![]() ![]() That same operator sent all the pilots emails telling us not to use breaks on landing - and then had several aircraft running off runways. For instance, during my upgrade training under 135 - my training partner on his checkride (which was in a real plane rather than a simulator because my company didn't want to pay for flightsafety - he almost landed on a taxiway, didn't know where you could find NTSB830, missed nearly every question on the oral - flew below MDA on a non-precision approach before reaching the VDP or calling the airport in sight either, configured the autopilot modes incorrectly for all but one approach - and was PASSED!? That same 135 operator did real life "V1 cuts" by placing a wooden plank in front of the pilot flying and then calling abort using only your side vision to hold centerline. I liked some aspects of it- not going to the same places every day, the empty legs, the easy orals were nice but a double edged sword - with a more stringent training program you had better pilots. 135 is the wild west compared to the airlines. Once my spine heals I will be looking at 121 again. I am not God's gift to aviation and would never suggest that I am! I miss 121's structure, quality controls, options, benefits, pay. I was only speaking from the perspective of the Captain - but of course the same is true in reverse. and then, according the the GOM - if there is a thunderstorm, high winds, snow or ice, etc etc - the captain will fly the plane if they are new - to protect against new hires with low experience flying in marginal conditions. As captain, you normally fly the first segment and see how the FO does (this is especially true at regional airlines like MESA - where they hire low time pilots with as little as 250 hours). By the time you leave the gate you are armed with quite of bit of info about the guy - because before we fly - we usually ask each other questions like: where did you work before here, were you in the military, do you know such and such - when did you pass your initial - and you get to know your crew pretty well. ![]() Then you see how they act in preflight, how they are dressed. Then there is the fact that despite the airline being quite large - certain body types at domiciles turn out to be pretty close knit communities - somebody you know has already flown with him/her and people normally share "he's a good guy" type of comments - so if someone you respect tells you they like him - you already are a little less defensive. Those who didn't study for the oral, or didn't fly the sim well didn't pass. At many airlines, training is a right of passage. You take comfort in knowing that your peers at the airline have already survived many thousands of hours as a pilot before getting on with XYZ airline. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |