The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

de biz

Anyone getting a new type rating this year or recently?

Interested in your thoughts on providers and in differences in handling with your last type?

Sterling Archer

So I was watching Air crash Investigation the other night, and they were talking about CIR
Cockpit Image Recorders, how do the Pilots of boards feel about them?

OzCam

Some years ago I was told by a Senior Chief (in regards to flights on American airlines) "Firm landing: Navy Pilot. Soft Landing: Air Force Pilot."

It wasn't exactly a compliment to the USAF.

Aphex

How is a hold programmed into the FMS? Also, if given a "direct to" by ATC, how is it executed within the FMS?

smurfjed

Generally the hold is preprogrammed in the FMS, so all you have to do it review it and then select it. Or you can build a new hold based on a position, course for inbound, left or right turns and length of the hold.

On a Honeywell FMS, we would just select DIR, drop it on the position, and the FMS will take you direct to that point.

Sitting in business class of an A330, first time that I actually realised how narrow this aircraft actually is, the 777 is much wider.

Aphex

Thank you, much appreciated.

Was never on either, so can't comment on that B737 and A320 is the most I've been on so far

Tesco TripleChicken

How did you afford pilot training? Is there any special way around the costs or do you just have to save up/have rich parents?

KnotABother

Tesco TripleChicken wrote: »

How did you afford pilot training? Is there any special way around the costs or do you just have to save up/have rich parents?

Save up/work hard/sacrifice/have no social life/avoid women:D/eat cheap, all good ways to keep the money flowing to the engines.

"Rich parents" is a bit celtic tiger now. I know no current trainees with rich parents

TheBoss11

KnotABother wrote: »

Save up/work hard/sacrifice/have no social life/avoid women:D/eat cheap, all good ways to keep the money flowing to the engines.

"Rich parents" is a bit celtic tiger now. I know no current trainees with rich parents

Bit of a confidence boost. About how many years would it take roughly?

KnotABother

TheBoss11 wrote: »

Bit of a confidence boost. About how many years would it take roughly?

It will have taken me 3 years more or less.

pilot1087

KnotABother wrote: »

Save up/work hard/sacrifice/have no social life/avoid women:D/eat cheap, all good ways to keep the money flowing to the engines.

"Rich parents" is a bit celtic tiger now. I know no current trainees with rich parents

Amen to that.

Conflats

Hey guy's maybe a bit of a silly question but

Do pilots have to obtain a visa before flying to a country outside of the EU like a passenger and if they are flying regularly to a country do they get a block visa type of thing?

smurfjed

Depends on the country, for the USA, Russia, China and maybe some others, the answer is YES, crew need a special crew visa. For other countries they can enter using a crew document called a General Declaration, this allows them to enter at a specific airport and stay for a limited time.

eatmyshorts

smurfjed wrote: »

Depends on the country, for the USA, Russia, China and maybe some others, the answer is YES, crew need a special crew visa. For other countries they can enter using a crew document called a General Declaration, this allows them to enter at a specific airport and stay for a limited time.

No need for crew visas for either Russia or China anymore. Just a GD and passport stamped on arrival.
Think the US is the only country that requires a crew visa these days.

doc5

what are the chances of a fatpl irish pilot with low hours maybe 250 hrs getting hired by ryanair into their type rating scheme ie: pay 28k for their type rating with cae and then get hired by ryanair?

If one doesnt get hired by ryanair whata re the other alternatives for a low hour fatpl even if one is willing to travel outside of ireland?

Cessna_Pilot

doc5 wrote: »

what are the chances of a fatpl irish pilot with low hours maybe 250 hrs getting hired by ryanair into their type rating scheme ie: pay 28k for their type rating with cae and then get hired by ryanair?

If one doesnt get hired by ryanair whata re the other alternatives for a low hour fatpl even if one is willing to travel outside of ireland?

Have you applied yet? I would suggest that will be the best way to find out for yourself
For the record, if you were to be successful in your application, type training and line training, you would most likely find yourself based outside of Ireland anyway.

doc5

no i havent even started training yet. Im just wondering about the job situation after training before i invest the money in it.Are u an airline pilot yourself?

Aviarally

doc5 a lot of things can and will change in the space of time it's going to take you to train. None of us has a crystal ball.

doc5

i understand that things of coarse will change dramatically but what airlines if any would currently hire low hour fatpl pilots

bkehoe

doc5 wrote: »

i understand that things of coarse will change dramatically but what airlines if any would currently hire low hour fatpl pilots

Right now in this area Ryanair and Aer Arann. Ryanair only recruits cadets for RHS positions these days but nobody can tell you what the situation will be like in 2 or 3 years, and as there are so many people looking for jobs it can take some ages to get a chance of an interview. Also, I wouldn't become a pilot if you're not prepared to leave Ireland because that will be what you will have to do unless you just want to work as a flying instructor.
For your info, it took me 3 years to find my first job having finished MCC in Jan 09. Friends got jobs within months and a couple still haven't found anything but are still looking, so there are no guarantees.

doc5

i understand the fact that in order to become a pilot one more than likely has to go abroad. sure even if you do get a job with fr you would still be based abroad. what does rhs stand for.

do you know what hours are needed to get into aer arann?

are there more airlines hiring low hour pilots abroad?

bkehoe

RHS - Right Hand Seat.

I don't believe Aer Arann have any hour requirements, just CPL/F-ATPL.

Many hundreds of airlines are hiring however its finding them, being eligible to work in the country (visa, work permits) and potentially speaking the local languages that become the challenge.

ProfessorPlum

Aer Arran recently seem to have been recruiting pilots from their 'pool' of guys who do their TR (type rating) course at simtech. So at the moment it seems the way to get in there is to pay to do their TR and then hope for the best. Not sure what the success/attrition rate out of the course is (ie getting a job as opposed to passing the course).
It's certainly not easy out there, and if you plan on going down the airline pilot route, have your eyes wide open is the only advice I'd give you. And I'd say you could easily plan to double the 55k that was mentioned earlier, by the time you've factored in MCC, TR, keeping medicals and licences current etc.

doc5

im planning on going to atlantic in Cork and going integrated. do you know what atlantics record in placing their graduates is like?

KnotABother

doc5 wrote: »

im planning on going to atlantic in Cork and going integrated. do you know what atlantics record in placing their graduates is like?

If they told you they place graduates then I'd steer clear of them. No school no matter what they say places graduates anywhere. Everyone has to apply and wait a turn for interview just like the rest of the plebs!

basill

Be careful when you look at a schools "where are they now" pages. They tend to love to hang onto the successful cadets shirt tails even though the vast majority of schools have zero contacts to get you a job.

Rabbitt

Does anyone know, if it had to could Baldonnell in South Dublin perform take off and landings for 737's A320 330's?

Is the runway long enough etc

cuterob

Rabbitt wrote: »

Does anyone know, if it had to could Baldonnell in South Dublin perform take off and landings for 737's A320 330's?

Is the runway long enough etc

A light enough 330 could i'm sure, 757's have done before too

Growler!!!

Rabbitt wrote: »

Does anyone know, if it had to could Baldonnell in South Dublin perform take off and landings for 737's A320 330's?

Is the runway long enough etc

A 757 has operated out of there as recently as last September. Transporting troops to UNDOF

Rabbitt

Growler!!! wrote: »

A 757 has operated out of there as recently as last September. Transporting troops to UNDOF

Do many large planes fly out of there?
There never appears to be any activity there.
Would it ever be developed in to a busier airport?