Thanks for coming back! I hope you are finding this information on flying and on the CRJ 200 useful. Be sure to sign up for email updates or my RSS feed.

I respect your email privacy. You can unsubscribe at any time!

The CRJ series of airplanes actually have a very understandable message system called Engine Indicating Crew Alerting System or EICAS. The panels are located in the middle of the display consoles.

There are four types of messages: Warning, Caution, Advisory, and Status that can be displayed to the pilot. Each type of message has a different importance to it and are represented in different colors.

Warning and Caution Messages are displayed on ED1.

Warning Messages

• Warning messages are in red text and are conditions requiring IMMEDIATE action
• They are always accompanied by a triple chime, flashing the MASTER WARNING lights, and possibly an aural/voice message
• Check the QRH to resolve the condition or call maintenance if you are not sure
• Posted in chronological order on top of ED1
• Warning messages can only be removed by correcting the condition that caused the message.
• If there are more than 24 messages, only the most  recent 24 messages will displayed.
• Warning messages cannot be paged through or boxed.

Caution Messages

• Caution messages are yellow text and are conditions requiring CORRECTIVE action
• ALWAYS accompanied by a single chime and flashing MASTER CAUTION lights
• Check the QRH to resolve the condition or call maintenance if you are not sure
• Listed in chronological order, but ALWAYS below WARNING messages
• Can be boxed/removed on the ground with both engines stabilized at IDLE and < 1 page of messages
• Can be boxed/removed in flight with 1 engine running
• Boxed message indication on EICAS – MSGS
• Page through multiple pages using EICAS Control Panel (ECP) CAS button
• If new CAUTION occurs while boxed – the new CAUTION message appears ABOVE boxed MSGS

Advisory and Status Messages are displayed on ED2.

Advisory Messages

• Advisory Messages are green text and show that a safe condition exists like “Fuel Pumps On”
• System response or acknowledgement messages
• Removed by de-selecting a switch or system like when turning the Fuel Pumps off

Status Messages

• Status Messages are white text and indicate abnormal conditions or low priority failures
• Check the QRH to resolve condition or call maintenance if you are not sure
• Can be removed/boxed/paged
• ECP STAT button will page through status messages if more than 1 page
• Upon reaching the last page, STAT will then box messages
• New STATUS message will un-box all status messages

I will talk about when Warning and Caution Messages are inhibited in my next entry.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

Since the first day I started flying, I’ve worn a headset…and you will, too. I’ve borrowed headsets from flight schools, which can be pretty nasty and might be just barely working, or you can make an investment in good headset that is going to last. I’ve owned two headsets in my whole flying career which has spanned almost 25 years.

Why are headsets a must?

Basically, they are going to save your hearing with the added benefit that you will be able to hear your flight instructor, air traffic control, and your passengers. If you are just starting to fly general aviation (GA) single-engine piston airplanes you don’t need to go buy the most expensive pair of ANR headsets you can find but you will want to invest in a good headset.

The headset the I recommend for anyone flying a piston airplane and which I personally own, is the David Clark Aviation Headset, H10-13.4

It has lots a super qualities:

• Extremely Lightweight – only 13.4 oz. It won’t strain your neck muscles.
• Certified Noise Reduction Rating - which reduces noise fatigue.
• Reduced Headband Force – means it won’t squeeze your head thus making it comfortable to wear for longer flights.
• New Soft Air-Flow Pillow Headpad. This is the part that sits on top of your head. Trust me, I’ve rented headsets that have a headpad made of rubber. It was PURE torture to wear it. By the end of the flight, I was ready to scream. This headpad really is comfortable.
• Flo-Fit Gel Ear Seals – Though not a must, I would recommend getting Cloth Ear Cushion Covers to put over these. If you start to sweat, you will be glad you have them plus they just make it more comfortable to wear.
• Universal Flex Boom for accurate microphone placement – This is one of my favorite features. It’s mic is flexible and will not break. Other boom mics have a wire contraption which will break…guaranteed! It also allows for perfect placement in front of your mouth for crisp, clear communications.
• The David Clark Aviation Headset, H10-13.4 has the most advanced noise-cancelling microphone available and yes, this is important! You will find that ambient noises and radio interference will distort your communications. The noise-cancelling feature takes care of that and you don’t need to carry any batteries to do it.
• Low-Profile Volume Control Knobs with Detent Settings- Honestly, not very useful. I never use mine.
• Molded Cord Assembly made to exceptional pull and flex standards – This is another feature that makes these headsets so likeable. The cord is very sturdy, yet flexible. It is not going to rip or tangle on you, but most important, it will stay out of your way.

There are a lot of good headsets on the market, but they are not as reliable as the David Clark Aviation Headset, H10-13.4. Like I said though, I still have my pair and they have never given me any trouble. But since I fly jets now, I use a different headset, a Sennheiser HMEC-25, which I will talk about later post. Or you can read my review now by clicking on this link now: Sennheiser HMEC 25-KA Headset Review.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

As an airline captain, I’m continuously challenged as a leader. Every week we have a different crew and different circumstances. One week we may be flying in the LAX system and the next week we are in the ORD system. Very rarely, due to the manner of our monthly bidding system, do we fly with the same crew. So weekly, even sometimes daily, you have to adjust to the changing circumstances and maintain your leadership role.

