The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

pclancy · 05-09-2011 3:40am #1

This thread is for people who are interested in a commercial career in flying to ask a qualified commercial pilot questions about their daily lives, technical/system questions, career guidance, licencing, how best to become an airline pilot etc

Over time it will become full of good nuggets of information and serve as a good reference point for people wanting a career in the flight deck.

It is not intended for general discussion, general aviation or PPL questions, chit-chat, discussion of sensitive hr/corporate airline information or anything that could break the A&A forum charter.

Asking Questions: Please only post if you are asking or answering a question so as to keep it nice and tidy. commercial pilots are requested to include their licence type, relevant rating held and hours in their response ie ATPL(F), 738, 500. I don't expect you to divulge your airline or personal details but at least it might serve as some proof to your credentials

We'll see how it goes and sticky if its busy enough.

Lustrum · 05-09-2011 9:27am

How far in advance do you know your roster? Do you know this week that next Monday you will fly Dublin-Heathrow-Dublin-Milan-Dublin or how does it work? Also I know that many pilots give out about missing birthdays and other occasions, but how easy is it to get someone to cover flights if there's something on that you really can't miss?

XWB · 05-09-2011 10:03am

Lustrum wrote: »

How far in advance do you know your roster? Do you know this week that next Monday you will fly Dublin-Heathrow-Dublin-Milan-Dublin or how does it work? Also I know that many pilots give out about missing birthdays and other occasions, but how easy is it to get someone to cover flights if there's something on that you really can't miss?

Ok 1st off my experiance and ratings..well ATPL, about 35 years or so in Aer Lingus, retired summer 2010(may be forced to make a return as there are not enough long haul commanders apperantly:rolleyes:), ratings on 737(2,3,4,5), 707, 747, Fokker 50, a330, a320 and a range of private jets. Overall over 32,000 flight hours(I actually had to go look at my logs for that...best I can make out I'd guess approx 22,000+ jet (to be honest I got to 22,000 and got sick of counting), 1000 prop and the rest is just cessna jollies to and from abbyshrule, weston etc and private adventures...and then there's sim time etc)

Ok roster question. It varies with season(and seniority;)) but usually you will have 3 weeks to a month's notice. Now I know the rosters now have got a bit tighter of late so that may be less, but I'd still imagine it to the somehwere in that region.
Generally if you get your request for a wife's birthday or anniversary or kids etc in before the roster is done up(so a month in advance) they try and help you out, though they may not always be able to. The only incidence of people getting late changes to their roster I know of was when their wife was about to pop and they got a call...generally then you'd find someone was sound enough to cover their sectors for them.
In my early days we used to chop and change all the time because life was more laid back then. In later years they got stricter on notice before you swapped(ie dont just show up and say your's covering..tell HR or someone).

Delta Kilo · 05-09-2011 10:17am

Great idea!

On short hall, how long roughly are the turn around times for an established/flag carrier airline. We all know of the target 25 mins in LCC but how long are they generally in airlines such as EI or BA for instance. Is it a case of go go go when on the ground or have you time to relax?

What do you do for lunch? Are you always on the A/C so you have to bring a packed lunch and eat it in between legs or is there any point during the day where you can leave the A/C for 30 mins and go to a crew room to relax or anything? Is it just the FO who does the pre flight inspection or do you rotate so each gets to "stretch the legs" between legs?

TyroneGal · 05-09-2011 10:18am

Minimum height restriction for commercial pilot? Do these still apply? I'm 157cm / 5ft 1.5" (female:-) ) They stipulate 5ft 2 / 5ft 3 for cabin crew so i'm assuming same for pilot :-S

XWB · 05-09-2011 10:51am

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Great idea!

On short hall, how long roughly are the turn around times for an established/flag carrier airline. We all know of the target 25 mins in LCC but how long are they generally in airlines such as EI or BA for instance. Is it a case of go go go when on the ground or have you time to relax?

What do you do for lunch? Are you always on the A/C so you have to bring a packed lunch and eat it in between legs or is there any point during the day where you can leave the A/C for 30 mins and go to a crew room to relax or anything? Is it just the FO who does the pre flight inspection or do you rotate so each gets to "stretch the legs" between legs?

