With 50 hours.






.

I hear a lot of pain in your comments.

Perhaps that's because I've felt it myself, at least in part. I learned the hard way. After 3 years in the NROTC and being chosen for a flight training slot at Pensacola, I learned I would be taking my senior year summer cruise on board the USS Carl Vinson to observe flight ops for 3 weeks. "Excited" doesn't even begin to describe how I felt in the days thereafter. But I had to take a pre-cruise physical, and my eyesight had changed from 20/20 to 20/30. I begged the flight surgeon not to say anything, but I may as well have been a Jew begging Hitler not to send me to the camps. This was back during the Bush #1 defense cuts (thanks to the end of the Cold War and the "Peace Dividend") and I was subsequently denied a waiver for my eyesight. So I understand and empathize with your disappointment.

But the rest of your post here is total BS. You never understood the desire to fly the equivalent of a Formula 1 race car, eh? What you are essentially saying is that you would have been perfectly fine driving a station wagon, that you "didn't care". LOL

That's total and complete BS. More accurately, it's what you tell yourself (and have told yourself) to lessen the mental and emotional pain of being passed over and told you weren't good enough (nevermind the reason why). We know this because you said you "would have been perfectly happy flying a cargo airplane or refueling tanker"....the point is you wanted IN, just like 100% who ever tried to do so. Just like me.

Now you go around calling yourself "ShyGuy". Man, did you ever let all that (and likely a lot more) get into your head...right on up to saying "I never understood the egotistic want of a fighter jet. Oooh, a shiny fighter. Big deal."

Know what? It IS a big deal. A very big, huge deal. The really sad part is that you know that, too, and you wanted that for yourself...but you spew guff like this crap, all the while walking around with the self-given handle of "ShyGuy".

You are a walking psych case, and it's a damn good thing you never made it into the fighter/attack community because you would've either gotten yourself killed or gotten someone else killed.

Wanna know something else? There is NO SHAME in admitting you wanted it and tried for it, but fell short for whatever reason. Fact is, all the armed services put together x 10 don't have enough fighter/attack planes for all the people who...like you...wanted to fly them, but would've been happy just flying in the service. But instead of simply admitting that you fell in with the majority, you say it was "no big deal" and you "never could understand" why anyone would want to fly Ferarri's for a living??

Pathetic. Get some self-respect and stop sounding like an idiot.

Yeah, I found it to be pretty interesting. What was funny was that a friend of mine that got hired at a legacy in 2001 told me it was weird. He was civilian, and talking to the other civ only guys in his class, they ALL fell into the same range. 4-5K TT, 1000-1500K PIC, all of them former regional. And none of them fell into any specific demographic other then fellow pilots writing recs for them. IOW, no interns, no sons and daughters, etc. Granted, that was just one class, and not at all represents ALL classes.

I believe that in that same study, the most "dangerous"/accident prone hour range for military was somewhere around the 300-400 hr point. For civilian aviation it was 6-800 hrs. You know, the point at which one is trained, but doesn't quite have the benefit of experience, and the judgment gained from experience, etc. Just enough knowledge to be dangerous. In the "license to learn" phase of the learning curve/skill set building, etc.

It wasn't like a life long goal, and I certainly wouldn't draw a Hitler comment about the dilemma. It was just one option when I was looking around as a youngster. The military, if you can pass the medical. My talk was over the phone with a recruiter, and that's the extent of how far it went. I really didn't care twice about it. All I cared about was being able to hold a FAA First class medical.

Again, what are you talking about? I have no desire to drive a formula 1 race car. Why would I? No part of it is my cup of tea. I do care what car I drive, but I have zero interest in driving a formula car, just as I have zero interest in Nascar, Indy, and whatever Danica Patrik just won.

You couldn't be more wrong. I never had a life long goal for the military. I had always wanted to be an airline pilot, that was my dream job/goal. When I was around 18-19, I thought about the military option in college, but one quick phone call took care of my questions. I have no emotional or mental pain, why would I? It was just one means to an end, and my end was an airline pilot job. The civilian route for me was quick, and I got to my goal and am extremely happy with where I am. I got to where I am a lot sooner too.

