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Becoming a (Good) Captain Takes Time

I just got back last night from SLC after attending a “Left Seat” Leadership Course. 

SkyWest likes to bring captains back to training after they have been “online” for at least a year and revisit the “captain’s” responsibilities. 

I must say, at first I thought it was just a waste of time, because I had to fly to SLC, attend this class, in a tie, and then fly home.  But…as it turns out, it was worthwhile!  We talked about leadership, investigated the causes of some airline accidents, and had a working lunch…they bought!

We could also ask questions and discuss events that had happened to us on line. The instructors were all good speakers and it was worth our time.  I’m not sure if other airlines to this but this was worth it.  The one thing I got from it all was to remember to walk-the-walk.  You don’t have to be an ego-maniac but you do have to lead and by leading you must control the time and tempo of a trip to make it successful.

To Your Flying Success…

Jeffrey

Jeffrey is a captain at a regional airline and flies the CRJ200, CRJ700, and the CRJ900. He has over 4000 hrs of flying experience in many different airplanes and is a Gold Seal flight instructor to his credit. He has recently written “The CRJ200 Quicknote Study Guide” that simplifies the systems of the CRJ200 into a easy-to-understand, downloadable eBook. Click here to get your copy today!

Which Airline Is Going to Be Next?

Have you been watching the news?  If you missed it, in the last few weeks, four airlines folded and two are in merger talks.

Why would anyone want to get into the airline business?  And knowing what I know now, I probably would have stayed a programmer.

Here’s how I see it…When I started my flight training in 1999, the world’s biggest fear was the “2000 Bug.”  Remember that?  Everyone thought the world would crash. Well it didn’t. At the time, though the airlines have never been strong, a job as an airline pilot was attractive.  Easy work, easy looking flight attendants, great overnights and great pay.  After 9/11, that all ended!

Anyway, what does it all mean when these airlines merge?  Probably nothing, but you may see higher airline ticket prices and slower movement within the airline industry.  It is going to have to be done.  Less competition in the market and higher gas prices,  mean higher prices.  Subsequently, like everything, people will cut back on their flying for awhile and then, as they adjust to the “new” way, they will adjust their spending and begin flying again, but never at the level we have seen in the past.  The crazy thing to me is that people in general still haven’t figured it out and that is relying on foreign oil.  We have to stop relying on foreign oil, get our finances in order, demand more accountability from our law makers, and get our heads out the “Entertainment Tonight” non-reality and get back to taking care of ourselves!

Till next time…

Jeffrey

The FAA Rules All

It’s Monday and I’m sitting Reserve for SkyWest Airlines…AGAIN!  If you don’t remember, sitting “reserve” for an airline, my airline in particular, means that I am on duty between 9am and 9pm.  Between those hours I can be called to go fly.  I’ve had a lot of time home this month, to say the least.  It wouldn’t be that bad if I could focus on other things like starting another business to make some extra cash and have a fall-back if something were to happen to my airline or to me.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with how airlines work, here is a little Airline 101 for you.

Pilots fly TOTALLY at the mercy of the FAA, my body, and my airline…in that order…with regards to whether I have a career or not.  The FAA, like any self-righteous, bureaucratic, government organization says their purpose is to enforce the regulations and laws regarding all things aviation.  Fair enough.  But, the problem is they have a tendency to enforce through an iron fist instead of through cooperation.  If you break a FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation), like going too fast below 10′000′ MSL (mean sea level) or not stopping at an assigned altitude, you are subject to a violation and having your certificate revoked.  Now before you think that I am totally against the FAA, let me interject that the FAA does A LOT of good things and has A LOT of good regulations.  But my point is this…at any time…through administrative action imposed on me for breaking a FAA regulation…I could be suspended or lose my flying privileges. 

Now!  Do I have any recourse?  Sure…I have what we call an ASAP program.  It’s a safety program that allows me, when I break a regulation, to voluntarily report it.  The incident is submitted to a review board and they either dismiss it and no action is taken against me, or it is reported to my chief pilot and administrative action is taken whether it is a note in my records or worse.  So, there is protection…but again I fly but by the grace of the FAA!

Later…still sitting reserve…

Sitting Reserve in Colorado Springs

Being an airline pilot is a lot like any other job.  Sometimes you love it and sometimes you really, really don’t like it…sometimes a lot!!!  Saying “hate” would be an over statement, because I never really ”hate” it.  I just strongly dislike it most the time.  Sometimes I strongly dislike it more than other times, but today I just plain ol’ vanilla dislike it. 

You see, in the airline industry, depending on your seniority, you have to sit “Reserve.”  Reserve means that if you aren’t senior enough to hold a “line” you sit reserve.  A “line” means that you hold a “regular” schedule, which in airline parlance means you at least know what you are going to do for that month, which means you know your start and stop times and most the time where you are going.  Reserve means you don’t know where you are going or when you are getting back.  The only thing that is definite is that you are “on call” at a certain time, till a certain time, and anywhere inbetween they, your friendly neighborhood crew support personnel, can call you and you go.  Where you stop, well, only your crew support person knows.  Today i sat “reserve” and was never called.  Oh, well.  Till tomorrow.

Jeffrey

Dear Fellow Pilot,

Being an airline pilot has it’s ups and downs, figuratively speaking.  I’ve always wanted to log my days in this industry and share my sometimes good and sometimes bad days.

Quickly, I am a captain with Skywest Airlines.  I’ve been with the company for almost 7 years and Iwill have been a captain for almost two years in July 2010.  I fly three different airplanes: CRJ200, CRJ700, and CRJ900.

I am also the author of the definitive guide to learning the CRJ200 called “The CRJ200 Quicknotes Study Guide.” I hope you enjoy my posts and I hope that you will feel free to comment and add your thoughts to the community

To Your Flying Success,

Jeffrey