Airnet - Craig Washka Flying Magazine Article

[arkflyr]

You should’ve checked with Guillotine to see if his charts were up to date.

 

[mikecweb]

Funny you mention that as I don't really write checks anymore either. That being said I'm having my attic insulation replaced today and instead of paying their credit card fee I'm planning on writing them one for the bill.

I started flying in 1998 and working at the FBO the following year at MKC. Airnet was in the same building as the school was and then had 310s and Learjet's based there. It was never top of mind back then to work for them but later when I got more familiar with the check flying business they rose to the top of the heap. By the time I finished my undergraduate degree and had 1300 TT they called first, that was in the fall of 2005. I transferred to BHM in the winter of 06 and had a Caravan only run so I didn't get checked out on the 310s which was a bummer as they were retired that summer. Somewhere in my parent's house is a picture of teenage me in front of a Tomahawk that I soloed in with a beat up Airnet 310 behind it.

At MKC we had several smaller 135s based there, one of which Safewing would hire you to fly VFR in their Lances with 500TT. Central Air Southwest is also there and has somehow managed to survive the end of the check flying days and still flies Aero Commanders.

Recession of 1990 was nasty, I know I've mentioned it before here but my dad got caught in that one. From 89-92 he went through three bankrupt airlines.


Haha, yeah I bet. People are funny aren't they?

Fun thing about being here is I can't go but a few weeks without running into someone from the Starcheck days. I just rode with guillotine the other day in the parking lot van here in Denver. In upgrade class last year there was a guy that started at USCheck, and still remembered the same people.

There’s a few starcheckers at purple but not many.

 

[Richman]

I feel that in 50 years, when the last of the pilots that flew checks are gumming their creamed spinach while explaining what they did in their youth, the kids will say “Gramps, nothing you said makes any sense. Why did you have to personally fly tiny slips of paper between places?”

 

[Roger Roger]

I feel that in 50 years, when the last of the pilots that flew checks are gumming their creamed spinach while explaining what they did in their youth, the kids will say “Gramps, nothing you said makes any sense. Why did you have to personally fly tiny slips of paper between places?”

Bold of you to assume it will still be humans caring for us old fogeys at that point. But, I’m sure the nursing home ServiceBots will be programmed to react similarly

 

[knot4u]

I feel that in 50 years, when the last of the pilots that flew checks are gumming their creamed spinach while explaining what they did in their youth, the kids will say “Gramps, nothing you said makes any sense. Why did you have to personally fly tiny slips of paper between places?”

Although not Airnet related, I do recall hopping into a JetRanger in the middle of the night a few times to act as ballast when the actual loader hadn't shown up for work. Take off from our ramp at KBUR and fly to downtown LA and land on the tops of the tallest buildings to load big bags of checks and then fly back to Ameriflights ramp at KBUR, unload, taxi back across the field so I could get dropped off and go home. It was fun, I was young and I promise I was never paid a dime.

 

[Richman]

Although not Airnet related, I do recall hopping into a JetRanger in the middle of the night a few times to act as ballast when the actual loader hadn't shown up for work. Take off from our ramp at KBUR and fly to downtown LA and land on the tops of the tallest buildings to load big bags of checks and then fly back to Ameriflights ramp at KBUR, unload, taxi back across the field so I could get dropped off and go home. It was fun, I was young and I promise I was never paid a dime.

I was trying to think of something from olde times as ridiculous sounding as check running would sound to future youngins, like chimney sweep, lamp lighter, bell ringer, and I came up short.

 

[knot4u]

I was trying to think of something from olde times as ridiculous sounding as check running would sound to future youngins, like chimney sweep, lamp lighter, bell ringer, and I came up short.

These situations would only occasionally present themselves. I was going to school full time and worked nights as a line service guy at one of the FBOs, one of our tenants operated helicopters and some fixed wing jets and I knew them. Was it dumb? Maybe, when you're in a helicopter idling on the top of the tallest building in DTLA (it used to be called the First Interstate Building back then) and the pilot sets all of the frictions to "tight", looks at you very seriously and tells you in no uncertain terms "Don't touch anything!", and then jumps out to go help load the bags you sit with your hands in your lap sort of terrified but exhilarated. Taking a helicopter tour of DTLA at night is awesome, landing on the buildings is way more awesome. Was it unsafe? I don't know, I'm not a helicopter pilot and it'd been explained to me before we ever left that I was nothing more than ballast. I probably did a half dozen of those trips and obviously I'm here to tell the story. Aviation used to be fun.

 

[arkflyr]

I was trying to think of something from olde times as ridiculous sounding as check running would sound to future youngins, like chimney sweep, lamp lighter, bell ringer, and I came up short.