Yes, big deal. I don't care for fighter or bomber jets, I just don't. Your top gun mind finds that hard to believe? So what if you didn't get in? One closed door leads to another potential door that can open for you. I didn't care one bit, because based on my eyesight before hand I already knew. My concern was being able to pass a FAA 1st class. Once I passed that, I knew I had it made.

What are you talking about? You don't know me. You are out of line with your kill me or I'd kill someone else comments. I have no shame, because I never wanted what you wanted. It just wasn't in me. As I stated, it was one means to an end. The end goal I got through the civilian method at 23 yrs old for my first airline job. I couldn't have been happier. "Fly ferrari's for a living" Ok, easy there Top Gun, now turn off Combat Flight Simulator and go get a life. You are pathetic, drawing conclusions the way you are. Go find yourself some self-respect and stop sounding like a fool.

I remember hearing that it was a 500 hr range in my community and then another at 1500 hrs. I would agree with the 1000 hr experience range. That first 'patch' meant something. You were definitely expected to perform just a little better when you slapped that thing on your shoulder. Sort of like not being a O-1/2 anymore At O-3 you had better not be making the basic mistakes anymore.

So the guy who also went to airshows and loved the fighters is egotistical then?
I believe you when you say that you didn't want to fly fighters. I had a roommate in college who's only goal was to fly KC-10s for the minimum commitment and then get out and fly with American (ideally).
But he also didn't go around saying anyone in his class who wanted to fly fighter/attack was egotistical either. That comment alone - especially with your lack of exposure to the communities - is off base and stems from something under the surface.

Personally, I think you are completely FOS, "ShyGuy". You came onto this thread, boasting about how you managed to buy your way into an airline job (hint: no one in their early 20's has $27k for an RJ rating unless mommy gives it to them) and that people shouldn't give the Gulfstream Girl a hard time.


Then you go on to say crap like "I never understood the egotistic want of a fighter jet. Oooh, a shiny fighter. Big deal" and "My concern was being able to pass a FAA 1st class. Once I passed that, I knew I had it made."

O'rly? You "knew you had it made", eh? LOL

Well, you may or may not be "an airline pilot", but IF (<---and that's a big "if") you are, you bought your way into the job with money someone else gave you, and here you are bragging about it while insulting a lot of folks in the process.

Me? I've got crisp $100 says you're a ramp rat who tosses bags for a living while dreaming of flying that big, shiny airliner someday, who has read just enough of these forums to know a little lingo.

LMAO! Maybe he will!

This nails it perfectly (assuming he is what he says he is)...

Gents, haven't you been listening? ShyGuy doesn't care about all that, all he cares about is being a 2nd year FO flying an A320, and nevermind how he got there. Oh wait....yes he does....he wants to laugh at everyone who didn't do like he did and buy his way into the job while lecturing them not to look down on such people.

Want a little truth, Shy? No one will ever respect you for buying your way into your job (assuming you are what you claim to be). You'll always and forever be "that guy". Always. Have fun with that.

Oh, and go ahead and tell us all....once again....how you don't care because you got what you wanted. Protest some more, big britches.

LOL!

While I dont find much value in his views or posts, I can at least vouch that I know he was an airline pilot. I know his name and know of him from my last company. I cant vouch he is at Virgin (do not doubt he isnt) but I do know he holds an ATP and was on the RJ at his last company.

Sorry, for clarification, there was another hour regime at 1500 that showed accidents? Just curious, was it that the curve may be leveling and possibly complacency comes into play?

Interesting to see that there are apparently some airline pilots that are also part time psychologists. Lordy! If you disagree with the guy’s statements, just say so and move on. No need to get into a lathered up tirade. Talk about over-kill and some possible underlying problems surfacing in the responses. ALL types of personalities each with their own quirks out there behind the sticks, isn’t there?

Keeps us all guessing.