Charlotte Observer article on freight pilots......

[starchkr]

Ahhhh...what a way to bring up memories...I knew Nick, we spent many layovers together in Houston at good ole' Fletchers, and i was the one on the approach freq who un-luckily got to hear him go down...what a day, not to mention the fact that another aquaintance went down not too long after Nick in Arkansas when his plane suffered mechanical problems. Not a good day.

As far as the article goes though, there are SOME truths to it, but it is also giving the good companies a black eye...well at least trying to, we all know how bad the media is at doing their jobs!

They were right in a few aspects, freight pilots do have it harder than the pax carriers...and here we go, i know someone is going to call me out on that one, but it's true...especially after i flew freight for 5+ years and now fly pax, it was a MUCH more difficult job.

Sig, i understand you may be upset, but to generalize the entire industry as "fly-by-night" (and yes, i caught the intonation behind the statement) is just plain wrong. There are good companies out there, and there are also great companies...it's up to the pilot applying for a job to do his due diligence and find those good and great companies...and some of those not so great companies may be the best companies in another persons eyes, so to say that those pilots are dumb or stupid for choosing to go there is also wrong. It's like buying a car...what you like someone else hates and what you hate someone else loves...so to each his own on that.

DeathPencil...hey don't worry, no-one in that industry is out to hurt kids playing on the monkey bars...hell, all those Dam kids are sleeping when you guys are out flying anyway...well except for those teenage thugs defacing the school property, in which case it would do more good than harm to take them out.

 

[Mason]

There are good companies out there, and there are also great companies...it's up to the pilot applying for a job to do his due diligence and find those good and great companies...and some of those not so great companies may be the best companies in another persons eyes, so to say that those pilots are dumb or stupid for choosing to go there is also wrong. It's like buying a car...what you like someone else hates and what you hate someone else loves...so to each his own on that.

Absolutely. Although some aviation jobs can be more hazardous than others, at the end of the day we are the ones who are ultimately responsible for our safety. That's why the regs are how the are and place so much responsiblity on the PIC. My view is that that this responsibilty and accountability should foster an attitude of caution and sound decision making. Unfortunately, some are more willing to throw this caution to the wind and sometimes the results are tragic.

 

[frmrBUFFdrvr]

Absolutely. Although some aviation jobs can be more hazardous than others, at the end of the day we are the ones who are ultimately responsible for our safety. That's why the regs are how the are and place so much responsiblity on the PIC. My view is that that this responsibilty and accountability should foster an attitude of caution and sound decision making. Unfortunately, some are more willing to throw this caution to the wind and sometimes the results are tragic.

And if more pilots would DO their research before going to work for a company, maybe the companies that cut the corners would have a harder time doing business and that would help the industry as a whole as well. Unfortunately, so many are willing to take anything to get flying time that the companies that DEMAND everything from them will continue.

Just my $.02

 

[texarkana]

And if more pilots would DO their research before going to work for a company, maybe the companies that cut the corners would have a harder time doing business and that would help the industry as a whole as well. Unfortunately, so many are willing to take anything to get flying time that the companies that DEMAND everything from them will continue.

Just my $.02

Amen! This would get us on the way to solving pay and QOL problems too.

 

[texarkana]

management clowns

FAA inspections later found serious lapses at Tex Star Air Freight, which frequently ferried film, documenting several unairworthy aircraft and finding that the company's maintenance director "did not demonstrate the competency and knowledge" to hold the post. In 2005, facing more civil fines after its second fatal crash, the company surrendered its operating certificate.
Reached in Texas, Tex Star Air Freight President Mark Huff said his company did everything it could "without a doubt" to keep its planes safe.
"It's very unfortunate it happened to my company within an 18-month time frame, but you are playing with fire every day to a certain degree," Huff said. "The only way to avoid it in this industry is to not be in it." -- McClatchy correspondent Jason Grotto contributed.

Heres a question/idea for another study... what happens to the management of these carriers when they go out of business? Like Tex Star, anyone know whatever happened to their management, were they ever found negligent or held accountable for the actions of the company? Were they marked in any way by what happened?

I don't have a very in-depth knowledge of the freight industry but I'm guessing it goes like the airlines... a group of vultures destroys company XYZ, then they circle around until they find a new victim, and the cycle continues....

 

[belchfire]

First, I am not flaming anyone and I don't ever like to see a fellow pilot lost for any cause-been to too many services...


If you only have one AH or ADI or vacuum source it would be wise to be proficient on partial panel operations...you guys be careful out there. I know that I wouldn't be any good at it anymore. They fail in bigger equipment too but less frequently and there are more redundancies and often another qualified pilot.

Notice that they don't compare the accident rate to the auto fatality rate. What these statistics point out is that in general less experienced pilots in less capable equipment have a higher rate of fatalities. I wouldn't want to blast off single pilot IFR right now...too long in a crew environment.

And yeah, some places really need to spend more on maintenance...

 

[AerroMatt]

What with all that's been posted here, the biggest point brought out in this article is that the freight business is having one fatal accident per MONTH. That will get the attention of the media and John Q Public. I would not be surprised if the media begins a campaign that will attempt to force the FAA into more oversight of the freight operators. This will drive up the cost of operation for all, but hopefully it will improve what is an otherwise dismal safety record.