'Day in the Life of an RJ Pilot'

'an' would appropriate for an airline pilot, but 'a' is correct for RJ, since regional does not start with a vowel.

But that small thing aside, what's up with this comment:

'The autopilot and authrottles keep the airplane right on course, flying more smoothly than I am able.'

Gee, thanks. The one opportunity an airline pilot has to show the public that we are in control and safe pilots, and this guy goes on a limb and reinforces the public opinion that we are just monkeys who push buttons and that indeed the autopilot does fly the plane the whole time and better than we do.

Also, the E175 is not a RJ. It maybe in the US, but in countries where the pilot unions have balls, the E175 flies at mainline.

This article had nothing to do with 'day in the life' instead it was more like 'musings of a regional pilot.' We find out they fly MSP-DFW-LGA and then the article ends with a comment they still had one leg to go, so it wasn't even a real 'day in the life of.' It was a partial day filled with random musings on a trip.

Lastly, he talks about how regional guys are doing it for the eventual hopeful shot at the majors, and that it is worth it in the end. Why didn't he write that he himself will be guaranteed to be at Delta in less than two years? I didn't think I'd come a pilot who could top Les Abend, but this might take the cake.

 

don't forget the female writer at Flying who recently talked about her "techniques" on IFR rides

 

Yes, and I did see this month's June letter to the editor by a B757 pilot and ex-military checkairman about how he couldn't believe an examiner would sabotage a checkride by changing the ADF station tuned in. He writes that if the examiner wanted to reinforce or see an applicant listen to the morse code, there are better ways to do this without sabotaging the approach, and he is correct. Martha was wrong to do this!

 

Since you brought it up,

From Purdue OWL: Articles: A versus An

"...The choice of article is actually based upon the phonetic (sound) quality of the first letter in a word, not on the orthographic (written) representation of the letter."

 

Flying used to be pretty good, AOPA too, but some of the old-school editors/writers have left. If I read another "cheap ADS-B solution you can velcro to your yoke" article I am gonna vomit

 

They still publish these?

 

Thank you soon2b. I knew that saying "an RJ" had to be correct, if for no other reason than "a RJ" sounds onerous and trips up the tongue.

Thanks for the research.

 

That does make sense. I didn't know there was an exception based on how it sounds. I'll agree off the tongue, an RJ sounds better. I stand corrected on this one.

 

Airbus already works hard to keep the pilot out of the loop. Soon they won't even need the warm body.

 

Your inexperience shines through.