had done my duty, and moved on.
And I agree with you. Most of my instructors throughout my flight training have been 50+ year old guys that started flying in J-3 cubs. They teach because they love flying. I have had very few youg 20 somethingyear old fresh out of college instructors.
A person should flight instruct because the yenjoy teaching. not to build time on somebody elses dime. Like I said befroee Instructing can be a career and a good one. But it is a totally different career from being an airline pilot. Military flying is toatally different as well. Military pilots don thav eto abide by part 121 or part 91 depending on the operation they are doing. In Iraq, I saw pilots laning planes and helicopters where ever they wanted.
10-03-2007 | 06:38 PM
#62
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
Great Post
I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but aren't you like 19 years old or around that age range?
You were a low-time hire at PSA correct? While most of us would applaud your determination, and most noticeably, your ability to pass a 121 training program at such a young age, aren't you missing out on just being a youth? No college, no nights out with friends drinking, hanging out, no real fond flying memories... just the thought of waking up in some hole of a town in the armpit of America, while your friends are nursing hangovers in Pysch 101, and planning weekend trips up to the mountains in the FBO's twin.
From what I've read, and seen, most of the 300 hour wonders are younger folks. 20-23 years old. They aren't really in it for the love of flying, or to be an aviator, they simply want to be an airline pilot. Forget about really learning to fly, and gaining those fond memories that actually made you an aviator. You know those white knuckle approaches into Nome, Barrow, or Kotzebue, Alaska at night with icing in an old, battered bush plane, spend 2 years doing that, build over 1800 hours flying the bush, by yourself, in the winter. Or the magnificent sunsets from a twin Otter on floats flying inter-island flights in the Virgin Islands, spend a year and a half doing that, building over 1000 hours of seaplane time and learning the ins and outs of flying an machine on and off the surface of the sea. How about having significant time teaching people to fly novice an complex aerobatics, where a pilot will really learn what it's like to fly by the seat of you're pants and use the stick, not needle-dick it around like some RJ.
People are so inclined to get to the airlines without ever experiencing flying at all. Is that really what you would call and aviator?
Not me.
I personally applaud the guys that stick around CFIing for longer than 200 hours. They aren't driven by the thought they may get to tell the hottie blond at the bar they fly jets for a living, but teaching the future of aviation. It's a noble task many are too short sided to even understand.
Just my 0.02
You were a low-time hire at PSA correct? While most of us would applaud your determination, and most noticeably, your ability to pass a 121 training program at such a young age, aren't you missing out on just being a youth? No college, no nights out with friends drinking, hanging out, no real fond flying memories... just the thought of waking up in some hole of a town in the armpit of America, while your friends are nursing hangovers in Pysch 101, and planning weekend trips up to the mountains in the FBO's twin.
From what I've read, and seen, most of the 300 hour wonders are younger folks. 20-23 years old. They aren't really in it for the love of flying, or to be an aviator, they simply want to be an airline pilot. Forget about really learning to fly, and gaining those fond memories that actually made you an aviator. You know those white knuckle approaches into Nome, Barrow, or Kotzebue, Alaska at night with icing in an old, battered bush plane, spend 2 years doing that, build over 1800 hours flying the bush, by yourself, in the winter. Or the magnificent sunsets from a twin Otter on floats flying inter-island flights in the Virgin Islands, spend a year and a half doing that, building over 1000 hours of seaplane time and learning the ins and outs of flying an machine on and off the surface of the sea. How about having significant time teaching people to fly novice an complex aerobatics, where a pilot will really learn what it's like to fly by the seat of you're pants and use the stick, not needle-dick it around like some RJ.
People are so inclined to get to the airlines without ever experiencing flying at all. Is that really what you would call and aviator?
Not me.
I personally applaud the guys that stick around CFIing for longer than 200 hours. They aren't driven by the thought they may get to tell the hottie blond at the bar they fly jets for a living, but teaching the future of aviation. It's a noble task many are too short sided to even understand.
Just my 0.02
10-03-2007 | 07:37 PM
#63
Self Employed.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,120
Likes: 0
From: Corporate Pilot
I understand
Huh? CFI time is wasted time? You've GOT to be frickin kidding me. Oh yeah, I forgot. This is the age of ADHD, of instant gratification. Don't earn your knowledge, which incidentally may save your life some day. Just take the quickest shortcut you can. Go upgrade as soon as possible at the bottom feeder of the month.
Perhaps your confidence gets a needed boost but as far as being a benifit to a future flying 121 jets it really is meaningless.
Skyhigh
10-03-2007 | 07:41 PM
#64
Self Employed.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,120
Likes: 0
From: Corporate Pilot
Instructors
And I agree with you. Most of my instructors throughout my flight training have been 50+ year old guys that started flying in J-3 cubs. They teach because they love flying. I have had very few youg 20 somethingyear old fresh out of college instructors.
A person should flight instruct because the yenjoy teaching. not to build time on somebody elses dime. Like I said befroee Instructing can be a career and a good one. But it is a totally different career from being an airline pilot. Military flying is toatally different as well. Military pilots don thav eto abide by part 121 or part 91 depending on the operation they are doing. In Iraq, I saw pilots laning planes and helicopters where ever they wanted.
