The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

dman15333 · 12-06-2012 12:09am

If you trained for a Boeing 757, and then you have to train for a Boeing 767,how much time does it take for the additional training and whats the max amount of hours you would have to do in a sim.

Thanks
D

Delta Kilo · 12-06-2012 4:50am

Im not a pilot but I think the 757 and 767 share the same rating, so if you are rated on one you are also rated on the other. Either that or there is a minimal change over.

LeftBase · 12-06-2012 11:49am

At an airline interview what exactly do they look at per say?

Do they look at your training record and ATPL results? Or do they just take your fATPL as done and concentrate on your as a person and your knowledge etc?

What would be a good feather to have in your cap when going for your 1st job?

dman15333 · 13-06-2012 2:52pm

How many leaving cert points do you need to be accepted into training?

LeftBase · 13-06-2012 5:46pm

dman15333 wrote: »

How many leaving cert points do you need to be accepted into training?

It isnt based on the CAO. Strictly speaking you dont need a leaving cert. One school quotes 320 but as long as you have the Gs nobody gives a toss.

Priority Right · 13-06-2012 6:26pm

@ Lustrum. Most people know the books pretty well. Any emergency will be remembered to be recalled in an instant. The QRH everyone should know within a page or two where to find something as it's normally quite important. Everything else in the FCOM etc just a general overview of them and where to find it. But it really shouldn't take more than a few seconds to find something.

@dman I don't know about boeing but on Airbus to convert from an A320 rating to an A330 only takes 3 days. To an A380 takes 1 week.

@ Leftbase. Every airline is different. Some airlines don't care about your written ATPL results but do want you to be a good hands on pilot. Others concentrate on the written. One airline I went to was all about practical flying and asking scenario based questions. Another was all about my life before flying and had to show how I could deal with stress. None asked about my ATPLs (however I'd passed a sim and tech exam by this stage). Aer Lingus as far as I know do concentrate on the Atpl results etc. Atpl results does not make a pilot good. I know a guy with a 98% average and can't fly for sh!t.

LeftBase · 13-06-2012 6:35pm

Priority Right wrote: »

@ Leftbase. Every airline is different. Some airlines don't care about your written ATPL results but do want you to be a good hands on pilot. Others concentrate on the written. One airline I went to was all about practical flying and asking scenario based questions. Another was all about my life before flying and had to show how I could deal with stress. None asked about my ATPLs (however I'd passed a sim and tech exam by this stage). Aer Lingus as far as I know do concentrate on the Atpl results etc. Atpl results does not make a pilot good. I know a guy with a 98% average and can't fly for sh!t.

Aw ok I see. What's the tech exam like? Similar to the ATPL tech exam or different?

Priority Right · 13-06-2012 6:50pm

50 questions all dealing with the A320 and air law. Some very obscure ones combining different primary failures and which secondary failures would that certain combination lead to. Multiple choice and very hard. Out of the 4 people that were there on the day I was the only one to pass. But then another interview there was no paper exam just a face to face and he asked me the visual differences between a 777 and A330 along with best way to handle a "Westcot snatch" on the approach to Heathrow. (Shortcut that leaves you high and fast.)

Lustrum · 13-06-2012 8:31pm

Priority Right wrote: »

... along with best way to handle a "Westcot snatch" on the approach to Heathrow. (Shortcut that leaves you high and fast.)

Can I have the answer to this one please? Just in case I'm lucky enough to get an interview and be asked this

Priority Right · 13-06-2012 9:34pm

Lustrum wrote: »

Can I have the answer to this one please? Just in case I'm lucky enough to get an interview and be asked this

You won't be unless you've already being based in Heathrow. They wouldn't ask a question that's unfair. If you've being based at another airport they might ask a question relevant to that.

But the answer is to wind the speed right up, full speedbrake and landing lights out. Or wind the speed down a bit then drop the gear and speed up again. Say you're aware of terrain, turbulence, traffic, cabin pressure rate and plane limits etc and then they're happy.

