OT: any pilots / aircraft owners / airplane geeks?

[alancw3]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

I got a private license in 1967 and a couple of my favorite rental planes were Mooneys. The first was a Ranger and the second was a Super 21. They both offered better-than-average performance compared to other planes using the same Lycoming engines. OTOH they were a bit more cramped because the extra speed came from better streamlining.

one of my good friends back the the early 90's lusted after a Mooney. what he thought was so great about the plane was you could fly at full throttle for very little difference in fuel consumption from half throttle and it had one of the best wing structures of a light private plane. one drawback he did say was being a low wing plane you didn't get the same view as a high wing like a Cessna 182.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

I just have one question: Don't you guys up there in the cockpit get really (or a little bit) freaked out when you get into some of that wicked tubulence and all that? I mean, if ~160 people in the back are freaking out, don't you get a little jarred as well????

Doubt it..they fly often, see turbulence often..where the peeps in the back not only don't but can't do anything about it.

But severe and extreme turbulence are so rare that most pilots will never encounter them throughout their career.

Planes are built to withstand several times the force of turbulence that you’re ever likely to experience.

Not a airline driver but I've been stuck in wake turbulence from some big aircraft...it's really not that big of a deal but the people in the back don't like it and will often complain about the aircrew, altho they have little do do with it.

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Doubt it..they fly often, see turbulence often..where the peeps in the back not only don't but can't do anything about it.


Not a airline driver but I've been stuck in wake turbulence from some big aircraft...it's really not that big of a deal but the people in the back don't like it and will often complain about the aircrew, altho they have little do do with it.

OK, cool. Guess I'll just have another drink and relax....

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

OK, cool. Guess I'll just have another drink and relax....

pilots too....

KIDDING!!

[earlfoss]

It's interesting to read and hear what the real story is regarding employment in the aviation industry. At times it seems to contradict other statements that there's a shortage of pilots. Which one is true?

I have a friend who is quite young and flies commercially for a big airline. He loves it, and comes from an aviation background. He loves his job.

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by earlfoss

It's interesting to read and hear what the real story is regarding employment in the aviation industry. At times it seems to contradict other statements that there's a shortage of pilots. Which one is true?

I have a friend who is quite young and flies commercially for a big airline. He loves it, and comes from an aviation background. He loves his job.

Because he was in the right place at the right time and knew the right people. Obviously he is qualified but qualifications alone aren’t enough. Luck, timing and family/squadron buddies are very helpful.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by earlfoss

It's interesting to read and hear what the real story is regarding employment in the aviation industry. At times it seems to contradict other statements that there's a shortage of pilots. Which one is true?

I have a friend who is quite young and flies commercially for a big airline. He loves it, and comes from an aviation background. He loves his job.

Airlines hire what they need. If biz turns down, they furlough. Are airline guys retiring? Yup...but still a crap shoot. Timing is everything. Your logbook and ATP
‘May’ get you to the dance floor, may not get the pretty girl.

For the 3 airline drivers...Southwest still require a 737 type rating? Anybody else?

When I was rushing the airlines, the interview prep always included ‘possible’ answers to non Southwest interviews for those that spent the $ on a type rating...”so you don’t need a type rating to be hired here at United...if Southwest calls you will you be leaving?’..That and, “your captain won't wear his hat, what do you do?”

[azrider]

Love reading and hearing about all these experiences from first hand pilots. Thank you to those who have/are contributing. Keep them coming!

I fell in love with flying at young age as my uncle owned his own V-tailed Bonanza and took me up every time he visited. My dad was a Farmland manager and took airplane rides all the time to view crops and potential farms to buy and I tagged along every chance I got.

I think that NOT becoming a pilot is one of my biggest regrets in life. We live close to the Scottsdale airport and I routinely go over to the airport and watch the planes take-off and land with my kids.

[Red Tornado]

Originally Posted by cloudchaser

I second Yoshi's response. I was lucky enough to be at the right place and time to get on with a major, but not so lucky to get to spend the career in the left seat. Right seat in the 787 seeing the world suits me so well, I have no interest in being a domestic captain.

The times are so much better for some one starting out today. There are hiring and retention bonuses. Today you aren't making $24k starting out at a regional. Making $50k+ is more likely. All the US Majors have huge retirement numbers over the next decade, so the upside looks good. But there are unknowns. Both Airbus and Boeing are working on autonomous cockpits. Even if that comes to fruition as just a single pilot cockpit, that will have a huge affect on pilot hiring. The time and expense to get your ratings is huge. The military provides a cost effective way to do that, but you are locked in to 10+ years of service if you are active duty. The guard and reserves proved the ideal solution with the military training that airlines want and the part time work commitment that lets you start at the airlines much sooner. Civilian route can cost $100k+ to get your licenses and then you still need to build time.

