Transition from CFI to regional jet

[skydiverdriver]

I went from piston to turboprop to a CRJ, and I wish it were the CRJ BEFORE the turboprop. It is so much easier to fly. Don't worry, all planes fly the same. Some just go faster in cruise. Good luck.

 

[skydiverdriver]

Oh, one other difference between pilots who come to RJ's right from seminoles, and people with airline/heavier aircraft experience. It's their attitude. Some of these new guys think they are so hot because they can fly the jet well, but it's because it's so easy to fly. I'm sure some of these guys would be way out of their league in a complex turboprop. Also, since I work for one of the better regionals, they complain about everything. Well, unless you have worked at another airline, you have no idea how good you have it here. Most people would be happy that they even have a good flying job, these days. But, the new kids seem to have no appreciation for that. I have heard that we had to fire a couple of FO's on probation, just for their attitude. Just a small warning, so be careful. Good luck to all.

 

[Ty Webb]

Skydiverdriver, you crack me up. I bet you'd eat dog-doo if it was served in a Comair bowl . . . . Bet you have Comair vanity plates on your car!

I would think the guys who were displaced from another airline would be more unhappy than the former Seminole fondlers. If I were on reserve for a year and doing the same job for half the pay, I'd be disgruntled, too.

On the t-prop issue- A t-prop may take more hands-on attention to fly, but operating the jet is where the knowlege and experience come into play. Reference the incident report on the RJ incident at ROA and how those two seasoned turboprop pilots got into a little trouble with the "easier" RJ . . . . .

There are a fair number of EMB120 and B1900 skippers out there with just over 2000tt and they seem to be doing a credible job, but I don't want to see a 2000tt captain in a DC9, period.

 

[dogg]

DL CONNECTION:

The transition that you will make from n=B/172 or seneca/duchess to flying an airline jet wether it is a crj or 737 is large indeed. It can be done however if you are willing to start today preparing.

A couple of things not to get caught up in first: Op Specs and 121 regs. Do not spend lots of time studying or filling your head with them. They are different at every airline and the interpretation of 121 regs by each airline varies. If you can get a buddies CFM which should include op specs, take a look at it, note how it is laid out and what kind of information is there but don't memorize it.

Do practice ifr flying(ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT) . Practice dme arcs, holding and approaches. If you have access to an airplane with an hsi and an rmi use it.tryto use the same techniques ie speed, altitude etc evey time. This prepares you to do things by a "profile" which will be taught to you by your airline.

If you have a computer, install ASA's ON TOP 7.0. It is around 100.00 and is a great "needle recognition" trainer. You can use it to do things over and over so that your situational awareness is excellent and it does have a beech 1900 that will allow approaches to practiced at 140 kts which is about the approach speed of every jet + or - 10 knots.

Spend a little time thinking about descent profile planning. Most jets work well with 3-1 plus five which is to say that at 3 times your dme that will be your altitude IE 3 times 40 dme would be 12,000 ft plus 5 would put you at 12,000 ft at 45 dme from the runway.

Of course in a crj you have fms that will tell you all this and in the real world atc will tell you where to go, how high to be and ho w fast to be but if you can figure this stuff out on your own you will be ahead of the game and you situational awareness will be much greater.

If you are the type that likes to read pick up a copy of turbine pilots flight manual and also flying the big jets. Mostly anecdotal stuff on flying jets but it will at least expose you to it.

All of this stuff is just to get you in the mindset to go to and get through training.

As soon as you get to training, try to get a hold of your profiles, memory items and limitations. This is the stuff that you need to have cold in your first sim session. You will be fed lots of FLUFF in ground school but you will survive training if needle recognition, situational awareness, profiles memory items and limitations are automatic good luck

 

[skydiverdriver]

Ty,
Come on over, we'll fire you too. I think if I got furloughed from another airline, especially one that went out of business, I would be upset about the drop in pay, but not at the airline I was working for. I would be upset at the one I left. I think I would be appreciative of the one that gave me a chance to fly again, and not worry about furloughes or going out of business. That is what I mean by the new kids having no idea of how good they have it. You, on the other hand, sound a bit envious. Good day sir.

 

[FR8mastr]

Ty, to call those two in ROA "seasoned" is an insult two anybody that really has experience. Their "experience" would not have even gotten them a job flying a P.O.S. cheiftain in the middle of the night a few years ago. The only reason that they were even there is because of the horrible pay at their airline. Turnover was very high, combined with the rapid expansion of their airline. Just because some pilot finds thier way into a jet does not make them a grizzled veteran! Remember this "captain" and I use that term loosely, pretty much stalled the plane and crashed into the runway causing extensive damage because, "there is no missed procedure to this runway". Then demonstrating command decision making did'nt even officially tell anyone, jeopardizing all subsequent crews and passengers. This is exactly what can happen when you upgrade someone with most of thier very little time in the right seat either flight instructing or as an FO. They have never had to make an important decision in their lives. This incident doesnt even qualify as that, just horrible stick and rudder skills and NO EXPERIENCE!

 

[bobbysamd]

Flying RJs

Great discussion.

You need to hone your instrument skills and perhaps change some of your instrument thought processes. We taught pitch + power = performance to our Alitalia students at FSI. These were guys who were training from the beginning to fly jets, even though we were teaching them in Cadets and Seminoles. The AI is everything. Why do you think the attitude display is so large in jet equipment as compared to your Cessna? You have to to think in terms of a particular power, degrees of pitch and trim setting to obtain a particular performance. A good instrument instructor should have taught you to think in those terms already.

I like the idea of practicing DME arcs and with HSIs and RMIs. Not the usual procedures and instruments you find in your 172. You can practice them in the sim. I used to spend many a Sunday afternoon in the sim lab cranking up the winds to full and flying arcs and approaches as fast as possible to build my skills.

Sure, a low-time pilot can learn to fly RJs, or any airplane if he/she was taught properly, but experience does matter. Look at it this way. Let's say you've played only high school baseball and have knocked the horsehide off the ball. Now, all of a sudden you're in the National League facing Randy Johnson. Sure, if you're a good ballplayer you might get a hit off him after seeing him a few times. But, someone whose played in the minor leagues for years and has seen all kinds of pitchers will probably do better sooner.

I believe that college matters not so much from the education but the good study habits you (hopefully) build. That can help you deal with the firehose.

I agree with Timebuilder about getting a copy of the Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual. It has a lot more than the technicalities of flying turbine equipment; it includes weather and some comments about job issues facing pilots. Good diagrams, too. I believe it was Linda Pendleton who wrote an excellent series about turbine equipment that appeared in the AOPA magazine last summer.

 

[Ty Webb]

When I referred to those two in the ROA incident as "seasoned", I was being a little sarcastic- I have edited it now.

Skydiverdriver, you continue to crack me up. Re-read my post. Read my profile. If you think that I would give up my B717 job and its pay, schedule and work rules to come fly a Barbie Funjet with you, you are even more of a Kool-aid drinker than I gave you credit for.

Not envious, just incredulous.