LeftBase · 13-06-2012 10:14pm

Priority Right wrote: »

50 questions all dealing with the A320 and air law. Some very obscure ones combining different primary failures and which secondary failures would that certain combination lead to. Multiple choice and very hard. Out of the 4 people that were there on the day I was the only one to pass. But then another interview there was no paper exam just a face to face and he asked me the visual differences between a 777 and A330 along with best way to handle a "Westcot snatch" on the approach to Heathrow. (Shortcut that leaves you high and fast.)

Is that for someone already a320 rated with a few 1000 hours then?

What's it like when fresh off the fATPL production line?

Priority Right · 13-06-2012 10:33pm

LeftBase wrote: »

Is that for someone already a320 rated with a few 1000 hours then?

What's it like when fresh off the fATPL production line?

Yeah usually if you have hours on type it's type specific.

Fresh off the line? I was asked about the IR and some basic ATPL questions. E.g what happens to indicated airspeed as you climb. What happens to Mach No. as you climb. Describe what happens in a thunderstorm. Show how you cope under pressure and of course company questions.

LeftBase · 13-06-2012 11:45pm

Priority Right wrote: »

Yeah usually if you have hours on type it's type specific.

Fresh off the line? I was asked about the IR and some basic ATPL questions. E.g what happens to indicated airspeed as you climb. What happens to Mach No. as you climb. Describe what happens in a thunderstorm. Show how you cope under pressure and of course company questions.

IAS remains constant in climb and Mach No increases if climbing at constant IAS right? IAS will decrease as excess power decreases however right?

:pac:

dman15333 · 14-06-2012 3:02am

Is it true that if you train with the airforce, you don't have to pay as much money for training as a newbie would, or would you still have to go through all training.
Thanks

LeftBase · 14-06-2012 7:13pm

dman15333 wrote: »

Is it true that if you train with the airforce, you don't have to pay as much money for training as a newbie would, or would you still have to go through all training.
Thanks

Well 1st off a place as a pilot in the air corps is like winning the lotto. Secondly a lot of them fly helicopters and don't get much fixed wing time, although some do. Depends really what you do in the air corps. You will get your ATPLs done and basic flight training. I think you may need to do your IR after leaving as I know at least one guy who is former air corps that had to do an IR after.
Looking at it from a pay point of view is very wrong as you have to sign up to a 12 year contract with the air corps and then you have no guarantee of a job with a commercial fixed wing airline when you leave(I believe Ryanair class the air corps as a "previous company"). It's 60k v 12 years of your life really and some air corps officers dont get too many hours in the air.

I considered the Air Corps but made the decision that I was better off keeping my 12 years and putting them towards command in an airline. Look at it this way...after 12 years you could be with EK earning your weight in gold if you didn't join the Air Corps!:pac:

You should do the research yourself and make your own decision based on your own circumstances. When I spoke to the Air Corps they said that if I wanted to be a commercial pilot to do that, and if I wanted to be an Air Corps pilot to join up, but that I shouldn't join the Air Corps as a stepping stone to the airlines, because it isn't one really anymore!

dman15333 · 14-06-2012 7:24pm

Thanks for the info.
I plan on starting training in about a year and a few of my friends are saying that joining the air corp is the easiest way and cheapest to get your license.

I wont be going through the air corp, didnt really fancy it anyway.

Thanks

LeftBase · 26-06-2012 8:01pm

What's the average yearly hours in Ryanair? I know it depends on base etc, but what's a ball park?

I was told RE is 800 a year.

Tenger · 26-06-2012 10:58pm

LeftBase wrote: »

What's the average yearly hours in Ryanair? I know it depends on base etc, but what's a ball park?

I was told RE is 800 a year.

Current legal max is 900, also there is a 100 hour max in 28 days. I would guess that FR try to keep those hours high for productivity purposes.
I am not sure if FR use a rolling 12 months or a fixed term 12 months. I am sure you are looking at 850+ per year.

*The hours noted above relate to Flight hours, they do not count time on duty outside of the cockpit. So no moronic statements about 'only working 16 hours a week'

Growler!!! · 27-06-2012 3:21pm

LeftBase wrote: »

What's the average yearly hours in Ryanair? I know it depends on base etc, but what's a ball park?