About 40 mins or so depending on delays, slots etc.

You can leave the aircraft for your walk around to stretch the legs and you get a break for a quick bite to eat between legs. Usually every 2nd leg you might eat something. But generally even inflight you can have a nibble if needs be. In my day the hostess would bring you a cuppa and bikkie, I think cos cutting means you have to bring your own...as long as it isnt sushi or raw eggs...or spanish water:D

TyroneGal -

Minimum height restriction for commercial pilot? Do these still apply? I'm 157cm / 5ft 1.5" (female:-) ) They stipulate 5ft 2 / 5ft 3 for cabin crew so i'm assuming same for pilot :-S

Yes they do apply. It's down to cockpit ergonomics(spelling may be wrong). Basically if you're short you wont reach the overhead panel...or if you have stubby little legs you might not reach the rudder. When I applied it was 5'4 but I'm not sure about that now.

Lustrum · 05-09-2011 11:39am

XWB unless a few more pilots turn up here you may be a busy man!

With regard to the type ratings, I understand they're only valid for 1 year so are they renewed by keeping current and in-flight training or do you have to have a proficiency test every year?

Also I presume your ratings on the older 737s for example are out of date, so if you wanted to renew them for say a 737 NG would it be less work for you than for someone who was getting their first rating ie. is there a fast track method because you previously had a similar rating? Same goes for stepping up from A320 to A330?

Thanks for your time for all this and the AL stuff by the way

xflyer · 05-09-2011 1:01pm

XWB unless a few more pilots turn up here you may be a busy man!

Well I would help but it does say 'airline pilot'. So I'm excluded.

Walks away sadly:(

But there are a few airline pilots who visit here. They'll chip in.

Not me though, I'll just go back in my box........sigh!

XWB · 05-09-2011 1:48pm

xflyer wrote: »

Well I would help but it does say 'airline pilot'. So I'm excluded.

Walks away sadly:(

But there are a few airline pilots who visit here. They'll chip in.

Not me though, I'll just go back in my box........sigh!

Of course we can make an exception for you xflyer!

Lustrum -

XWB unless a few more pilots turn up here you may be a busy man!

With regard to the type ratings, I understand they're only valid for 1 year so are they renewed by keeping current and in-flight training or do you have to have a proficiency test every year?

Also I presume your ratings on the older 737s for example are out of date, so if you wanted to renew them for say a 737 NG would it be less work for you than for someone who was getting their first rating ie. is there a fast track method because you previously had a similar rating? Same goes for stepping up from A320 to A330?

Thanks for your time for all this and the AL stuff by the way

It can depend on the airline. In Aer Lingus you do recurrent training so that doubles up a bit. You renew your IR also on a yearly basis so it is all rolled into one. As far as I know if you are off the line for over 28 days you have to hop in for a quick whizz in the sim, although I'm not 100% on what the timescale is...28 is a rough guess. I wont lie however, to a certain extent the senior pilots tend to intimidate standards into passing them and tend to get a little less "guff" of the standards examiner. There are also spot checks etc for knowledge and ability so always throw an eye over your ATPL manuals, ops books and all your TR written materials if you have a day off and are idle.
To cut a long story short..you wont go a year without being checked for something and they tend to check it all at once then.

I am not overly familier with the systems on the 737NG, but if they are similer to the 737-500 I would take to it quicker, but I'd have to go through all the same hoops, I'd just find it a fair bit easier than a newbie.

A320 to A330 is quite easy as the systems are more or less the same and the A330 is designed to be easy to convert to from other Airbus a/c.
Now when I did my A330 TR I was going 747 to A330, having flown 737s and the 707 before that, so it was a bit of a "culture shock" starting on the A330. But from what I was told by former A320 FOs, the A330 is more or less a bigger A320.
I only flew about 4 sectors on the line in the A320, I was mostly long haul from '92 onwards

pamsym · 05-09-2011 2:29pm

Before I write, I am not assuming that I will recieive a call for an interview for the EI cadetship but 1) I like to stay optimistic and 2) I plan on being an airline pilot with or without the cadetship and will therefore hopefully some day face an interview.

