First IOE Flights
- Thread starter nc1982
- Start date
desertdog71
Girthy Member
Its tough, the first day is the worst. Unfamiliar with the routine, the aircraft, the procedures at the airport, not to mention the paperwork. Add to this the pace in which you need to accomplish things.
My first flight I remember the Captain saying "your leg" as I was trying like hell to get stuff done, next thing I know we are taxiing from the ramp. I felt behind the eight ball right away having not been completely ready to go. You do have a schedule to keep though, so you can't lollygag at all. Once we took off and I got in the air, it was less stressful and enjoyable.
You will learn quickly the routine and things get easier day by day. Another interesting thing is that in the SIM you are always practicing instrument approaches and procedures. This does you no good when you are flying to an outstation in BFE and you are visual. It takes a while to get the picture right and power management is VERY important. Its not like flying pistons where you can easily pull a good landing out of a bad setup. You really need to get yourself configured and stabilized early.
Anyways, it is a lot of fun. You will learn a lot in a short time. Just keep in mind that you still don't know JACK after IOE. All you have are the basics, and there is always much more to learn.
You will have some bad days along the way, just try to roll with the punches and stay focused.
My first flight I remember the Captain saying "your leg" as I was trying like hell to get stuff done, next thing I know we are taxiing from the ramp. I felt behind the eight ball right away having not been completely ready to go. You do have a schedule to keep though, so you can't lollygag at all. Once we took off and I got in the air, it was less stressful and enjoyable.
You will learn quickly the routine and things get easier day by day. Another interesting thing is that in the SIM you are always practicing instrument approaches and procedures. This does you no good when you are flying to an outstation in BFE and you are visual. It takes a while to get the picture right and power management is VERY important. Its not like flying pistons where you can easily pull a good landing out of a bad setup. You really need to get yourself configured and stabilized early.
Anyways, it is a lot of fun. You will learn a lot in a short time. Just keep in mind that you still don't know JACK after IOE. All you have are the basics, and there is always much more to learn.
You will have some bad days along the way, just try to roll with the punches and stay focused.
Velocipede
New Member
Just remember one thing...If you're sitting there doing nothing, you're probably getting behind.
desertdog71
Girthy Member
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
My first IOE day was an early morning departure out of Dayton to DCA. From there we were scheduled to go to White Plains and then Philly and end up in Burlington, VT. I was still staying in the airport hotel as they hadn't given my relocation days yet and I remember getting up really early and actually putting on the uniform for the first time. I couldn't get the tie to look right for about 3 tries. The whole time I was walking to the lobby to catch the van I had this goofy grin on my face which I managed to get under control by the time I got on the van with another crew that was heading out.
I met the captain in the crew room and we headed down to the plane where he did the walk around with me. From there on out I have just short recollections of the rest of the day. The captain took the first leg to DCA and I remember taxiing out and running the before take off checklist and seating the flight attendant (and saying "Melenie, grab a seat", which is nowhere close to the "Flight Attendant please be seated for departure" we are supposed to say), I remember the runway blurring by and I remember trying to remember what I was supposed to do next. I remember seeing my first sunrise at altitude and I sort remember watching the captain shoot the Mount Vernon Visual into DCA with the circle to 33.
After we parked I don't remember anything except scrambling to do paperwork and enter stuff into the FMS and that fact that I was trying to do the weight and balance and EVERYBODY was waiting on me.
The DCA Runway 1 departure was a blur. I know I turned and the captain had to tell me to keep turning and then I sort of remember tucking into the flight director and heading up the radial, but that's it. I remember having the time to breath for a minute somewhere over New York City as we started descending into White Plains. I think we shot the sound visual to 34 but I don't remember much other then the runway coming up at me really quickly and knowing that while it was my landing, the captain had been pretty much moving the controls.
I have no recollection of heading down to Philly other then taking off and trying to hand fly at least through 10,000 but getting a bunch of level offs from New York and way over controlling the airplane.
The next memory I have is of heading up Lake Champlain descending into Burlington. They were landing to the south and we were heading north and were cleared for the visual. That's not something they teach in the sim. I ended up heading directly to the final approach fix but mostly going the wrong way and in trying to turn around blew through the finals and ended up to the east of the airport and really high. The captain let me fight it down and I actually was stable (although right of the center line when I touched down). It wasn't great, but I remember being very proud of the fact that I ended the day on a good note.
We got into Burlington around 3 in the afternoon and I know I went to bed around 6:30pm. I was pretty wiped out.
I met the captain in the crew room and we headed down to the plane where he did the walk around with me. From there on out I have just short recollections of the rest of the day. The captain took the first leg to DCA and I remember taxiing out and running the before take off checklist and seating the flight attendant (and saying "Melenie, grab a seat", which is nowhere close to the "Flight Attendant please be seated for departure" we are supposed to say), I remember the runway blurring by and I remember trying to remember what I was supposed to do next. I remember seeing my first sunrise at altitude and I sort remember watching the captain shoot the Mount Vernon Visual into DCA with the circle to 33.
