KSCessnaDriver
Pattern Altitude
Skywest allows you do to do outside flying? That's surprising
When dreams come true... (long)
- Thread starter LDJones
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Skywest allows you do to do outside flying? That's surprising
You know, Jonesy, we're really starting to hate your guts. Just sayin'.
Sorry! But somebody's got to do it!
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Yeah, GA flying is encouraged and flight instructing is approved and doesn't count against our annual limits.
KSCessnaDriver
Pattern Altitude
Must have a friendly FSDO then. Even where I work, on demand, where we are lucky to do 300 hours a year, outside flying is strongly discouraged.
I'll probably get 2/3 that or more in instructing, plus the glider tows. I've met several CA that are active GA pilots, although few still instruct.
denverpilot
Tied Down
I was headed there too...
You know, Jonesy, we're really starting to hate your guts. Just sayin'.
That too. Haha.
Surprising. My first CFI was flying for a commuter back then and they weren't too concerned about it then. Many years later when I was talking to a different CFI also flying for a commuter about doing some stuff, he immediately rattled off that he couldn't do any/much instruction anymore but he wanted to. We only talked about it briefly but it seemed to be a problem with the crew rest numbers, not so much a problem with the totals.
^^ Sounds similar to his story.
I've always enjoyed flying with instructors who had airline ops experience. Whether it was because I did a bunch of sim time based on crew coordination and eventual airline flying early on, and got used to that, or if they just seemed more confident overall, I dunno what it was. But I always appreciated the professionalism.
I "lost" the CFI who beat the concept of always having a plan for the takeof floor into me, to an airline training facility where he spent months teaching others in Beech 1900 sims.
If you fly long enough for fun, you'll always eventually lose your best CFIs to something else, it seems.
The glider place never seemed to be short of airline guys teaching though. Wonder if they just didn't log it? LOL.
KSCessnaDriver
Pattern Altitude
I guess I'm confused as to how you are doing reduced rest overnights and then flight instructing during the day, and yet are some how able to show 117 legal rest.
Everskyward
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I think we had this discussion before in another thread. Jonesy can confirm but I don't believe Skywest counts outside flight instruction as flying in a commercial capacity. Seems like he went around and around with POAdeleted20. If I'm wrong please correct me.
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KSCessnaDriver
Pattern Altitude
Very well could be. Like all things FAA, however much money your company wants to spend greasing palms at the FSDO, is how you get things approved that are not.
I had more than the minimum rest period in between flights, even including time spent in the tow plane (volunteer, btw) so not an issue.
With the hoops my company has had to jump through with the Feds of late, they're certainly getting much return on their investment if palm-greasing is taking place (which I highly doubt actually happens.)
denverpilot
Tied Down
Kritchlow
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Huh???? Been in aviation a long time, with many different companies. I have NEVER even REMOTELY heard of the FAA taking bribes to overlook things.
KSCessnaDriver
Pattern Altitude
Never worked in the right places, or for shady enough companies. Companies who insist on 24/7 on call for a 135 operation, while it's clearly illegal. While I can't say it happens, I've heard enough stories to know it's happened in the past.
Kritchlow
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No... We've had this conversation before and you DID say it happens... At your own company.
That said, I dont believe the Feds are on the take to let it slide.
Well, five stand ups in five days are complete. There are things I really like about them and some aspects that are a bit challenging.
On the plus side: Home every day with most of the day to yourself. I can get a lot of projects done around the house, train my students, represent my law clients and do what I need to in our other family business...all of which I've done over the last five days. I can travel light with just my flight bag and a few essentials. I'm being paid to sleep....truly a "dream" job!!
On the downside: Not as much flight time (which senior people see as a plus!) Some of the overnights are really short, so I have to use some day hours for additional sleep. You also don't get the enjoyable social aspects of getting to know your crew members socially like you do on a typical four-day trip (sort of like a trip with "slam-clickers"!) Half your flights are FFOD (First Flight of the Day) involving a few more preflight checks and longer checklists) as opposed to one out of four on a typical trip. That's a pretty minor point.
So, overall, I'm thinking I will keep bidding for them and see how it goes. I just wish I had another 500 hours in the jet to have solidified the procedures side of things. I'm currently around 260 hours in the jet and it's starting to feel pretty comfortable. I have yet to make a perfect, error-free flight but I've been assured by my captains that they're still waiting for theirs.
One personal side note: I step on the elevator headed to the train between terminals on my way to the parking ramp. The door closes and I glance at the little gal who just stepped on. She looks familiar. We both stare at each other for about three seconds before the light pops on for both of us! It was a colleague I worked very closely with at my corporate gig 15 years ago. She's dumbstruck! I get a big hug as she stammers out "Wha...what are you doing?!?!"
"I'm an airline pilot!" (It still feels unreal saying that phrase.)
We spend the next ten minutes catching up as we ride the train. She had just put her folks on a plane to AZ for the winter.
We decided it might be a good day to buy a lottery ticket based on the odds of us crossing paths like that this morning.
So the adventure continues. I have three days off, one standup, then five days of vacation where I plan to make use of my travel benefits. Stay tuned!
