When dreams come true... (long)

Loren, I've enjoyed reading the chronicle of your journey to SkyWest. I'm working on my initial CFI for the next two weeks, and it seems like I'm working to absorb a lot of information at once, too! Your story is inspiring to me. Keep sharing!
 
Erice said:
Loren, I've enjoyed reading the chronicle of your journey to SkyWest. I'm working on my initial CFI for the next two weeks, and it seems like I'm working to absorb a lot of information at once, too! Your story is inspiring to me. Keep sharing!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Good luck with your CFI. I love teaching people to fly. I gave seven lessons this past week between trips. One will solo soon and another is about to embark on cross-country flights, while a third just finished her X-C.
 
kayoh190 said:
I find Atlanta to be one of the easier of the large airports to manage. The biggest problem is dealing with all the d!ckhead Delta pilots. (juuuuuust kidding!) :D
Click to expand...

Hey! I resemble that remark!!! :D

taters said:
I have never seen them once use them....ATL is really very easy...
Click to expand...

I've gotten color coded when I had the penalty landing on 28. I agree though, ATL is easy and the Victor loop definitely helps the flow.
 
ATL.. Easy?? Maybe if you're flying the Space Shuttle. What's up with like 9,000' on downwind, then asking for short approach? Some airplanes don't like to come down and slow down that quickly.

Easiest large airport?? MCO
 
EvilEagle said:
Hey! I resemble that remark!!! :D
Click to expand...

Haha! I've got a lot of Delta buddies, and truth be told, that's where I wanted to end up. But life had other plans, so I have to be content to give you guys some s**t whenever possible.

Wind check! :D :D
 
Kritchlow said:
ATL.. Easy?? Maybe if you're flying the Space Shuttle. What's up with like 9,000' on downwind, then asking for short approach? Some airplanes don't like to come down and slow down that quickly.
Click to expand...

complainer! just pull the nose up and stomp a rudder, she'll come down and then you'll have the opportunity to demonstrate your superior flying skills in the recovery...and the pax will be real excited to ride through such a maneuver...
 
Kritchlow said:
ATL.. Easy?? Maybe if you're flying the Space Shuttle. What's up with like 9,000' on downwind, then asking for short approach? Some airplanes don't like to come down and slow down that quickly.

Easiest large airport?? MCO
Click to expand...

On my first approach (visual) I was at 7K essentially abeam the numbers and they asked for a short approach. Slam Dunk City! But I made it with a few helpful prompts from my CA. On the ground it was very simple...almost too easy. Getting out we sat at 4N for what seemed like forever with no breaks in the radio chatter. Finally he called us with our taxi instructions. I've never heard a busier radio frequency.
 
Clark1961 said:
complainer! just pull the nose up and stomp a rudder, she'll come down and then you'll have the opportunity to demonstrate your superior flying skills in the recovery...and the pax will be real excited to ride through such a maneuver...
Click to expand...

Funny!!! :D
 
Clark1961 said:
complainer! just pull the nose up and stomp a rudder, she'll come down and then you'll have the opportunity to demonstrate your superior flying skills in the recovery...and the pax will be real excited to ride through such a maneuver...
Click to expand...

That worked all day last Wednesday in the SuperCub returning from glider tows, but in the CRJ....ummm....I'm not so sure! :eek:
 
LDJones said:
On my first approach (visual) I was at 7K essentially abeam the numbers and they asked for a short approach. Slam Dunk City! But I made it with a few helpful prompts from my CA. On the ground it was very simple...almost too easy. Getting out we sat at 4N for what seemed like forever with no breaks in the radio chatter. Finally he called us with our taxi instructions. I've never heard a busier radio frequency.
Click to expand...
Exactly..!!
I agree the ground isn't bad once you get use to it. Still nothing easier than MCO!!
 
Kritchlow said:
Exactly..!!
I agree the ground isn't bad once you get use to it. Still nothing easier than MCO!!
Click to expand...

I won't get to experience that since we don't fly there. I was surprised to learn we do Dulles. I have that on one of my trips in July.
 
LDJones said:
I won't get to experience that since we don't fly there. I was surprised to learn we do Dulles. I have that on one of my trips in July.
Click to expand...

Dulles is also easy IMO.
 
Kritchlow said:
ATL.. Easy?? Maybe if you're flying the Space Shuttle. What's up with like 9,000' on downwind, then asking for short approach? Some airplanes don't like to come down and slow down that quickly.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it - a lightly loaded 757 with winglets never wants to descend or slow down!
 
FYI, I've been so busy flying that I haven't had much time to update you guys. I'm officially an airline pilot after completing IOE and my first Line Check. I'm still loving every minute...even if the sometimes crazy hours and unforeseen changes to plans. (i.e., Oh....that DOES look like a cracked windscreen! Scratch the next leg. Now I'm a ferry pilot ferrying a jet to a city NOT on this week's schedule, then deadheading two legs back to my original overnight so I can flying my regularly scheduled plane out the next morning!)

I've got to say I have yet to meet a fellow SkyWest employee that I don't like! I'm sure there must be some difficult ones somewhere, I just haven't had to deal with them yet!