After we parked I don't remember anything except scrambling to do paperwork and enter stuff into the FMS and that fact that I was trying to do the weight and balance and EVERYBODY was waiting on me.
The DCA Runway 1 departure was a blur. I know I turned and the captain had to tell me to keep turning and then I sort of remember tucking into the flight director and heading up the radial, but that's it. I remember having the time to breath for a minute somewhere over New York City as we started descending into White Plains. I think we shot the sound visual to 34 but I don't remember much other then the runway coming up at me really quickly and knowing that while it was my landing, the captain had been pretty much moving the controls.
I have no recollection of heading down to Philly other then taking off and trying to hand fly at least through 10,000 but getting a bunch of level offs from New York and way over controlling the airplane.
The next memory I have is of heading up Lake Champlain descending into Burlington. They were landing to the south and we were heading north and were cleared for the visual. That's not something they teach in the sim. I ended up heading directly to the final approach fix but mostly going the wrong way and in trying to turn around blew through the finals and ended up to the east of the airport and really high. The captain let me fight it down and I actually was stable (although right of the center line when I touched down). It wasn't great, but I remember being very proud of the fact that I ended the day on a good note.
We got into Burlington around 3 in the afternoon and I know I went to bed around 6:30pm. I was pretty wiped out.
Baronman
Well-Known Member
Most don't fly with Captains in the sim...So no, you meet up with your IOE captain usually a little early the first day. He'll show you around a bit, and probably do the walk around with you.
In the sims usually it's two new hires paired up.
My first flight on the line was from EWR-Providence...I just remember white caps in the bay, it was gusting well into the 30's, some Delta MD-80 had called +/-15 knots through 300' or something like that. It was real bumpy and I was so frikin' nervous....I was the one who ended up saying, "I don't think I can do this!" He said, "you're right!" Even he had his hands full on the approach, but he got us down safely.
In the sims usually it's two new hires paired up.
My first flight on the line was from EWR-Providence...I just remember white caps in the bay, it was gusting well into the 30's, some Delta MD-80 had called +/-15 knots through 300' or something like that. It was real bumpy and I was so frikin' nervous....I was the one who ended up saying, "I don't think I can do this!" He said, "you're right!" Even he had his hands full on the approach, but he got us down safely.
GAPILOT
Well-Known Member
Our training department is completely seperate from the standards department. I didn't meet my captain until the day of the first flight.
My IOE was much better than the sims. The captains I had got there early to tell me what to expect and how things would go. You do have a schedule to keep, but for the most part I was never rushed even if we were going to push late. On the first flight they really hold your hand and talk you through every step. Then as the flights progress they start acting like more of an evaluator than an instructor. For me, IOE was a much more enjoyable experience than the sims.
Andy
desertdog71
Girthy Member
I got really lucky. The guy who did my first 6 SIM sessions ended up being my IOE Captain as well. It made me more comfortable right away, and I had a great deal of confidence that he would get me through the rough spots.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
My first day on IOE was 2 legs - IND-CLE-YUL. I met the Captain in the crew room about an hour before departure and we went over a few things that were new to me . . . talking to ramp control at CLE and YUL (this was actually his first trip there as well), making PA announcements, etc. Then, as we're getting our gear together, he said "I'm gonna let you take the first leg to CLE".
Huh? "But we're deadheading there!"
He replied, "No, scheduling changed it last night and we're going to work it".
Niiice.
I remember walking to the gate and starting the walk-around. By the time we were sitting in the cockpit and I was trying to figure out where to plug in my headset, he said "Here they come!". That was the first time it hit me . . . watching people coming into the airplane.
I remember scrambling to get the W&B paperwork done, and feeling the FA and gate agent staring into the cockpit as I did math and spun the wheel . . . waiting to close the door. Finally, we were ready.
It was a quiet morning, still dark (0535 departure), and it was an easy taxi to the runway. But, the coolest memory was once we were lined up and he said, "Your controls".
The next thing I knew, I was briefing the ILS to 24R, sidestep to 24C (I think). I remember being on downwind at 11000 feet, 5 miles abeam the airport and thinking, "Ummmm . . . no".
Next thing I remember, we were at the gate and folks were getting off.
The Skipper was doing some paperwork after the leg and he mimbled outloud, "An hour an 9 minutes" or something. I stopped what I was doing and said, in all seriousness, "Huh? That couldn't have been any more than 35 minutes!!!' He got a laugh out of that.
In all, it just seemed to go by really fast. It was pretty cool, though!
Huh? "But we're deadheading there!"
He replied, "No, scheduling changed it last night and we're going to work it".
Niiice.
I remember walking to the gate and starting the walk-around. By the time we were sitting in the cockpit and I was trying to figure out where to plug in my headset, he said "Here they come!". That was the first time it hit me . . . watching people coming into the airplane.
I remember scrambling to get the W&B paperwork done, and feeling the FA and gate agent staring into the cockpit as I did math and spun the wheel . . . waiting to close the door. Finally, we were ready.
It was a quiet morning, still dark (0535 departure), and it was an easy taxi to the runway. But, the coolest memory was once we were lined up and he said, "Your controls".