A person should flight instruct because the yenjoy teaching. not to build time on somebody elses dime. Like I said befroee Instructing can be a career and a good one. But it is a totally different career from being an airline pilot. Military flying is toatally different as well. Military pilots don thav eto abide by part 121 or part 91 depending on the operation they are doing. In Iraq, I saw pilots laning planes and helicopters where ever they wanted.
There are hardly enough students to go around as it is.
Those who can do. Those who can not flight instruct.
SKyhigh
10-03-2007 | 07:46 PM
#65
Self Employed.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,120
Likes: 0
From: Corporate Pilot
This Post
[QUOTE=chignutsak;241052]Huh? CFI time is wasted time? You've GOT to be frickin kidding me. Oh yeah, I forgot. This is the age of ADHD, of instant gratification. Don't earn your knowledge, which incidentally may save your life some day. Just take the quickest shortcut you can. Go upgrade as soon as possible at the bottom feeder of the month.[/QUOTE]
This post should be engraved in a brass and mounted on a concrete base for all to see as an example of the right stuff for a successful airline career.
In the end no one cares how you got there just get in while the gettin is good and get out as fast as you can.
SkyHigh
This post should be engraved in a brass and mounted on a concrete base for all to see as an example of the right stuff for a successful airline career.
In the end no one cares how you got there just get in while the gettin is good and get out as fast as you can.
SkyHigh
10-03-2007 | 07:46 PM
#66
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
Lets see you take a.... lets see... stearman, T6, anything like that around the pattern solo and not kill yourself.
Those who can, do. Those who cannot, die.
Like has been said before, there is more to flying than flying a bus with wings.
Those who can, do. Those who cannot, die.
Like has been said before, there is more to flying than flying a bus with wings.
10-03-2007 | 10:40 PM
#67
On a beach with no ocean
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
From: Unmanned
hhhmm
Atp made me realize how much i want to instruct at an FBO rather than ATP. I’ve come across 2 of the last 4 instructors at the SAC location that just used students to build time. There was one guy never showed up, unless he was flying and always talked about how his girl was Albanian and started saying "chow" a lot. He never instructed just passed off his students to other instructors. Long story short he's at SKW (which is he wanted to go) and complained all through training. Another guy, lets just call him "roger" gave myself and other students an hour of instrument ground, made us pick up these blue instrument currency booklets, and said "just read this", and that was it. He's now at xjet and there problem.
My point is, after all the negativity of a lot of the instructors i have been around. I sure as hell don’t want to instruct, because I don’t want to be like them! So if a student has negative experiences with his/her CFI. What makes them want to instruct. I can tell you right now, it’s not to get students through it’s to build time! They don’t want to sit there and be bitter like the guy who trained them, I sure don’t. But im going to give it the old college try!
My point is, after all the negativity of a lot of the instructors i have been around. I sure as hell don’t want to instruct, because I don’t want to be like them! So if a student has negative experiences with his/her CFI. What makes them want to instruct. I can tell you right now, it’s not to get students through it’s to build time! They don’t want to sit there and be bitter like the guy who trained them, I sure don’t. But im going to give it the old college try!
Last edited by exerauflyboy5; 10-03-2007 at 10:42 PM. Reason: spelling!
10-04-2007 | 05:39 AM
#68
Self Employed.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,120
Likes: 0
From: Corporate Pilot
Not at the airlines
Years ago I was a CFI in ANC and almost daily guys would come in to get checked out who flew the big stuff for the airlines. They wanted to be able to rent piper warriors so they could fly themselves around to take in the sights.
Hardly one in ten would make it through even a simple check out in one session. Most gave up after 6 hours of training. One guy was told that he really should go through the entire private pilot curriculum over again.
Flying for the airlines really has little to do with flying.
SkyHigh
10-04-2007 | 05:46 AM
#69
Self Employed.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,120
Likes: 0
From: Corporate Pilot
Oh an lets no forget
Oh, and lets not forget that much of the rest of the world only gets a hundred or so hours in small planes before moving on to the bigger stuff.
Companies like Lufthansa, Cathay and JAL have cadet programs. Their pilots have hardly any small plane time and they seem to do just fine.
Other places like the military also take low time guys and put them strait into transport category planes too.
It is a nice stroke to the ego to think that we are accomplishing something by having the ability to land a taildragger, but in reality it means nothing to an airline career.
SkyHigh
Companies like Lufthansa, Cathay and JAL have cadet programs. Their pilots have hardly any small plane time and they seem to do just fine.
Other places like the military also take low time guys and put them strait into transport category planes too.
It is a nice stroke to the ego to think that we are accomplishing something by having the ability to land a taildragger, but in reality it means nothing to an airline career.
SkyHigh
10-04-2007 | 08:15 AM
#70
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 478
Likes: 0
YOur comment about "those who can, do......" was COMPLETELY out of line, and completely false. Get a life.
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