International airline -> US bizjet transition

[jrh]

I'm mentoring a pilot with extensive (15000+ hours) experience flying around the world who is now transitioning into flying light jets in the United States. He has a couple thousand hours experience in GA airplanes in Brazil many years ago, then moved on to both narrowbody and widebody airliners at various carriers around the world. Most recent experience was flying for a Chinese airline. He has virtually no experience in the US, aside from occasional trips in heavy jets going into places like LAX or JFK.

I've never flown heavy jets, nor operated outside North America.

Many of our conversations come back to me trying to understand what's normal with ICAO standards around the world and him trying to get up to speed on FAA standards and common ways of doing things in the US. Visual approaches, VFR operating rules, untowered airports, logbooks/record keeping, radio phraseology, etc.

Any tips or suggestions on areas to cover? I'm concerned I don't know what he doesn't know. I don't want to try to teach an entire instrument rating course, nor do I want him to have any large blind spots in his knowledge.

 

[TUCKnTRUCK]

US FAA certificates?

91/135?


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[jrh]

US FAA certificates?

91/135?


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Yes, he recently acquired an FAA multi engine ATP.

Operating 91 and 135.

 

[DropTank]

I'm mentoring a pilot with extensive (15000+ hours) experience flying around the world who is now transitioning into flying light jets in the United States. He has a couple thousand hours experience in GA airplanes in Brazil many years ago, then moved on to both narrowbody and widebody airliners at various carriers around the world. Most recent experience was flying for a Chinese airline. He has virtually no experience in the US, aside from occasional trips in heavy jets going into places like LAX or JFK.

I've never flown heavy jets, nor operated outside North America.

Many of our conversations come back to me trying to understand what's normal with ICAO standards around the world and him trying to get up to speed on FAA standards and common ways of doing things in the US. Visual approaches, VFR operating rules, untowered airports, logbooks/record keeping, radio phraseology, etc.

Any tips or suggestions on areas to cover? I'm concerned I don't know what he doesn't know. I don't want to try to teach an entire instrument rating course, nor do I want him to have any large blind spots in his knowledge.

He needs to fly as an F/O in a 135 light jet for 1 year.
I've seen many "former airline" pilots make some of the absolute worst decisions I've ever seen in the name of "how we used to do it"

He needs to act as if he has no support whatsoever. No tower, no reliable dispatch, no sat com, no selcal, no panel of pilots creating a policy on which way to wipe his own ass.

If he immediately moves into 91 Capitan position without that year, he will likely put lives of the airplane's owners at unnecessary risk.

 

[SFCC/UND]

Reject actually means stopping
Emergency actually means mayday
Meow on guard actually means silence.

 

[Richman]

If he’s going into 91/135 Corporate, a tour at the local “Poo-B-Gon” biffy operator would be good experience.

 

[CFI A&P]

The AIM is probably going to be the meat of their learning. That will really help with understanding the details of ATC phraseology, traffic patterns for visual approaches, and overall expectations.

On the regulatory aspect, a good 135 study guide would be beneficial. Learning the FAA rules for when can you continue the approach based on X, Y, or Z conditions, when is it not even legal to even start, part 25 performance with regard to first, second, third segment climbs, and all that fun.

 

[Stone Cold]

If you’d like to discuss some things, feel free to pm me. There are a multitude of differences between international airline and business jet operator. I’m assuming he’s aged out of airlines, hence the switch, but feel free to correct me if that’s wrong.

This would be a better conversation over phone or zoom, rather than typing things out though.

 

[Crockrocket94]

While not the case with everyone, we had a 767 or 777 guy come from a cargo carrier of some sort years back.


I never flew with him but I heard stories. He was really used to autothrottles... to the point where you really had to watch him because he would forget to pull power back or push power up when leveling off etc. Not used to the NON SOP environment. Meaning, they had pretty clear cut SOPs for everything, just like most airline 121 guys are used to doing. Our 135 at the time was trying to figure it out and there were no clear cut SOPs for Captain/ Co Pilot duties, etc. Not to mention standard call outs, you name it. So he really struggled with the lack of SOPs.
It got so he hated it and I think he was there 2 weeks if that.

