1st year PC's
 

Hey guys, don't know how many remember my last post about the rough PC but I got by the re-check yesterday and everything is good. I did hear from a few friends in my class however that were not so lucky. One of them is on her last chance before losing the job (after being online 1 year!). It seems like lately there have been a large number of FO's failing their first year PC's. When people ask me what they should do I never have an answer. Its my understanding that if you lose your job at a regional because you couldn't pass the checkride, its pretty much impossible to continue a career in the airlines. After all, what airline would want to take someone who either A) Couldn't get through 121 initial training or B) Couldn't pass a PC after a full year on the line? Am I right here?

Sounds like your company has some issues...Who do you work for? Since you didn't say in your last thread.

If a great number of pilots are not passing check rides there is a problem in the training department or the company is getting rid of "troublemakers." This kind of BS seems much more prevalent in the smaller airlines. It is one of the many reasons you want to work for a major.

First year PCs are often used as an opportunity to get rid of people they've decided they don't want around anymore.

and, out of curiosity, like stated before, which airline?

Glad you got through it, and best of luck to the rest of your comrades.

We have had a few recently getting busted on their PC's. I dunno I was not there but if you prepare, act professionally and fly by the Book, you shouldn't have any problems, if there is a serious issue, and you feel you were treated unfairly, go immediately to Pro-Stans....

I was sickly nervous for my recurrent PC, knew the basics of the systems, knew the Limitations & Memory Items cold and flew fairly well, the instructor I had was the guy I had for my initial, he remembered me so that was good, but it went well and was a lot of fun, but if I wasn't prepared I could see this guys busting me. Sometimes I think we forget that even though the pay blows and the pax don't respect us, we have a pretty big responsibility and if we make a big enough mistake........well you get the point

I just had my first year PC, and well, it didn't go so well. My captain was from the standards dept, and my instructor was being observed by a manager from the training department. So needless to say, I was pretty nervous. If I screwed something up, I had 3 guys yelling at me.
I came back two days later, retrained, and finished my re-check in about 30 mins. with a new captain and a new sim instructor.
I was humiliated, as I never failed a check-ride in my life. It is quite a feeling to be pulled off-line and off payroll. You feel like a horrible pilot. I know I would have passed had I not had the three training dept. guys in there with me (a probationary FO). Was this legal? Oh well, I really hope this doesn't come back to haunt me.

Thats just sucks, like the guys that have the FAA drop in and visit during a type ride, not going to turn out good, :( sorry to hear it, but don't let anyone tell yuo its going to stop you from getting on with a Major, thats just ridiculous.

Let this be a lesson, kids: the secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.

i had the FAA sit in on my type ride, it wasnt bad at all he was really cool actually, ya just forget he's there and do what you do

I had an FAA guy show up for a type ride last year. It did make the ride more stressful, but it was self induced. Overall, it went well, and I passed. During the debrief, the evaluator critiqued the type ride for about 5-10 minutes.

Then the FAA inspector and I discussed general airline and safety topics for about 30 minutes. I learned a lot from this informative discussion. The FAA inspector was friendly, helpful, and professional.

What the heck is he doing with the FAA then?? :confused: I have yet to meet an FAA employee that could be considered a fair and decent human...

Well, with the instructor being checked you may have tied his hands by not performing up to standards. Bottom line, if you flew well enough to pass you would have passed. I don't suggest retelling the above story when you have to explain the bust in a future interview. And yes, it's legal.:rolleyes:

I've found over the last 15 years that most feds are good guys. The problem is that you can't always identify the d-bags until it's too late.:mad:

Let me guess. Low time guys(500hrs) are the ones with troubles?

I can see how the low time guys could have problems after a year if they never had a chance to get the fundamentals down before they went to an airline. Maybe they squeaked through the initial but hand flying instrument skills and flying fundamentals were never that great - say they got by with help from captains and automation for the first year and it might bite them during the probationary PC. And as said above this is a good time for the company to weed out people they don't like.

Yeah, well it doesn't help that all these RJ-Drivers are telling Probies that the "Jet wasn't made to be hand-flown," and that you "need the automation..." :rolleyes:

Like I said - there are pepple who fly planes, and then there are Pilots.

No, that's just what you tell the guys you don't trust to hand fly. :D

There is more to it than flying approaches in the sim. Even a monkey can do it. Its just lack of experience,judgment,and skills that these low timers suffer the most.

