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There are a few things that happen every year:

• New Year’s Day
• Easter
• The 4th of July
• …and a new FAR/AIM!

One of my best flight instructors once said, “If you don’t have a current FAR/AIM, all you have is a history book.”

If you are reading this blog, you probably know what a FAR/AIM is. If you aren’t a pilot, but plan on becoming a pilot, it is an acronym that you will eventually learn to love and hate.

FAR is the acronym for “Federal Aviation Regulations.” It is the definitive, though sometimes ambiguous and open to interpretation, laws of the skies. It is written by the FAA and states what we can and can’t do in the world of aviation. It is composed of many sections (i.e., Parts) for many different areas of aviation. In my job, I am held to Part 121, which outlines the operating requirements for domestic, flag, and supplemental operations, or more simply, airline operations, in my case.

Here is a list of the FAA Regulations that are most likely to affect you:

• Part 61 – Certification of Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors
• Part 91- General Operating and Flight Rules (If you fly just for fun, you fall under Part 91 operations)
• Part 141 – Flight Schools generally operate under Part 141
• Part 121 – Airline Operations
• Part 135 – Commuter and On-Demand Operations (better known a ”Charter Airlines”)

Confused yet? That’s alright. I’m about to make it easier for you here in a few minutes.

Now the FAA doesn’t seem to know anything about making things easy for the pilot and general public. When I went looking for the regulations on their website, www.faa.gov, it took a few minutes to narrow it down and get to the right page. (Note: I’ve included the links to the appropriate pages above.) They don’t seem to understand how things are searched for and they don’t present it very well either. Oh, well.

Back to what I was talking about. Now these FAR’s are long and if you have an Internet connection and want to look them up on the website that’s great…but it’s not very useful. You can also subscribe to AOPA (www.aopa.org), to access the FAR information through their portal but again, if all you are doing is subscribing to get the FAR’s, just get it for free from the FAA. Granted AOPA has a lot of great material as well, so it’s your choice.

The best option is to buy a book published by ASA or Gleim, so that you can refer to it.

• ASA – 2009 FAR/AIM Book – The most pertinent Parts combined with the Aeronautical Information Manual. In a convenient, handbook-sized 6″ x 9″ format
• Gleim – 2009 FAR/AIM Book – Consolidates the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) into one easy-to-use reference book
• 2009 FAR Bundle – Book and the Electronic Version – Get the printed FAR/AIM and the handheld version of the FAR/AIM at a special price!

When I was a flight instructor, I carried my FAR/AIM around with me like a bible. Though I was a pretty good at remembering regulations, eventually I would be asked something that I didn’t know and would have to look it up.

And if you are really serious about your flying and want to stay sharp, consider getting flash cards so that you can review them regularly:

• Flashcards for FAR- Maintain a solid core knowledge of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR’s) with these flashcards or if you’re an instructor, prepare your students for their checkride.
• FAR Flashcards for ATP (Parts 119, 121, and 135)- Flashcards keep your cockpit skills sharp and help you prepare for that important test, checkride, or interview!

Talk to any pilot and they will tell you how important it is to stay up of the latest regulations least you break one and get violated and get your certificate suspended or revoked.

Well, I didn’t cover the Airman Information Manual (AIM) so I will do that during my next entry.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

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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!

An aviation acquaintance of mine in Australia, Glen Solly, has written an outstanding ebook called

“A Pilot’s Guide to the Successful Interview“

(Just click the title above to check it out right now!)

that is relavent no matter what country you live it. I’ve had a chance to read his book and it is first rate. Once you read his bio, I think you will agree with me that he is more than qualified to give meaningful advice regarding the dreaded airline interview.

So, if you are going to your first interview, or your 10th (hopefully not!), you are going to want to pick up this ebook and study it. I’ve read it and it is packed with super useful and insightful tips about preparing for and going to an interview. He gives you ideas on what to expect and how to handle different situations in the interview. And, he uses a technique called Unique Selling Proposition (USP), which if you have studied marketing at all, is the basis for selling a product. And you can bet, when you go to an interview, you are ”selling” yourself. I don’t mean that in a “selling your soul” kind of way but what I do mean is that you are marketing yourself so that they want to hire YOU over the pilot next to you.

Here is an outline of what you will get:

• Realizing Your Potential
• The Employment Process
• Preparing for the Interview
• The Mechanics of the Interview
• Positive Attitude, which includes Mental Toughening and Visualization — I loved this section!
• A Checklist
• A Quiz
• Sample Interview Questions
• And Dealing with Rejection

The “Dealing with Rejection” is a great add-on section because though you always want to be positive and believe that you are going to get the job, the truth is that that is not always the case and what you need is mental ammunition to get you going again after a big let down.

You can see that his ebook covers a wide range of topics, is updated regularly and has acceptable depth to keep you reading. It will help you get your first acceptance letter to the airline of your choice.

Go pick it up now, you will be glad you did. Click Here! And within minutes you can be reading it and on your way to making your next airline interview a complete success!