I was too late for this but another small package overnight delivery was film. I remember during training being told that you don’t see it often but if you do it had to be loaded away from the nukes(radio pharmaceuticals) so that it doesn’t get ruined.

But camera film may be more believable than hundreds of millions of dollars worth of slips of paper traveling across the country almost every night.

Another dead business that I did to build time was fly traffic watch in a 172 with radio reporters on board doing live rush hour updates.

 

[Richman]

I was too late for this but another small package overnight delivery was film. I remember during training being told that you don’t see it often but if you do it had to be loaded away from the nukes(radio pharmaceuticals) so that it doesn’t get ruined.

But camera film may be more believable than hundreds of millions of dollars worth of slips of paper traveling across the country almost every night.

Another dead business that I did to build time was fly traffic watch in a 172 with radio reporters on board doing live rush hour updates.

While it breaks my heart to say, most businesses involving GA were/are tenuous enterprises at best. Even the most slicked up schools were still sketcher than your run of the mill community college, and even the one's with money behind them eventually folded or were sold.

There is a narrow slice including specialty shops that seem to do OK, but they're the outliers by far.

 

[knot4u]

There were a few smaller companies that would also fly checks as sort of feeders for the bigger companies. They'd roll up in their rattle traps, get some fuel and then just camp out in the FBO. This was long before the advent of pilot lounges or snooze rooms, so they'd just post up in the only lobby we had. It wasn't normally an issue, the lobby was big enough for any passengers from a private flight to stay "private". It was not unheard of for them to ask to be reminded they were going to be departing soon (an impromptu alarm clock, this was long before cell phones) and we'd accommodate them, get them some caffeine and if someone was feeling generous a treat from the vending machine to get them going. I do recall a bright young lady that came in quite often in a C310 doing that sort of work and I liked her, nice lady always smiling and positive. One night I put a bunch of 100LL in her plane and she took off and never came back, somehow she got into trouble that night just off the coast and all they found was debris. I remember being sad, I didn't have a crush on her, I just thought she was a nice person. It was a dangerous game, the pressure on them seemed pretty intense. I've always wondered what actually happened to her.

 

[Richman]

There were a few smaller companies that would also fly checks as sort of feeders for the bigger companies. They'd roll up in their rattle traps, get some fuel and then just camp out in the FBO. This was long before the advent of pilot lounges or snooze rooms, so they'd just post up in the only lobby we had. It wasn't normally an issue, the lobby was big enough for any passengers from a private flight to stay "private". It was not unheard of for them to ask to be reminded they were going to be departing soon (an impromptu alarm clock, this was long before cell phones) and we'd accommodate them, get them some caffeine and if someone was feeling generous a treat from the vending machine to get them going. I do recall a bright young lady that came in quite often in a C310 doing that sort of work and I liked her, nice lady always smiling and positive. One night I put a bunch of 100LL in her plane and she took off and never came back, somehow she got into trouble that night just off the coast and all they found was debris. I remember being sad, I didn't have a crush on her, I just thought she was a nice person. It was a dangerous game, the pressure on them seemed pretty intense. I've always wondered what actually happened to her.

I once remember Len Morgan describing WWI pilots. Wooden planes covered in fabric and dope, creaky airframes, recalcitrant engines. No parachutes, and he went on to say "no game for the timid".

While obviously not war, there were certain aviation jobs that, while there might not be a lot of holes in their cheese, had so many slices, eventually the holes would line up out of the law of big numbers.

One old timer once told me "Don't like a job too much until you get to where you want to go".

 

[knot4u]

I once remember Len Morgan describing WWI pilots. Wooden planes covered in fabric and dope, creaky airframes, recalcitrant engines. No parachutes, and he went on to say "no game for the timid".

While obviously not war, there were certain aviation jobs that, while there might not be a lot of holes in their cheese, had so many slices, eventually the holes would line up out of the law of big numbers.

One old timer once told me "Don't like a job too much until you get to where you want to go".

I think back then I wasn't entirely aware of, nor did I understand the ambition of some of the folks I rubbed elbows with on a frequent basis. Some of them went on to legacy airline careers. I know that's true because I've randomly met up with them in a terminal somewhere and we'd shake hands and share smiles for a moment and then head off in our different directions, in hindsight it's rather quaint. I recall being a bit self induced under the weather one early morning when my fiancé and I were headed off to Hawaii to get married and honeymoon and I saw the CFI that got me across the finish line for my PPL. We talked for a couple of minutes and then we both walked away and that's my last memory of him. The thing I'll never forget is flying with him in the right seat around LA and a female LAPD helicopter pilot came up on the radio and I thought he was going to lose his mind. He felt he had to talk on the radio and made me look stupid, afterwards I asked him WTF? He said a female police helicopter pilot got his dander up, something about a girl with a gun in a helicopter. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[mikecweb]

I once remember Len Morgan describing WWI pilots. Wooden planes covered in fabric and dope, creaky airframes, recalcitrant engines. No parachutes, and he went on to say "no game for the timid".