So.....if anyone has any helpful info/tips on what to expect in the pilot interview process I would be very grateful to hear. Is there any way to prepare for a group assessment? Can someone with a little flying experience expect a bit of a technical grilling in the interview (admittedly that question is cadetship specific)?

XWB · 05-09-2011 2:58pm

pamsym wrote: »

Before I write, I am not assuming that I will recieive a call for an interview for the EI cadetship but 1) I like to stay optimistic and 2) I plan on being an airline pilot with or without the cadetship and will therefore hopefully some day face an interview.

So.....if anyone has any helpful info/tips on what to expect in the pilot interview process I would be very grateful to hear. Is there any way to prepare for a group assessment? Can someone with a little flying experience expect a bit of a technical grilling in the interview (admittedly that question is cadetship specific)?

For a cadetship they will not expect a speech on turbine engines, however they will expect you to have some small degree to aircraft knowledge if it is your chosen passion. They may infact ask you if you have any technical knowledge and get you to list off what you know. Perhaps "do you know anything about the aircraft we operate". You can then tell them anything..be it a technical description of the aircraft or some points on airbus's marketing strategy when they put it into service. Give whatever you have. Just dont make it seem like you learned off a load of info to throw out at them. Be sincere.

For DE interviews you MUST have a technical knowledge and will be grilled indepth on certain systems and componants of the aircraft.

You cannot prepare for the group assesment really...it's a personality based exercise and you are who you are.

el tel · 05-09-2011 3:35pm

If you dont mind, i have a couple of Airplane-related questions:

You ever…seen a grown man naked?

Do you…like movies about gladiators?

Have you ever been…in a Turkish Prison?

XWB · 05-09-2011 4:40pm

el tel wrote: »

If you dont mind, i have a couple of Airplane-related questions:

You ever…seen a grown man naked?

Do you…like movies about gladiators?

Have you ever been…in a Turkish Prison?

Yes

Yes

And it was more the other way round;)

.....and dont call me Shirley

Priority Right · 05-09-2011 4:50pm

I'm new here. Used to be a member but haven't posted in years but have been keeping an eye on aviation forum. I used to fly for BMI and now I'm with another airline. Type rated on A320 and have flown 320 the 319 and 321. Roughly 2500 hours.

In both the airlines I've worked for we got our schedule in the middle of the month and that covers all the next month. We don't have seniority so everyone gets their fair share of flying and days off 5/3/5/4.

Who does the walkaround depends on who is flying the next sector. So you on a 4 sector day you usually do 2.

We do two sims every year. 1 every six month that runs over 2 days. It's intense but I'd hate to be flying without it. One of these sims renews our IR.

Edit to ask XWB. Do Aer Lingus not provide food for their staff?

scholar007 · 05-09-2011 5:00pm

Something thats been bothering me for a while now.

Ya know when you're barrelling down the runway and ya reach V1 - time for take off and ya pull back on the yokibob - how does the plane know its time to fly - like why doesn't it keep going in a straight line? What does pulling back on the stick and rotating tell the plane to do?

Sorry if I am not explaining this correctly. Thanks Captain.

XWB · 05-09-2011 5:04pm

Priority Right wrote: »

Edit to ask XWB. Do Aer Lingus not provide food for their staff?

They do but It's nothing special and you cant get very much. In the old days we could raid the cart when we were on the ground...they dont allow that nowadays!:D
Gone are the days of 30 cans of coke and a box of cadbury's in the boot of the car after a trip across the atlantic!

XWB · 05-09-2011 5:07pm

scholar007 wrote: »

Something thats been bothering me for a while now.

Ya know when you're barrelling down the runway and ya reach V1 - time for take off and ya pull back on the yokibob - how does the plane know its time to fly - like why doesn't it keep going in a straight line? What does pulling back on the stick and rotating tell the plane to do?