I was told RE is 800 a year.

As mentioned above expect to do 850+ and to get up to 2 months unpaid leave.
RE Max hours is the same -900 flight hours spread over 12 months.
Max duty hours for 12 months is 2000 hours.

Tenger wrote: »

*The hours noted above relate to Flight hours, they do not count time on duty outside of the cockpit. So no moronic statements about 'only working 16 hours a week'

Thank the stars somebody mentioned this.

View Profile · 27-06-2012 5:27pm

The reality in a lot of Ryanair bases is FO's are getting fewer hours than previous years. Think more around the 750 hour mark.

Captains will work close to their maximum.

Geekness1234 · 27-06-2012 8:06pm

Do airlines name their planes at all? I think easy jet does,not sure though.

Our man in Havana · 27-06-2012 8:13pm

Most airlines do.

Priority Right · 27-06-2012 9:20pm

Geekness1234 wrote: »

Do airlines name their planes at all? I think easy jet does,not sure though.

No they don't name all their planes. They name some like "The Pride of Malta" or "Lisbon" to launch routes. But that's it.

Same with ryanair.

Our man in Havana · 27-06-2012 9:42pm

All EI planes are named after saints.

Tenger · 28-06-2012 9:54am

Geekness1234 wrote: »

Do airlines name their planes at all? I think easy jet does,not sure though.

Some do, some don't. And the ones that do don't really make a big deal out it. Virgin Atlantic do however try to link the name and the reg, which is a cool idea. Jetblue also include 'blue' in the name of each aircraft. Makes no difference in the grand scheme of things however.

KLM, Aer Lingus, Aer Arann, Qantas, Lufthansa, Jetblue, Virgin, do.

Ryanai,r BMI, BA, United, US Airways, American don't

Many years ago United actually named aircraft after their top level frequent flyers, no that is a badge to be proud of!

Lustrum · 30-06-2012 5:05pm

I've just been asked why you have to open the window cover for landing, and I don't know the answer, I presume it's some sort of safety measure in case of an emergency?

Also, do you bring your own lunch to work or just eat airline food every day? (I actually happen to like airline food too!)

adamski8 · 30-06-2012 5:56pm

Lustrum wrote: »

I've just been asked why you have to open the window cover for landing, and I don't know the answer, I presume it's some sort of safety measure in case of an emergency?

Also, do you bring your own lunch to work or just eat airline food every day? (I actually happen to like airline food too!)

emergency, so passeangers can orientate themselves and resue crews can see in i believe as people here have said. im pretty sure that lunch thing has been answered on this thread too

LeftBase · 30-06-2012 6:08pm

Lustrum wrote: »

I've just been asked why you have to open the window cover for landing, and I don't know the answer, I presume it's some sort of safety measure in case of an emergency?

Also, do you bring your own lunch to work or just eat airline food every day? (I actually happen to like airline food too!)

Cabin crew can visually confirm engine fires on take off and landing too.

View Profile · 02-07-2012 10:57am

Lustrum wrote: »

Also, do you bring your own lunch to work or just eat airline food every day? (I actually happen to like airline food too!)

I would imagine this differs greatly whether you fly short or long haul and also from airline to airline.

Obviously Ryanair guys bring their own packed lunch. The on board food is shiite and you have to pay for it so bringing your own is the best option.
Takes a little more planning before your shift but yesterdays leftover dinner can be heated in the on board ovens if you want a hot meal. Other than that sandwiches, soup, salads, fruit, yogurts, etc are the main staple for us.

Would be curious to know what the lads in airlines with decent catering departments do? Although they may get sick of the limited menu of food on board.

roundymac · 02-07-2012 11:05am

View Profile wrote: »

Would be curious to know what the lads in airlines with decent catering departments do? Although they may get sick of the limited menu of food on board.

Yes, limited is right, are EI still "beef or chicken" on the T/A or have they improved it the menu?

The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

Comments