It's a pilot's life

The View From Here

2012-01-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, I have a view that I just can't resist getting a shot of. Sometimes, I take pictures of things I already have shots of, but Mt. Hood and Crater Lake look different from season to season, even day to day depending on light conditions, snow accumulation, etc. This is one of my favorites--Mt. Hood on January 10, 2011, in the late afternoon light.

The View From Here will be series of shots, old and new, from my "mobile office." Enjoy!

Lufthansa 747 operates first transatlantic biofuel flight to US | ATWOnline

2012-01-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Lufthansa 747 operates first transatlantic biofuel flight to US | ATWOnline

Favorite things

2012-01-08T17:07:00.001-08:00

I did a short "favorite things" post a couple years ago, but it's time to share more. These are things that make life on the road (or in the air as the case may be) easier and more enjoyable.

Smartphone. In my case, the HTC Evo. In the year since I got it, I've learned to do most everything mobile: banking, email, text, news, weather, music, navigation, Netflix, and on and on. It means using my laptop less frequently which lightens my roller bag quite a bit and saves time.
Kindle. This was a Christmas gift last year and I was reluctant at first to stray from the tried and true paper of a good book. Although I still love the aesthetics of a book, I have come to appreciate the convenience of the Kindle for traveling. I can see a future of reading magazines and newspapers on a device as well. Sure cuts down on the paper I carry around!
Smartwool kneesocks. Hey, it's the little things that brighten your day sometimes! After two winters freezing my butt off in the flight deck of the frosty Q400, I hunted high and low for good black kneesocks. Finally found a 3-pack of Smartwools on line and have been flying comfortably ever since!

Unfortunately, I can't afford to give all my viewers a goody bag of my favorite things like Oprah used to do, so you'll have to enjoy from the sidelines!

Flying Lessons

2011-11-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

When I learned to fly, back in the dark ages of 1991 when airspace was still classified as ARSAs and TRSAs, we didn't use RNAV, GPS, or even headsets. In fact, when I think about it, it's rather a miracle that I learned to fly at all. My instructor, Jim Harrigan, was British, and not from London, either. He was from the sticks and it showed in his accent that I struggled to understand as he shouted at me through a cloud of Marlborough smoke over the engine noise of the 1978 Piper Warrior.

This was a lark for me, something I decided to try after a couple months of regular skydiving and when I won a last-minute scholarship that covered my final semester of college, freeing up the cash I had saved over the summer to pay for school. My coach learned of the skydiving (I was on the cross country team) and threatened to revoke my running scholarship if I didn't quit jumping out of airplanes tout de suite. So I signed up for my first lesson. It seemed like something I could basically treat as an extra class, so I purchased the student pilot kit complete with textbooks and plunked down my cold hard cash for a pre-paid Private Pilot program.

Next thing I knew, Smokey Jim was climbing out of the airplane while the engine was still running. I looked at him curiously and asked, "Where are you going?" I couldn't understand what he said, but he made some hand motions that appeared to indicate his desire for me to make three touch-and-goes. By myself??

Jim abandoned me in early December to go back to the British sticks for Christmas, leaving me in the capable (and much more understandable) hands of a female instructor named Kim. She was somehow under the impression that I was nearly ready for my check ride. Hindsight suggests this was due in part to the "pre-paid" aspect of my program, meaning if I required more hours of instruction than allotted, the school didn't get any more money.

The day after I graduated college, Kim and I were enroute from KRMG to KGAD, where I had precisely 40 hours (the bare minimum required) of flight time under my belt when we landed. Kim introduced me to the examiner who would administer my test then threw me to the wolves. That night with a fresh license in my pocket, I boarded a plane to Montana, gazing in awe at the pilots, wondering if some day I could be like them.

Flying Career: Overrated?

2011-10-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

Last week, carreercast.com named the 12 most overrated jobs of 2011. Both flight attendant and pilot made the list. To most people, the thought of a flying career conjures up images of a dapper Leonardo striding the concourse in a crisp uniform, flanked by a throng of young, pretty, and immaculately groomed stewardesses. This glamorous stereotype is perpetuated by the new TV series "Pan Am."

The more likely scenario is a rumpled first officer who slept in the crew room because her shift started early and she had to commute from home in Boise/San Diego/Denver the night before accompanied by a 50-year-old flight attendant who sold her insurance agency to pursue her lifelong dream of flying and doesn't care that she only makes $12,000 a year because she has flight benefits for herself and her husband.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KosfmCMIGhA&feature=related

There are great things about an airline career. I generally have 3-day weekends. The hours are somewhat flexible. With creative bidding, I can sometimes have a 5-10 day stretch of days off without burning precious vacation time. Frankly, I can't imagine going back to an 8-5 routine five days a week. Not to mentions the views from the "office!"

