Unrealistic Expectations

[Flyin' South]

You may find it ironic that in the March 17, 2003 issue of Commuter/Regional Airline News, a 3 page interview with Kit Darby is published. Kit is quoted as saying "I've never really adhered to the idea of a pilot shortage." He also predicts 6000 - 7000 pilot job openings this year.

Swear to God.

 

[EngineOut]

"Your job as a [F/O; VP; Asst. Manager;] is to make your [Captain; President; Manager] look good."

"Do what ever you love to do the absolute best that you can and the money will come."

I don't care what you do for a living, the above tenents apply to a successful career in any endeavor that involves other people -- and that is just about all of 'em -- including flying. Think about it...if you had a F/O whose priority was making you look good, wouldn't you honestly be more willing to be there if they needed you?

If all the "next generation" of pilots truly love what they do (as it sounds like they do), then the money will come. It may not even come from where you would expect, but someone will pay for your enthusiasm/experience at some time. Even by writing a book on how to cope with furlough/layoff, etc.

 

[bobbysamd]

You may find it ironic that in the March 17, 2003 issue of Commuter/Regional Airline News, a 3 page interview with Kit Darby is published. Kit is quoted as saying "I've never really adhered to the idea of a pilot shortage." He also predicts 6000 - 7000 pilot job openings this year.

Swear to God.

<Sigh>

 

[AA717driver]

Any lawyers out there?

You may find it ironic that in the March 17, 2003 issue of Commuter/Regional Airline News, a 3 page interview with Kit Darby is published. Kit is quoted as saying "I've never really adhered to the idea of a pilot shortage." He also predicts 6000 - 7000 pilot job openings this year.

Doesn't that border on fraud? Snake oil, anyone?TC

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: Kit Darby

"Why Mike if you buy this AirInc baseball cap you will be endowed with secret powerws of persuasion which would certainly help you through that challenging interview at Podunk Air."

Now that Podunk is flying CRJ-700's coast-to-coast, that might not be such a bad deal!

(Where can I get one of those caps?)

 

[Otto_Pilot]

Podunk

Typhoon,

If we're thinking of the same "Podunk Air", then there are rumors that they may be furloughing in the near future.

They have no further 40/50 seat RJ orders after this year and the 70 seaters may be moved to mainline or moved to a new subsidiary to be flown by mainline furloughees as a part of the mainline concession agreement. With Chautauqua offering to do the same flying at a fraction of the cost I believe there is reason to worry.

That is, of course, unless you drink special kool-aid that makes you believe that Chautauqua was only doing that flying that could not be profitably done by the other DCI carriers. Hmmmm I dont buy it.

 

[Typhoon1244]

I put the phrase "Kit Darby of AirInc" in my trusty anagram finder...you know, to find the hidden meaning.

It spat out dark fiction by air. Sounds ominous.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

by the way...

was just reading through old threads and got a chuckle.

I'm currently working for the so-called "Pudunk Air" we were talking about.

No furloughs yet (keeping my fingers crossed).

 

[bssthound]

What a fabulous thread. I've really enjoyed reading everyone's perspective. I can't agree more, BTW, it is all about attitude.

I'm a 40 year-old ASA FO. I about sh*t my pants every time I get to come to work to fly the CRJ. I'm thrilled to death to have a flying job this day and age and even happier to fly the CRJ. In over three years at ASA I've only flown with one guy I didn't like. That's a pretty durn good track record.

I didn't dream of airliners as a kid, though! At the age of 10 I saw the Thunderbirds in the mighty, mighty F-4 phantom. That did it! All that noise and smoke and sheer excitement! I had my sights set on the Rhino and it finally came through for me. My 2 1/2 years as a WSO in that jet will forever remain my fondest memory outside of family and friends.

I'd gotten my ratings and flight instructed some in the meantime. After a few years of being one of those peons Typhoon1244 felt sorry for I got off my a$$, got recurrent, and got hired at ASA. Things couldn't have turned out better! I love the CRJ and miss it if I go a couple weeks without flying.

I work 3 days a week, leaving plenty of time for AF Reserve flying and catching a bass or two. Also, I've not noticed this in other posts, but when people find out I'm a pilot they're usually a bit envious. Like the television commercial a couple years back, no little kid came home from school and breathlessly announced "I wanna be a yes-man," or "I'm gonna be a brown-noser!"

Once again, great post, folks. I really enjoy sharing this forum with all of you.

 

[Timebuilder]

Like the television commercial a couple years back, no little kid came home from school and breathlessly announced "I wanna be a yes-man," or "I'm gonna be a brown-noser!"

I remember that commercial. Inspired copywriting, to be sure.

