Ameriflight memories, trauma

[Tommay85]

Show off.

Yeah, but you probably don't have to do this for 6 hours.(the 12k with VZ controllers that are ultra confused as to why someone would fly across the Caribbean Sea at 12k and ask you non-stop in broken english why you want to be that low) GHEEEEYYYYYY! Inb4 "company man flying at 97%")

 

[SA227driver]

There is and never will be a violation free flight, 251 seen on the airspeed indicator passing through 9999... ding here's your violation.... Did you say something about the rude pax or line guy or whatever below 10K, ding.... violation... Did you sump your jet's fuel tanks??? Ding... Violation......

It is about managing risk within the operation and the company's SOP's but knowing how to utilize various regulations/OPS-Spec's to be within the letter of the law to maximize potential.

Ever do a contact approach at Ameriflight, it's a complex OPS-Spec to follow but a useful tool when you know how to utilize it.

At most 121s, the thought of doing a REAL circle to land, or a contact approach is absolute lunacy. It's two totally different worlds.

 

[Inverted]

It is in the 135 pax world too depending on the equipment. For me to take the Lear into an honest to god, circle to land at minimums, will probably be an emergency situation. Either that, or it is a super familiar airport with no worries about hitting a thing while in the circle. There is a reason why it isn't allowed at certain 121 and 135 operations.

 

[N8389P]

I had a great 7 years (or 8) there! Wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[Tommay85]

It is in the 135 pax world too depending on the equipment. For me to take the Lear into an honest to god, circle to land at minimums, will probably be an emergency situation. Either that, or it is a super familiar airport with no worries about hitting a thing while in the circle. There is a reason why it isn't allowed at certain 121 and 135 operations.

Because of their hiring practices maybe? To be honest, I see nothing but hiring/training to the lowest common denominator in 121. Not to say that 135 or 91 is better, it's not, but the 135 freight world will weed out those that don't hack it in the least or worst way possible. Usually, from personal observation, a serious violation or training failure occurs first. To put it bluntly at least. I'm not saying I'm, or any other freight dog is a Chuck Yeager/Bob Hoover/*insert aviation idol here, but lets just say I would get off the plane if I saw the majority of the people I went to school with in either position in the cockpit. Of which, CFIed(worthless) and then went to 121 in a jet(worthless, when combined with the previous). Part 91 is the safest operation their is anyways. HALF the accident rate of 121. They circle, at mins, without flinching or crashing. There's a reason. Former, SAFE freight hounds, dominate that segment.

 

[z987k]

It is in the 135 pax world too depending on the equipment. For me to take the Lear into an honest to god, circle to land at minimums, will probably be an emergency situation. Either that, or it is a super familiar airport with no worries about hitting a thing while in the circle. There is a reason why it isn't allowed at certain 121 and 135 operations.

We circle in our 200's and lr35's. Certain airports we don't because it's stupid, but it's very required at others, especially when the only option is a circle.
PIC judgement, experience and all that.

 

[jtrain609]

At most 121s, the thought of doing a REAL circle to land, or a contact approach is absolute lunacy. It's two totally different worlds.

It's not lunacy, it's simply not allowed. We're not authorized to circle without vmc conditions (but we do that on a regular basis). Additionally, contact approaches aren't authorized.

It's the FAA that makes these decisions, not the pilots.

 

[eightballfreight]

Do our op specs allow contact approaches?

 

[jtrain609]

Because of their hiring practices maybe? To be honest, I see nothing but hiring/training to the lowest common denominator in 121. Not to say that 135 or 91 is better, it's not, but the 135 freight world will weed out those that don't hack it in the least or worst way possible. Usually, from personal observation, a serious violation or training failure occurs first. To put it bluntly at least. I'm not saying I'm, or any other freight dog is a Chuck Yeager/Bob Hoover/*insert aviation idol here, but lets just say I would get off the plane if I saw the majority of the people I went to school with in either position in the cockpit. Of which, CFIed(worthless) and then went to 121 in a jet(worthless, when combined with the previous). Part 91 is the safest operation their is anyways. HALF the accident rate of 121. They circle, at mins, without flinching or crashing. There's a reason. Former, SAFE freight hounds, dominate that segment.

Agreed.

Which is why when I was at Amflight we washed half the candidates out of training. Oh and that was after almost every trainee had blown multiple regional interviews and couldn't get hired anywhere else.

Freight MAKES the best pilots, but few start out that way.

EDIT: I'll also clarify this a little bit. Not too many people showed up as animals like @JayAre, who not only had a great grasp of instrument flying fundamentals, but also showed no problems with making the transition to flying larger, faster aircraft in a structured environment.

Many folks were coming to Amflight to make themselves qualified to re-interview at those regionals where they couldn't get hired in the first place. Many people were successful in that. VERY FEW people showed up WANTING to fly freight. Their goal was to get into a good part 91 gig, or a good charter gig (if such a thing exists), or to make themselves qualified to get on with a regional.

 

[KSCessnaDriver]

Do our op specs allow contact approaches?

They do, but its reasonably restrictive as to the weather there has to be to use them. I can't think of many situations where it would make sense.