On the plus side: Home every day with most of the day to yourself. I can get a lot of projects done around the house, train my students, represent my law clients and do what I need to in our other family business...all of which I've done over the last five days. I can travel light with just my flight bag and a few essentials. I'm being paid to sleep....truly a "dream" job!!
On the downside: Not as much flight time (which senior people see as a plus!) Some of the overnights are really short, so I have to use some day hours for additional sleep. You also don't get the enjoyable social aspects of getting to know your crew members socially like you do on a typical four-day trip (sort of like a trip with "slam-clickers"!) Half your flights are FFOD (First Flight of the Day) involving a few more preflight checks and longer checklists) as opposed to one out of four on a typical trip. That's a pretty minor point.
So, overall, I'm thinking I will keep bidding for them and see how it goes. I just wish I had another 500 hours in the jet to have solidified the procedures side of things. I'm currently around 260 hours in the jet and it's starting to feel pretty comfortable. I have yet to make a perfect, error-free flight but I've been assured by my captains that they're still waiting for theirs.
One personal side note: I step on the elevator headed to the train between terminals on my way to the parking ramp. The door closes and I glance at the little gal who just stepped on. She looks familiar. We both stare at each other for about three seconds before the light pops on for both of us! It was a colleague I worked very closely with at my corporate gig 15 years ago. She's dumbstruck! I get a big hug as she stammers out "Wha...what are you doing?!?!"
"I'm an airline pilot!" (It still feels unreal saying that phrase.)
We spend the next ten minutes catching up as we ride the train. She had just put her folks on a plane to AZ for the winter.
We decided it might be a good day to buy a lottery ticket based on the odds of us crossing paths like that this morning.
So the adventure continues. I have three days off, one standup, then five days of vacation where I plan to make use of my travel benefits. Stay tuned!
Tmpendergrass
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Question about your bidding system.
Is there a minimum number of flights you have to bid on, or do you basically set your own schedule? Let's day you had a "real job" Thursday-Saturday, could you only mid for flights on Monday-Wednesday and essentially make it a part time gig?
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Is there a minimum number of flights you have to bid on, or do you basically set your own schedule? Let's day you had a "real job" Thursday-Saturday, could you only mid for flights on Monday-Wednesday and essentially make it a part time gig?
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If you're senior enough you could probably pull that off (I'm guessing top 10-15%)
The system basically allocates flights in seniority sequence based on your bidding preferences. You start by marking the days you'd like off, then listing the types of trips (or specific trips) you'd like. The system tries to make the best match of trips based on what's available when it gets to you.
Once awarded, you can drop trips (assuming there's someone to pick them up) or you can post them on Open Time and hope someone takes it. If you really need a specific day off after a flight has been assigned you can post it and add a financial incentive (read "bribe"!) to incentivize someone to take it.
Hope that answers your question.
JoseCuervo
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What is the going rate on "incentives" to get some one to pick up a flight someone can't take?
TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
Somehow I missed this thread! Congratulations!
I've seen anywhere from $50-200 posted depending on length of trip and how badly they want out of it.
Thanks! It's been a hoot so far.
Probably not that many pilots who hold a Mo-Fr job on the side. There are however plenty who work on building a business for additional income and to cover the first couple of years of retirement. With enough seniority, they can control pretty well what blocks of time they want to have off.
Is there any conversation or coordination (formal or informal) between flight crew at your base with regards to scheduling? If you know what other folks are bidding and where they are in seniority, you can pretty much work out alot of your schedule amongst yourselves, and be more confident of what you're going to get; leave it to scheduling to sort out when folks don't agree.
I'm not aware of that but I'm pretty new. We have over 160 crews in MSP and many commute in from all over the country so you don't cross paths all that often with many of them. Most admit they don't fully understand the bidding system all that well despite using it monthly for several years.
We do a monthly satisfaction survey after schedules are released. Based on those numbers I'm assuming most are mystified by it!
Crane Pilot
Pre-takeoff checklist
Jonsey is this accurate now a days.
It's close in an AirBus.
Kritchlow
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Ahh.... You've never flown the bus.
One of the easiest airplanes to fly, but one of the hardest to learn.
That's only my opinion. YMMV.
Caveat emptor: Never flew a Boeing.
I've flown the Level D sim for the A320 a few times. But my comment was tongue in cheek. I should have included a smiley.
I flew a stand-up with the most senior captain that I've flown with to date. He's got over 16 years in with the company. I asked him, as I do all captains, how I'm doing based on his seasoned expertise flying with a lot of FOs. He assured me I was doing well, then added an unexpected compliment:
"What I like about you is, when you make a mistake, you correct it, shake it off and keep moving forward. Some of the young guys I've flown with get so distracted by their mistake that they let it affect the rest of flight and end up screwing even worse. I suspect it's a maturity thing. I'll fly with you any day!"
That was gratifying.
"What I like about you is, when you make a mistake, you correct it, shake it off and keep moving forward. Some of the young guys I've flown with get so distracted by their mistake that they let it affect the rest of flight and end up screwing even worse. I suspect it's a maturity thing. I'll fly with you any day!"