As for the CRJ, despite it's shortcomings (poorly designed air handling system, a bit finicky on W&B, a bit underpowered on hot days), it's still a BLAST to fly!! The Collins avionics, designed in the 80s, are still pretty amazing in 2015.

What a crazy, wild ride this has been.
 
Awesome, Loren. Hey, a B-52 landed at OSH yesterday , so I'll bet you can get your CRJ in if you have to "divert." :D
 
nddons said:
Awesome, Loren. Hey, a B-52 landed at OSH yesterday , so I'll bet you can get your CRJ in if you have to "divert." :D
Click to expand...

I'm guessing I could get it in there! I flew it into Appleton last week. That's pretty close!
 
LDJones said:
I'm guessing I could get it in there! I flew it into Appleton last week. That's pretty close!
Click to expand...


If you've seen one 8,000x150 runway , you've seen them all. 21? 18? What's the difference? 30 degrees? Pfffft. Tell your company the HSI is inop, and file a NASA report. They'll understand. ;)
 
nddons said:
If you've seen one 8,000x150 runway , you've seen them all. 21? 18? What's the difference? 30 degrees? Pfffft. Tell your company the HSI is inop, and file a NASA report. They'll understand. ;)
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: I'll give that a try... :wink2:
 
Lauren, I was working on the Flightline after 1600 this afternoon, and noticed a CRJ flying right over OSH probably enroute to Appleton. Was that you? ;)
 
nddons said:
Lauren, I was working on the Flightline after 1600 this afternoon, and noticed a CRJ flying right over OSH probably enroute to Appleton. Was that you? ;)
Click to expand...

I wish! No, yesterday I towed 22 gliders aloft....almost 6.5 hours in a Super Cub on grass. I enjoy both ends of the flying spectrum!

I'll be in the CRJ again on Wednesday this week.
 
LDJones said:
I wish! No, yesterday I towed 22 gliders aloft....almost 6.5 hours in a Super Cub on grass. I enjoy both ends of the flying spectrum!

I'll be in the CRJ again on Wednesday this week.
Click to expand...

That's the best part of 121, getting time off to go do stuff you want. And being able to get where you want to go, with relative ease. I'm going on 3.5 weeks since I've flown the plane (granted, I spend 3 days at the sim sitting seat support) but it's nice to get paid the whole time to do nothing on both days off and on call.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
That's the best part of 121, getting time off to go do stuff you want. And being able to get where you want to go, with relative ease. I'm going on 3.5 weeks since I've flown the plane (granted, I spend 3 days at the sim sitting seat support) but it's nice to get paid the whole time to do nothing on both days off and on call.
Click to expand...

Having been self-employed for most of the last decade I must admit to enjoying a real "day off" once in awhile. When you work for yourself you never really have one those.
 
Update: I'm now officially no longer "Green", meaning I have more than 100 hours in the CRJ. This week's trip brought the full gamut from CAVU flying to hard IFR with lightning crashing around us. Still refining my understanding of the radar and all its tricks.

I'm finding every captain has developed their own tricks and techniques for things, at least to the extent SOP allows. I'm trying to assimilate the best ideas and practices.

I'm still a ways from feeling as comfortable in the CRJ as I am in most GA planes, but it gets better with every flight. I think an afternoon of pattern work would be great, but I don't think that's likely! (Nor would I want to fund the fuel!)
 
LDJones said:
Update: I'm now officially no longer "Green", meaning I have more than 100 hours in the CRJ. This week's trip brought the full gamut from CAVU flying to hard IFR with lightning crashing around us. Still refining my understanding of the radar and all its tricks.

I'm finding every captain has developed their own tricks and techniques for things, at least to the extent SOP allows. I'm trying to assimilate the best ideas and practices.

I'm still a ways from feeling as comfortable in the CRJ as I am in most GA planes, but it gets better with every flight. I think an afternoon of pattern work would be great, but I don't think that's likely! (Nor would I want to fund the fuel!)
Click to expand...

Yup, you'll find that. What the SOP doesn't lay out, everyone has their own little technique for doing things. Learning the difference between procedures and technique is one of the hardest things I had to do, transitioning to 121.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Yup, you'll find that. What the SOP doesn't lay out, everyone has their own little technique for doing things. Learning the difference between procedures and technique is one of the hardest things I had to do, transitioning to 121.
Click to expand...

Agree. I'm just absorbing as much info as I can and seeing what makes sense in the long run.
 
Just started second four-day trip after IOE. Flying with a nice, young Captain who is pretty laid back. While I've never mad a really bad landing, this one tonight was in my top 5%...it even garnered a "Whoa....NICE job" from the left seat!

Slowly but surely, I'm getting it dialed in. I love flying this jet!
 
I love this thread.

Describe the routine after the last flight of the day. Everybody hang together, or the flight attendants leave the pilots?

Expected that everybody eats together, or does everybody go their own separate way?

