Airhoss

Are you assuming that a “TK” guy doesn’t have any line experience?

Guppydriver95

not at all. But full time line Cap vs full time tk guy who only flies enough to stay current- no comparison. Just like tk guys smoke us in the sim!

BobbyLakes

No, I don’t think you can interview again in Aviate. It’s a one time deal. You are usually welcome to apply again off the street though.

But to clarify, I meant “on his way” to having the degree box checked.

Guppydriver95

I realize how my comments re tk could be taken the wrong way. I’ve got buds who work in the building-great dudes. I was simply pushing back on the corporate/hr narrative that somehow being at tk/whq or doing Lca work makes you a better pilot. It doesn’t. Actually, most guys work at tk for the schedule, not some altruistic desire to help the company. Having said all that, those boxes being checked perhaps, in hr’s opinion, make you a more malleable employee, but they don’t make you a better asset to the piloting profession.

Airhoss

I disagree that doing a TK stint doesn’t make you a “better” pilot. It makes you a more rounded pilot, just like any additional skill sets, duties, and experiences do for you in this profession. Where I see issues with TK guys are the career PI who’s never flown the line and confuses strict adherence to SOP’s and knowing the “book” cold with flying skills. On the line the issue I see is the open the book once a year guy who doesn’t know where to find ANYTHING and makes up his own SOPs and thinks his wacky techniques are the law. A good pilot has a healthy mix of good flying skills and a good knowledge of the book too.

A couple of things that TK did for me are the ability to identify and shut down flight deck blowhards and BSers immediately. There is pretty much nothing I can’t almost immediately find in any of our manuals if needed. A decades worth of battling briefing room “attorneys” will do that for you. Doing a stint at TK will make you realize that background is not a predictor of current skills or ability. You see the best of the best and the worst of the worst and they come from all the different background, military, civilian, fighters, transports, corporate, regionals, night freight etc etc. As far as stick and rudder skills go there is only one way to be good at those and that’s to hand fly as often as possible.

I agree that most TK guys are not there for altruistic reasons. Some do it for the schedule control, some have become comfortable in their niche and frankly are afraid to head out to the line. Some do it because they make more money at their seniority level in the building than out. For me the line suits me way better, I’ve got better schedule control and on an a month to month average make quite a bit more money than being an instructor. Oh yeah and spending 12.5 years in and out of the building has made me realize that I’m not interested in going back.

Squallrider

How is the TK schedule? Is it any good for someone not living in Denver? I find a lot of the roles there fascinating

Airhoss

It’s 13 days off a month plus fly days. You get 36 days a year for fly days, that you have to use for flying. You can do 3 days a month or 6 days every other month. You can pretty much get the 13 days off on on the days you want. I wouldn’t dream of commuting to TK but a few people do it. The thing that I don’t like about TK is that there is almost zero flexibility in your schedule. Once you get your schedule it’s set in stone, there is not really any way to trade days like you can on the line.

The other big issue I have with TK scheduling are the sim times. Since they went to the new scheduling system I was a getting a double butt load of 04:00 sims and a triple butt load of 20:00 to 02:00 sims. They were absolutely wearing me out.

Note... Things change at TK and it’s been a couple years since I’ve been there, so this information is a bit dated.

dmeg13021

30 fly days for NB, 36 for WB

Airhoss

Correct, thanks for chiming in.

mm1989

Are jeans acceptable during BI?