Pro Pilot magazine

[semperfido]

I just wanted to mirror the comments on flight department selections. I recently read an issue from the 80's where Arnold Palmer's pilot was bragging about taking their SII coast to coast and landing with 300 lbs or something. One thing you should consider is that our bosses often read your magazine. What if my boss saw that, and wanted me to do it. Of course I would'nt, but I'd have to go thru the whole rigamarole. Some of the articles could cost us quality of life or even $. Please be careful which departments you choose to glorify. Since it is always on the cover, it is like saying it is the focus of your magazine. That is fine, but they need to be upstanding depts. I would like to be able to, someday, use it as a resource for better QOL rather than hide it from the boss.

very good and valid points. throw that in with what a acft salesman tells them and you have some major unf@*$%^&* to do

 

[gear_guy]

very good and valid points. throw that in with what a acft salesman tells them and you have some major unf@*$%^&* to do

Aircraft salesman???? That would mean I was flying something new. Never done that. Can I live vicariously thru you?

 

[CapnVegetto]

I got one for ya......how about an "on the road" type section? You can profile things like restaurants near FBO's where pilots can go eat when they have to sit for a few hours, entertainment in a certain area when pilots have overnights for a couple of days (and can take golf clubs, whatever), and perhaps a 'hotel review' type section in this too. Most FBO's will book hotel reservations at certain rates and there's usually a choice between them......and a section profiling these hotels, the amenities they have, restaurants & bars in them, gym, pool, etc. You could have pilots send in 'reviews' or something like that, or send a 'pro pilot' writer to the area to check out the places and write articles on them. Example.....fly into MDW (where I am now), there's a FANTASTIC italian place right up the road from Million Air called "Giordano's". Great place to stay is the Hilton Garden Inn, Million Air will book you with a special rate. Super nice rooms, indoor pool, gym, bar, the works. Either make it a restaurant, hotel, or whatever review section, or you could just make it an 'airport' section. Fly into here, (MDW or wherever) and there are 'these' places to eat close by, 'these' places to stay, 'these' things to do, and here's a price range and review.

 

[CapnVegetto]

Oh, and by the way, I'm going to echo what everyone is saying about the departments that you profile. Be careful!! If you put a big article on the cover about a company that treats it's employees like crap and pays them nothing, then the first thing that's going to happen is my boss come running straight to me and be saying stuff like, 'well why can't YOU sleep on the plane', or 'why am I paying you more than this guy to do the same job?' That sucks!!! Profile the good ones, and I can run to my boss and say, 'this company pays this guy this much, why am I making less?' and then HE has to answer me.

Just think about it from our point of view.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Lets not do the restaurant thing...

many really dont care what good restaurants are around the Holiday Inn in Akron Ohio.

ask here! - If you have a trip somewhere (anywhere in the world) I bet you get 10 responses in one day!

 

[sleepy]

As a personal note, I think that the selection process you use to choose flight departments to profile is absurd. Why not select departments like Bank of America which has a unique and effective organizational structure, a professional staff which includes dispatch, pilots, maintenance technicians and flight attendants, observes the Flight Safety Foundations crew scheduling guidance and does innovative things like web-site scheduling and having a chief pilot for technology integration rather than picking a flight department that does trans-oceanic flights in a Learjet then sleeps in the plane when they get to their foreign destination?
GV

So GV, you work for B of A?

Yes, I must agree, there are a lot of really professional flight departments out here that could be profiled. However, most of the really good ones don't want the publicity. I know that mine does not.

 

[viking737]

So what exactly was Clay Lacy's status during the 1985 UAL strike?

 

[Capthuff]

Get AVBUG to write for you
Be sure to pay him well.

 

[GVFlyer]

So GV, you work for B of A?

No, but I know Fred and Sam pretty well. B of A was just an example. Others would be Proctor and Gamble, GM, and 3M. I think many would find a profile of a major management / part 135 company like Avjet, TAG, Jet Aviation or The Air Group to be interesting.

GV

 

[ultrarunner]

To echo the rest, please stop profiling these absurd companies who have 2 pilots on call 24/7 even Christmas. The one that really set everyone off was the ski resort jackoff who operated Lear 35s to London and made them "berthable" for the crew to rest in...A small, tightly run, mediocre pay department that is a success story keeping pilots employed and benefiting/promoting corp aviation - SURE! - sleeping in a Learjet on the ramp at Luton after a 20 hr crossing.....no.

and please, a little less Clay Lacy.

Thanks for asking!

It's articles like this that make me proud that I haven't read that rag in years....

good grief....

Pro Pilot actually profiles companies like quoted above, AND plugs a scab.

They got some nerve asking for comments!

 

[enigma]

My free subscription ran out a few years ago, and I really don't miss it. Back then, it seemed that 90% of the magazine was either an advertisement, or a page full of pictures of your publisher schmoozing with some bigwig.

I did enjoy the weather articles written by Karsten Shein ( I trust that I spelled that correctly) and the occasional article on operational safety or procedures. I, for one, don't care that much about aircraft reviews, if my boss had need for another aircraft he would pay for truly professional acquision advice, he wouldn't ask me what a magazine had to say about possible types.

If I ever get back into corporate flying, I'll be looking for info aimed at helping me do my job safely and efficently.

Good thread,
enigma

 

[some_dude]

I stopped getting ProPilot a couple of years ago, and haven't missed it. My favorite is AIN, although BCA is very good as well. It's hard to see the niche ProPilot fills between those publications and general interest books like Flying. I guess profiling lame flight departments is one area where ProPilot has the others beat!

I need to echo the comments of others on this board, the flight department profiles need to be improved and the aircraft reviews are not worth much. More stuff on managing and operating a flight department might be good, along with more on human factors and that sort of thing. Look at some of the stuff BCA runs as a model.

 

[Lou3]

I have been reading Pro Pilot for several years now (as well as AIN and BCA among a couple of others). I especially enjoy the Jepp quizes and the WX articles. I would enjoy seeing you spotlight some freight companies as well as some fractionals. I also used to enjoy reading the 'whats new with you' section back when you had it. It was cool to recognize a name or two. Overall though, I do appreciate your publication and the fact that you mail it to me every month free of charge. Thanks for listening!

 

[400ACapt]

I agree, dont ignore 135 completly. I have worked on a few 135 managed aircraft that were 100X better than some of the "corporate" departments featured lately...

WHAT?WHAT? I can't believe what I am hearing! G200 is actually reccomending a 135 job over some of the 91 gigs! Mark the calendar! HAHA!

 

[TCA]

PRO Pilot ?

I stopped looking at your publication years ago. I have found B.C.A. more palatable.

Too tired on the road here to post much, but I agree with most of the thoughts posted. Thanks to GV. Great stuff again

My thoughts might be boiled down to a more salient question.[font=&quot][/font]

In all these years and all those flight departments on the cover....what happened to them and how soon after appearing .

Oh and by the way......where is Vanna White now?

TCA
"Still Climbing"