Sorry if I am not explaining this correctly. Thanks Captain.

V1 is the speed at which you are commited to flight. Vr is rotation speed. Pulling back on the stick angles the elevator up and so the aerdynamic forces cause the nose to pitch up and the wing's angle of attack increases so the lift force is greater in relation to weight and the aircraft climbs.

Would you believe...35 years and I actually had to have a think about how to explain that! haha

nag · 05-09-2011 6:13pm

What's involved in getting a type rating? (let's assume a B737 or A320 with no previous jet experience)
How many hours in the sim / how many hours in the aircraft?
What is it that you practise during the type rating?
How much study is required?
etc etc.

Priority Right · 05-09-2011 6:35pm

Well once you have the cpl/ir and mcc course done it takes a few weeks ground school and a few sim sessions.

I did the ground school in 2 weeks of very intensive study and after the 2 weeks we did 2 days of exams. Then into the simulator where we had 40 hours or so.

In the sim it's all about emergencies. Engine failure on take-off before and after v1. Failures in flight. Fire, smoke, systems failures. It's only 4 hours per day in the sim but you'll be exhausted everyday. The hours before/after are spent preparing for that sim or one the next day.

Then you do base training. 6 touch and go's in an empty plane. That's good fun and not near as daunting as some people think. First day of line training happens soon after. Depends on the airline how many hours. For BMI it was 75 hours. For current airline as we were experienced it was 20. That's flying with passengers on regular routes except the captain is a trainer and keeps a big big lookout for everything you do. Ends in a linecheck where you have to prove you can fly with regular captains and deal with the things that happen every day.

XWB · 05-09-2011 6:42pm

Priority Right wrote: »

Well once you have the cpl/ir and mcc course done it takes a few weeks ground school and a few sim sessions.

I did the ground school in 2 weeks of very intensive study and after the 2 weeks we did 2 days of exams. Then into the simulator where we had 40 hours or so.

In the sim it's all about emergencies. Engine failure on take-off before and after v1. Failures in flight. Fire, smoke, systems failures. It's only 4 hours per day in the sim but you'll be exhausted everyday. The hours before/after are spent preparing for that sim or one the next day.

Then you do base training. 6 touch and go's in an empty plane. That's good fun and not near as daunting as some people think. First day of line training happens soon after. Depends on the airline how many hours. For BMI it was 75 hours. For current airline as we were experienced it was 20. That's flying with passengers on regular routes except the captain is a trainer and keeps a big big lookout for everything you do. Ends in a linecheck where you have to prove you can fly with regular captains and deal with the things that happen every day.

Base training is good craic. I used to do them on the Fokker...lots of loud coughing to point out slight errors

I remember Dublin was brk003 one dirty morning and I said to the guy "Hmmm looks like we may not be able to get up" he replied "Ronaldsway looks good though..." to be honest I pretty much passed him on the spot in my head!

Always show a willingness to overcome problems and get the job done! Dont shy off!

Just a heads up for this thread....I will launch off into stories and examples of things I've experianced so if the mods feel I'm floating off point just let me know!

Skuxx · 05-09-2011 8:03pm

So XWB, are you a Boeing or an Airbus man?? Having type ratings on both, what do you feel are the good and bad points of each A/C?

Alos, if you were to go back 35 years, would you do it all again??

Darwin · 05-09-2011 8:07pm

On a recent Ryanair flight, the cabin steward mentioned three names when referring to the pilots before the standard safety briefing. The last was introduced as 'senior captain'. Just curious as to why this might be, e.g. a training captain sitting in the jump seat? Thanks both XWB and Priority Right for taking the time to fill us in..its fascinating stuff!

XWB · 05-09-2011 8:29pm

alan1990 wrote: »

So XWB, are you a Boeing or an Airbus man?? Having type ratings on both, what do you feel are the good and bad points of each A/C?

Alos, if you were to go back 35 years, would you do it all again??

