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Would I stand a chance?

Old 09-18-2007, 05:07 PM
  #1  
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Red face Would I stand a chance?

Ok,
Here's the deal. I am at 1350 TT, with only 50 multi. 120 instrument, 300 night, 400 x/c, 800 as a CFI.
I have my Commercial Multi with a CFI-I. I have my 1st class medical.

But, there's a catch.

6 years ago I was burned 85% in a Baron crash. Got trapped in freezing rain, stalled while we tried to make a circling approach after shooting a VOR approach. We couldn't make the first attempt because the ice build up on the window was too thick, the alchohol had zero effect.

Legally, I was a non-flying pilot, just observing. But beleive me I was helping anyway I could.

My left hand is fine, my right hand, eh, not so much.

I had my entire pinky, and all my other fingers on that right hand, amputated all the way down to the first knuckle. Basicly it makes my right hand a creepy pincher. But it works.

I'm back CFI'ing in all kinds of airplanes, and even have been flying in an few multi's and the occasional turbine from the right seat. When I'm flying an aircraft with a thick yoke that I can't pinch with my right hand, I cup it from behind pretty tight. I wear a custom made batting glove that gives me extra grip.

I used to think the airlines were nothing but a wet dream since the accident. But now that I've been flying more and more, I got the bug big time. And then, I had to go read about this guy:

http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com/articles/archive/an~149/

http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/...05-Matthew.cfm

Then I read about a female with her right arm amputed who flies cargo in a C-208. I quickly realized, what the hell am I hiding behind. If they can do it, so can I.

I'm curious, from you out there in the regional world, what kind of chance in hell do I have.

I can still turn knobs and switches just fine with my right hand. Throttles usually take 10 minutes for me to adapt to, and once I know how to do it, it's never an issue.

The ONLY thing I'm fretting about is thrust reversers. I guess there's a switch to hit to unlock them first before pulling back. That may pose a problem. MY only way to adapt if I can't hit with my right hand would be to swap hands on landing briefly.

Now, I've spoken to several regional pilots already and they generally agree that I have a shot. But these people are long time friends and want to see me succeed after they've seen go through what I went through.

I have a chief pilot of a corporate flight department that flies a Falcon 50 who has written me a letter of recomendation.

Now, after seeing these pictures below, what would you think?

Also, if you want know more about me:
www.myspace.com/phoenixflood


My right hand, palm up:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2316/dsc06363ug3.jpg

My right hand, palm inward:
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/3504/dsc06364jj8.jpg

My right hand, grabbing my flight sim yoke:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/9451/dsc06365cm2.jpg

Me getting checked out in a Cirrus SR22 GTS, shooting an ILS:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fusea...deoid=13990050

Me posing with the guy who saved my life after giving him a ride in my Grumman Yankee:
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4910/dscf0138hg0.jpg



UPDATE!!!



This is now a non-issue. Just sat down in a Challenger 601 and all I need to do is bring my right hand underneath the TR levers from the right side and simply lift up. Once the triggers have been pressed in and the TR's lifted up, I bring my right hand back on top and pull them back with ease.



Like I said, I was worried about nothing.



Thanks for the tips everyone.

Last edited by PhoenixFlood; 09-19-2007 at 04:55 AM. Reason: Added Update
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:14 PM
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very sorry to hear about your accident, but glad youre ok and still flying.

If you get hired on the CRJ, you can work the thrust reversers by pulling back on the reverse levers located on the thrust levers, theres no gate or switch, the thrust levers just have to be back at idle for the reverse to come out of the interlock. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by ghilis101 View Post
very sorry to hear about your accident, but glad youre ok and still flying.

If you get hired on the CRJ, you can work the thrust reversers by pulling back on the reverse levers located on the thrust levers, theres no gate or switch, the thrust levers just have to be back at idle for the reverse to come out of the interlock. Good luck and keep us posted.
See, that's what I've always thought, but I've had two captain friends of mine, one at Pinnacle another at Air Wisconsin, both said there's a switch to hit before you can pull them back.

The Air Wisconsin captain told me to climb into a Challenger where I work at and see how I fare and then I'll have a better idea. I plan on doing this tomorrow morning.

But I also wanted some outside peer advice as well.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:35 PM
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I fly a CRJ for Comair and you just pull the thrust levers back..then pull on the reversers. No buttons or anything so it seems like you would be fine especially since you will be doing all this with your left hand as a First Officer. I bet that if you called Comair and explained the situation or really any regional for that matter..that they would be willing to let you try it out in the sim or something. Good luck!!
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:41 PM
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Sorry to hear about your accident. I hate to be the one to bring this up, but your disability could possibly prevent you from accomplishing some required items. In the ERJ for example there are several controls on the yoke such as the Autopilot disconnect, TCS, Primary Trim switch, and more importantly the steering disconnect trigger. Two of which are included in several memory items such as uncontrollable aircraft swerving, pitch trim runaways, etc....

I surely wish you luck, but you should look into these items before investing too much in an airline career.

You have my respect and I hope everything works out for you.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:42 PM
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Sorry to hear about your accident. I have flown with two captains at Skywest who have similar injuries to yours. Both had only two working appendages on their right hand. Your friend at Whisky has the right idea though. It doesn't matter what it looks like. The FAA and the company will evaluate your ability to be an airline pilot based on how you can manipulate the controls of your aircraft. Good Luck.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:45 PM
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No there is a lockout switch that you have to pull up on in order to engage the thrust reversers.
I don't currently fly for a regional but i took the CRJ course at my school and remember how much of a pain it was to engage them at first.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by The dude View Post
Sorry to hear about your accident. I hate to be the one to bring this up, but your disability could possibly prevent you from accomplishing some required items. In the ERJ for example there are several controls on the yoke such as the Autopilot disconnect, TCS, Primary Trim switch, and more importantly the steering disconnect trigger. Two of which are included in several memory items such as uncontrollable aircraft swerving, pitch trim runaways, etc....

I surely wish you luck, but you should look into these items before investing too much in an airline career.

You have my respect and I hope everything works out for you.
Yeah, I realize that there are many things in the yoke. I have flown right seat in a Lear that has many of those things you mentioned above on the right side of the copilots yoke. Those aren't an issue. I just simply brace the yoke up higher, and move my thumb to said switchs, OR, just simply throw my left hand over there quickly and hit said switch.

As fas researching an airline career before investing, yeah, I was already on my way untill this happen to me six years ago. I was at 1100 TT back then when the regionals would laugh at you with 1200 and 200 multi.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:50 PM
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hey sorry to hear about that man.. can you get a first class medical? if you can then i see no problem in you flying for the regionals. you will more than likely have to get a soda attached to your medical, but that should be no problem if you can do everything just fine.

and on the thrust reversers, they do have to be at idle, and there are release buttons on the thrustreverser themselves, but they are located where you grab them from so if you can move them, you can probably push in the releases to pull them back. i think some people were confused about that on here. on the crj 200 there ARE thrust lever release buttons built into the thrustreverser handles.
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Old 09-18-2007, 05:51 PM
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Originally Posted by trackpilot View Post
No there is a lockout switch that you have to pull up on in order to engage the thrust reversers.
I don't currently fly for a regional but i took the CRJ course at my school and remember how much of a pain it was to engage them at first.
Hmm, I'm starting to wonder if this is a serial number issue. Either Bombardier started putting these on, or did up untill a point.

If I came across that, and if it was hard for you, then upon landing I will definitly have to swap hands on landing. Right hand on yoke for cross wind correction while my left hand brings on the reversers.
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