What level of hotels are you guys staying at?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Not speaking for Jonesy.... But..
At our airline the flight deck crew rarely stays with the cabin crew. This is mostly because the rest requirements just are not as strict for cabin crew. Now and again the FA's stay with us and we do go out and have fun. Today, unfortunately, it's run like a tight business so that doesn't happen much. I hear the regional guys that it's much more common to stay with the FA's for the whole trip.
 
JoseCuervo said:
I love this thread.

Describe the routine after the last flight of the day. Everybody hang together, or the flight attendants leave the pilots?

Expected that everybody eats together, or does everybody go their own separate way?

What level of hotels are you guys staying at?
Click to expand...

We are paired as a crew for a four-day trip, generally. I'm still new but most of the time at least the Captain is up for hanging together, and about half the time the Flight Attendant may join us. It seems like the more "seasoned" the FA the less likely she hangs out with us. They are what we term "Slam-Clickers"...their room door slams shut, the lock clicks and you don't see or hear from them until report time the next day.

Last week, we had a sweet, young FA that started a month or so before me. She had scoped out a range of activities and basically served as our activities coordinator! We hiked, hit a beach (complete with picnic) and hit some tourist shops all as a complete crew. It was great!

This week I'm traveling with a pair of slam-clickers. Both are great to fly with, but no interaction from getting our room keys until report time!

As for hotels, for the most part they are better than average....Hyatts, Hiltons, some HI Express. There's really only one slightly sketchy one so far that's used on a short overnight. But in its defense, it has a great restaurant with discounted food for crews and $1 beers! The long overnight hotel in that city is a very nice Hyatt, but with no other benefits.

The Hilton in FWA has an awesome complimentary breakfast buffet. Others just offer a discount on food.

I'm still learning the social ropes, so make a point of inviting fellow crew to join me, but don't push it.
 
Like Jonesy, we're paired with the flight attendants for the entire trip. This seems to be slowly changing, because as Kritchlow said, the airline is beginning to realize they can get more productivity out of the FAs if they're not tied to the pilots' duty and rest rules. Or more likely, they've known this for a long time, but are just now getting the scheduling software capable of making it work.

As for getting them to come out - like any other social situation - it just depends on the how the personalities of the crew mesh. Usually when the Captain gives the crew briefing at the beginning of the trip, you can get a feel for how things are going to be during the layovers.
 
I understand in the "old days" (i.e. 10+ years ago) crews were paired for a month at a time. That might be great if paired with a good crew, but could be excruciating with a bad crew. Supposedly issues with extracurricular activities were more of an issue then (more time for relationships to develop), but don't know that for a fact.

As you can imagine, there's a wide range of personality types. So far I haven't had a bad captain, but there are definitely some in my very small sample that are more enjoyable to be around than others. I'm still in the scrambling-to-avoid-screwing-up mode, but it gets incrementally easier with each flight. But last night leaving Detroit we got a quick taxi and quicker release and I was still getting the second engine started when we were cleared to line up and wait. I was really scrambling then! Luckily this captain is pretty laid back and accommodating, but said there are some who won't be. I'll be reviewing all those flows before we fly again today.
 
Last edited:
On the non-self loading cargo side of the game, we don't have FA's, so none of those issues to deal with. And for the rest, it sounds about the same. Some crews will do things together, some won't, depending on personality and other factors. Of course, we get somewhere for a layover and have no idea how long we are there. It's not uncommon to sit somewhere for 4 or more days.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
On the non-self loading cargo side of the game, we don't have FA's, so none of those issues to deal with. And for the rest, it sounds about the same. Some crews will do things together, some won't, depending on personality and other factors. Of course, we get somewhere for a layover and have no idea how long we are there. It's not uncommon to sit somewhere for 4 or more days.
Click to expand...

Four days of solo meals in the same locale would get old! Do the packages ever say thanks for the flight? :D
 
LDJones said:
Four days of solo meals in the same locale would get old! Do the packages ever say thanks for the flight? :D
Click to expand...

And generally, they aren't locals you want to be in. The car parts, nope, never got anything for them.
 
Yesterday, after a particularly nice landing the captain told me, "Why don't you go back and accept your kudos for that nice landing!" Hehe. A couple of passengers made nice comments on it.
 
LDJones said:
I understand in the "old days" (i.e. 10+ years ago) crews were paired for a month at a time. That might be great if paired with a good crew, but could be excruciating with a bad crew. Supposedly issues with extracurricular activities were more of an issue then (more time for relationships to develop), but don't know that for a fact.

As you can imagine, there's a wide range of personality types. So far I haven't had a bad captain, but there are definitely some in my very small sample that are more enjoyable to be around than others. I'm still in the scrambling-to-avoid-screwing-up mode, but it gets incrementally easier with each flight. But last night leaving Detroit we got a quick taxi and quicker release and I was still getting the second engine started when we were cleared to line up and wait. I was really scrambling then! Luckily this captain is pretty laid back and accommodating, but said there are some who won't be. I'll be reviewing all those flows before we fly again today.
Click to expand...

:rofl::rofl::rofl: Imagine 273 days straight on a tug boat with the same 6 guys and 24 CDs.:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
I remember one particularly firm landing. As I was walking off the airplane I glanced at the pilots and simply said. Navy? They both have a hearty chuckle.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top