Has anyone figured out where he works?

Nope...don't think he wants us to know. Hmmm...wonder why??

More like 3000 hrs. for me

I know a GA Inspector out of IND that is a really good guy...and the folks out of Washington that would often ride the jumpseat in/out DCA were in my experience always very friendly and professional.

Everyone is prone to a boneheaded-move, especially while being observed, and double especially when in a sensitive simulator...but checkrides aren't new to you once you get to the 121 level and you'd better get used to them as you're going to have them every 6-12 months for the rest of your career.

If probie ride candidates know their systems, flows, profiles, procedures and OpSpecs cold then you should have the oral on lockdown and all you have to do is fly the damn simulator without crashing or continually busting standards and you're fine. That said, the standard "CKA having a bad day" disclaimer applies...

Let's make a pool... I've got $100 on TSA

Another thing that probably doesn't help is sitting reserve for your first year... I'm on my 7th month of reserve here at XJT, averaging 30-50hrs / month.

I lucked out on that one -- the FAA was inspecting a new check airman give the type ride for the first time -- I went first no prob, but was super nervous, sim partner wasn't so lucky

That will change for the summer, I have some vacation last month and this month, paid for 150hrs for Jan and Feb will be 160hrs :) I didn't want to pick up open time, but someones gotta pay for my Greddy Turbo addition to my S2000 :)

saab, ur gonna kill yourself, why not scrap the idea, and send the money over here so i can turbo my jetta....or let me drop a rocket engine in my firebird....hmmm, maybe i'll just take an old RJ motor and strap it to my motorcycle....that'll take down your S.... :D

haha I know, I am not sure what Im going to destroy first........... my self or my Clutch :) nothing like a 400HP, 2,700lb 4 Banger ;)

My money is on Go Jet Or Mesa...

One year in the bag
 

Today is my first day off probation. I strolled into new hire indoc one year ago today, and my recurrent is scheduled for the end of March.

I feel pretty confident. Of course, I'll study the books that have been sitting for almost a year in a taped up box. I normally hand fly any departure up to FL200, and any visual approach. Haven't even tried to hand fly an IMC approach, however.

Fortunately, the only time I was on reserve was Jan 2008, and I was blocking 95 hours a month through last summer, so as I approach 1000 hours in the beast, I feel very comfortable flying it.

Emergency procedures will need a serious re-memorization, and I can't forget my Excedrin for the sim (gives me a nasty headache).

As I reflect back on the past year, it seems like I've done a lot in a short period of time. I've checked out in all three CRJ's, been to four domiciles (SBA, MKE, FAT, SLC), flown the snow storms to minimums, dodged the granite peaks on visuals to the numerous mountain airports we serve, got the stick shaker and wind shear on the same final approach, greased 'em on and pounded 'em on, got the EGPW twice, had numerous interesting jumpseat rides, got drunk with the FA's at the stripper bars, got wet, got hot, got cold, got hungry, thristy... and sometimes on the same trip.

It's been fun, and still is fun, so I'll keep plodding along. I met my original goal of doing this for one year, and evaluating if I wanted to continue the airline biz. So far, the answer is yes.

:)

Did the FA's strip later on in the evening?!? :D

Sounds like some great experience in the last year for you....recurrent should be a breeze.

Try ATR Reserve at ASA. You'll average like 7 hours a month. I flew less than that one month. I haven't flown once so far this month. I bet someone money that I won't fly a single trip all of Feb. So far I win. I went a 3 week stretch without flying once, only to be broken by a single nap/"highspeed".

30-50 hours a month sounds like a bunch to me. I have recurrent coming up in about a month and a half. I'm hand-flying the 1 or 2 flights I'll end up doing between now and then to prepare.

Dont forget that gel along with you Ipod and backpack.:rolleyes:

:confused:

Huh? I'm guessing my Marine Corps training (of 25 years ago) probably is not what you're imagining.

Sorry, no gel, no backpack, no pants hanging off my *ss, untucked and unpressed shirts, bizarro facial hair, disheveled shoes.

You got the wrong guy.

I think your previous avatar clued most of us in that you're no backpack wonderkid.

Didn't you get the memo everyone hired in the last year has 250hrs and fresh out of college...Except for me 30 and changing gears!!:D