So why does CareerCast think flying is overrated? Perhaps because flight crews are away from home for days on end. And unlike the crews in "Pan Am," we aren't dancing in Paris night clubs on generous layovers. Maybe it's because we work odd hours, sometimes finishing a shift after midnight and beginning another at 3 a.m. in the same week. It could have something to do with the stress induced by weather, company policies, passenger issues, fatigue, etc. Work-life balance and compromised health are two of the issues the Huffington Post pointed out in its version of the story. It's difficult to maintain friendships and regular social outings when you travel four days a week. Irregular sleep patterns, questionable nutrition, and poor ergonomics of flight deck seating cause frequent visits to the doc.

And the $106,000 average salary for airline pilots is a bit misleading. A captain at a major airline may earn well above this figure, but a first officer at a regional earns far less, often starting at $15k or less and topping out around $40k. Moving up is largely a function of seniority and movement comes to a grinding halt right along with with the economy.

Perhaps they think an airline career is overrated since moving from job to job comes with a price--typically large pay cuts and time at the bottom of the seniority list--whereas other professionals can leverage their experience to land better paying jobs at another company.

Don't get me wrong. I love my job and the benefits it affords. I just wouldn't encourage you to quit YOUR job to pursue the "glamour" of flying.

Pet Peeves

2010-08-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

Airline flying equals lots of repetition. You do the same things over and over again, several times a day, several days a week. This includes going through security at the beginning of the day and walking through a terminal full of the Traveling Public. Behavior that is only mildly annoying when encountered occasionally becomes practically unbearable when faced with it repeatedly, day after day.

Pet Peeve #1: Standing on the Moving Sidewalk
First of all, the original intent of the moving sidewalk was to expedite travel down long corridors such as those found in airports. When one simply stands on the moving sidewalk, it actually slows the pace compared to walking at a decent clip and causes traffic to pile up behind you. Solution: If you must stand due to a physical handicap, laziness, or carrying too much luggage, at least do it to one side. I know most west coasters have never heard the phrase "walk on the left, stand on the right," but I guarantee that if you don't comply in places like Washington, DC, you will be shoved aside, run over, or shot.

Pet Peeve #2: Standing On or Blocking the Escalator
Escalator protocol is similar to that of a moving sidewalk with one notable exception: if you are towing luggage (as is common at airports) you get a pass on walking. This does not, however, mean that you can stand on one side of the escalator with your luggage on the other side. Solution: Put it behind you so others can walk up the escalator on the left side (see above).

Pet Peeve #3: Stopping at the End of the Escalator or Moving Sidewalk
Escalators and moving sidewalks seem to cause a lot of problems; here's the third annoyance related to these modern marvels. The same people who stand with belongings sprawled across the width of these devices tend to step off and stop, looking around bewildered trying to decide where to go next. They seem not to understand that a stream of people is coming off the contraption behind them like a 20-car pile-up with nowhere to go. Solution: Walk at least five feet in any direction to allow traffic to continue moving behind you.

Pet Peeve #4: Blocking the Security Exit
The exits from airport secured areas tend to be narrow as they have to be guarded by a TSA agent to prevent terrorists from entering. And since non-traveling family members can no longer meet arriving parties at the gate, they tend to congregate outside security watching for great-granny to come out. Arriving flights tend to cause a steady throng of passengers exiting to the baggage claim and transportation areas. This leads to a blockade of sorts as the people who aren't being met weave their way around the throngs of greeters who are craning their necks, waving flowers, or jumping up and down screaming at their arriving guest. It gets particularly challenging when a family of five surrounds great-granny in the exit hallway, leaving only single-file room on either side for others to escape. Solution: Some airports (thank you, Vancouver) solve this dilemma with fencing to force the greeters to one side while arriving passengers are directed unobstructed to the exit. The Traveling Public could try to maintain some small awareness that others exist and also need to function within the limited space provided. Let granny get into a more open area before closing in on her, or escort her off to the side before surrounding her.

When I'm finishing a four-day trip exhausted and eager to get home, it seems that all of these things conspire against me to slow my progress to the exit.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2010-03-13T10:28:00.001-08:00

We just got word that 12 of our 96 furloughed pilots are about to be recalled. After hearing the news, I felt that a load had been lifted off my shoulders. Although I haven't personally been affected in a significant way, I still feel the effects in tougher schedules and the inability to get time off or trade trips.

Of the 12 to be recalled, some have been out for almost a year now. Not only are jobs nonexistent in the industry, competition is fierce for those few opportunities outside our field of expertise. These guys have been making a go of it with unemployment benefits, part-time work, and savings if they have any.