I liked the boeing aircraft because they required a lot more interaction with the aircraft itself and you could "feel" it all happening. However often warnings would be displayed quite a bit after an event took place and the safety systems allowed the aircraft to get into a fair bit of bother before it would let you know. That being said I flew on older series models and these kinks may well be ironed out. However I was told that the old retard flare issues on approach had not been resolved and are occuring in the NG to this day.

I liked the Airbus because it was easy to fly and gave you a good idea of what was going on around you. However it tended to make decisions on it's own and I cannot say they were always correct courses of action. I could have seen a few being very dangerous. Often times I had to tell the autopilot to piss off and take control to right the situation. One A330 in particular liked to decent on autoland to 800 feet and then level off for no reason...we reported it but a fault was never found. It's out of service now.

Back 35 years?
Yes of course I would. I wouldnt trade my time in Aer Lingus for anything. Even now I miss it and would go back for a few contracts if the correct terms were offered. I've been a pilot longer than I suspect many of you have been alive and it was and still is my life. I went away on holidays soon after I retired. I flew to New York as a passenger and I felt sad that I was no longer doing it everyday.

05-09-2011 8:37pm

XWB wrote: »

Back 35 years?
Yes of course I would. I wouldnt trade my time in Aer Lingus for anything. Even now I miss it and would go back for a few contracts if the correct terms were offered. I've been a pilot longer than I suspect many of you have been alive and it was and still is my life. I went away on holidays soon after I retired. I flew to New York as a passenger and I felt sad that I was no longer doing it everyday.

and you probably got out at a great time with a great pension (probably defined benefit which is gone forever now!). pilots in the states are being paid peanuts these days. Do you see that happening over here?

XWB · 05-09-2011 8:42pm

glasso wrote: »

and you probably got out at a great time with a great pension (probably defined benefit which is gone forever now!). pilots in the states are being paid peanuts these days. Do you see that happening over here?

Yes I did I suppose. We were bribed into leaving really. But I miss being airbourne.

I dont think people over here will ever swallow what Americans do. See pilots here work and are trained to a higher more intense level. FAA regulations are "loose" to say the least.

pclancy · 05-09-2011 10:23pm

Ok apologies Xflyer and any freight-dogs or commercial flyers, I didnt mean to exclude non-airline folks just wanted a level of credability in the answers. So lets say CPL or above would that be cool?

There's no problem if XWB or anyone else wants to light up their pipe and tell some old flying stories, the idea is to give potential career pilots and wanabees an idea of the lifestyle and the reality of the job so the more subject matter (good or bad) the better! The only thing we don't want (for legal reasons) is any bashing of former employers or fellow staff. Keep it clean and it will become a good read for all.

Lustrum · 06-09-2011 7:34am

Do any of you feel your personalities in the cockpit changed much over the years as you got more used to the right hand seat and then (no doubt) the left hand seat? Are there some f/o's that have sat in beside you on day 1 and you just know this guy is going to make captain, or do you feel a pilot can be made into a good captain over the years by experience picked up in the RHS?

What's the most spectacular or hardest place you've ever had to fly in to?

ragg · 06-09-2011 8:03am

If you had a specially designed treadmill and managed tp get up to sufficient speed, could a plane take off from it?

Tenger · 06-09-2011 9:22am

ragg wrote: »

If you had a specially designed treadmill and managed tp get up to sufficient speed, could a plane take off from it?

I doubt it. Unless your treadmill had a aerodynamic body with aerofoil wings attached to provide lift. The speed of an aircraft is there to get airflow over the wing which provides the lift.....(I hope I got that right!)

Squirrel · 06-09-2011 9:42am

What's the most dangerous situation you've found yourself in and how did you react to it?

Commercial pilot is my dream job really but unfortunately the cost is far too high for me. I'd love to get into it in years to come.

Delta Kilo · 06-09-2011 9:53am

ragg wrote: »

If you had a specially designed treadmill and managed tp get up to sufficient speed, could a plane take off from it?

Tenger wrote: »

I doubt it. Unless your treadmill had a aerodynamic body with aerofoil wings attached to provide lift. The speed of an aircraft is there to get airflow over the wing which provides the lift.....(I hope I got that right!)