The next thing I knew, I was briefing the ILS to 24R, sidestep to 24C (I think). I remember being on downwind at 11000 feet, 5 miles abeam the airport and thinking, "Ummmm . . . no".
Next thing I remember, we were at the gate and folks were getting off.
The Skipper was doing some paperwork after the leg and he mimbled outloud, "An hour an 9 minutes" or something. I stopped what I was doing and said, in all seriousness, "Huh? That couldn't have been any more than 35 minutes!!!' He got a laugh out of that.
In all, it just seemed to go by really fast. It was pretty cool, though!
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
I agree. The sim was miserable.
SmitteyB
Well-Known Member
While I'm still on IOE now (Day 3)....
First day to me was the most stressful, exciting, fast-paced and just plain FUN thing I've ever done. I'm not going to write a story, just a few excerpts.
I was just filling out the beginning of the load manifest (Date, Aircraft etc) when the Captain yells, "WE'RE READY TO BOARD". I thought to myself "Are you crazy?" As I sat there and pondered and thought about how fast things were moving already, I had already fallen behind in the paperwork. You MUST budget your time.
I'm still having a VERY hard time staying organized in the cockpit. Today for instance, I'm finishing up the load manifest and I couldn't find my calculator. The simplest things add stress.
I'm doing IOE out of LaGuardia and you're configuring the aircraft OFF profile the entire time. That sucks because you only know instrument approaches at 140knots and configured to profile...
I have yet to find one thing I dislike about the job, probably because I'm not property of crew scheduling yet.
First day to me was the most stressful, exciting, fast-paced and just plain FUN thing I've ever done. I'm not going to write a story, just a few excerpts.
I was just filling out the beginning of the load manifest (Date, Aircraft etc) when the Captain yells, "WE'RE READY TO BOARD". I thought to myself "Are you crazy?" As I sat there and pondered and thought about how fast things were moving already, I had already fallen behind in the paperwork. You MUST budget your time.
I'm still having a VERY hard time staying organized in the cockpit. Today for instance, I'm finishing up the load manifest and I couldn't find my calculator. The simplest things add stress.
I'm doing IOE out of LaGuardia and you're configuring the aircraft OFF profile the entire time. That sucks because you only know instrument approaches at 140knots and configured to profile...
I have yet to find one thing I dislike about the job, probably because I'm not property of crew scheduling yet.
Murdoughnut
Well sized member
:yeahthat:
Ralgha
Well-Known Member
On my first day of new-hire IOE, after we boarded up the passengers for the last leg of the night, closed up and ready to start, the rampers said we had fuel flowing out of our left engine. We ended up swapping, I stayed with the leaky aircraft with the passengers and flight attendant while the captain went over to the spare (which was just being finished up by MX) and got it ready to go. At least 20 minutes later he was finally ready and they ramp transferred the passengers over there, then I shut down the airplane and joined them. Good stuff.
FlyingSig
Well-Known Member
My new hire IOE at CoEx on the mighty Be1900 was with a female checkairman (checkairwoman?)... I remember this 70-80 year old dude poked his head up in the cockpit and told me to keep an eye on her... I was like buddy if you only knew...
727 IOE at Delta, my first PA went something like this "Folks from the flight deck, Welcome Aboard Continental Express flight xxx .... " ... at least I knew people were listening from all the grief I got over that one.
... and back in May after my first 757 landing I was saying goodbye and someone complimented me on my landing, I told them, "Thanks, that was my first one ever"...they looked at me funny and my Capt. who was just coming out the door himself said "he's not lying...that really was his first landing". The look on their face was priceless.
727 IOE at Delta, my first PA went something like this "Folks from the flight deck, Welcome Aboard Continental Express flight xxx .... " ... at least I knew people were listening from all the grief I got over that one.
... and back in May after my first 757 landing I was saying goodbye and someone complimented me on my landing, I told them, "Thanks, that was my first one ever"...they looked at me funny and my Capt. who was just coming out the door himself said "he's not lying...that really was his first landing". The look on their face was priceless.
Murdoughnut
Well sized member
Out of curiosity - what type of preflight admin work is required before you 121 guys take off? Checklist of course, but as far as paperwork is concerned, what's involved?
bigbobby03
New Member
My first leg was from EWR-DCA. I just sat there wide eyed as we shot the visual for 19. It's a lot different from the sims. I kept on calling for gear down and the capt would say "not yet, let us get closer". Then there was the first time that they give you a visual approach. That gets your heart pumping because it isn't like anything that you did in training. It was all a great experience.
desertdog71
Girthy Member
Our FO duties consist of the pre/post flight walkarounds. ATIS, Clearance, set up the radios, get performance data, weight and balance, get your appropriate charts out, and fill out the TOLD card. Its not a huge amount of stuff but we usually do pretty fast turns and you can get behind pretty easy.
Nice to get first hand experiences. Gives us new guys something to look forward to give us a leg up and to know what to expect. I find it so funny that for most airlines, the first time you are actually flying the real deal is with passengers in the back. If only the passengers knew!