Tell your scariest/worst experience flying freight

[uscpilot]

how much do they allow you to be tardy b/c of weather before they start to question your flying abilities? basically, if they find that you divert for most of the weather, is airnet going to keep you on very long?

I dont know of anyone that was fired for this. That does not mean that it has not happened. If there was a problem the pilot in question would go to LCK and have a talk with the CP, and possibly an ACP, or the DO. Not really a big deal, they just want to know what the problem is. People that I know of that have done this either got over it and kept flying, or quit. Like I said I dont know of anyone fired for just this.
If you are scared chew on this: we have never lost a pilot to weather. Of our four fatalities two fell asleep, one wake turbulence, and the last was a fire while airborne. With the training and the experience that you gain on the line you will quickly develope good judgement. In my experience the flight department is fairly understanding of baggage that comes with having a green pilot (dispatch on the other hand, well...).
The question implys that there is a black and white answer, there isnt one. The best answer I can give is not to worry about getting fired for delaying or diverting for weather. Hundreds of freight pups just like you have come through the ranks of Airnet (or any 135 freight) and grown into better pilots.
Good Luck!!
WDR11

 

[inthewind]

how much do they allow you to be tardy b/c of weather before they start to question your flying abilities? basically, if they find that you divert for most of the weather, is airnet going to keep you on very long?

cforst,
In sixteen and a half years I have only diverted four times. And cancelled a handful. My comfort margin is often larger than my FOs'. What I am saying is when it is too bad to fly in my/your opinion then it's too bad. Call dispatch the CP or whoever but better to live to fly another day.

 

[cforst513]

i wouldnt say that i am scared of the weather. it's more inexperience than anything. i still have a long ways to go before i meet airnet's mins, but i would love to go there eventually. sounds like a great place to work, build time, etc. thanks for the info, though.

 

[jeroom]

Flying F/O on the mighty L-188 Electra on a Emery contract DEN-MCI-DAY-PHL-BDL back in 1979, we had 1 st generation black and white radar, tuff to pick out anything but level 3 or better. We are solid IFR at night. Had the autopilot on, airplane starts loosing altitude, so I click off the autopilot, I can not move the elevator, this is serious enough that we wake up the FE, we look outside with the inspection light and find we are covered with ice, we flew into freezing rain. We are now going down about 1,000/minute. We try boost out, cycling the hyd pumps; we are still going down. About 11,000' over the center of Kansas OAT goes above 0, ice pops off, and everything was normal. We flew to MCI at 11,000' F/E even stayed awake.

Good one...

 

[Flyingdude]

Too many to pick just one

Their was too many incidents to actually pick one out. Between the crap planes and equally bad weather it was interesting almost daily. Between the failed windsheild heat strip with a solid sheet of ice, boots that are always half infated, gyro issues, radios failing in IMC, cabin heaters that fail often in the winter time, brake failures, engine failure, fuel pooring out from one of the cowlings just after takeoff, all instrument lights that go out in IMC at night which requires you to hand fly an instrument app. working the yoke and throttle with one hand and holding the flashlight on the panel with the other, flying in heavy rain with water leaking onto the electrical panel below your left arm just to mention a few cases of many more. Anyone that has been a freightdog in bad airplanes knows what I am talking about, you have all been there. After 1,000 hrs. of that, I would never do it again even if I was starving to death.

 

[Dumbluck]

the worst flying story is the one i don't remeber hypocritic a$$ holes somebooby take my computer before i sy something stupid..

 

[NoPax]

Their was too many incidents to actually pick one out. Between the crap planes and equally bad weather it was interesting almost daily. Between the failed windsheild heat strip with a solid sheet of ice, boots that are always half infated, gyro issues, radios failing in IMC, cabin heaters that fail often in the winter time, brake failures, engine failure, fuel pooring out from one of the cowlings just after takeoff, all instrument lights that go out in IMC at night which requires you to hand fly an instrument app. working the yoke and throttle with one hand and holding the flashlight on the panel with the other, flying in heavy rain with water leaking onto the electrical panel below your left arm just to mention a few cases of many more. Anyone that has been a freightdog in bad airplanes knows what I am talking about, you have all been there. After 1,000 hrs. of that, I would never do it again even if I was starving to death.

Dude....the wambulence is on it's way:bawling:

The thing I really like about freight flying is that I don't have to listen to this! Single-pilot definately has it's advantages.

When the chips are down, I always think that someone somewhere is having or has had a worse day than I have. That said, possibly the worst time I've had flying freight was when I was loading the airplane, and took a fingernail off on a rivet...that's the most pain I've been in, in my life - try tuning radios, advancing throttles, setting props and mixture with no thumbnail. Not a joke...it really hurt, but I sucked it up and "got 'er done"

 

[leardawg]

Early days as SIC; cruising along in a LR-24 @FL410, at night, flew into thunderstorm (single cell, no TRWs forecast, radar not turned on). Had dual engine flameout. Talk about Mr. Toads Wild Ride!!! Flew out of it. Got one re-lit, leveled off @ 16,000'. Rel-lit the other, flew home w/o further incident. Drank a few extra beers that night, bought new underwear, considered changing careers, ultimately couldn't give up free popcorn..

 

[ShortBusTim]

Preflight.

 

[81Horse]

That said, possibly the worst time I've had flying freight was when I was loading the airplane, and took a fingernail off on a rivet...that's the most pain I've been in, in my life - try tuning radios, advancing throttles, setting props and mixture with no thumbnail. Not a joke...it really hurt, but I sucked it up and "got 'er done"

Gloves, man -- gloves.

I got beat up by a Beech 99 airstair door once -- excruciating bruise and scrape from right knee to waist, plus three cracked ribs. I sucked it up and flew home, too -- but I couldn't pull the levers into reverse for a month.

So that was the worst. As for scary -- well, I think "mis-sort" says it all.

 

[Lostdog65]

After 1,000 hrs. of that, I would never do it again even if I was starving to death.

Knock wood. I said the exact same thing in Oct of 2000...Nov of 2005 I was back at it albeit only as a fill in. Hunger has a way of coloring what you feel about cargo. I'm still looking for another job...this one pays the bills and puts beans on the table.

Eric

 

[Princedietrich]

Dude, you can afford BEANS?! :beer: