First Week of Airline Experience

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

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ARFlyer
I finished my first week of IOE and it has been an interesting time. I have discovered that the sim really doesn't help you on landing the actual plane. I am still unsatisfied on my landings, which hopefully will get better on my second IOE trip. I notice that you tend to forget the most basic information while flying the plane for the first time. The saying hanging on by the tail is very accurate.

Flying in NYC was a lot easier then I thought it would be. I actually like flying into Newark more then Houston. Houston arrivals require more fore thought on descent planning and making crossing restrictions then Newark.

My favorite overnight so far has been Portland, Maine. I was kinda disappointed to find out I only had 10 hours in the town. I found a really good pizza joint called OTTO that has a really good pulled pork pizza, plus a very cute waitress! I have actually looked at apartment prices but to my disappointment their outside my budget range.
 
If the pilot makes a great landing, the captain stands in the doorway.

If the pilot makes a terrible landing, the copilot stands in the doorway.

All you need to know.
 
Sounds fun! A friend who is just a few weeks ahead of you mentioned the flight attendants will often rate your landings, especially when they are "firm"!!!
 
Nice welcome to the club! I'm a captain on the CRJ-200, 700 and 900, and I can say you'll honestly love the job! Of course there are some bitter ones out there but overall its awesome! Keep a list of the good foods at overnights so you know where to go next time you come back!

As for the landings. I felt the same way when I finished sims, most of the things it does a good job at, that is just hard to replicate! The curve goes very quick. You'll see once you hit about 100 hours in the plane you'll feel pretty solid and comfortable! Right now the operation and the plane is all new, with a little bit of time it'll all seem like it slows down and you'll have a better and more comfortable grasp on all of it!

Once again congrats!
 
Congrats! It gets much better fairly quickly, as others have mentioned. It's a ball. Enjoy it!
 
Welcome to the party. Congrats!
 
Thanks for sharing your experience! As someone who is working towards the airlines I love following threads like this!


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 
Always nice to hear something positive from people flying for a living. Far too many negative attitudes to be found out there.
 
The three things for a good landing in the 145 are speed,speed, and speed. If you are over the fence right at the top of the white tape it will land pretty good at the spot you want every time. I've got just over a thousand hours in it now and it's a pretty good airplane over all.
 
Congrats. Welcome to the biz...now don't slow down until I tell you to. :D
 
Have fun. There is plenty of time to become bitter and frustrated later on :mad2:
 
Congrats.

And tell us a bit more. How does your age compare to your captains? How are they treating you?

What is the biggest mistake you have made outside of the plane on your trips?
 
JoseCuervo said:
Congrats.

And tell us a bit more. How does your age compare to your captains? How are they treating you?
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I am one of the youngest in the company. It's a huge age difference between the captains and myself. Since there is no movement in the company since 07ish, most of the captain are the age of my parents.

Most have gotten along with me. Some will throw out names and stuff when I get off the plane. I had one crew from a Legacy ask me if I had just gotten my drivers license and another crew told me I had a nice Halloween outfit.

unsafervguy said:
The three things for a good landing in the 145 are speed,speed, and speed. If you are over the fence right at the top of the white tape it will land pretty good at the spot you want every time. I've got just over a thousand hours in it now and it's a pretty good airplane over all.
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Yeah I've been landing a bit long because I'm staying a bit far from the white tape. Most of my issues are related to knowing how high off the runway I am and when to start pulling back slightly.

Cpt_Kirk said:
If the pilot makes a great landing, the captain stands in the doorway.

If the pilot makes a terrible landing, the copilot stands in the doorway.

All you need to know.
Click to expand...

On my worst landing the captain kept the door closed for most of the deboarding. My sim partner told me he dropped his plane because he got a bit slow during a windy landing. A lady told the incoming crew that the kid flying tried to kill them. The funny part was that the incoming captain knew him and had a good laugh. The captain was in our indoc class from coming off a long term leave.
 
