Puppymill types...KCPS - What on earth is going on?

Boris Badenov said:
I "attended" a mom n pop FBO where they gave you the keys, wished you good luck, and reminded you that if the plane wasn't back by 10, you were buying the first round. A "checkout" in a new airplane consisted of doing a stall and a landing with one of the thirteen CFIs who were sleeping in the lounge waiting for new students. They were usually sleeping during the "checkout", too. "Dispatch" was generally a private pilot or student who was working the desk and washing planes so they could buy more time. If they asked any questions about where I was going, it was because they wanted to come.
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OMG, having total flashbacks of Wings, USA at JVL where I used to work, got my PPL, and where Dad used to be the DOM. That's pretty much exactly what it was like.
 
Heck, I never even flew with my chief instructor once! Well, I did like 7 months down the line when I had to get checked off to do pt 141 students, but after the initial interview (which basically amounted to 'lemme see your CFI and medical') he was like 'the planes are out back, the keys are under the desk in the front. we'll get you a few students to start you off, dont crash please.'
 
minitour said:
GA clogging the system again. :sarcasm:

Okay now seriously. Can someone explain something to me?

"Flight Team" ...... Why?:confused:

-mini
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Networking! I've ran into many people out in the real world that I've met at those competitions. Representatives and recruiters with booths from all of the airlines are usually there. The competition is ran by airline pilots who are volunteering there free time. About 5 years ago I met a guy at one of the competitions that was a senior and commercial pilot. I bumped into him last year and he is a 757 FO (probably furloughed) at Continental. Coincidentally, me and our very own Poeman are in a picture together taken at one of those competitions. I recognized him after I met him at a JC meet and greet.

Mikecweb and I probably crossed paths at an event also, but those riddle kids are too stuck up and into winning the competition to the hang out with people outside of their little group. They don't have real sports at their school.:)

Lloyd, Mikecweb, and I were all flight team captains at some point in time. We all became freight dawgs. Coincidence!?
 
Just a few tidbits about what's going on for those of you who actually care...

Ground Events----

Rec - Aircraft Recognition - you see a picture, what is it?
Scan - Knowledge of the FAR/AIM and XC Planning with various performance charts
Compacc - Using the CR-3 wheel to do computations
Sims - IFR Simulated flight on ATP PTS and another event where you fly a pattern
CFI - Teach stuff
CRM - Work as a crew in the sim

Flight Events-------

Ons - Power-On landings - attempt to land on the point
Offs - Power-Off 180s - attempt to land on the point
Message Drop - drop containers out of the airplane and hit the spot
Nav - Planning to be at points A,B,C,D,E at the exact time you specified...to the SECOND only varying your groundspeed


Let me just dispose of a few rumors.

1. I'm an ERAU - Daytona Flight Team member (yes, we need to distinguish ourselves from the....others...). We're not all nerds...some are though. We're actually a great group of guys and gals. Most of the gel-haired s are off the team (graduated).

2. I have flown outside of Riddle...so I know how to really fly an airplane. It's actually sad to see some of the Riddleized kids. I try to teach the real way when I instruct.

3. I'll be competing in Scan, Power Ons, Sims, and maybe CFI.

4. We got here a week early so we can practice. Granted the team can afford it, and that's why we do it. I flew the new Tecnam P92 up.

Any questions, I'll be happy to answer.

And actually I'll be taking the advice and doing my run-up on the ramp instead of on the taxiway.

-Steve
Eagles Flight Team - ERAU-DB
 
I was a captain on CMSU's team. One of the best times of my life. Went to Ohio State and Middle Tennessee State and Kansas State for nationals. It was a lot fun and met a lot of great people.
 
Crism said:
And actually I'll be taking the advice and doing my run-up on the ramp instead of on the taxiway.
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Thanks, though not sure if it was you or not, but I was blocked from going onto the ramp yesterday by an outbound Eagle. The plane was pulled up to the non-movement line at Bravo and I had to taxi around. Wish there there were more people from other teams on here to at least know that people conduct business at that there airport.