A year and a half after the first round of layoffs, morale is at a low point. It feels we've been walking down a road without knowing where the end is, carrying a pack that just keeps getting heavier. At the outset, we remained upbeat with a can-do attitude, but have become weary, dejected, and beaten down. I'm reminded of adventure racing, only this time, instead of a finish line, we are handed another set of maps and told to keep going. We have no idea for how long or what awaits us.

Finally, we have some glimmer of hope, a dim light at the end of the long tunnel.

Favorite Things

2009-09-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take time to appreciate a few of the things that make life on the road easier and more enjoyable. Just a couple to start with:

Podcasts
This wonderful little invention allows me to keep up with the news and random things of interest. But my very favorites are yoga podcasts--from Dave Farmar and yogadownload.com in particular--that let me practice yoga on my time in my hotel room.

eBags cooler
My crew cooler from eBags lets me take four days worth of meals with me, saving money and allowing me to eat what I want when I want. I'm no longer dependent on scheduled (or unscheduled) breaks to get a meal.

Feel free to share some of your favorite things!

A new take on biathlon

2009-06-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Last "bid" (five-week schedule period) I flew with a captain who is an avid runner and recently took up golf. On several of our layovers, he would run to a nearby golf course (sometimes as far away as 4 or 5 miles), play a round of golf orhit balls in the driving range, then run back to the hotel. I know he had to move quickly through the golf course at times to avoid getting cold in his running shorts and t-shirt. I half-joked that he just started a new version of the Biathlon (running and shooting) that will soon be an Olympic sport! I always appreciate fellow crew members who get out and explore rather than join the ranks of the "slam-click"-ers.

Life is Precious

2009-04-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, word was going around at work that one of our pilots had passed away while on a layover. Tom was one of the most respected pilots at the company and recently celebrated his 20th anniversary here. I did not know him, but find myself saddened all the same. People who did know him all have incredible things to say about his character, professional demeanor and personality. He apparently suffered a heart attack while running and was found by a passerby. We really just never know when our time is up; a great reminder to live life to the fullest and make the most of each and every day!

Yosemite from FL250

2009-04-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Geocaching in YLW

2009-04-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Today, as I set out on my usual run in Kelowna in Mission Creek Park, I saw our flight attendant Peggy. GPS in hand, she was in search of two geocaches located in the area. I've heard of geochaching, but didn't really know much about it and asked if I could tag along. It took us about 20 minutes to locate the first cache using the GPS and a description from the internet. Partway up a hill, at the base of a tree, under some logs and leaves, was a small ammo box containing a note pad and a few miscellaneous items that the founders of the cache site and other cachers installed. Canada was the theme of the cache; among the items was a mini Canadian flag. Peggy signed the log and left a "travel bug," a key ring with a numbered tag on it that she registered on line. The idea is that someone else takes the bug and leaves it somewhere else. It can be tracked on line to see how far it goes. A fun detour from my scenic run!

Common Misconceptions about Airline Pilots

2009-03-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Countless conversations with friends and strangers alike have led me down the path to this blog post. When you do a job every day, it comes to seem like common knowledge even though most people really don't know exactly what it is that you do. Hopefully this will put some of your questions to rest.

I am a first officer for a regional airline. That's what most people think of as the co-pilot. I'm actually qualified to fly the airplane; I'm not a "junior pilot" or anything like that. The captain (left seat) and first officer (right seat) share flying duties; while some tasks may be seat specific, many are designated as "flying pilot" or "monitoring pilot" duties. Typically, we take turns flying--so if we fly six legs today, I fly three and monitor three (that includes the takeoff and landing!).

The captain bears legal responsibility for the safety of the flight and is the ultimate decision maker, although most decisions are made as a crew. Captain and First Officer both receive the same training and qualifications, except the captain takes an additional flight test to earn a "type rating" that is specific to the model of aircraft she is assigned. There's no reason the FO couldn't take the same test except that it's expensive and not required by the FAA.

"Making captain" is simply a matter of having the appropriate seniority and going through several weeks of training in seat-specific tasks and leadership skills (unless the candidate is upgrading into a different type of aircraft than he previously flew--then more lengthy aircraft specific training is required; this occurs when an airline flies several different planes--say a 37-seat turboprop and a 70-seat jet. Pilots are typically paid according to the size of aircraft flown and will move to a larger aircraft as seniority permits. As a senior FO, a pilot will be in the jet; when upgrading, he is now the most junior captain and will be put back in the turboprop).

In some cases, an FO may even have more flight experience as a captain but got hired at the airline later. The airline industry relies heavily on the seniority system rather than merit. I mean, how exactly would you determine merit? This guy crashed a lot less than that one? We all nearly always get every flight safely from A to B or abandon the flight if we deem it isn't safe.