While obviously not war, there were certain aviation jobs that, while there might not be a lot of holes in their cheese, had so many slices, eventually the holes would line up out of the law of big numbers.

One old timer once told me "Don't like a job too much until you get to where you want to go".

I tried my hardest to not grow roots until I "made" it. I moved a few times on 24 hours notice. I got FOs now wanting to change airlines, don't blame them, but they are annoyed at having to start over once in their career.

 

[Roger Roger]

I once remember Len Morgan describing WWI pilots. Wooden planes covered in fabric and dope, creaky airframes, recalcitrant engines. No parachutes, and he went on to say "no game for the timid".

While obviously not war, there were certain aviation jobs that, while there might not be a lot of holes in their cheese, had so many slices, eventually the holes would line up out of the law of big numbers.

One old timer once told me "Don't like a job too much until you get to where you want to go".

Alaska air taxi flying was like that. Glad I did it, had fun at the time, but hope to never do it again.

The medevac stuff, while still 135, had a lot less slices and a lot less holes in the cheese. Especially once I got to “two jet engines, 2 pilots, hot wings, and an APU” territory.

 

[Hacker15e]

I've had similar interactions. Also, what you didn't want to just fly for the pax carriers? *Stares into the void.

Depending on how negotiations go, it might not end up being as stupid of a question as it usually is.

 

[JordanD]

Funny you mention that as I don't really write checks anymore either. That being said I'm having my attic insulation replaced today and instead of paying their credit card fee I'm planning on writing them one for the bill.

I started flying in 1998 and working at the FBO the following year at MKC. Airnet was in the same building as the school was and then had 310s and Learjet's based there. It was never top of mind back then to work for them but later when I got more familiar with the check flying business they rose to the top of the heap. By the time I finished my undergraduate degree and had 1300 TT they called first, that was in the fall of 2005. I transferred to BHM in the winter of 06 and had a Caravan only run so I didn't get checked out on the 310s which was a bummer as they were retired that summer. Somewhere in my parent's house is a picture of teenage me in front of a Tomahawk that I soloed in with a beat up Airnet 310 behind it.

At MKC we had several smaller 135s based there, one of which Safewing would hire you to fly VFR in their Lances with 500TT. Central Air Southwest is also there and has somehow managed to survive the end of the check flying days and still flies Aero Commanders.

Recession of 1990 was nasty, I know I've mentioned it before here but my dad got caught in that one. From 89-92 he went through three bankrupt airlines.


Haha, yeah I bet. People are funny aren't they?

Fun thing about being here is I can't go but a few weeks without running into someone from the Starcheck days. I just rode with guillotine the other day in the parking lot van here in Denver. In upgrade class last year there was a guy that started at USCheck, and still remembered the same people.

Usually anymore I'll eat the fee to get the credit card points. I'm sure there's some cost/benefit analysis where it doesn't make as much sense as I think it does, but we've stayed in some really nice places in Europe just off credit card points in the last couple years.

 

[arkflyr]

Usually anymore I'll eat the fee to get the credit card points. I'm sure there's some cost/benefit analysis where it doesn't make as much sense as I think it does, but we've stayed in some really nice places in Europe just off credit card points in the last couple years.

Yeah we usually do the same, I just didn't feel like covering the cost of doing business for the vendor. And I'm way too lazy to do the math to figure out which card would work best if at all. Plus my Marriott account is getting nice and juiced up with commuting this past year.

 

[mikecweb]

Depending on how negotiations go, it might not end up being as stupid of a question as it usually is.

Miss. Negotiations have nothing to do with it. I'm at the place i want to be.
It had to do with you couldn't get hired at a pax carrier at 23 like they could.

 

[ahw01]

Usually anymore I'll eat the fee to get the credit card points. I'm sure there's some cost/benefit analysis where it doesn't make as much sense as I think it does, but we've stayed in some really nice places in Europe just off credit card points in the last couple years.

Europe thanks you for your service

 

[Richman]

I tried my hardest to not grow roots until I "made" it. I moved a few times on 24 hours notice. I got FOs now wanting to change airlines, don't blame them, but they are annoyed at having to start over once in their career.

I knew a guy who could be packed and on the road in less than 45 minutes. Kept what stuff he had in a few bins, had a air mattress, and absolutely minimal stuff in his personal orbit. Had a Toyota pick up which, while older, he kept tip top so as to not cause problems. And this was in the pre-internet/smartphone days, so he paid for an answering/mailbox forwarding service that he used as a fixed point of contact. Dude was the personification of low drag.

I admired his dedication to the cause.