What is it with this jet thing?

[aerodromebum]

We gotta get rid of these turbines, they are ruining aviation.

We need to go back to big round engines.

{Turbines are as round as you can get. What the heck are you talking about?}

Anybody can start a turbine, you just need to move a switch from "OFF" to "START", and then remember to move it back to "ON" after a while. My PC is harder to start.

Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse and style. On some planes, the pilots aren't even allowed to do it.

Turbines start by whining for a while, then give a small lady-like poot and start whining louder.

Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle, click-click, BANG, more rattles, another BANG, a big macho fart or two, more clicks, a lot of smoke and finally a serious low pitched roar. We like that. It's a guy thing.

When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged and you can concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is like flicking on a ceiling fan: Useful, but hardly exciting.

Turbines don't break often enough, leading to aircrew boredom, complacency and inattention. A round engine at speed looks and sounds like it's going to blow at any minute. This helps concentrate the mind.

Turbines don't have enough control levers to keep a pilot's attention. There's nothing to fiddle with during long flights.

Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman lanterns. Round engined planes smell like God intended flying machines to smell.

I think I hear the nurse coming down the hall. I gotta go.

You're right - Turbines are a piece of cake to operate (relatively speaking).

IMO the toughest type of engine to operate is turbocharged & geared piston engines (i.e. CE-421).

 

[XTW]

When people find out I'm a pilot, I tell them I fly Piper Cubs. After talking to me, they would never believe I could fly anything else anyway.



X

 

[avbug]

Yep, lets get rid of turbine engines and go back to frequent blown jugs, engine fires, vibration, noise, having to take on more oil than fuel with every fuel stop, wearing 60 weight as the hair treatment of choice, orbiting props, hydraulic lock, fouled plugs, backfires, carburetor ice, and all the other things that made operating radial engines a wonderful experience.

I can't understand an owner of a six of fifteen million dollar piece of equipment seeking the most experienced hand he or she can to operate it, rather than grabbing a kid out of flight school. What's up with that?

This whole process of small piston engine equipment paying less while the less demanding, less intelligent, far less sophisticated turbojet equipment paying so much more...what's up with that? After all, a 500 hour pilot should be paid top of the industry wages in his ragged 402 or 210...let the citation or challenger or gulfstream pilot who's put in 20 or 30 years get paid the dirt wages....those piston engines are so complicated that they should be drawing the real pay. Do you think?

Perhaps there's a reason that things work the way they do in this mixed up world.

Do ya think??

 

[PacoPollo]

Okay folks. I gotta ask this lighthearted question, just for kicks. What is up with all the ga-ga over flying the jets?
Any input will be greatly appreciated!

Speed son. Nothing more annoying than having to slow down on a 20mile final cuz following a POS KingAir or any other prop.

 

[Hvy]

Do whats right for you ... flying jets is noooo big deal .....

As a good friend once said 'If you can fly a Piper Cub, I can teach you to fly a 747 - but not necessarily the other way around ...'

Having flown both, I can tell you your "good friend" was mistaken.

 

[aerodromebum]

Speed son. Nothing more annoying than having to slow down on a 20mile final cuz following a POS KingAir or any other prop.

WHAT?!?! Then how come I'm the one slowing to 190 20 miles out to stay behind some Airbus while going into PHL?

 

[Canucit]

look to the future for what you want and screw what all the people say about what you do or do not fly. but it is a sad fact of life that the bigger the aircraft the bigger the paycheck
also each aircraft has its benefits
jets fly higher and have alot of automation
of course the king air has the pro line 21 (which is really cool)
always look to your future cause nobody else will and
hey good luck

 

[FastestPA31Ever]

The only things I've really liked in my first two months in the jet (cargo) is climbing above most weather, and having someone to talk to if you feel like it! Do what makes you happy, always.

 

[skydash]

Jets??

1) THE MONEY
2)Flying above the weather
3)See #1

 

[bell47]

I just started flying a jet. I'm not impressed with it. Caravans were more fun in the WX.(except ice!) The radial engine/taildragger stuff is where the real fun is. Give me a BE-18, or an Airtractor any day! Jets are too much by the numbers, no seat of the pants flying.

 

[G2T]

Speed son. Nothing more annoying than having to slow down on a 20mile final cuz following a POS KingAir or any other prop.

Why is that? Did you get some kind of 250 below 10 exemption?

 

[AdlerDriver]

1) THE MONEY
2)Flying above the weather
3)See #1

AND the #4 and most important reason to fly jets.......

You can't put an after-burner on a prop!

 

[Cat Driver]

I sort of think I have the best job flying the big radial engine flying boats.

 

[Say Again Over]

my 2 cents

You know my King Air 200 just didn't look quite as impressive when the odd Lear Jet or Gulfstream pulled up on the ramp, the same was true when I looked at the flight deck. My advise would be if you have an interest in flying the biggest or the fastest that you move up the ladder while you are young, you can always come back. :beer:

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

Speed son. Nothing more annoying than having to slow down on a 20mile final cuz following a POS KingAir or any other prop.

Unless it's an F-15, in my Metro or BE1900, I more than hold my own against a jet in the terminal environment-your full of s**t on that one mate!

 

[FN FAL]

Why is that? Did you get some kind of 250 below 10 exemption?

Yea, Toby doesn't realize that speed just means the company can make more money off his ass for the same pay.

If I had to fly a faster plane, I'd have to work a 20 day month instead of the 12 day month I work now.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Having flown both, I can tell you your "good friend" was mistaken.

