When dreams come true... (long)

LDJones said:
I am having fun! The flying is great, but all the new people I've been meeting has been a real bonus. A CA I flew with last week has his Masters in Public Policy. We had some really interesting conversations!



I'm hoping to do this til I age out....and with any luck the FAA will meddle with the age thing one more time and bump it to 67 or 70! But if they don't, I'm making mental note of all the corporate Challengers I see....with any luck maybe I could find a gig flying those for a few years after SkyWest.
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Is your type rating interchangeable with the Challenger? The aircraft sure looks similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
dans2992 said:
Is your type rating interchangeable with the Challenger? The aircraft sure looks similar.
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I think the CL-65 rating, which covers the CRJ-100,200,700 & 900s, also covers the Challenger 850, but I would have to confirm. The smaller Challengers are a different type, but the systems are all the same so it should be pretty easy to add that Type.
 
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Clark1961 said:
They probably know that you're too tall to fit in the cockpit...
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I'm guessing the cockpit is fine for tall guys, from what I've heard. But the pax section is a torture chamber. And peeing in the lav means you enter into a limbo move because your head hits the fuselage before your junk gets anywhere near the head. Obviously the lav was designed by someone who sits down to pee.
 
dans2992 said:
Is your type rating interchangeable with the Challenger? The aircraft sure looks similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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the 604,605 are different types than CL-65...

the 850 requires level A training for the added center fuel tank but is a CL-65.
 
LDJones said:
Grand Forks is a nice college town. My son loved his four years there. I'll always have a fondness for good 'ol NoDak!

I'm currently flying into FAR, GFK, MOT, BIS and ISN on a regular basis.
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Long shot, but did you land in ISN yesterday (8/13)?
 
This week's trip has been fun. It's the CA's first trip off IOE (second such first-timer I've had in two weeks), but he was an FO for nine years so he knows his stuff. We've had some longer legs (MSP-ICT) as well as some fun overnights. I'm currently in IMT where I discovered a WWII glider museum, so headed there shortly.

Deplaning the incoming crew's CA was the guy I flew with fresh off IOE three weeks ago. He made a point to tell me he had done an evaluation for me (we need six evals in our first six months, which is next week for me.)

"I gave you all twos and threes", he said. Two is above average, so that's a good thing! You just want to avoid fours and fives!

I did the two legs MSP-FAR-MSP, today with a crosswind back in MSP. I got a "Nice crosswind technique" comment from my CA after landing. Since they're a little tricky in the CRJ (narrow landing gear, low wing), I counted that as a real compliment. Hopefully he'll be my sixth eval heading into my six month review.
 
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Everskyward said:
Long shot, but did you land in ISN yesterday (8/13)?
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No, I was in ISN last week. I just finished a four-day and they just snuck a one-day trip on my schedule for tomorrow. MSP-BIS-MSP-DSM-MSP

I had a trip to GFK today, which was where I did all my post-PPL training during law school. It was awesome landing an airliner on the same pavement I trained on 35 years ago.
 
Ok, so the stories are true. When you wear a pilot uniform at an airport you're a magnet for questions.

After flying five legs today our crew deadheaded from Milwaukee back to Minneapolis. I had barely walked off the jetway when an elderly lady approached me (me, not my Captain....I was wearing my hat!) and asked me which gate her plane to Reykjavík departed from! I had no idea. So we played twenty-questions to figure out her situation. Turns out she had just gotten off the same flight I had been on and she was headed to Iceland.

I finally figured out she was booked on Islandic Air (at one point she said Islamic Air....I didn't think they flew to Iceland!) and that would be Terminal 2 at MSP, which was a long excursion from where we were, involving several escalators, one tram, two more escalators, a metro train ride, then more escalators and moving walkways in order to get there.

I knew there was no chance she'd figure it out by directions alone. Heck, I wasn't sure of the best route from that point!

"I park near Terminal 2. Follow me and I'll take you there", I offered. She gratefully accepted.

I'm guessing she was late 70s but she was spry and kept a good pace! Turns out she was a retired teacher who taught geology and paleontology. She was amazing. She was headed to Iceland for some sort of research expedition. We walked and talked and hopped trains for the next 25 minutes. We talked about science, about education, about teaching...you name it!

She said she normally travelled with another teacher friend, but that her friend's health had been failing and couldn't make this trip. I said she'd probably meet lots of new friends on her trip. She agreed.

I finally got her to the Icelandic Air ticket counter, then panicked thinking she may have needed to collect her domestic luggage in the other terminal before boarding the international flight. I knew I'd be making the trek back to retrieve them for her. We dug out her luggage stubs and, thankfully, Delta had checked them through for her. Whew!

She thanked me profusely. I gave her my card and told her I wanted to hear all about her trip when she returned. She said, "Will you be here to help me get back to the other terminal?!" I noted the twinkle in her eye and slight smirk.

"You never know! I just might be here!" She clutched my hand and thanked me again.

Sweet lady. I hope she has an awesome trip.
 
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Lol,

I just have crew-luggage and people ask me for directions to their plane :lol:
 
You hear some humorous things on the radio, as many of you well know. So the other day people are checking in giving ride reports for their altitudes.