I do not have a designated route that I fly. The jet is normally assigned to certain routes while the turboprop is designated for others. Since I fly the turboprop, I fly to all the cities served by that aircraft. The company publishes schedules, or "lines," each month. Pilots bid for the lines they want which are then awarded by seniority (here we go again!). Most of our trips are four days, laying over each night in a different city. That means I leave home each week on, say, Tuesday, and come back home on Friday. Even though most of our destinations aren't very far away, I still have to stay in a hotel--this accommodates late arrivals and early departures for those cities. We fly between one and eight "legs," or flights, each day--usually somewhere in the four to six range.

The company pays for our hotels and we earn an hourly "per diem" to help cover meals and tips while away from home. Captains complete recurrent training and "pro checks" (proficiency checks in the simulator) every six months, while FOs go every 12 months.

Before applying for a job at a "major" airline, a pilot must typically be a captain for a period of time at a regional airline to earn "PIC," or pilot in command time. Majors usually pay more than regionals, but as you can see, it's basically a waiting game on the seniority list to be able to move up. Even then, job availability fluctuates wildly with the economy and the state of the industry.

So next time you have a conversation with a pilot, you can avoid the pitfalls of the most commonly asked questions that drive us all nuts and can probe more deeply to fully satisfy your curiosity. Feel free to post questions here and I'll try to answer them!

Dissed in the Flight Deck

2009-03-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

This is a funny story that my training partner told while we were in ground school a few weeks ago.

We often have visitors to the flight deck in the form of small children, either before or after the flight. We welcome them into our office with varying degrees of enthusiasm, depending on the child and how much sleep we got at the hotel the night before.

Mac shared the story of a 12 or 13-year-old girl who was urged to see the flight deck by her parents, who then waited for her outside the airplane. An experienced air force pilot and now a captain and instructor pilot at our airline, Mac is generally eager to give kids a fun and educational experience. In the usual fashion, he showed the young girl, who was smacking a piece of gum, around the control panels and pointed out what various switches and levers do. After each tidbit of information, she would roll her eyes and say "whatever" as she continued to smack her gum. A the end of the session, she declared "Whatever, take a picture, double loser, DUH!" complete with the hand motions that go with the phrase. As she said "duh!" she whirled around and sashayed out the flight deck door and down the stairs to her waiting parents.

Mac had no idea what hit him. His first officer informed him that he had just been dissed in a big way and the two of them spent the next 20 minutes practicing the skit until they had it down pat. He performed it for us in ground school when he thought we needed to lighten the moment. Fantastic!

2008-11-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

I flew my last flight in the Q200 without even knowing it on September 11, 2007. A series of events led me to fracture my wrist the very next day, taking me out of flying commission for much longer than I ever thought possible. Now the mighty Dash has officially retired from service at Horizon Air. No more short bus, no more mini-whacker, no more baby Dash.

Sleeping on the floor in PSC

2008-07-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

So I started this blog at the urging of a fellow pilot and friend who was laughing at my tale of sleeping on the floor in the hotel. He said I should start a blog about the pilot's life and how it's really not all the glam that people think it is.

I'm flying the same trip for five weeks in a row. Start on Tuesday morning at 9:00, fly seven legs, nine hours on the ground in OTH (North Bend/Coos Bay, OR). Five legs Wednesday, arrive in PSC (Pasco, WA) 3:00 p.m. Up at 4:30 Thursday, fly five legs, get into RDM (Redmond, OR) 4:00 p.m. Up at 3:30 Friday, just three legs and home by 9:30 a.m.

The first day pretty much kicks your butt and you don't really get enough rest to recover, so you start out tired the next day and it just kind of builds from there. This week I managed to skip taking a nap in PSC in favor of going to bed early. I paid some bills, made some phone calls, replied to some emails and was in bed with lights out by 7 p.m., looking forward to having plenty of sleep for a change.

At 9:53 the phone in my room rang. This only happens when Crew Scheduling calls to tell you that the night plane didn't get in due to weather or mechanical so you can sleep in the next morning (no plane to fly out). It was a woman asking for Sonja. I'm pretty sure it was another flight crew that had just arrived at the hotel and got to sleep in the next day. I said something rude, slammed down the phone and crawled back into my marshmallow bed. All the Red Lion Hotels went through a remodel during the last few years which included new furniture and pillowtop mattresses. The PSC hotel did this about four years ago. The mattresses were nice at first, but as they wear in, they start to break down and soften. You can actually see body prints where they are most commonly slept on.

After a few minutes of tossing and turning and not getting comfortable and my back aching, I got up, yanked all the covers off the end of the bed and made myself a taco on the floor. With the fan on to drown out the flight crew now conversing on the patio of the room next door, I was able to sleep reasonably well for the rest of the night.

Apparently I'm not the only one who prefers firm beds. A couple other pilots also admit to sleeping on the floor at the Red Lions.