That was gratifying.
About those flight benefits...
I've taken advantage of my jumpseat privileges a few times, and my son has enjoyed my flight benefits to visit his girlfriend after a new job took her half way across the country.
Today my wife and I got to take advantage of them for a little mini vacation. Some friends had a timeshare reserved and had extra room, so invited us to enjoy it with them. I made my standby reservations a few days ago, although with standby travel that's no guarantee of anything.
I got back from an overnight stand-up a little after 6 a.m. this morning, drove home, changed, loaded my our stuff in the truck and drove back to the airport. I guided my wife to the TSA line, then quietly ditched her and went to the Known Crew Member line (which is NO line....no scanning, no groping....takes about 15 seconds to clear!), then met her 15 minutes later on the other side!
When I checked in at the gate, the gate agent said things looked "pretty tight." I warned my wife that we might not make this one. But we waited. As the gate eventually emptied I glanced up at the sign and our names had turned blue, meaning we'd been cleared!
Yessss! Beginners luck, I suspect.
Had a nice, smooth 2:50 flight from MSP to SAT where it's nice and warm! I told her were going to do this one weekend a month throughout the winter. But for those I'm just going to pack a bag, go to the airport and get on the first flight with open seats headed to a warm destination....I won't care where that might be!!
I'll let you know how that ones.
I've taken advantage of my jumpseat privileges a few times, and my son has enjoyed my flight benefits to visit his girlfriend after a new job took her half way across the country.
Today my wife and I got to take advantage of them for a little mini vacation. Some friends had a timeshare reserved and had extra room, so invited us to enjoy it with them. I made my standby reservations a few days ago, although with standby travel that's no guarantee of anything.
I got back from an overnight stand-up a little after 6 a.m. this morning, drove home, changed, loaded my our stuff in the truck and drove back to the airport. I guided my wife to the TSA line, then quietly ditched her and went to the Known Crew Member line (which is NO line....no scanning, no groping....takes about 15 seconds to clear!), then met her 15 minutes later on the other side!
When I checked in at the gate, the gate agent said things looked "pretty tight." I warned my wife that we might not make this one. But we waited. As the gate eventually emptied I glanced up at the sign and our names had turned blue, meaning we'd been cleared!
Yessss! Beginners luck, I suspect.
Had a nice, smooth 2:50 flight from MSP to SAT where it's nice and warm! I told her were going to do this one weekend a month throughout the winter. But for those I'm just going to pack a bag, go to the airport and get on the first flight with open seats headed to a warm destination....I won't care where that might be!!
I'll let you know how that ones.
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One thing I learned about non revving is to always catch the first available flight out. Don't wait because it tends to fill up as the day progresses. Also be flexible. I've had great success non revving and it really is a great privilege.
I'm figuring that out based on my son's adventures and my limited experience. Plus I figure if you're there early and you don't get on there are other flights to try. It should be interesting.
denverpilot
Tied Down
Jonesy, someone sent me a copy of this checklist you might find useful.
Jonesy, someone sent me a copy of this checklist you might find useful.
That looks pretty handy. I think I'll carry that one with me.
After five days off for a little vacation I was back in the saddle last night on a stand-up with a pretty short overnight. Our new SOPs kicked in yesterday so was following them and the new checklists for the first time. Despite having read the new SOP fairly carefully, and a few practice runs through the new checklists, it was still really awkward for both the CA and myself. We pretty much stumbled through it, periodically referencing the expanded checklist descriptions in the SOP when we weren't sure how something was supposed to go. After 8 months of doing it one way, it's a bit of a challenge to now switch. I can't imagine how tough it is for a CA that's been doing it for 8-12 years!
But we made it through it. I also had my first de-icing experience. We had frost on the wings this morning so got sprayed down with Type 1 before departure. That involved a whole additional checklist and procedures, and raised fresh questions about a few things.
I was pretty pleased with my arrival, approach and landing. I received kudos from the captain, so I guess I did okay. He pushed me to get my 700/900 line check done so I can bid for or pick up some of those trips which tend to have longer legs and pay a little better. I told him I was having so much fun in the 200 I didn't want to get spoiled by all the fancy stuff in the 700/900. But, one of these days I'll think about doing that checkout.
But we made it through it. I also had my first de-icing experience. We had frost on the wings this morning so got sprayed down with Type 1 before departure. That involved a whole additional checklist and procedures, and raised fresh questions about a few things.
I was pretty pleased with my arrival, approach and landing. I received kudos from the captain, so I guess I did okay. He pushed me to get my 700/900 line check done so I can bid for or pick up some of those trips which tend to have longer legs and pay a little better. I told him I was having so much fun in the 200 I didn't want to get spoiled by all the fancy stuff in the 700/900. But, one of these days I'll think about doing that checkout.
I learn something new just about every day. For instance, today I learned that in the "Old Days", FO's were only allowed to say three things:
1) "Clear Right!"
2) "You're Right!"
3) "I'll take the fat one!"
pa-da-dump!
1) "Clear Right!"
2) "You're Right!"
3) "I'll take the fat one!"
pa-da-dump!
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