To Your Flying Success…

Jeffrey

Your Engine Just Died and You’ve Got 3 Choices:
Water? Road? Tree?
Click here for an expert’s answer and free 20-minute audio…

I had a line check last night from ORD to CLE on the CRJ-700. And then my first officer had a “random” line check from CLE to DEN.

If you aren’t familiar with the process, airline captains, flying under commercial Part 121 regulations, have to have a line check either from a company check airman or an FAA Inspector once a year. It’s purpose is to “check” that you are flying according to company Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), making good decisions, and that basically you aren’t a total moron.

Now I like to fly SOP with a dash of common sense. I figure I get my paycheck from a company and they are basically paying to fly “their way.” I’m not one to buck the system because basically the “system” at SkyWest is a pretty good system. They have spent a lot of time and energy developing their Flight Operations Manual (FOM) and their SOP and I believe, humbly speaking, that it is safe and efficient. There are times where a checklist or procedure may be long winded or extraneous but it is easy to overlook it because they do so many things right.

Anyway, the line check was no big deal. I didn’t break any rules—that I know of. The check airman was cordial and pleasant, whereas some check airman seem like they have an axe to grind and make your life miserable for the duration of the trip.

Now I respect the check airman for the job they have to perform but when you get a check airman that thinks he is the airline flying savior, well I think that check airman needs to have a reality check. There are check airman in our company that belittle captains and first officers for the tiniest infractions. Hello! Get real! Even if they do something non-SOP, is it really necessary to jump down their throats. I don’t think so. There are alternatives. Go back an read a book on communication and human interpersonal skills. In fact, that should be a requirement when becoming a check airman, I think.

Now a line check, like I said early, is a way of “checking” to make sure captains are doing what they are suppose to be doing but here is one of the problems. Bad captains basically now they are bad captains. They purposely fly they way “they” want to…when they are not being line checked. Then…one day they get a line check and surprise! they are the best SOP captains in the system. This is very frustrating for first officers because the captain could essentially be unsafe, but a line check isn’t necessarily going to reveal it.

Anyway, for those of you who are going to fly for the airlines, do yourself and those that fly with you a favor, fly the way your company wants you to fly and not how you did it at your other company or while you were a flight instructor. You have a responsibility to your company, your crew, and yourself to aspire to fly the way the company wants you to fly.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

…and don’t forget to bookmark my blog or get email updates. The link is in the top left corner.

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!

Has this ever happened to you? You are talking with someone and suddenly they look away and focus on something else. Yeah, me too. In fact, it is me sometimes that looks away. Why? Why do we do that? Are we bored? Are we afraid we are going to miss out on something MORE important than what is happening right then and there? What does that tell the other person? Are we telling that person that they really aren’t that important. In a way, yeah!

As an airline captain, I like to get all my preflight work done early so that when the passengers start to board, I can be waiting at the main cabin door and greet them. It may be the worst day ever, but I still get up there, I smile, I make small talk, and occasionally talk to the first class passengers.

I do this for a few reasons. I believe that people want to see the captain. They want to see who they are entrusting their life and their family too. It makes them feel “appreciated” seeing a nicely dressed captain smiling and confident when there is a snow storm raging and your late already greeting them as they come on the airplane.

I also stand in front because it seems to make the boarding process go a little faster. When the captain is standing there, people aren’t necessarily as rude as they can be when flying commercially. And I’ve seen some nasty people. It also supports the flight attendant by taking some of the responsibility of the boarding process.

So I guess what I’m really talking about is presence and body language. There is a difference between just standing there and standing there projecting confidence and commandability. By understanding your body language and the body language of others, you will be able to more effectively communicate with you passengers and your crew.

So what makes up body language?

Movements, gestures, facial expressions to name a few. If you are aware of these things, you can control your projection and be able to read people better which ultimately improves communication.

How much do we communicate verbally?

Surprisingly very little. Only 7% of our words are communicated verbally. 38% is communicated through our voice, i.e, tone, pitch, etc. An amazing 55% is communicated through non-verbal language.

You can see that if you aren’t careful, you could be saying one thing with your voice and words and a totally different thing with your body.

When I’m at the flight deck door greeting people, it is so easy to cross my arms and greet. It’s comfortable but it sends the wrong signal. If I saw me, I would think that though he is smiling and seems grateful, he really just wants us off the airplane. A better posture to take would be to stand tall, lower my hands to either the side or in front of me and smile. It’s is a much more open stance.

Here are few other things that project confidence:

• Posture – standing tall, shoulders square
• Eye Contact – smile with your eyes
• Gesture with Hands and Arms – palms for forward
• Speech – open mouth and take it slow thinking before you speak
• Tone – Never raise your voice rather keep it controlled

Here are some things NOT to do:

• Don’t make yourself small by keeping your hands and arms close to your body
• Don’t make your face stoic and stern
• Don’t turn away from customers when talking to them
• Don’t cross your arms
• Don’t look away

Can you tell the difference between the “do’s” and “do not’s”? Just writing the “do not’s” I could feel that dark cloud come over my head.

What Can You Do To Improve Your Non-Verbal Communication?