It was great to have a flying job, as I mentioned back on page one. You never know what path life will present to you. I'm hoping to do well enough to at least have a beat up cessna waiting for me at TEB when I leave the recording studio. We'll see.

 

[KingAirKiddo]

Re: by the way...

was just reading through old threads and got a chuckle.

I'm currently working for the so-called "Pudunk Air" we were talking about.

No furloughs yet (keeping my fingers crossed).

Chalk me up as another one watching the situation at "Podunk Air" very carefully...sure would hate to go through my second furlough in a 12 month period

 

[TCAS]

They'll never know the fear you felt conducting your first single-pilot ILS to minimums-100 in blowing snow with the aircraft covered in ice...the boss yelling, "fly or you're fired!".

They will never be able to understand what it was like being a copilot for 4 years in a 19 seat airliner...no autopilot ... Utica ... Syracuse ... Binghamton ... "May I take your bag ma'am? Yes I'm old enough to fly this thing." ... Watertown ... Ogdensburg ... "Was that lightning?" ... Plattsburgh ...

Wow... that sequence took me back to the old days at Brockway Air! But didn't you forget Massena after Ogdensburg in that sequence?

We used to have a day of flying that started in PWM to BOS, BOS to ALB, ALB to SYR, SYR to ART, ART to OGS, OGS to MSS, MSS to SYR, SYR to ART, ART to OGS, OGS to MSS, MSS to BTV, BTV finally to PLB to call it a day. Twelve legs, no autopilot in an eleven hour day in the Mighty Beech B or newer C model. Hmmmm... I guess there are some things I don't miss!

 

[FurloughedAgain]

aww...

aww... come on. Don't you miss it even a little?

I remember some Sunday shifts that went JST-PIT-AOO-PIT-JST-PIT-JST-PIT-AOO-PIT-JST in the mighty Jetstream 3100.

I remember some nights flying freight from EWN-PGV-RDU-GSO-CLT-ATL-CLT-GSO-RDU-PGV-EWN in a 402 with no operating radar, boots, etc.

That was back when competitive mins to be a Dash 7 or Dash 8 copilot at Piedmont were better than 3000 TT and 500 ME and you had to have logged some lunar-landings to get an interview at Eagle.

 

[bobbysamd]

Late '80s quals

That was back when competitive mins to be a Dash 7 or Dash 8 copilot at Piedmont were better than 3000 TT and 500 ME and you had to have logged some lunar-landings to get an interview at Eagle.

I had something like 2900 total and 650 of multi but no lunar landings when Eagle brought me in to interview in October, 1990.

Maybe not having lunar landings is why I wasn't hired . . . . .

 

[Whirlwind]

Wow...

What can I say, I am grateful that the experienced guys took the time to share all the experiences in this thread. I just found it and spent the past hour reading it. Very enlightening...

Just broke 500 hours last week and I'm amazed at how much I still learn on each flight. I'm also happy to report that I love every minute, be it learning or teaching or both (usually both).

Been teaching now for 6 weeks in the fling-wing, got my add-on stuck-wing CFI checkride coming up on Thursday, and looking forward to teaching in that as well. I don't care if it is a 172 bugsmasher or a Boeing 777 world cruiser, I love to fly!!!

I'm a pilot, have been since I was about 6, just had a few detours along the way. Spent almost 10 years in the IT world, working on computer networks and making some good money, but being miserable most of the time with the boring work and lousy hours.

My first flight was in my grandfather's Beech Sierra, what a cool plane that was! Flew in my uncle's 182 and then later his Bonanza when I was a kid. Went to the UND summer camp program when I was 14, got to fly a number of different aircraft there including my first helicopter. Went to space camp twice, always wanted to be an astronaut too, perhaps with the spaceships being built for the X-Prize, that may still happen...

Now I've finally joined up with what I want to do, and have fun work and lousy hours.

Oh well, I'm happy because yesterday I went flying, and today I get to go flying, and tomorrow I'm going flying too!!! Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, I'm still that wet behind the ears kid with the ear-to-ear grin, and yes I think the Mighty Beech (Sierra, Bonanza, or 1900, it's all the same to me) is just as cool as the Mighty Boeing!)

I am no in rush to the left seat of anything, I may or may not end up an airline, I might just fly helicopters for a living, who knows. I hope to experience all kinds of flying, it's an amazing journey and I'm just at the start!!!

BTW, when I was a kid, I read Richard Bach's books about 50 times. Anyone else love those things?

Oh, one other thing, there was a special on TNT in 1989 called "Reaching for the Skies". I still have it recorded on faded VHS tapes, it was before the era of Discovery Wings and all that. Wonderful 12 hour program!!!

Fly Safe!