Hmm, I have flown both and I would have to agree with his "good friend".

74 is more complex yes........but for stick and rudder skills, the tail dragger wins everytime! Anybody with decent skills can fly a whale with the training. You want to see a high time airline guy humble himself...put him in a cub on a breezy day!

I flew a whale last week.....been a couple of years since draggin a tailwheel, so I count myself in the "Humble" catagory!:nuts:

 

[gkrangers]

Yea, Toby doesn't realize that speed just means the company can make more money off his ass for the same pay.

If I had to fly a faster plane, I'd have to work a 20 day month instead of the 12 day month I work now.

You fly FedEx feed in the van right? You have a lot of time and experience, why don't you move on to some place like Mesa to fly a jet?

 

[pilotyip]

P-3 a 4-eng turbo prop was faster than a DC-9 and DA-20 jets below 10,000', it had a red Line of 407 Kts, early B models would fly right through Vne at cruise power. DC-9 and DA-20 are limited to 350 max at any altitude P-3 most awesome turbo prop ever built

 

[FN FAL]

You fly FedEx feed in the van right? You have a lot of time and experience, why don't you move on to some place like Mesa to fly a jet?

Hahaha! Just what I need, another syndrome.

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

Man, im with you. An RJ guy says that to you......give me a break. If i was flying for a 121 regional right now like skywest or horizon.....id be asking for the EMB or the DAsh. Ive seen these jet drivers operate, ive flown a 650......give me a break....Wow FL410 at .82 in a smooth ride with an airplane that does it all for you or FL230 dodging WX, going into tight little airports at high DA's.....I love props, they are more fun. Screw the 500F.O. who has the balls to say something like that....real airplane? A jet now a days is an expansive computerized transportation system. A turboprop is an airplane. Especially single pilot winter iciing ops.....FUN FUN FUN. as long as you keep it safe.

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

damn well said on your round engines versus turbines. I couldn't agree more. You got me laughing, its a tough thing to do!!! Happy flying!
MK

 

[Bjammin]

Wow, this if a fun read.

I have flown both as well, piston singles and twins, turbo props, single engine jets, fighters, and 747-400's.
ALL have there very unique qualities.
Flying a twin piston down to mins at an uncontrolled airfeild, flying a EA-6B through the valleys of the Cascade mountain range at 500KTS, or doing an approach in a 744 into HKG with bad weather and exactly 1.36 Million heavies around you. It's all about preference. None is easier or harder then the other, they are all different.

What do I personally like? Jets. Why?

1. Less noise. All the power is produced well aft of you. The quietest airplane I have ever flown was the F-18.

2. Less thinking. No prop controls, no cowl flaps, no mixture, only throttle.

3. More THRUST. Thrust can be LIFE. Plus lateral G's are fun.

4. If you are flying a jet it usually means you are making more money. Sometimes not justified, but true.

People that think flying a 744 from here to there is easy have another think coming. It is a very complex machine with more systems then a human body and more mass then Queen Latifia. Going around in a 744 compared to a 172 is like comparing monks to sunday school kids. IT AIN'T EASY.

Is flying a jet the end all beat all? I dunno, depends who you are. I think flying a beaver float plane would be a blast, hovering over a ski hill in the Alps dropping off extreme snowboarders would have a high coolness factor, doing submarine hunting in a P-3 at 200AGL would produce some seat pad dissappearing acts, and gliding from ridges to thermals would be eye watering.

To each his own, but don't EVER bust on a guy because his one all, end all wish is to fly jets. It may be the thing that truly makes him/her have a holy experience.

 

[taloft]

Having flown pistons, turboprops and jets I have come to only one inescapable conclusion: they are all airplanes.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Having flown pistons, turboprops and jets I have come to only one inescapable conclusion: they are all airplanes.

Ding Ding Ding Ding!!!!!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

 

[FreeFaller]

life is good

Here's my take.
I've flown an Airbus-300, been a Naval Aviator, Skydiver etc...Kinda been there, done that kind thing.
I currently fly a Lear 35 & King Air 90 and have no complaints.
I'm always amused at the looks/smirks of those who fly the heavy metal aircraft. For instance when I commercial to/from Flight Safety I like to say hi to the pilots, if I can, and when they ask what I fly and I say I just finished recurrent for the King Air 90. OH! as they look down their nose.
Well I don't need their approval, just as you don't. I LIKE what I do and get paid adequately for it.
Another thing I find amussing is when the hiring people need MORE of something, i.e.
All that Recip time is good but 500 hrs. in a jet is what we're looking for.
Well flying a prop is HARDER than a jet, especially in the descent.
My take, A good pilot is a good pilot NO MATTER WHAT PLANE THEY FLY!
A good recip pilot can be trained to fly a 777, a lousy jet pilot can't be trained to fly a recip!
Enjoy your job for YOU, let others worry about themselves.

 

[727gm]

P-3 most awesome turbo prop ever built

Most awesome turboprop ever built by a wide margin would have to be the Tupelov Tu-95 Bear/Tu-114 airliner series.

 

[Thedude]

First question should be.....how much does it pay....then flying a what.

 

[pilotyip]

wrong 727 guy, the P-3 could fly circles around the Bear, the Bear's only advantage was hi alt cruise speed and range at hi alt. But for a big airplane the P-3 was responsive and a blash to drive around down low, like 200 AGL on CWS.

 

[Huggyu2]

Face it: a turboprop is just an "unducted fan".
Seems we all agree: fly what you like, and let's toast to more great flying....