I will say it is fun to blast off on 12R only to overtake an 152 climbing out on 12L. :nana2:
 
kiloalpha said:
Thanks, though not sure if it was you or not, but I was blocked from going onto the ramp yesterday by an outbound Eagle. The plane was pulled up to the non-movement line at Bravo and I had to taxi around. Wish there there were more people from other teams on here to at least know that people conduct business at that there airport.

I will say it is fun to blast off on 12R only to overtake an 152 climbing out on 12L. :nana2:
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Wasn't me. Our planes have the stripes on the fuselage. It was those...others at Prescott.
 
As previously stated, I'm driving up on Saturday. Not competing, just going as a faculty advisor/coach type person.

When I was a student, I did 4 regionals and 4 nationals.

My best was 2nd in preflight at nationals last year.

The biggest reason I did NIFA was because it was fun. Also the networking thing.
 
KLB said:
Lloyd, Mikecweb, and I were all flight team captains at some point in time. We all became freight dawgs. Coincidence!?
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upup89 said:
I was a captain on CMSU's team. One of the best times of my life. Went to Ohio State and Middle Tennessee State and Kansas State for nationals. It was a lot fun and met a lot of great people.
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Freight dawgs have superior leadership skills!:)
 
The networking thing is no joke either, one of our guys was offered a job at Airnet at nationals a few years ago. A huge portion of our former members and coaches are in flying jobs all over the place, many of them owe it at least partially to flight team.

I was a competitor and I'm currently a coach of the SJSU team. Unfortunately I have bills to pay too so I can't go this year. SJSU's team is 99% funded by fundraising efforts and donations, I think the school pays our NIFA dues or something, and even then it's like pulling teeth. We get no discounts on airplanes and we get no course credit for practicing.

My first year on our team I started the season with 65 hours and a temporary private certificate, by the time we came home from regionals I had 115 hours, almost all of which was landings and navigation practice, and an enormous flying bill it took me forever to pay off ;). Our school prevented us from competing that year because the University "risk manager" decided airplanes were dangerous. It's a really long stupid story, but suffice it to say that our football team has more fatalities in the last 10 years than our flight team has in it's entire history (zero).

What has really stuck with me, however, is how the other schools in our region, and nationally, banded together to help us in whatever way they could to beat back the lawyers and get us flying again. And how genuinely happy everyone was to see us back, even when we kept some of them from going to nationals the following year.

Yes, there are spiky haired bags and people who take it way too seriously, but then there are those of us who did it because we wanted to build time that was more meaningful than just drilling holes in the sky on weekends half asleep while the airplane flies itself, and we wanted to make friends, or hang out with friends, fly places we normally wouldn't, and be a part of something with a history to it.

My only wish as far as flight team goes is that I was one of those rich kids so that I could have competed all four years instead of 1 aborted regional, 1 regional and 1 national. Instead I was stuck working to stay in school. Oh well, I don't hate others for what they have. I'm proud of what I accomplished on flight team, I'm proud of what the people I coach accomplish, and right now I reallllly want to do my masters so I can do it again ;) I'd kick some ass now!
 
My alma mater's flight team is funded by the school and by alumni. I never paid for anything other than food while at the competitions. Aircraft, travel, and hotels were paid for. I earned about 50hrs of flight time through practice, competition, and travel to and from. The best that I've ever done is a 6th place finish in message drop.:D
 
KLB said:
My alma mater's flight team is funded by the school and by alumni. I never paid for anything other than food while at the competitions. Aircraft, travel, and hotels were paid for. I earned about 50hrs of flight time through practice, competition, and travel to and from. The best that I've ever done is a 6th place finish in message drop.:D
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The team usually takes care of hotel and rental car if necessary, as long as the funds are available, everything else is up to each person.
 
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