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ARFlyer said:
I am one of the youngest in the company. It's a huge age difference between the captains and myself. Since there is no movement in the company since 07ish, most of the captain are the age of my parents.

Most have gotten along with me. Some will throw out names and stuff when I get off the plane. I had one crew from a Legacy ask me if I had just gotten my drivers license and another crew told me I had a nice Halloween outfit
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How old are you? I'm sure if I get on with the regionals I'll have to ask them if they have children's suits available. I'm 22 but I'm small (about 5 7 on a good day)
 
jordane93 said:
How old are you? I'm sure if I get on with the regionals I'll have to ask them if they have children's suits available. I'm 22 but I'm small (about 5 7 on a good day)
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24. My sim partner is 22. He is the second youngest in the company by two months.
 
ARFlyer said:
24. My sim partner is 22. He is the second youngest in the company by two months.
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That's awesome. I'm coming up on 1000 hours and hope to be at a regional by April. I got my CFI ticket in April and have been busy ever since! Glad to hear it's working out for you.
 
Do you get to do the PA announcements? This video might supply some helpful tips on that: https://youtu.be/IqkOi2AdjLw

....just sit back and enjoy your tray tables and overhead compartments....
 
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jordane93 said:
That's awesome. I'm coming up on 1000 hours and hope to be at a regional by April. I got my CFI ticket in April and have been busy ever since! Glad to hear it's working out for you.
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ARFlyer said:
24. My sim partner is 22. He is the second youngest in the company by two months.
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Do either of you guys have a college degree? I hope to get my cfi ticket in the next 6 to 8 months, and build up my hours so when in graduate college (2019 at 23 yrs old) I'll have enough hours.
Unless there is a chance getting hired (assuming I have the hrs) before i graduate....

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farmerbrake said:
Do either of you guys have a college degree?
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From the way Tim W. tells Andrew's graduation story.... just barely.

(Grades were good.... but the university bureaucracy nearly derailed the diploma)
 
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farmerbrake said:
Do either of you guys have a college degree? I hope to get my cfi ticket in the next 6 to 8 months, and build up my hours so when in graduate college (2019 at 23 yrs old) I'll have enough hours.
Unless there is a chance getting hired (assuming I have the hrs) before i graduate....

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I have a Bachelor's and I'm pretty sure the OP has one as well. For the regionals, an associate's will do but if you plan on working for a major airline they'll pretty much expect you to have a 4 year degree.
 
JCranford said:
That's cuz you look like youre 14... :wink2:
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Whenever I do intro flights the first two questions are, how old are you? How long have you been flying? I'm not even the youngest at my flight school. We have a 19 year old CFI/II!
 
jordane93 said:
Whenever I do intro flights the first two questions are, how old are you? How long have you been flying? I'm not even the youngest at my flight school. We have a 19 year old CFI/II!
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I flew with a 19 yr old CFI once. I was all like "Nice flight. We should go have a bee.. soda sometime."
 
Very cool! I hope to make a similar post someday.
 
Congrats! My CFI was 19 when I started with him right after he graduated high school. he already had over a thousand hours. By the time the summer was over he had his II and was close to being done with his MEI.

He graduated from K-State Salina this year at 21 and I saw recently started working at a regional. He has skills and knowledge beyond his years.
 
Thanks

Yeah it's been fun for the most part. Hoping to get based a bit closer to home in a few months. NYC is going to suck since it's a two leg commute for myself. I could make it one if I drive to Memphis but the flight times don't make it that competitive.
 
Not a native NYC, but if you get out of the metro area, I reckon you can still get an apartment 45 minute commute by subway with more reasonable rent. We borrowed a modest flat from friends in Queens. While nothing amazing, the rent and location got the job done. And 45 min by train is likely better than Memphis or similar.