One guy with a VERY heavy accent (I'm guessing maybe a Chinese student) checks in with "Two Eight Zewoo, Smoof Wide!"
 
LDJones said:
Sweet lady. I hope she has an awesome trip.
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You can take the boy scout out of the pack, but you can't take the uncommon courtesy out of the boy scout...
 
A week shy of my six month anniversary and not quite a month off IOE I finally ran into a jerk captain. It was a last-minute pick-up trip, just a one-day, four-leg trip.

I show up a few minutes early and recognize the flight attendant from a trip a month ago. She's a bubbly, fun-to-be-around type person so I was looking forward to an enjoyable trip. The CA is sitting in his seat as I board and I cheerily greet him, asking if he was in need of an FO? He mumbles something about me being his fourth FO on this four day trip. I ask him why? He has no idea. At that point I had no idea, either, but I'd soon figure it out.

Suffice it say, being around this guy was about as much as funeral. Virtually no conversation. Often when he did speak it was some condescending remark. On my leg he, unbeknownst to me, changed the mode on the autopilot and didn't say anything. Suddenly I see it slowing and am puzzled until I see what he did. Messing with the Pilot Flying's Flight Control Panel is a huge no-no and against SOP. Why he didn't suggest a change if he thought one appropriate I have no clue.

On the last leg I'm shooting an ILS in a raging thunderstorm. Lightning is all around us and it's driving rain. But we break out above 500' and I make the "500 to go" call. My speed is in the bug and I'm right on the glideslope as I disengage the autopilot.

About 200' above touchdown he calls "My controls!" Okay....whatever. He takes control and puts it down well left of centerline (I had been right down the middle!) And he sorta pooches the landing. No biggie....it was pretty wild conditions. But he offered no reason or justification for taking control. I can only figure it was some sort of power trip. Oh, well...

On one layover when he had stepped off I asked the FA if he'd been like this the whole trip. She assured me he had been, and that she'd been working for four days to crack the guy. She said there were occasional glimpses of humanity, then he'd catch himself and return to jerk status. No wonder FO's were bailing on him left and right!

As soon as I got home I added him as a "Bid Avoid" on my standing trip bid. I'll be happy to never fly with him again.
 
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LDJones said:
A week shy of my six month anniversary and not quite a month off IOE I finally ran into a jerk captain. It was a last-minute pick-up trip, just a one-day, four-leg trip.

I show up a few minutes early and recognize the flight attendant from a trip a month ago. She's a bubbly, fun-to-be-around type person so I was looking forward to an enjoyable trip. The CA is sitting in his seat as I board and I cheerily greet him, asking if he was in need of an FO? He mumbles something about me being his fourth FO on this four day trip. I ask him why? He has no idea. At that point I had no idea, either, but I'd soon figure it out.

Suffice it say, being around this guy was about as much as funeral. Virtually no conversation. Often when he did speak it was some condescending remark. On my leg he, unbeknownst to me, changed the mode on the autopilot and didn't say anything. Suddenly I see it slowing and am puzzled until I see what he did. Messing with the Pilot Flying's Flight Control Panel is a huge no-no and against SOP. Why he didn't suggest a change if he thought one appropriate I have no clue.

On the last leg I'm shooting an ILS in a raging thunderstorm. Lightning is all around us and it's driving rain. But we break out above 500' and I make the "500 to go" call. My speed is in the bug and I'm right on the glideslope as I disengage the autopilot.

About 200' above touchdown he calls "My controls!" Okay....whatever. He takes control and puts it down well left of centerline (I had been right down the middle!) And he sorta pooches the landing. No biggie....it was pretty wild conditions. But he offered no reason or justification for taking control. I can only figure it was some sort of power trip. Oh, well...

On one layover when he had stepped off I asked the FA if he'd been like this the whole trip. She assured me he had been, and that she'd been working for four days to crack the guy. She said there were occasional glimpses of humanity, then he'd catch himself and return to jerk status. No wonder FO's were bailing on him left and right!

As soon as I got home I added him as a "Bid Avoid" on my standing trip bid. I'll be happy to never fly with him again.
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200 feet above touchdown and he wants to transfer controls? Only response is pushing the throttles up and a go around. How did that work out for Southwest
 
Just out of curiosity did you have a turbine time when you got the call? I am also gonna go after a, either 121 or 135 position in a couple years. Age might be a factor for me i guess as i am just past my 46th year of life , but hearing your story make me want it more than ever. Also is college a major requirement or is that a little more lax?
 
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LDJones said:
You hear some humorous things on the radio, as many of you well know. So the other day people are checking in giving ride reports for their altitudes.



One guy with a VERY heavy accent (I'm guessing maybe a Chinese student) checks in with "Two Eight Zewoo, Smoof Wide!"
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"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be landing a Phoenix's Deer Valley Airport, momentarily. First Officer Jonesy has turned on the seat belt sign, and we'd all appreciate if you'd help us watch out the window for lost and confused Chinese student aircraft..."