I think it was debated here before but the answer is yes, the aircraft will still take off.

It doesnt matter what the wheels do under the plane, so long as the plane could pull itself through the air it will still move. The ground can travel at mach 1 if it wishes, once the aircraft applies enough thrust to move forward it will have no impact. The drive that allows an aircraft to move forward does not go to the wheels of the aircraft unlike a car.

I heard an analogy used before. Imagine being on a treadmill with roller blades on. You are holding onto the handle of the treadmill. You pull with your hands. You still move forwards despite the treadmill moving the opposite direction. Your arms pulling you forward on the treadmill is the same as the engines providing the thrust to push it forward.

If you were travelling along at 100mph in your plane and there was a tailwind of 100mph too, then it would be interesting!

Keeping with the thread:

From a professional perspective, how impressive was Captain Sullenberger landing that plane in the Hudson? Sheer luck, aircraft capabilities, exceptional flying ability or a combination of all?

Priority Right · 06-09-2011 10:15am

I never got to fly with captains that had god complexes. 99% of them are sound and you have a great laugh through the day and can go for beers on a day off with them. I know a guy who flew in Asia and the FO was told "gear up, flaps up, shut up". So in some places the captains do think they are gods but crew resource management stopped that in Europe at least. That's not to say the FO doesn't have respect for captains. They have more hours/experience usually (I know some FOs from RAF/Italian airforce etc who have thousands of hours) and at the end of the day it is their signature and decision unless it's completely daft then you respect it.

Most dangerous situation I was ever in. Nothing in a jet yet thank god. In a single piston I flew into a thunderstorm that nearly ripped the plane apart. Don't go near storms is imprinted in my soul now.

The Hudson incident was impressive. I'm not sure that the flying was anything special but the decision making to go for the Hudson was brilliant. No hesitation just decide and that alone is great in my book. Lots of luck in missing bridges etc. Great because it gets people to stop listening to Ryanair bull about only needing 1 pilot/ only bus drivers etc.

Another incident I think is impressive is the 777 that crash landed in Heathrow years ago. If the pilot hadn't raised the flaps to a lesser degree they wouldn't have made the airport boundary and might have hit some houses. That might not sound impressive but imagine working for 30/40 years with nothing ever really bad happening and then you have 5 seconds to make the correct decision. Brilliant bit of flying imo.

jessiesmom · 06-09-2011 10:23am

please can i ask you 2 questions, i have a 10 yr old who loves flying and knows the majority of aircraft and always wanted to know, do you have windscreen wipers in the cockpit and also do the plane start with a button or a key !!!!!! you will make me so happy if i have an answer for her !!!:)

we went with onur air to turkey last year and she was speaking a little turkish with the air crew and the captain but was too shy to ask to see inside the cockpit but i dont think your allowed to do that anymore?? when we landed the captain gave her a model airplane and a pilot teddy, she was well chuffed

wittymoniker · 06-09-2011 10:42am

jessiesmom wrote: »

please can i ask you 2 questions, i have a 10 yr old who loves flying and knows the majority of aircraft and always wanted to know, do you have windscreen wipers in the cockpit and also do the plane start with a button or a key !!!!!! you will make me so happy if i have an answer for her !!!:) we went with onur air to turkey last year and she was speaking a little turkish with the air crew and the captain but was too shy to ask to see inside the cockpit but i dont think your allowed to do that anymore?? when we landed the captain gave her a model airplane and a pilot teddy, she was well chuffed

Great questions! Yes, most modern airliners have wipers, we use them at takeoff and landing in heavy rain but modern aircraft also have hydrophobic windows which repel the water and they work very well.

Small planes I've flown start with a key or button, just like a car. Big ones I've flown start with a switch to suck air through the engine in order to get it turning, then we have another switch to introduce the fuel and ignition source, the rest happens automatically as long as all else is normal. Happy landings!

ATPL 744 16,000 hrs.

Priority Right · 06-09-2011 10:52am

Next time you're flying jessiesmom ask the cabin crew when you're on the ground and they'll let you see the flightdeck. We get people in every day taking pictures while on the ground. Young and old. It's great to see it.