Well, it’s not that hard really. One thing that works for me is to recognize when I’m being closed and just remind myself to open up and focus on the positive things in my life and focus on the “NOW.”

Life gets on me like anyone else. I have my challenges and sometimes I get lost in thought and am probably not as open as I should or could be. When I go to work, I park as far away from the crew room as possible so that I will have time to walk and “readjust” my thought process. I remind myself that I am the captain and that I will be setting the tone for the next couple days. I remind myself that I have to focus on the positive and project a confident, open personality. I do this for any situation that will require interaction.

Being a good captain means more than just being a good pilot, you have to be a good ambassador as well, so open up and smile.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

P.S. Here is a book you might want to pick up. This book should be in your library. The Definitive Book of Body Language.

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!

…and that is the question…

Every week, sometimes every day, you fly with a different pilot. And every pilot has a different story about their journey on how they got their first “airline” job.

If you aren’t familiar with the steps required to get a job with an airline, I will briefly outline a few different ways you can go about it. Please, note, there are MANY different ways to get your certificates and ratings, so by no means is this THE way to get to be an airline pilot. Each pilot gets to be an airline pilot through different avenues and all are acceptable. It all depends on the pilot and basically their time and money constraints, as well as their ultimate objectives.

Quick note: To get some good ideas on how to fund your flying, Click Here! 

And if you are just getting started consider the Jeppesen Guided Flight Discovery (GFD) Private Pilot DVD Video Course - The New GFD Private Pilot Video Series on DVD contains 10 hours of dynamic content.

The first scenario is the way I did it.

Scenario 1:

1. Private Pilot (Beginner), Single-Engine Land
2. Private Pilot, Multi-Engine Land
3. Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Land which allows me to fly instruments in a single-engine airplane
4. Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine Land
5. Commercial Pilot, Single Engine Land (I added this certificate, because I intended to become a flight instructor.)
6. Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI)
7. Certificated Flight Instructor – Instruments (CFI-I)
8. Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI)
9. Airline Transport Certificate (ATP)

A school that I taught at before going to ExpressJet charges $45,000 for a complete package like this. Not a bad deal really. You walk out of there with a lot more multi-engine time than most pilots and if you are lucky, they will hire you as instructor once you complete your MEI and then you just build time in a multi-engine airplane as an instructor. 100 hours of multi-engine time and about 1000 hours total time are the basic minimums for most regional airlines these days but it varies.

Here is another scenario.

Scenario 2:

1. Private Pilot, Single-Engine Land
2. Instrument Rating, Single-Engine Land
3. Commercial Pilot, Single-Engine Land

At this point you could go find a pilot job flying pipeline or traffic watch or banner towing to build your hours, but most pilots become CFI’s and build their hours that way. It’s a start. Eventually though, if you plan on going into the airlines or corporate, you are going to need a Commercial Multi-Engine Rating with Instrument Privileges.

If you go this route though, a lot of pilots will skip the Private Pilot, Multi-Engine Rating with Instrument Privileges and go straight to Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine Rating with Instrument Privileges. It is a little more demanding but it can save you a lot of money.

One of my best friends is doing it this way, which is very similar to the above paragraph.

Scenario 3:

1. Private Pilot, Single-Engine Land
2. Instrument Rating, Single-Engine Land
3. Commercial Pilot, Single-Engine Land
4. CFI
5. CFI-I
6. Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine Land with Instrument Privileges
7. MEI
8. ATP

You can see that it is a little different, but this was the path that fit his financial and personal situation and it worked for him. He is having a tough time getting his multi-engine hours up, but any day now, he should have a corporate job flying a Cessna Citation Bravo.

Flight School or Fixed Base Operator?

This is another highly debated question, but I’ll tell you what no one told me. A Flight School or a FBO is just as good as your flight instructor. You have a bad flight instructor and you will waste really good money. If you have a GREAT flight instructor, you will save lots of money and get a good foundation for future flying. So the question: Flight School or FBO? Well again, what is your ultimate goal, financial constraints, and time requirements? A Flight School will get you through FAST but it’s going to cost you…a lot! An FBO is going to be less expensive in the long run BUT it will probably take you longer to get through the program because of the lack of structure and because, and let’s face it, personal responsibilities. “Life” gets in the way when you aren’t completely able to focus on your objective.

One thing that I would like to suggest is that you seriously consider an FBO before a Flight School like FlightSafety or Embry-Riddle. FlightSafety and Embry-Riddle are ridiculously expensive. They know pilots love to fly and they try to exploit it. I know, I went to FlightSafety and it cost a lot. Second, never, and I mean never believe anyone that tells you that you have to go to a Flight School to get a job at the airlines. It just isn’t true. Much like getting a University Bachelor’s Degree, it doesn’t matter where you get it from, you just have to get it. Your future employer is not going to care whether you went to Harvard or your local community college. What they want to know is that you have the degree. The same goes for your future airline employer. They don’t want to know “where” you earned your ratings and certificates. They just want to know that you have them.

I hope that helps.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

Your Engine Just Died and You’ve Got 3 Choices:
Water? Road? Tree?
Click here for an expert’s answer and free 20-minute audio…