You might be a 135 pilot if...

[Timebuilder]

You might be a 135 pilot if:

You land at TEB with a world famous mideast peace negotiator, and you're hoping he never touched his filet mignon.

You spend an extra five minutes perusing the dinner menu trying to figure out what you can have without going over your meal allotment.

You find yourself hoping the FBO got you a room in a good Holiday Inn.

You discover that the richest customers never tip.

The NY approach controller on 26.7 starts to sound like he's speaking normally.

You start to look forward to the popcorn machine at Signature as a "meal".

You buy one of those inflatable donut pillows because you're developing a flat spot from the Lear seat.


You can understand the radio calls from the six dollar speaker as you plummet into the dense air through 20 thousand at 300 knots.

You ask the lineman at PBI when they start giving out the oranges this year, because you can't eat the free T-shirt.

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

funny, i can remember any of that stufff happening to me at my 135 gig.

 

[H8U]

I love chowder!

 

[501261]

You might be a 135 pilot if:

Making a fuel stop in Salina, KS on a trip from LA to Houston just to get the free steaks!!!!!

Flying an airplane with a "passing FL390 light", never heard of a passing FL390 light? Well it also doubles as a left engine fire warning light.

"What do you mean our Fuel card has been declined?"

"What do you mean we still owe you $20,000 from the last time we came in here?"

 

[cvsfly]

You might be a 135 pilot if:

You discover that the richest customers never tip.

How true!

 

[banned username 2]

Flying an airplane with a "passing FL390 light", never heard of a passing FL390 light? Well it also doubles as a left engine fire warning light.

Gotta be a 20 Series Lear!

 

[501261]

Gotta be a 20 Series Lear!

Oh so close!! Not a Lear, but it does have CJ610's!!!

 

[mike]

Jet Commander??? Just a guess.

 

[501261]

Ah yes the Jet Commander, a.k.a. Commodore or is it commode?

That brings back some fun memories, I remember making up a song about it. I don't remember all the words but here goes:

Sung to that 80's song "don't worry be happy"

When your 2000# over gross and the runway's getting short...don't worry be happy!
When your 2 hours from shore with an hours worth of gas... don't worry be happy!
When your ignitor won't fire and you're in Guyana....don't worry be happy!

It sounds much better when you’re singing it in the Commode at 4AM on another donor run!

 

[irapilot]

Ok - so one time (as all stories must start out) - as we taxied up to the ramp at a little tiny airport in SC in our tattered, dripping cargo DC-3 we see this little old guy run out of the FBO and hop in the fuel truck, which starts with a cloud of smoke, and drive out in front of this as we stopped. We looked at each other and as we normally had to beg for service anywhere we went we thought this is great! So I hop out and start to say hello - and realized the little old guy was hopping mad - started on about how our company had been in there last year and owed him for gas and we were not leaving until it was paid up. We enjoyed the comfort of the town for a day as our owner flew down with a check (which the old man drove him into to town to cash).

Ah.... the glamour!

 

[wingnutt]

...the airplane you are flying was just getting old when you were born

...you havent done a daylight takeoff or landing in the past 6 months

...ATC advises you of a smoother altitude and you dont care

...you wear the same shirt to work for a week, and no-one complains

...airlines hold and let you "test the squall line" first

...center mispronounces your callsign more than 3 times in one flight

...every FBO makes you park out of sight of their buliding

...it would take 23 colors to duplicate your aircrafts paint scheme

...you call the hotel van for a pickup and they dont understand where you are on the airport

...you refuse to accept vectors around weather

...ATC continuously makes you land on the runway that requires the longest taxi time

...ATC inquires "hows your ride now" more than 3 times in a one minute span

...youve never had a passenger complain

 

[Radiohofo]

The only highlight you can share with your fellow 135 buddies is which FBO has the best looking customer service women. Philly, TEB, Louisville, GSO, RDU... And you know you will never get lucky with them.

 

[Timebuilder]

At first, I was having trouble recalling an attractive customer service agent at any of the FBO's you mentioned, much less anywhere else, other than that "Lt. Simms" look-alike on the Signature posters.

Then, I remembered that cute blond at RDU Hawthorne...

Ah, to be 27 again.

 

[Kingairrick]

I think wingnut is talking about freight 135.
Also: Reliant Aviation, TMB, afternoon shift; worth the trip.

 

[Fr8Dog]

you guys are all wrong. The best looking customer service agents are all at corporate wings in SBN, its just to bad they won't even look at me in my dirty old tired BE99 and 402 when there are gulfstreams, falcons, ect there.

 

[prodigal]

Timebuilder

Instead of Hawthorne at RDU try Southern Jet

 

[Timebuilder]

I was at Southern in the spring of 2001. The best thing at the FBO was a new Lancair that was passing through!

I take it there is a new person at the desk?

 

[Snakum]

I second Timebuilder ....

If you think the CS agents at Southern Jet or Hawthorne at RDU and GSO are good-looking I don't wanna know WHERE YOU"VE BEEN HANGING OUT AT!



Minh

 

[wingnutt]

I think wingnut is talking about freight 135.

...sorry, after being beat around in a Baron with 1,000# of powdered monkey snot (whats in them boxes anyways)sometimes its hard to remember, that there is a whole other side to 135

 

[Kingairrick]

Wingnutt

No $hit, I heard that!!!

I did 14 months with Fright Express back in '89-'90, and 10 months with another 210 outfit in '99. Freight Dogs rule.

Really, driving old crappy planes(?) through nasty weather gives you skills that will last a lifetime. Just stay alive and in compliance, (which is harder?) and there IS another side to 135..