 

[TUCKnTRUCK]

Generally speaking the hardest part will be moving from “bus driver” to Bus driving, personal valet, scheduling assistant MX control dispatcher”

Phraseology and local procedures generally not a huge deal. The airplane flying and instrument flying handbooks+ AIM cover a lot of the us specific stuff.

He will murder you with alternate planning and fuel requirements and likely struggle with the variable timing nature of the 91 side.

Additionally I don’t know if it’s gotten better, but, CRM over there used to Suck. If that is still the case and he is sky god, he will struggle with all the extra stuff and really piss off coworkers.

The other pilots are going to expect him to hit the ground running and honestly having to baby sit an “experienced pilot” will wear on them pretty quickly.


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[jrh]

If you’d like to discuss some things, feel free to pm me. There are a multitude of differences between international airline and business jet operator. I’m assuming he’s aged out of airlines, hence the switch, but feel free to correct me if that’s wrong.

This would be a better conversation over phone or zoom, rather than typing things out though.

Thanks, sent you a PM.

He's got quite a few years until retirement. From my understanding, he was simply tired of the lifestyle associated with living and working in China through the COVID era. He saw the opportunity for a better life in the US and took it.

 

[jrh]

Thanks for the quick replies, everyone. It's actually put my mind at ease to a certain extent, as I don't think he's going to have many of the issues brought up.

He has a great personality and attitude. If I send him material out of an FAA publication, he pays attention and reads it. CRM/SOP compliance is solid. Flies the plane fine, has good judgement. No real safety of flight issues, more issues of being confused over what ATC is expecting, expectations at untowered airports, etc. Mostly issues a solid American SIC would be able to straighten out in the moment.

I keep looking for concise handouts that would be relevant, but it seems like it's always a few paragraphs here or there, a single regulation here or there, and so on.

 

[ahw01]

Is it worth an Austin Collins upvote?

Austin's Very Easy Guides

Instructional material and writing by Austin S. Collins

www.austincollins.com

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

Getting a clearance at an uncontrolled field would be my #1 priority.

 

[CFI A&P]

Getting a clearance at an uncontrolled field would be my #1 priority.

#2 would be how to "leave" that non-towered field. It is surprising how many people don't know the order of operations in that situation: Vectors, SID, ODP, straight out...

 

[Richman]

#2 would be how to "leave" that non-towered field. It is surprising how many people don't know the order of operations in that situation: Vectors, SID, ODP, straight out...

Or to get the gate code to get back in after you leave.

 

[TUCKnTRUCK]

Or to get the gate code to get back in after you leave.

baring that... how to use a floor mat from the rental car to prevent barb wire cuts... and fence climbing

 

[CFI A&P]

baring that... how to use a floor mat from the rental car to prevent barb wire cuts... and fence climbing

Trunk mat also works well.

 

[jrh]

Getting a clearance at an uncontrolled field would be my #1 priority.

Great minds think alike. I knew this would be a knowledge gap, and it was.

#2 would be how to "leave" that non-towered field. It is surprising how many people don't know the order of operations in that situation: Vectors, SID, ODP, straight out...

Yes, definitely spent time talking about ODPs. He'd never really dealt with departures other than SIDs.

The good thing with this pilot's situation is he will never be operating single pilot. I think a reasonably competent copilot will keep him out of trouble when it comes to obvious issues.

 

[TUCKnTRUCK]

#2 would be how to "leave" that non-towered field. It is surprising how many people don't know the order of operations in that situation: Vectors, SID, ODP, straight out...

What is super strange in the EU is when fields have a tower… that is not actually a tower.

Like EKVG Vargar airport in Faroe Islands. It looks like a tower, it talks like a tower. They issue IFR clearances like a tower… but actually have no regulatory authority or control capability lol. Very strange telling tower you are taking off rather than being given a take off clearance.


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