It can be an awesome career. But if you aren't the kind of person who stops whatever you are doing in the backyard to gawk at everything the flies over, then it will be just a job.

I'm that guy. Live 2 miles away from our local regional airport. There's one airline with 4 or 5 flights in/out per day, plus a good amount of GA. Also have an L3 facility here and sometimes see some interesting equipment being tested. I will literally stop whatever I'm doing every time if outdoors and look skyward if I hear a plane. On solo rides, I will add a trip by the airport to my route and many times have taken a few minute break to watch a few take off or land.
When I was young I wanted to fly fighters, but that went out the window with glasses in 5th grade. Was still considering trying for transport, refuel, etc. but decided to choose a more conventional career once I hit college age. I don't mind engineering work as it's been reasonably stable, and put my kids through school, but it's still just a "job". I would say not more than a few days go by when I don't wish I would have pursued an aviation career. At 52 it's not reality and the private pilot thing is just too expensive. But if I could do it over......

[Ozz]

A friend of mine is a co-author on this book: Storm of Eagles

He has been to Oshkosh, as well as some shows in England...wherever he could meet and talk with the WWII pilots. He actually met the German pilot) who shot down his uncle prior to D-Day.

His idea of a vacation is to spend time in the National Archives looking at photos from WWII and finding ones that have not been published.

He has some great stories, as well as great photos....

[redir]

When I was 16 I worked for a couple years at my local airport. Danbury Airport in Connecticut. I loved that job. Started down the road to getting a Private Pilot license but it just got too expensive and I ended up moving.

Now, some 20 years later I often think about going back.

My brother is a Private Pilot but he has not flown in years too but we had some great flights back in the day.

[veggieburger]

Anyone been to the Warplane Heritage Museum at the Mount Hope, Ontario airport? Can't say enough good about it. What a cool experience....plus, ya know, a Lancaster..

https://www.warplane.com/

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by veggieburger

Anyone been to the Warplane Heritage Museum at the Mount Hope, Ontario airport? Can't say enough good about it. What a cool experience....plus, ya know, a Lancaster..

https://www.warplane.com/

Wow, Lancaster far more capable than the B-17 or B-24...just a butt load more B-17/24s..

[GregL]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Wow, Lancaster far more capable than the B-17 or B-24...just a butt load more B-17/24s..

My first summer out of college, I was flying a Piper Navajo Chieftain for a charter company. I had an all-day layover at the Hamilton, Ontario airport and went to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. The Lancaster was undergoing maintenance (possibly still under restoration). I was absolutely awestruck by the Lanc and struck up a conversation with one of the volunteers. When he discovered that I was a young commercial pilot and aeronautical engineer, he promptly drafted me into service. I spent several happy hours helping the real mechanics on the Lanc before I had to prepare for my return trip. Definitely one of the great memories of my flying career!

Greg

[Seramount]

Originally Posted by redir

When I was 16 I worked for a couple years at my local airport. Danbury Airport in Connecticut. I loved that job.

when I was 17, got a job as a ramp rat for a natural gas transmission company's corporate air force.

they had a pretty decent fleet of aircraft...Dassault Falcon, Sabreliner, two Lears, two Cessna 421s, and a Helio Courier used for pipeline patrol...

my first assignment was to take a .22 rifle with bird-shot and blow away the sparrows in the hangar that were crapping on the planes. after that, I got to prep the mini-bars, wash/wax planes, use a tug to tow planes to to the fuel dock and gas them up.

they wouldn't even have needed to pay me to do the work.

several times I got to sit right-seat on test hops...even got to take the yoke on a Lear once. I was in heaven...the salad days of my youth!

several of the mechanics and I were all sitting around one day watching a flight of military jets landing...the last plane to touch down shot past our hangar going WAY faster than any of the others.

we saw a couple of puffs of smoke come off the brakes, then the plane went off the end of the runway, thru a chain link fence, across a 4-lane highway and go nose-down in a drainage culvert.

saw emergency crews get the pilot out of the cockpit...the plane was seriously damaged. pretty exciting to watch, doubt it helped the pilot's career advancement tho.