Maybe do a little wrangling and check craigslist or airbnb? If you book a few stays on odd days you can probably get a very good rate.
 
jordane93 said:
I have a Bachelor's and I'm pretty sure the OP has one as well. For the regionals, an associate's will do but if you plan on working for a major airline they'll pretty much expect you to have a 4 year degree.
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What is the reasoning behind that? In the regular business world I get it - but to fly a sophisticated aircraft an aptitude test seems more fitting then a degree :dunno:
 
Mopauly said:
What is the reasoning behind that? In the regular business world I get it - but to fly a sophisticated aircraft an aptitude test seems more fitting then a degree :dunno:
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Not sure why they want a Bachelor's. It's just their preference. Can you get on with a major without a degree, sure but it will severely limit your options and not give you a good chance.
 
Mopauly said:
What is the reasoning behind that? In the regular business world I get it - but to fly a sophisticated aircraft an aptitude test seems more fitting then a degree :dunno:
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I'm just guessing, but it's probably 1) because it's an easy way to cut down resumes with a minimum requirement and 2) getting a 4 year degree does show a person is committed and can complete a major task.

Most jobs don't "need" a 4 year degree to logically be able to do the actual job. But it's still a requirement.
 
I don't think there is any practical relevance but many employers, not just airlines, use it as a screening tool. Presumably someone with a four year degree is teachable and has the persistence to see something through even though the may not have enjoyed the whole process.
 
Everskyward said:
I don't think there is any practical relevance but many employers, not just airlines, use it as a screening tool. Presumably someone with a four year degree is teachable and has the persistence to see something through even though the may not have enjoyed the whole process.
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One could argue that if you got to the point to have the needed aviation experience to be competitive as an applicant you have demonstrated just as well that you are teachable and persistent.

I don't think there's a good reason really other than the folks who make these rules work in HR and have degrees.

The software world is very interesting in the aspect that a degree has little value. It can get you in the door places if you have no experience. However if you're applying for positions that expect a higher level of ability and experience your abilities and history of experience is what matters.

The importance of formal education varies wildly from industry to industry.
 
jesse said:
One could argue that if you got to the point to have the needed aviation experience to be competitive as an applicant you have demonstrated just as well that you are teachable and persistent.

I don't think there's a good reason really other than the folks who make these rules work in HR and have degrees.

The software world is very interesting in the aspect that a degree has little value. It can get you in the door places if you have no experience. However if you're applying for positions that expect a higher level of ability and experience your abilities and history of experience is what matters.

The importance of formal education varies wildly from industry to industry.
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I don't necessarily agree with the way HR departments do screening. Just pointing out that it exists. Some of the classes I took in college relate to a number of jobs I have held, but in a practical sense, a person without a degree could have done them just as well. Most of my training was OTJ.

Of course there are great, intelligent, motivated people without degrees, but if you are playing the "getting a job" game, it helps to have one. I know it helped me even though the content of my degree was not particularly relevant.
 
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Mopauly said:
What is the reasoning behind that? In the regular business world I get it - but to fly a sophisticated aircraft an aptitude test seems more fitting then a degree :dunno:
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Sophisticated plane needs sophisticated pilot.


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Everskyward said:
I don't necessarily agree with the way HR departments do screening. Just pointing out that it exists. Some of the classes I took in college relate to a number of jobs I have held, but in a practical sense, a person without a degree could have done them just as well. Most of my training was OTJ.

Of course there are great, intelligent, motivated people without degrees, but if you are playing the "getting a job" game, it helps to have one. I know it helped me even though the content of my degree was not particularly relevant.
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Agree. A friend has had a long, very successful career in technology training, yet has been denied opportunities in her 40s and 50s because she didn't have that piece of paper....jobs she would have excelled at. That's reality.
 
Mike5250 said:
Sounds fun! A friend who is just a few weeks ahead of you mentioned the flight attendants will often rate your landings, especially when they are "firm"!!!
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"Please remain seated while the pilot taxis what remains of the airplane to the gate".

Heard on Alaska after a "firm" landing.
 
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