I didn't point out jet stream knowledge as an example of penny knowledge did I?
Btw - define "general knowledge".

What do I want to know about ILSs or Rho Thetas? Well right now I'm struggling with understanding when to apply the flight inspection tolerances to localizer course width and glide slope angle measurements vice maintenance reference (initial) tolerances and remembering the numbers for Equality in Normal between a dual transmitter (non-USAF facility) is driving me insane! I don't feel like I've ever had such a hard time remembering a set of numbers. On Rho Thetas, do I have to apply the 1 degree tolerance of the Airborne Reference Radial during the alignment orbit to the last reported alignment average of the orbit itself or do I use the regular 2.5 degrees of alignment?

USMCFLYR

Note: None of this penny knowledge (to an airline pilot) will make a bit of difference of how well s/he executes the approach down to mins on that ILS, and I don't need to know the inner workings of my inverter either. It does what it is suppose to do. If it fails - I switch to inverter #2. If it goes further than that I do some of that pilot 'stuff' and get the plane on deck safely.

 

Not in my community! The C-130 Navs might have had to go through that stuff.

I was recently quizzed on the Flux Capacitor though! Those recurrent KA oral are tough!

USMCFLYR

 

A lot of this sounds like what some foreign authorities have their ATP candidates focus on. Sometimes I get the feeling that *some* of those guys would be better at building an ILS than actually flying one.

Point taken though. As professionals, we should have a solid foundation of knowledge about the stuff we use every day, but ILS Rho's and Theta's are the equivalent of intellectual masturbation to an airline pilot. It either works or it doesn't.


Re. the military time, I didn't realize you sometimes did so little flying, but it is what it is. I think the saying is that you're an officer first, and a pilot second?

I agree with you that 2500/500 may be a bit steep. Not because it would hinder the military folks, or because you can have "too much" experience. Instead, I think if we're going to take somebody from a light piston to a CRJ, the extra thousand hours spent at 100kt isn't going to make a 250kt downwind in ORD any easier.

 

Quite true. This type of stuff is JOB specific. All of this stuff that is now forefront in my everyday flying has NOTHING to do with what 99% of the professionals out there have to deal with on a regular basis. I'm part of the apparatus that hopefully makes it all transparent to the guys/gals who are having to fly these approaches in the weather, at night, with any numbers of possible distractions and hope that they can rest assured that at least those parts of the NAS are operating up to specs.

I struggle with systems. Always have and I still don't have a mechanical bone in my body it seems! I tried to remedy that by getting heavily involved in the maintenance functions that I could as a young officer in a squadron, getting my Post/Maintenance Check Flight qualification as soon as possible and utilizing it while listening to the smarter system/maint. guys (obviously to include the maintainers themselves) and not being afraid to ask questions - A LOT of questions. But unless it comes up during some other conversation for example - I'm probably not going to delve into those inners workings of the inverter to use the example we are building on here in these posts.

Yes. Sometimes those hours don't tell the whole story either. Even at 1500 - that is a lot of less than 1.0s in that logbooks with a 1.1-1.3 probably being average. A single flight taking an hour to brief and up to many hours to debrief. Then it is off the the full time job.

Though I have said that my background probably made for the worst possible entry into my new flying job, I do bring certain aspects to the environment. That experience comes from many different sources. Combine that with willingness to be trained and an ability to listen and learn - and most, but not all, can be successful with an appropriate amount of time and effort put into training a future (insert your type of pilot here).

USMCFLYR

 

Agree 100% While I've always been a fan of the ATP rule (even before I was anywhere near 1500hr), I will say that a small percentage of pilots will be able to make the transition to the airline world very early. I've trained one or two students who I'd be confident would make excellent FO's with 300hrs- partially because of their superior skill, but mostly because of how much they knew and their willingness to learn.

 

Don't shoot the messenger here. I'm a ex-Navy guy who went to ERAU on the GI Bill. I left recently to get CFI/take a job as a dispatcher, but from what my buddies in Daytona told me is that the Dean of Aviation held a meeting with the flying student body about the new rule and how it's effects them all. He basically said to sent in their views and opinions and that it could likely change the rule and allow for me flexibility in the time requirements. He went on to say that many of the regionals will find it difficult to get all pilots to ATP mins and hire people with the ATP going forward.

Seems like they are blowing a lot of sunshine up these guys behinds, or it might hold a little validity. Who knows.

Should be interesting to see how it all pans out with big bad ERAU, UND, and the regionals pushing for this law to go away more or less.

 

Want knowledge?
Go to a community college, sign up for a weather class. Lot of valuable information without the 100k cost. Other than that, knowledge comes with experience.

There is a reason we get pilot certificates not A&P licenses.- from a DPE

 

Always true but we have no way to screen them. The airlines can't be trusted to do it, they just want seat-meat... if you allow 300 hour airline pilots they'll find a way to sneak every 300-hour wonder they can find through 121 training. 121 training as currently structured doesn't teach basic aviation skills like ops at uncontrolled fields with part 91 aircraft in the pattern.

 

I don't think there are enough low-time pilots out there to make a difference with the politicians. Remember, and congressman who stands up in the near future and advocates relaxing these requirements is going to jack-lighted by the families of the colgan victims.

Taking on this issue would be all downside and very little upside for a pol...unless you have 300,000 low-time professional pilots in your district.

The airlines on the other hand may very well be able to get things changed if they have to start cancelling flights. But they are not going to put a lot of energy into it just yet. The further downrange they are from colgan when they try, the better their odds of success.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have said it before, if the flying public wants highly qualified pilots in the cockpit they are going to have to pay for it. 50000 a year at least to get me off the sidelines and fly for a regional, I have always wanted to fly for the airlines but until the
pay increases I will stay on the sidelines flying half as much as a regional pilot for 4 times the money as a regional FO and hope maybe someday a major picks me up. If not I will enjoy the quality of life I have now, hopefully for many years, but this is aviation so I won't count on it.