The Dark Side

Not yet getting paid to fly, but it seems to me that 91/135 are the real cowboys of aviation. Especially, the on demand cargo stuff like Airnet/ Flight Express. Compared to 121, it seems like they are doing the hardest flying out there. Cheers :beer:
 
Not yet getting paid to fly, but it seems to me that 91/135 are the real cowboys of aviation. Especially, the on demand cargo stuff like Airnet/ Flight Express. Compared to 121, it seems like they are doing the hardest flying out there. Cheers :beer:

You can read the book in about 35 years.
 
Correction. Until all of the "Principals" are retired, grandpa. ;)

What a book it would be, though.

Good point, my friend! We'll have to make sure that nobody's career (or marriage, church affiliation, etc) is damaged by the content of the book!

Can books have maturity ratings?:eek:
 
How many of you consider 91/135 "The Dark Side" of aviation. What I mean is, are 135/91 guys/gals wreckless(as opposed to 121), or more dangerous? Be serious to please.

Never heard the "dark side" before. I bet there are stats out there for safety of the different types of operations. Most, if not all, of today's regionals used to be 100% 135 operations back in the day.

On the whole though, I'm willing to bet that 135 operations are less safe than 121 when all of them are thrown into the bucket together. Whether that is fair or not, is another question. Not all 121 operations are created equal either. That is 100% my gut opinion, and not based in fact. A little research could answer the question definitively though.

What it boils down to is, if you find yourself working someplace that you think isn't safe, move on. It ain't worth it!


I just reread your question, and I would like to make an amendment. I don't think the pilots are any less safe at 135. There may be a lack of safety programs, or management that is less than supportive of safety, but that isn't the pilot's fault. There are cowboys at both, for sure, but the system is more structured at a lot of 121 carriers to mitigate that threat. Not being from a 135 operation, I can't speak to their threat and error management abilities.
 
Obviously, on an individual basis, you can find an 121 operator that is less safe than a particular 135 or 91, but that is an inane way to look at things. On AVERAGE, absent other data, it is MOST probable that the 121 is the safer. Period. To argue otherwise based on individual cases is akin to arguing that women are as physically strong as men just because SOME are stronger. It is laughable.
 
Nice, wheres "down here?" I wish someone would have pushed me in, it would have been less embarrassing. I was just trying to push off, the prop turned and i turned with it. And yeah, i got to make the rest of the stops soaked, at least i got to go home when i got back to the base. :)

Seaborne Airlines, based out of St. Croix.
 
I can only speak from the 121 and 135 side of things.

From a purely regulatory standpoint, both operations are safe.

From an operational standpoint, in both cases, it depends on the type of people running the show, ie DO's CP's, etc.

I won't get on a Pinnacle flight, while I would get on some 135 operators. I wouldn't get on some 135 operators, while I will get on a Mesaba flight.

Clear as a mud?
Care to elaborate on why you wouldn'y get on a Pinnacle flight?
 
I got a gun pulled on me in St. Croix once. Not even in Frederiksted either...straight up middle of Christiansted!

Yeah, Christiansted can be rough too. I'm based out of Puerto Rico, but I did live in Christiansted for the first month in training. I'm happy to be in PR. The crime is bad here too, but at least it doesn't feel like I'm living on an island, lots of stuff to do. :)
 
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