Amflight pilots

[flyalot]

I did not mean that they(Billings Pilots) were on reduced rest. It was me. Thats why I had to change the post. FYI. Value of information is directly related to the source!

 

[time builder]

AMF pilots were asked not to discuss it outside the company, but I don't fly with them anymore so feel free to PM me. It wasn't a captain and an FO, it was a check airman and a captain trainee. I have a lot of respect for the check airman, his death was a great loss to the world of aviation, if it was the trainee you knew, my condolences for him also.

 

[Cpt Kangaroo]

Here's the real deal with AMF folks...
you get pressured into breaking every far and company sop if it works for them, to make them look better in front of their customers, ie ups and dhl. But if you get caught breaking rules and regs by the feds they leave you out to dry and won't go to bat for ya. And if you say NO to AMF, they'll either can you, or you'll be labeled as someone to bypass if a better route or equipment opens up. Every day for two years I felt the pressure. I quit. And I knew the cpt for a long time. Saw him one week before the accident. And we all miss ya buddy....

 

[Pilot12345]

Similiar accident happened a while back....

Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Thursday, November 06, 1986 in BUTTE, MT
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/10/1988
Aircraft: CESSNA 421C, registration: N421AR
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

PLT WAS ATTEMPTING THE VOR-B INSTRUMENT APCH TO BUTTE, MT ARPT. PLT REPORTED OVER THE COPPERTOWN VORTAC INBOUND ON THE ARPT. THE PROCEDURE TURN INBOUND COURSE TO THE VORTAC IS 124 DEGREES. THE INBOUND COURSE TO THE ARPT IS 094 DEGREES. THE ACFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ON THE 124 DEGREE RADIAL 5 MILES SW OF THE ARPT. THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE 340 DEGREES AT 9 KTS. THE VOR-B APCH TERMINATES AT RWY 11. RWY 33 IS 9000 FT LONG AND EQUIPPED WITH MIRL'S AND REIL'S.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION..POOR..PILOT IN COMMAND
ALTITUDE..IMPROPER..PILOT IN COMMAND
CLEARANCE..NOT POSSIBLE..PILOT IN COMMAND
IFR PROCEDURE..NOT FOLLOWED..PILOT IN COMMAND




Contributing Factors WEATHER CONDITION..LOW CEILING
TERRAIN CONDITION..MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY
WEATHER CONDITION..SNOW
VISUAL/AURAL PERCEPTION..PILOT IN COMMAND

 

[barnyard]

Here's the real deal with AMF folks...
you get pressured into breaking every far and company sop if it works for them, to make them look better in front of their customers, ie ups and dhl. But if you get caught breaking rules and regs by the feds they leave you out to dry and won't go to bat for ya. And if you say NO to AMF, they'll either can you, or you'll be labeled as someone to bypass if a better route or equipment opens up. Every day for two years I felt the pressure. I quit. And I knew the cpt for a long time. Saw him one week before the accident. And we all miss ya buddy....

Well if they pressured you every day and you said no, how did you stay there for two years without getting canned?

 

[citabriapilot]

Kangaroo,

You are way off base dude. I'm going on my second year and I have never once been pressured to do something illegal, I've seen people refuse to fly because it was illegal and I've never been scolded, lectured or seen anyone "canned" for it. As far as SOP goes, I've seen people canned for NOT following SOP.

 

[Whistlin' Dan]

I too, have had some experience with AMF and the guys who are running it, from GR on down. Overall, it was one of the more professionally run 135 outfits in the country, both operationally, and in a business sense. Look at how long they've been around...since the late 60's. That doesn't happen when a company routinely asks pilots to break the rules, and they don't grow to the size they have by charging less for their services than it costs to provide them.

I'm not fawning over GR or AMF. I'm aware of at least one incident in which a pilot refused a direct order from a flight manager that probably saved his life, but cost him his job. I'm sure there were others. But overall, it's a pretty clean operation.

We did seem to average about one significant "event" each year I was there, but only one of those was attributable to MX, and that was in a factory-overhauled component. Most involved errors in judgement, not skill. That's the problem with all single pilot flying (military or civilian)...there's nobody sitting next to you to tell you that what you're doing is stupid, or that if you do what you're contemplating doing, they'll report you to the Chief Pilot.

Whatever the causes of this accident, my condolences go out to the crewmembers families and friends.

 

[DirtyBeech]

Here's the real deal with AMF folks...
you get pressured into breaking every far and company sop if it works for them, to make them look better in front of their customers, ie ups and dhl. But if you get caught breaking rules and regs by the feds they leave you out to dry and won't go to bat for ya. And if you say NO to AMF, they'll either can you, or you'll be labeled as someone to bypass if a better route or equipment opens up. Every day for two years I felt the pressure. I quit. And I knew the cpt for a long time. Saw him one week before the accident. And we all miss ya buddy....

I've been here three plus years now and have had none of the above happen. I've told the customer and the company no on numerous occasions with no ill effects. I have seen quite a few boneheaded things done, and if the pilot fesses up then usually it's no harm, no foul. I have never see the company do anything other than back a pilot when it comes to the feds. I have seen several people canned for doing something illegal/stupid and lying about it to management.

I have a feeling the only person pressuring you to break the FAR's and SOP's was you, and we're probably better off without you.

 

[DeathPencil]

Pressured to go by the company? Not once in over 5 years. If anything, I was held back when I thought I might have been able to go.
A crashed airplane makes no money.

 

[Freight Dog]

I never felt pressured at AMF either. They'll ask you to do stuff (non-pilots), and you tell them no, that's the end of it. I told no to a non-pilot base manager, and that was the end of that. If anybody gives you grief, you tell them it's not their call - it's yours. Ameriflight is the perfect place to truly learn to be a pilot-in-command.