What is this job to you?

[///AMG]

I flew the 747 and it's a footnote to my career. The MD11 is something different....

I'd say in the present day, those are pretty unique things to have on your ticket, which is the kind of thing I always think is cool. I'm similarly proud to have flown a plane for quite a few years that is now mostly in the boneyard. So I get that cool.

On the subject of favorite planes flown, here is mine, hands down.....the rest aren't even close:

 

[derg]

For the love of F I just want a good breakfast and the van time to allow for that.

Bruh, a good, un-rushed breakfast just sets the day off to a good start.

 

[derg]

I'd say in the present day, those are pretty unique things to have on your ticket, which is the kind of thing I always think is cool. I'm similarly proud to have flown a plane for quite a few years that is now mostly in the boneyard. So I get that cool.

On the subject of favorite planes flown, here is mine, hands down.....the rest aren't even close:
View attachment 80786

I have a little time in a "B".

Man, that was a great experience. I can't imagine how ridiculous the turbine would be to fly!

 

[ASpilot2be]

Bruh, a good, un-rushed breakfast just sets the day off to a good start.

That's why breakfast at Asia hotels are awesome. It's usually an evening departure so it's not rushed, and the food is amazing.

 

[///AMG]

I have a little time in a "B".

Man, that was a great experience. I can't imagine how ridiculous the turbine would be to fly!

It was a hot rod for sure. Given to 25 year old me, to take out all alone and go do a bunch of aerobatics for an hour or two, and then come back home. I think it was probably the circumstances more than the airplane, but it was just such a basic airplane without any of the systems or avionics or mission or whatever else to worry about. Just hours of pure stick and rudder, doing fun stuff like that, or intentional spins, and engine out approaches to fields and nailing high/low key, etc. I wish I could go back sometimes, even if I have no complaints about either of my current rides or past ones.

Good navy flight school buddy of my dad's owned a B for a number of years before he died of Parkinson's, and they flew it around all over for that $100 burger. Spent a few years down when they were dealing with the wing spar AD issues, but man, I bet that was also fun, even if less powerful. I believe he and my dad flew the A in primary flight school, so they were pretty familiar, and my dad also owned an early 'Bo which is mostly the same if I'm not mistaken, save the aerobatic stuff and a few details.

 

[derg]

That's why breakfast at Asia hotels are awesome. It's usually an evening departure so it's not rushed, and the food is amazing.

Yessir they are.

Although I had a little sticker shock at our alternate hotel in downtown Seoul, it was still delicious

 

[MikeD]

Bruh, a good, un-rushed breakfast just sets the day off to a good start.

At the former Waffle House on 24st / Jefferson, by KPHX.

 

[derg]

At the former Waffle House on 24st / Jefferson, by KPHX.

I remember walking into that Dennys on Van Buren when I got down to the airport too early one commute.

Walked RIGHT out… with a brisk pace. Whew, my car was still there!

 

[BobDDuck]

Yessir they are.

Although I had a little sticker shock at our alternate hotel in downtown Seoul, it was still delicious

Meh... that's what per diem is for.

 

[derg]

Meh... that's what per diem is for.

Oh I rock that per diem. Much to the chagrin of the Pilot Wives of Facebook, I tell newbies to endeavor to use every dime of it and more if the experience is worthy.

 

[MikeD]

Oh I rock that per diem. Much to the chagrin of the Pilot Wives of Facebook, I tell newbies to endeavor to use every dime of it and more if the experience is worthy.

Michelle TheWife would shank you….

 

[Roger Roger]

That's why breakfast at Asia hotels are awesome. It's usually an evening departure so it's not rushed, and the food is amazing.

For some reason on the road I tend not to be hungry for breakfast

 

[ASpilot2be]

For some reason on the road I tend not to be hungry for breakfast

True. But breakfast over there is dinner by body clock time.

 

[///AMG]

Oh I rock that per diem. Much to the chagrin of the Pilot Wives of Facebook, I tell newbies to endeavor to use every dime of it and more if the experience is worthy.

Reminds me of our "ground pounder", maintenance officers, while on det or port call somewhere. By and large, they were prior-enlisted maintainers, and much like the former regional turned major guys, never shook the frugal mentality. A few of them would come hang, but for the most part, they'd just cook meals in their hotel rooms and save all the per diem. No judgement, but you have one life to live, and that seems pretty depressing when you could go out and actually enjoy it.

 

[derg]

Reminds me of our "ground pounder", maintenance officers, while on det or port call somewhere. By and large, they were prior-enlisted maintainers, and much like the former regional turned major guys, never shook the frugal mentality. A few of them would come hang, but for the most part, they'd just cook meals in their hotel rooms and save all the per diem. No judgement, but you have one life to live, and that seems pretty depressing when you could go out and actually enjoy it.

It also might be that weird phase that some spouses go through as social media got more prevalent.

"OMG YOU SPENT $80 ON DINNER IN BOSTON! Jimmy the regional captain packs his food for six days while carying a caravan of bags and looking for ice like the travelers looked for food in Cormac MacCarthy's 'The Road'r" just to avoid the "You know, a McDonalds #2 will run you $18 in the real world and I have a medical next month" conversation.

 

[MikeD]

It also might be that weird phase that some spouses go through as social media got more prevalent.

"OMG YOU SPENT $80 ON DINNER IN BOSTON! Jimmy the regional captain packs his food for six days while carying a caravan of bags and looking for ice like the travelers looked for food in Cormac MacCarthy's 'The Road'r" just to avoid the "You know, a McDonalds #2 will run you $18 in the real world and I have a medical next month" conversation.

Pilots never disappoint on keeping up the image as the cheapest people on the planet. Not frugal, just flipping cheap.

 

[derg]

Pilots never disappoint on keeping up the image as the cheapest people on the planet. Not frugal, just flipping cheap.

We're back into the era of "Lulu Lemon Uniform Pants and black tennis shoes", my friend.

 

[roundout]

We're back into the era of "Lulu Lemon Uniform Pants and black tennis shoes", my friend.

Must be a captain thing. That ish is expensive.

 

[esa17]

I have three great loves in my life: My kids, my wife, and my job...Maybe 4 if you count my Jeep.

The day-to-day excitement of dealing with complex problems my unique operations require are what I've always gravitated to. We do difficult things with airplanes that most people only dream of. I love the management of the operation; Dealing with people, the FAA, EASA, and dozens of other OGAs present massive challenges. Almost no one gets to do that stuff.

There are a lot of days when I will have a call from someone who wants something tested, and then someone else who wants a particular profile flown, and then baby that needs to get to NYC from Japan. We make it look easy even when it feels impossible. On those days I pinch myself and laugh.

Then...There is the flying. Two weeks ago I gave a 297 to a guy in one jet, a 299 in another, and performed two MX check flights in a third type after a major avionics retrofit. The best part? I was still home by 5pm...On top of all that, there is the other flying we get to do.

Some days are more difficult, one day in particular I will likely never truly recover from, but the work we do that genuinely impacts peoples lives tips the scales. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life.

Aviation is awesome, life is awesome, sometimes people are ok.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

We're back into the era of "Lulu Lemon Uniform Pants and black tennis shoes", my friend.

I flew with a Captain who wore sneakers (and seemed to have lost his hat, permanently) a few weeks ago.

Shoes don't necessarily make the man, but let's just say that in that case, they did.