Don't forget how cargo pilots brag on how brave and masterly skilled they are for flying through anything and everything. Gimme a break, we go through the same crap as you guys, except that we have people to worry about. Next time one of you guys make it through level 5 & 6 TS, Let us know. It would be a great story.
You are absolutly correct. I mean I was thinking about it last night as I cruising at FL180 in my 1972 Barron, well above the moderate icing that was forcast below ten thousand feet in upstate NY, we do have the same job. At 2:30 a.m., the weather dipped down below minimums for a little while at UCA, no worries, my first officer (you know, one of those quality PFT'ers that Flordia seems to turn out so efficently) already had all of the required charts out and folded and it was a snap finding "victor 2" and while he entered the hold, I contacted dispatch, called approach, and checked the weather, and ran through the checklist, beautiful CRM if you ask me. I still wasn't worried about the weather, we had plenty of fuel, warmth (everyone knows how well those 'ole suckytrol heaters work during the wintertime), weren't picking up any icing (remember we're at FL180), and a working auto-pilot (seems like they work everytime.... it's awesome!).
"Justin, RVR is 1800." Frank told me (that's the controller who works that area during the week, of course there are no callsigns at 3 in the morning), "and a lear jet just went around reporting severe windshear on final." That got my attention but since my first officer was flying I didn't think much about it, he must've seen these conditions before, somewhere in his tens of hours. So we press on. The landing was uneventful, after shutting down I walk into the terminal, I know I should help unload the cargo, but hey! that's what all of the rampers and flight attendents are for. Besides it's cold... well below my personal minimums, and I want to see the looks on everyones face as I stroll the terminal with my pilot uniform.
I can't wait to be a real pilot.
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