So how do you do that? The answer: Communication.

It always starts with the briefing before your first flight with the new crew or when a new crew member comes on board. Now you don’t have to be overbearing, that sets a negative tone, but you do have to be willing to show that you are the one that will take responsibility for the flight and hence are responsible for the airplane, passengers, and crew.

A few tips that help me include:

• Establish an environment for open/interactive communications
• Solicit and respect all questions and comments and feedback without prejudice, meaning, don’t be too quick to judge the question without listening to it first. By respecting your crew members and listening to their questions and comments assures them that they are part of the team.
• Answer questions directly and with respect
• Communicate with everyone on your team
• Recognize and accept that everyone is different which means that everyone works from a different reality. Be willing to put yourself in their reality when talking to them.

For a lot of people, and captains, these few steps can be difficult to master. After all, it is a challenge to just become someone else, therefore, if you look at it as a continuing process and try to improve your communication skills regularly, you will find that your crews are more responsive to you and perform better because of it. A great book I discovered is How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It is one of THE most respected and duplicated books on communication on the market. Pick it up today and you will notice an immediate and profound difference how you interact and communicate with people.

Till next time…

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!

Pilots and ”wannabe” pilots have a problem…they LOVE airplanes. Who can say they never looked up as an airplane flew by and just wondered what it would be like. What would it be like to fly? To control and fly an airplane? To sit up front as the airplane rolled down the runway and lifted off! Who hasn’t walked on to an airplane and glanced to look up at the flight deck with all those displays and panels and wondered how cool it would be to fly one.

Well, now anyone can experience the thrill of flight. Most flight schools sponsor “Discovery Flights“. This is your chance to sit in the cockpit and experience actually flying in a general aviation (GA) airplane. If you are interested, contact one of your local flight schools or click here for more information. It runs somewhere from $49 to $99 for between a half hour flight and a 1 hour flight.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) has a website where you can Find a Flight School. Contact the school of you choice and set up the appointment. Take a friend, too. Guaranteed, you will be hooked. If nothing else, you will get to fly. Then once you are back home, start researching where you can get the material that you will need to start your training. Your first stop should be the Official FAA Pilot License Training Kit. This bundle of information has everything that you need to get started and in an easy down-loadable format.

And if you would like to meet someone who is on their journey to becoming a Private Pilot, stop by Todd McClamroch’s MyFlightBlog to follow his adventures.

To Your Flying Success…

Jeffrey

Part of being an airline pilot requires the crew to rely on shuttles, or heaven forbid, taxis, to get to the hotel. Each have their perils.

If you are relying on a shuttle, you could either have to wait awhile before they show or you get the scary night security person that could be a serial killer. OK, that’s an exaggeration. Granted many van driver’s are very nice, courteous, helpful and prompt. But where would be the fun in talking about them? Waiting on a hotel van at midnight after you have flown through thunderstorms or been de-iced four times in one day can be the icing on the cake. Glamorous job…I don’t think so. Alternatively, you get the van that doesn’t have air conditioning in 90 degree weather or the van driver that fails to notice that the radio is on scan, changing channels every 10 seconds. Both of those happened the last time I was in Lincoln. By the way, we also thought the van driver was a serial killer albeit disguised as the night security person. We were all looking at each other wondering if this guy was for real.

Tonight is fresh in my mind though. We are at a new hotel in Louisville, KY. By the way, if you have never been here, it seems that Louisville has a SPECIFIC way of saying their city. Google “pronounce Louisville” and you will see. It is not taken lightly. I don’t even try to pronounce it correctly when I make an announcement on the PA and I don’t hide that I can’t pronounce it. I don’t want to offend these folks. Check out this website, if you need a guide to pronouncing Louisville.

Anyway, so we get a Yellow Cab in Louisville, because the Galt House does not provide a van. First of all, you can tell that taxi driver’s seriously dislikes flight crews. Their body language tells you so. This particular driver was no exception. We had to put our bags in the trunk. Then, as soon as well pull away from the airport, he is on his cell phone talking to someone in his native language which is definitely not English. Now I have no problem with anyone trying to make a living in the United States. None! BUT…there are certain things you don’t do and one of them is, if you are a taxi driver don’t get on your cell phone when you have customers. It’s only common courtesy. Even though crews aren’t “paying” for the transfer, they are in their mind determining what they are going to tip you. Now, beside the fact that he was on his cell phone, he was driving as though he was possessed. Weaving in and out of cars. Accelerating into red lights. Turning corners like his life depended on it. Eventually we stopped all conversation because we were all wondering if we were going to live. When we got to the hotel, we unloaded our own bags and I was the only one that tipped him…a dollar. He looked genuinely shocked. The flight attendants and the first officer just walked away and the driver, well if eyes could kill, my crew would be history.

So the moral of the story…when in the service industry, treat your customers with respect. You may not get the tip, you may get nothing, but regardless, treat people with respect and you probably will. This taxi driver would have gotten a tip from us if he had been congenial, stayed off his cell phone, drove safely, and helped us with our bags. Maybe next time.

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!