LDJones said:
A week shy of my six month anniversary and not quite a month off IOE I finally ran into a jerk captain. It was a last-minute pick-up trip, just a one-day, four-leg trip.
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We had some goofy guy here like that too, for a while. Now he comes and goes. He takes reverse high speeds and goes by Cameron, I believe. Don't bring up religion around him, he kinda goes wonky if you do that. There was even a thread asking if he was a jerk once. Kinda wound tight.

;) ;) ;) ;) ;) LOL. Couldn't resist.
 
Crane Pilot said:
Just out of curiosity did you have a turbine time when you got the call? I am also gonna go after a, either 121 or 135 position in a couple years. Age might be a factor for me i guess as i am just past my 46th year of life , but hearing your story make me want it more than ever. Also is college a major requirement or is that a little more lax?
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No turbine time at all. Only 150 multi (they only require 50). I was 57 when I got "the call." Major is irrelevant.
 
Crew support called today (my day off) wondering if I'd pick up a round-trip to KMOT. Paid time and a half. A previous appointment I had scheduled had cancelled so I took the trip. Met a terrific young captain who restored my faith in captains. He said the west coast had several old guard captains that were grumpy most of the time. He said there were very few in MSP.
 
I'm sitting here chuckling that they renamed "Crew Scheduling" to "Crew Support" over the last couple of decades.

I wonder if they got tired of being called "Screw Scheduling"? Heh. :)

Of course, being a "supporter" of the type of "athletes" you jet pilots are, might not be a good nickname either... ;)

(All in good fun. I alway get a chuckle when names of stuff like that change across the board in any industry because the nickname is getting more popular than the real one. Haha.)
 
LDJones said:
As soon as I got home I added him as a "Bid Avoid" on my standing trip bid. I'll be happy to never fly with him again.
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I wonder if there is some sort of prize awarded to the captain with the largest number of 'bid avoids' to his name.
 
denverpilot said:
I'm sitting here chuckling that they renamed "Crew Scheduling" to "Crew Support" over the last couple of decades.

I wonder if they got tired of being called "Screw Scheduling"? Heh. :)

Of course, being a "supporter" of the type of "athletes" you jet pilots are, might not be a good nickname either... ;)

(All in good fun. I alway get a chuckle when names of stuff like that change across the board in any industry because the nickname is getting more popular than the real one. Haha.)
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I'm sure it was a corporate-speak tune-up! I do like the fact that we have a "People Dept" rather than "Human Resources"...never cared for the HR term. I haven't heard them referred to as the PD!
 
weilke said:
I wonder if there is some sort of prize awarded to the captain with the largest number of 'bid avoids' to his name.
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My CA last night has heard of CAs being called in for an attitude adjustment after getting a number of Bid Avoids. The scheduling folks have a tough enough job without having to deal with that.
 
LDJones said:
My CA last night has heard of CAs being called in for an attitude adjustment after getting a number of Bid Avoids. The scheduling folks have a tough enough job without having to deal with that.
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Curious... Do you have a Pro Standards Committee? I have had good luck in the past with them when it comes to attitude adjustments.

We also have a couple jerks to fly with... Every company does.
 
Kritchlow said:
Curious... Do you have a Pro Standards Committee? I have had good luck in the past with them when it comes to attitude adjustments.

We also have a couple jerks to fly with... Every company does.
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The Law of Averages probably dictates that you'll have some percentage of jerks. Now the trick will be identifying and avoiding them!

I have not heard of a Pro Standards Committee but it wouldn't surprise me if there was.
 
Wasn't it one of the reasons why the LGA SWA captain got laid off, that she also had many many bid avoids?
 
LDJones said:
The Law of Averages probably dictates that you'll have some percentage of jerks. Now the trick will be identifying and avoiding them!

I have not heard of a Pro Standards Committee but it wouldn't surprise me if there was.
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It's a committee set up by your Union, and handles all sorts of controversies between personel confidentially, and without company knowledge. It's a good way to resolve issues without having your name hitting the radar.
 
Kritchlow said:
It's a committee set up by your Union, and handles all sorts of controversies between personel confidentially, and without company knowledge. It's a good way to resolve issues without having your name hitting the radar.
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Good to know. This situation probably doesn't warrant it, but I'll look into it for future reference.
 
LDJones said:
Good to know. This situation probably doesn't warrant it, but I'll look into it for future reference.
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If you weren't old and having grey hair, I would counsel you to just mind your own business and get along, it will build character as you progress thru your career and learn to deal with jerks....


But, at your age, you already have those skills..... so good luck.... :dunno:
 
JoseCuervo said:
If you weren't old and having grey hair, I would counsel you to just mind your own business and get along, it will build character as you progress thru your career and learn to deal with jerks....

But, at your age, you already have those skills..... so good luck.... :dunno:
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As you can imagine, I held my tongue and catered to his ego. I'm sure he thinks I thought he was awesome. I've spent almost four decades dealing with the egos of attorneys, so an egotistical young captain is a relatively small challenge. :D
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
If you listen to 121.5 in the standby radio long enough, you will hear that from time to time. Makes me laugh.
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I haven't heard that yet, but have heard an Op's call or two.
 
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