Keedowah · 06-09-2011 11:56am

Do some pilots fly the same route day in day out or do they hop around, say, Europe till they get home? And could they be on this schedule for week/months?

I've listened to air traffic control a few times and it can be bloody tough to understand in parts. Any funny stories from that? Do all controllers use English at major airports around the world or how does it work?

To be captain do you have to grow a moustache?

el tel · 06-09-2011 1:59pm

Accidently put this link in the wrong the wrong thread:

http://www.askcaptainlim.com/

All your flying/wannabe questions and queries answered

XWB · 06-09-2011 2:25pm

Lustrum wrote: »

What's the most spectacular or hardest place you've ever had to fly in to?

Madeira because the wind changes direction about 2 miles out at a a point called Rosario due to a valley....we reported a 15 knot loss to the tower and he just said "1st time into Madeira?"

I've listened to air traffic control a few times and it can be bloody tough to understand in parts. Any funny stories from that? Do all controllers use English at major airports around the world or how does it work?

We're all like that to start but you get your ear into it. To be honest you know 90% or so of what he will say!

When I was flying into Logan in the late 90s there was a lotta chop on the approach and we got a little to high and fast so I called "Shamrock 133 heavy going around" the controller responded "Negative Shamrock Heavey Piper arrow in airfield vicinity" to which I replied "Negative Shamrock 133 Heavy is going around". There was a bit of a kangaroo court case at Logan ATC after that. You cannot do anything without a clearance to do it, but you DO NOT have to accept one if you feel it unsafe! I made a command decision, I would not risk the 200+ people on board so some guy in his arrow could avoid a few bumps.

What's the most dangerous situation you've found yourself in and how did you react to it?

Oil pressure to the number 3 engine on Big Ed(747) was at 0(it read zero) we shud the engine down and kept going on 3 and it turned out to be a faulty gauge...however had the oil pressure actually been 0 and we didnt shut down the engine would have torn itself apart and the wing with it and we'd have been fish food.

Keedowah · 06-09-2011 2:44pm

Is there a particular airport that you enjoy flying into? Why?

darraghw · 06-09-2011 2:50pm

I've recently decided to embark on a career as a commercial pilot and have a few questions regarding choosing the right school. Just a bit of background on myself i've just completed an engineering degree and have hons leaving cert maths and physics managed to do a couple of lessons to get a feel for things. I've applied to the el and ba cadetships but if i'm not successful there i'l have to do it myself.

Ultimately does the school you attend affect your job opportunities? Or is there some schools that could be recommended other then oxford or jerez? I was looking into atlantic air in cork as an alternative because of the potential savings on the training cost. Any recommendations or suggestions would be greatly appreciated cause i'm getting a bit bogged down with all the information out there.

Thanks.

XWB · 06-09-2011 2:56pm

darraghw wrote: »

I've recently decided to embark on a career as a commercial pilot and have a few questions regarding choosing the right school. Just a bit of background on myself i've just completed an engineering degree and have hons leaving cert maths and physics managed to do a couple of lessons to get a feel for things. I've applied to the el and ba cadetships but if i'm not successful there i'l have to do it myself.

Ultimately does the school you attend affect your job opportunities? Or is there some schools that could be recommended other then oxford or jerez? I was looking into atlantic air in cork as an alternative because of the potential savings on the training cost. Any recommendations or suggestions would be greatly appreciated cause i'm getting a bit bogged down with all the information out there.

Thanks.

The way the market is now go for atlantic or NFC. You have some dosh and the job oppertunities are the same. It's all FR, RE and Cityjet for newly fATPLed young pilots these days. Aer Lingus will usually take the bulk of DE candidates from other airlines then it seems

Priority Right · 06-09-2011 3:24pm

We fly different sectors everyday. So today I flew to Toulouse. Tomorrow I might fly to Milan etc.

I used to enjoy flying into Moscow because you never know what to expect. Now I love flying into Dubrovnik and Nice because the visual approaches can be fun and amazing scenery.