 

[KLB]

I've never interviewed at a regional. I chose rate because there was no way I would've been able to pay my bills on first year regional pay. I knew the potential of making more at a regional over time but it wasn't worth ruining my credit over.

 

[JayAre]

@JayAre, who not only had a great grasp of instrument flying fundamentals, but also showed no problems with making the transition.......

Had to because you were such an ass of a sim instructor. How's the wife and kid?

 

[jtrain609]

Had to because you were such an ass of a sim instructor. How's the wife and kid?

You know what they say, do one thing, and do it well

Wife is good, kid is cute. Same old ya know?

 

[spbrian]

Do our op specs allow contact approaches?

Uhhh...yes....

 

[Tommay85]

Agreed.

Which is why when I was at Amflight we washed half the candidates out of training. Oh and that was after almost every trainee had blown multiple regional interviews and couldn't get hired anywhere else.

Freight MAKES the best pilots, but few start out that way.

EDIT: I'll also clarify this a little bit. Not too many people showed up as animals like @JayAre, who not only had a great grasp of instrument flying fundamentals, but also showed no problems with making the transition to flying larger, faster aircraft in a structured environment.

Many folks were coming to Amflight to make themselves qualified to re-interview at those regionals where they couldn't get hired in the first place. Many people were successful in that. VERY FEW people showed up WANTING to fly freight. Their goal was to get into a good part 91 gig, or a good charter gig (if such a thing exists), or to make themselves qualified to get on with a regional.

I'm glad there's someone out there that can support my unsubstantiated beliefs and suspicions!

I'm one of the oddballs that WANTED to do freight, but yes, at this point, I'm looking at part 91 corporate mostly. I'm ready to move on soon. Getting to old for this crap...

 

[Cal Goat]

Agreed.

Which is why when I was at Amflight we washed half the candidates out of training. Oh and that was after almost every trainee had blown multiple regional interviews and couldn't get hired anywhere else.

Freight MAKES the best pilots, but few start out that way.

EDIT: I'll also clarify this a little bit. Not too many people showed up as animals like @JayAre, who not only had a great grasp of instrument flying fundamentals, but also showed no problems with making the transition to flying larger, faster aircraft in a structured environment.

Many folks were coming to Amflight to make themselves qualified to re-interview at those regionals where they couldn't get hired in the first place. Many people were successful in that. VERY FEW people showed up WANTING to fly freight. Their goal was to get into a good part 91 gig, or a good charter gig (if such a thing exists), or to make themselves qualified to get on with a regional.

I'll agree with this point as being mostly true. Personally, I believe I could have gone to a regional instead of AMF but I was under the mistaken impression that AMF would be the better long term option. I actively avoided the regionals for too long assuming that I would suffer for the first 2 years. Now that I'm at the regionals (a good one), I'm about as happy as I've ever been as a commercial pilot (could just be advanced age affecting my positive outlook).

AMF and/or freight in general does make you a better pilot initially, but it also creates situations where you could potentially kill yourself because you get too comfortable doing things your own way and you don't have somebody there to keep you in check. I became a master of time efficiency in my freight flying, but I did so occasionally at my own potential risk.

10ish kts of tailwind on a short runway because I don't want to taxi all the way to other end? Yeah, I'm pretty confident the airplane can handle that. Take that short vector onto the final approach course and flying an unstable approach instead of flying the full procedure and getting the aircraft configured and stabilized early? No question.

That sort of corner cutting to save precious minutes was rewarded with more time at the layover doing what you wanted, less bitching from drivers, and of course getting home early at night. Nobody ever said "Gee, you're too early." It was just sort of expected.

Anyway, just my 2 cents on the matter from personal experience. But what you said is absolutely legitimate.

 

[jtrain609]

I'm glad there's someone out there that can support my unsubstantiated beliefs and suspicions!

I suspect you've been doing it so long your sarcasm meter is busted, holmes

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

Yeah, but you probably don't have to do this for 6 hours.(the 12k with VZ controllers that are ultra confused as to why someone would fly across the Caribbean Sea at 12k and ask you non-stop in broken english why you want to be that low) GHEEEEYYYYYY! Inb4 "company man flying at 97%")

WTF is that thing next to the torque gauges? With the fancy colors and what not.

That sort of corner cutting to save precious minutes was rewarded with more time at the layover doing what you wanted, less bitching from drivers, and of course getting home early at night. Nobody ever said "Gee, you're too early."

It's funny how human beings operate sometimes. Is it worth it to get an extra 2 minutes in a crappy crew apartment?

 

[z987k]

WTF is that thing next to the torque gauges? With the fancy colors and what not.

Looks like fire lights to me.

 

[SA227driver]

WTF is that thing next to the torque gauges? With the fancy colors and what not.



It's funny how human beings operate sometimes. Is it worth it to get an extra 2 minutes in a crappy crew apartment?

They orange bulbs are the ignition lights. All they mean is that power is being applied to the ignitor box. The blue "bypass" lights indicate if the FCU is bypassing fuel to the engine to prevent and over temp.