If I was starting training again I would go to CTC or Oxford. Expensive but them guys seem to walk into jobs. If you go another way it can take time. I was unemployed for 2 years after training so that's why I think that but others have different opinions so it's what looks good to you at the end of the day.

scudzilla · 06-09-2011 3:47pm

When ya do long haul how many day (s) off do ya get on the other side??

An old school friend of mine used to be a trolley dolley and when he flew to West Coast U.S.A he had 2/3 days off all expenses paid, does this still happen?

Squirrel · 06-09-2011 4:50pm

XWB wrote: »

Oil pressure to the number 3 engine on Big Ed(747) was at 0(it read zero) we shud the engine down and kept going on 3 and it turned out to be a faulty gauge...however had the oil pressure actually been 0 and we didnt shut down the engine would have torn itself apart and the wing with it and we'd have been fish food.

Just on this, how often are instruments faulty or give different readings for pilot and co-pilot? And actually, what do you say to the passengers when something like the above happens?

I'm also interested in the comparisons between flight schools, I have a cousin who was in Jerez and he's doing well for himself anyway.

A big thank you to XWB and Priority Right and all other pilots answering.

nag · 06-09-2011 7:31pm

Priority Right wrote: »

Then you do base training. 6 touch and go's in an empty plane. That's good fun and not near as daunting as some people think. First day of line training happens soon after. Depends on the airline how many hours. For BMI it was 75 hours. For current airline as we were experienced it was 20. That's flying with passengers on regular routes except the captain is a trainer and keeps a big big lookout for everything you do. Ends in a linecheck where you have to prove you can fly with regular captains and deal with the things that happen every day.

So at which point do you get your type rating? Do you get it once you've completed your linecheck or do you get it after base training... or something?
I'm confused because I know some people will pay for a type rating without a job offer. So does this mean that after all the training in the sim etc, they won't actually get the rating until they get a job flying that aircraft type?

donvito99 · 06-09-2011 8:38pm

Too any pilots who were flying then, what was it like in the days after 9/11 (topical, I know)? Was anyone in that airspace at the time?

I'm guessing it was sombre, eery as to what the future might bring to the industry etc.

Priority Right · 07-09-2011 8:57am

nag wrote: »

So at which point do you get your type rating? Do you get it once you've completed your linecheck or do you get it after base training... or something?
I'm confused because I know some people will pay for a type rating without a job offer. So does this mean that after all the training in the sim etc, they won't actually get the rating until they get a job flying that aircraft type?

Once you finish your simulator and do the base training then you have your type rating. Line training happens with your company and has nothing to do with the license. But base training only happens with first type rating. So if I moved to a330 I wouldn't have to do that part again.

christy c · 07-09-2011 11:29am

XWB wrote: »

When I was flying into Logan in the late 90s there was a lotta chop on the approach and we got a little to high and fast so I called "Shamrock 133 heavy going around" the controller responded "Negative Shamrock Heavey Piper arrow in airfield vicinity" to which I replied "Negative Shamrock 133 Heavy is going around". There was a bit of a kangaroo court case at Logan ATC after that. You cannot do anything without a clearance to do it, but you DO NOT have to accept one if you feel it unsafe! I made a command decision, I would not risk the 200+ people on board so some guy in his arrow could avoid a few bumps.

I understand that you had to go around, but how did you know the piper was not going to be in the way? Just curious

By the way thanks for your contribution so far, it makes very interesting reading.

pclancy · 07-09-2011 11:51am

What is the furthest away from final that you are allowed to turn off the autopilot if youre visual and in the mood to hand fly?

Mister Jingles · 07-09-2011 12:42pm

One big question I think all people who would love to become a pilot want to know is how much Maths is involved in training and how much do you use when flying ?

Also do you's ever need to use stuff like trigonometry & geometry and all that malarkey which make people fail there leaving cert maths ?

wittymoniker · 07-09-2011 3:00pm

pclancy wrote: »

What is the furthest away from final that you are allowed to turn off the autopilot if youre visual and in the mood to hand fly?

As soon as you leave RVSM airspace.

The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

Comments